# Norman Lear has died **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [December 6, 2023, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175 "2023-12-06T13:34:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175/1 "2023-12-06T13:34:38Z")
Just saw this on the NYT. Creator of “All In The Family” and other edgy comedies, he was 101. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175/2 "2023-12-06T13:42:31Z")
Damn. Well, you can’t say it was unexpected. I was amazed to see him still appearing on TV at 100. It wasn’t just the “All in the Family” collection. He did several unrelated comedies. And he was co-producer of the underrated movie **Cold Turkey** ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175/3 "2023-12-06T13:51:35Z")
Oh what a treat he was. RIP Sir. You have greatly enriched us all. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175/4 "2023-12-06T14:16:01Z")
I highly recommend listening to his appearance on Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me. I think it is the one where he is asked for advice on living so long and he gave the only advice worth anything. Well worth a listen: > **[Not My Job: How Much Does Producer Norman Lear Know About Learjets?](https://www.npr.org/2016/07/02/484009777/not-my-job-how-much-does-producer-norman-lear-know-about-learjets)** > > There was a time in the 1970s when the most-watched TV shows all had one thing in common: They were produced by Norman Lear. We've invited him to play a game that has nothing to do with any of that. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175/5 "2023-12-06T14:20:04Z")
He lived a good long life. He probably changed TV more than any other person with “All in the Family”, “Maude” & “The Jeffersons”. He was a WWII vet who flew 52 combat missions as a B-17 gunner or radio op. _ **His top shows:** _ All in the Family, Maude, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times, [Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Hartman,_Mary_Hartman), [What’s Happening!!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What%27s_Happening!!), ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175/6 "2023-12-06T14:23:36Z")
Norman Lear put to bed the ‘vast wasteland’ criticism of television. That in itself is worthy of our applause and enduring respect. We have lost a giant. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175/7 "2023-12-06T14:30:41Z")
He was truly magnificent, and his television programs perfectly captured real life, only giving it better dialog. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175/8 "2023-12-06T17:32:21Z")
He supplied many hours of enjoyment and life lessons during my formative years. He greatly influenced who I am today. A life well lived, RIP sir. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175/9 "2023-12-06T20:46:39Z")
I thought he was gonna live forever. Thanks, Mr. Lear. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175/10 "2023-12-06T22:32:21Z")
He held up a mirror to white middle class americans and showed them their racism and sexism and he made it more funny than shaming. And it was a formula which worked to change some hearts and minds, and plant seeds of doubt in others. And he sure pissed some folks off by doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175/11 "2023-12-06T22:44:19Z")
I bet he held it off until he got the news that Henry Kissinger was no longer alive, just in case he was up to something. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175/12 "2023-12-06T23:05:12Z")
A couple of weeks ago I was thinking that maybe Norman Lear may be the most influential celebrity in my life. I grew up in a very conservative family and am the only one that isn’t. And I am the only one that watched a lot of Normal Lear. I believe there is a correlation. I have the box sets for All in the Family and The Jeffersons. Every Monday I watch an episode of The Jeffersons and every Thursday is All in the Family (I have shows for the other days of the week). ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175/13 "2023-12-06T23:10:16Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#): > > Every Monday I watch an episode of The Jeffersons and every Thursday is All in the Family And then there’s Maude! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175/14 "2023-12-07T00:12:09Z")
“Cold Turkey” was originally rated G! When I first saw it, probably 15 years after it was in the theaters, I couldn’t believe it passed some of the censorship of the time. It has since been re-rated PG-13 because it shows people smoking, and also has some rather adult content, albeit off-screen. > **[Cold Turkey (1971) ⭐ 6.6 | Comedy](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066927/)** > > 1h 39m | PG-13 ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norman-lear-has-died/994175/15 "2023-12-07T00:32:15Z")
Thanks. I just listened, and I loved the two words. I also learned something new about Frank Sinatra.