Norman Lear Was TV’s Lodestar: A Critic’s Appreciation – The Hollywood Reporter

Logo text I truly think Norman Lear would have appreciated — and perhaps been a bit embarrassed by — The Hollywood Reporter headline acknowledging his passing. “Norman Lear, Sitcom Genius and Citizen Activist, Dies at 101.” The “genius” part simply expresses what’s hardest to capture when it comes to Norman Lear, whose roster of mostly broadcast sitcoms encompasses the best and brightest comedies of the past 50 years. These indelible shows stretch across multiple generations. Their very names conjure not individual moments or episodes, but an entire and wide-ranging ethos of laughter and perspective on the world around us. All in the Family. Sanford and Son. The Jeffersons. Maude. Good Times. One Day at a Time, both the original and the Cuban-American Netflix remake. What’s hardest when it comes to Lear is perhaps finding a word or a set of words that distill the extent of his gifts, and “genius” fits like one of his signature boat hats. Because Norman Lear was a fashion icon, too. Let us never forget it. So “genius” works. “Genius” is right. But “Citizen Activist” is perfect as well. Lear wasn’t a politician, because being a politician would have limited his platform for influence and
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