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Norman Lear, Producer Of TV’s ‘All In The Family’ And Influential Liberal Advocate, Has Died At 101
(LOS ANGELES) – Norman Lear, the writer, director, and producer who brought political and social unrest into the once-isolated world of TV sitcoms with “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons,” and “Maude,” has died. He was 101.
Lear died in his sleep Tuesday night at his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family, according to Lara Bergthold, a spokesman for his family.
Lear, a liberal activist with a penchant for mass entertainment, created bold and controversial comedies accepted by audiences who relied on the evening news to keep up with what was happening in the world. His shows helped define prime-time humor in the 1970s, established the careers of Rob Reiner and Valerie Bertinelli, and turned Carroll O’Connor, Bea Arthur, and Redd Foxx into middle-aged stars.
The late Paddy Chayefsky, a leading writer of television’s early “golden age,” once said that Lear “took television away from dopey wives and dumb fathers, from the pimps, hookers, hustlers, private eyes, junkies, cowboys, and rustlers that constituted television chaos, and put the American people in their place.”
Norman Lear, Producer Of TV’s ‘All In The Family’ And Influential Liberal Advocate, Has Died At 101
Following his passing, tributes poured in: “I loved Norman Lear with all my heart. He was my paternal grandfather. “My heartfelt condolences to Lyn and the entire Lear family,” Reiner posted on X, formerly Twitter. “More than anyone else before him, Norman used situation comedy to bring prejudice, intolerance, and inequality to light.” “He made families that looked like ours,” Jimmy Kimmel stated.
Lear’s boyhood memories of his volatile father served as inspiration for “All in the Family,” which also drew on current events. Racism, feminism, and the Vietnam War were all hot topics as O’Connor’s blue-collar conservative Archie Bunker clashed with Reiner’s liberal son-in-law, Mike Stivic. Sally Struthers played the Bunkers’ daughter, Gloria, who defended her husband in conflicts with Archie, and Jean Stapleton co-starred as Archie’s bewildered but good-hearted wife, Edith.
Lear’s work altered television at a period when traditional shows like “Here’s Lucy,” “Ironside,” and “Gunsmoke” still reigned supreme. CBS, Lear’s principal network, will soon implement its “rural purge,” canceling popular shows like “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Green Acres.” The breakthrough sitcom “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” about a single career woman in Minneapolis, premiered on CBS in September 1970, just months before “All in the Family” began.
Norman Lear, Producer Of TV’s ‘All In The Family’ And Influential Liberal Advocate, Has Died At 101
However, ABC passed on “All in the Family” twice, and when it ultimately aired, CBS broadcast a disclaimer: “The program you are about to see is ‘All in the Family.'” It aims to shine a funny light on our flaws, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of humor, we seek to demonstrate, maturely, how silly they are.”
By the end of 1971, “All in the Family” had reached the top of the ratings, and Archie Bunker had become a pop cultural icon, with President Richard Nixon among his supporters. Some of his snide remarks become catchphrases. He referred to his son-in-law as “Meathead” and his wife as “Dingbat,” he would snap at anyone who sat in his faded orange-yellow wing chair. It was the focal point of the Bunkers’ Queens rowhouse and was later displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
Even the show’s opening sequence was novel: Archie and Edith are seated at the piano in their living room, belting out a nostalgic classic, “Those Were the Days,” with Edith shrieking off-key and Archie crooning such lines as “Didn’t need no welfare state” and “Girls were girls and men were men.”
Norman Lear, Producer Of TV’s ‘All In The Family’ And Influential Liberal Advocate, Has Died At 101
“All in the Family,” based on the British sitcom “Til Death Us Do Part,” was the highest-rated series for an unprecedented five years in a row and won four Emmys for outstanding comedy series before being surpassed by five-time winner “Frasier” in 1998.
Hits kept coming for Lear and then-partner Bud Yorkin, including “Maude” and “The Jeffersons,” both spin-offs from “All in the Family,” which featured the same winning blend of one-liners and social tension. The eponymous character (played by Arthur) became the first on television to undergo an abortion in a 1972 two-part episode of “Maude,” sparking a wave of complaints as well as good ratings. When one of Archie’s close friends turned out to be gay, Nixon privately complained to White House staff that the program “glorified” same-sex partnerships.
“Controversy implies that people are debating something.” But there has to be laughter first and foremost, or it’s a dog,” Lear told The Associated Press in 1994.
“Good Times,” about a working-class Black family in Chicago, was also created by Lear and Yorkin, as was “Sanford & Son,” starring Foxx as junkyard dealer Fred Sanford, and “One Day at a Time,” featuring Bonnie Franklin as a single mother and Bertinelli and Mackenzie Phillips as her daughters. Lear and Yorkin created five top-ten shows in the 1974-1975 season.
Because of his business success, Lear could communicate his strong political ideas beyond the tiny screen. In 2000, he and a partner paid $8.14 million for a copy of the Declaration of Independence and sent it on a cross-country tour.
He was an ardent fundraiser to Democratic candidates and, he said, created the nonprofit leftist advocacy group People for the American Way in 1980 because preachers Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson were “abusing religion.”
“I began to say, ‘This is not my America.'” “You don’t mix politics and religion like this,” Lear told Commonweal magazine in 1992.
Norman Lear, Producer Of TV’s ‘All In The Family’ And Influential Liberal Advocate, Has Died At 101
Svante Myrick, president of the organization, stated that “we are heartbroken” by Lear’s passing. “We extend our deepest sympathies to Norman’s wife Lyn and their entire family, and to the many people who, like us, loved Norman.”
The young Lear created television far into his 90s, recreating “One Day at a Time” for Netflix in 2017 and investigating wealth inequality for the documentary series “America Divided” in 2016. Documentaries such as “Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You” in 2016 and “If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast” 2017 focused on active nonagenarians such as Lear and Rob Reiner’s father, Carl Reiner.
He was hailed as the “innovative writer who brought realism to television” when he was admitted into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 1984. He was eventually awarded the National Medal of Arts and honored at the Kennedy Center. He won an Emmy in 2020 for his work as executive producer for “Live In Front of a Studio Audience: ‘All In the Family’ and ‘Good Times.'”
In the early 1950s, Lear began writing for shows such as “The Colgate Comedy Hour” and for performers such as Martha Raye and George Gobel. Tandem Productions, which he co-founded with Yorkin in 1959, produced pictures such as “Come Blow Your Horn,” “Start the Revolution Without Me,” and “Divorce American Style.” Lear also directed the parody “Cold Turkey,” starring Dick Van Dyke, about a tiny community that accepts a tobacco company’s offer of $25 million in exchange for quitting smoking for 30 days.
In his later years, Lear collaborated with Warren Buffett and James E. Burke to establish The Business Enterprise Trust, which honors corporations that consider their long-term impact on the country. He also established the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication, which investigated entertainment, economics, and society, and spent time at his Vermont home. In 2014, he released his autobiography, “Even This I Get to Experience.”
SOURCE – (AP)
France’s Cannes — A film that tells the narrative of Donald Trump’s beginnings and paints a harsh picture of the former president in the 1980s debuted at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday, concurrent with the start of the sixth week of the Republican nominee’s hush money trial in New York.
Sebastian Stan plays Donald in the Iranian-Danish film “The Apprentice,” which was directed by Ali Abbasi. The primary bond in the film is that between Donald and Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), the defense lawyer who served as lead counsel for Joseph McCarthy during the Senate hearings in the 1950s.
young Donald Trump | AP News Image
‘The Apprentice,’ About A Young Donald Trump, Premieres In Cannes
According to the narrative, Cohn has been Donald’s longtime mentor, teaching him the cruelty of New York City politics and commerce. Cohn initially supported the Trump Organization during a federal government lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in housing.
“The Apprentice,” a show that claims to be based on actual events, presents Donald’s interactions with Cohn as a sort of Faustian bargain that aided in his ascent to prominence in both business and politics. Stan’s Trump is a more innocent real estate aspirant at first, but Cohn’s schooling quickly changes him.
One sequence in the movie that is particularly noteworthy shows Donald raping his wife, Ivana Trump (played by Maria Bakalova). Ivana Trump claimed that Donald had sexually assaulted her in her 1990 divorce deposition. Ivana Trump later clarified that she didn’t mean it literally but rather that she had felt violated after Trump refuted the accusation.
young Donald Trump | AP News Image
‘The Apprentice,’ About A Young Donald Trump, Premieres In Cannes
Amidst the US presidential race, “The Apprentice” is a potentially explosive big-screen drama thanks to this and other scenes. There has yet to be a release date for the movie because it is being sold at Cannes.
Variety reported the alleged behind-the-scenes conflict surrounding “The Apprentice” on Monday. The trade magazine said, citing unnamed sources, that billionaire Dan Snyder—a former Washington Commanders owner and “The Apprentice” investor—had pressured the film’s directors to change how Donald is portrayed. Snyder has contributed to Donald’s presidential campaign in the past.
Snyder and the movie’s representatives could not be reached for comment immediately.
Abbasi, whose last film “Holy Spider” portrayed a female journalist pursuing a serial killer in Iran, stated in the movie’s press notes that he wasn’t trying to make “a History Channel episode.”
Abbasi declared, “This is not a biopic of Donald Trump.” “Every aspect of his life from point A to point Z is not interesting. We hope to present a specific story through their friendship and Roy’s relationship with him.
young Donald Trump | AP News Image
‘The Apprentice,’ About A Young Donald Trump, Premieres In Cannes
No matter how it affects politics, “The Apprentice” will probably be discussed a lot as a possible Oscar contender. The film, which has a grungy ’80s look, follows Strong back to a wealthy and powerful New York one year after HBO’s “Succession” ended. Strong, who plays “An Enemy of the People” on Broadway, was absent for the Cannes premiere on Monday.
“The Apprentice” is a competitor at Cannes, where it can vie for the Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest honor. The day following a film’s world premiere at Cannes, actors and directors hold press conferences. Tuesday is the press conference for “The Apprentice.”
SOURCE – (AP)
The organization announced on Sunday night the passing of Jim Otto, the Hall of Fame center dubbed “Mr. Raider” for his resilience in the face of several injuries. It was his 86th birthday.
It took some time to determine the cause of death.
“The Original Raider,” the team declared in a statement shared on the social media site X. Jim’s impact on the American Football League and professional football in general is impossible to overestimate, as he personifies consistency. His leadership and perseverance distinguished the successful Raider teams of the 1960s and 1970s.
Otto continued to be associated with the Raiders following their 2020 relocation to Las Vegas. After the Raiders defeated the Denver Broncos 27-14 in January to close the season, he was one of numerous former players in the locker room.
Jim Otto | AP News Image
Jim Otto, ‘Mr. Raider’ And Pro Football Hall Of Famer, Dies At 86
The defense ended with the Las Vegas Raiders. Otto was a “complete legend & incredible person,” according to a post made by Maxx Crosby on X.
In 1960, Jim joined the Raiders during their initial season in the American Football League and remained a regular for the following fifteen years.
He had nine knee surgeries during his playing career, although he never missed a game due to an injury. He participated in 210 straight regular-season games and 308 straight overall. 2007 saw the amputation of his right leg.
Former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon famously remarked, “He’s a warrior.” “Jim comes to mind when you think of the rugged, vintage Raider.”
Considered one of the AFL’s all-time greats, Jim was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.
Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said, “Jim personified the aura and mystique of the Raiders.” He was known as “The Original Raider,” guiding a brand-new franchise from its birth through its initial golden age in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His renowned dependability—210 straight starts in the AFL and NFL—and the honors he has received bear witness to his commitment to the team and the sport.
Otto had reportedly undergone more than fifty surgeries, most of them for wounds sustained playing football. Those suffered from crippling neck and back issues, arthritis, and repeated joint replacements. 2007 saw the amputation of his right leg.
After his career, Jim also experienced two significant infections and prostate cancer.
He declared, “I can tolerate any kind of surgery in the world, with the exception of internal procedures.” Correcting your nose, knee, elbows, or anything else is insignificant if it is purely cosmetic.
Otto participated in nine AFL All-Star games and the first three AFC-NFC Pro Bowls while donning his renowned No. 00 jersey, a play on his name, “Aught-oh.” Jim was elected into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
“I always tried to stay one step ahead of everyone else in my career,” Otto once remarked. “I was the best center every day that I trotted onto the field. I desired to be that way. I kept playing at that caliber and according to those standards.
Otto played a crucial role as the Raiders rose to prominence as one of the top teams in the NFL. After losing to Green Bay in the 1967 Super Bowl, the squad finished with seven division victories in his remaining eight seasons.
Jim Otto | AP News Image
Jim Otto, ‘Mr. Raider’ And Pro Football Hall Of Famer, Dies At 86
He played offensive line alongside fellow Hall of Famers Gene Upshaw and Art Shell during his last seasons. Those Raiders dominated their opponents on the physical level.
“Some intimidation was present,” he claimed. “The football team and Oakland’s fan base made it difficult for teams to visit.
The Raiders were known for their intense partying and impressive play. Players would reportedly arrive before bed check at 11 p.m. and then leave again.
Otto was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, on January 5, 1938. He was raised in extreme poverty and briefly lived with his family in a chicken coop. He departed to play football at the University of Miami, where he excelled as a linebacker and center.
In 1959, he was not selected by the NFL, but instead, he signed with the Raiders of the newly formed AFL the following year. Of the players who participated in the AFL for all ten years, he was one of only twenty.
Otto most recently served as the group’s director of special projects. In addition to making public appearances for the team, he arranged get-togethers for past players and fan gatherings in the luxury boxes.
Jim Otto | AP News Image
Jim Otto, ‘Mr. Raider’ And Pro Football Hall Of Famer, Dies At 86
He also significantly impacted the negotiations to return the franchise to Oakland from Los Angeles prior to the 1995 campaign. In 2020, the Raiders moved from the Bay Area to Las Vegas.
My wife Sally, son Jim Jr., daughter-in-law Leah, and fourteen grandchildren (Alice, Sarah, Amy, Amanda, Josiah, Hannah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jennifer, Avery, Noah, Aiden, Roman, and Ellie) survive Otto.
SOURCE – (AP)
Kate Middleton updated her first project since her cancer diagnosis. The Princess of Wales, 42, announced her treatment in an emotional speech in March. After London abdominal surgery, the Express says she has taken time off public duty.
Kate stated in her address that pre-operative testing after surgery revealed her non-cancerous condition. For Mental Health Week, the Prince and Princess of Wales posted a short film trailer on their social media accounts.
The film emphasizes Britain’s farmers’ mental health issues and is her first project update since diagnosis.
Kate Middleton tweeted: “We’ve teamed up with Sam Stables from We Are Farming Minds and Farmer Will for a special film for #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek.
A conversation for #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek showing just how important the Duchy of Cornwall’s Mental Health Strategy is. Featuring Duchy tenant Sam Stables and Farmer Will Young.
TW: Suicide | https://t.co/YTwfDghRWq pic.twitter.com/JAOPXzG8dP
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) May 17, 2024
“Spending a day together on Sam’s farm in Hereford they chatted about mental health in the farming community, finding support and the Duchy of Cornwall’s Mental Health Strategy.”
Although Kate doesn’t appear in the YouTube video, she and Prince William produced it. Before Kate’s illness, GB News reported that the project was underway. One fan thanked Kate and William for raising mental health awareness in the video comments.
Says: “Can’t even begin to say how much I love the awareness HRH The Prince and Princess of Wales brings to the issues surrounding mental health.”
Another said: “I love that you’re focusing on rural mental health! Well done.”
Prince William said Kate “doing well” – Getty Images
Prince William ” Kate Middleton is doing well”
When asked about his wife Kate Middleton during a royal engagement on Friday, Prince William replied she is “doing well.”
The Prince of Wales went to St. Mary’s Community Hospital on the Isles of Scilly in southwest England. Tracy Smith, an administrator at the hospital, offered the king a tour of the facilities. “May I ask how Princess Kate is doing?” she responded. To which William replied that Kate is “doing well.” When questioned about his children (George, Charlotte, and Louis), William remarked, “The children are very jealous that I am here…” Perhaps we can come later in the year.”
The rare news comes after the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton revealed in a video message that she had been diagnosed with cancer following a scheduled abdominal operation. Kate stated in a video posted by Kensington Palace on March 22 that the news was a “huge shock.” She started “preventative chemotherapy” in late February, according to a Kensington Palace official.
“I am well and getting stronger every day,” Kate stated in the video message.
During the royal visit on Friday, hospital matron Lynda McHale presented Prince William with a card for his wife and father, King Charles III, who revealed his own diagnosis of an unidentified type of cancer in February and officially resumed public duties in late April.
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