Running head: 20th-Century Genius Award

20th-Century Genius Award

After hours of extensive research I have discovered an individual whose work and

artistic contributions can be classified in both the Age of Modernism and the Age of Pluralism

for the 20th Century Genius Award. I nominate American television writer and producer

Norman Lear for the 20th-Century Genius award. Norman Lear has enjoyed a long career in

television and film, and as a political and social activist and philanthropist. I be believe that his

accomplishments were significant with the major changes that have happened around the world

in the past 50 years or greater and will impact the world for many years to come.

New Haven, Connecticut was the place of Norma Lear's birth. He was born on

July 27, 1922, and attended Emerson College for over a year before deciding to drop out and

fight in World War II. In 1945 he decided to leave the Army to pursue a career in comedy

writing, but this later changed into screenwriting and producing for television. Lear's family was

Jewish his parents, Herman and Jeanette Lear, had jobs in sales. At the age of 9 his father was

sentenced to a three year prison sentence for fraud. While his father was incarcerated, his role

models were his grandfather and his uncle. Lear's grandfather composed regular letters to the

president on the different political issues . Lear later announced that his grandfather's political

participation taught him a lesson he never forgot: "that a citizen can matter." Nevertheless, Lear

never imagined himself growing up to be a rich and famous celebrity. "All I wanted was to grow

up to be a guy who could flip a quarter to a nephew," he once said. He served as a radio operator

and gunner during World War II, flying 52 combat missions in the Mediterranean Theater and

earning the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters. Lear left the military in 1945, and worked for

four years in public relations before embarking on a career as a freelance comedy writer . In

Running head: 20th-Century Genius Award

1950, Norman Lear teamed up with Ed Simmons to write The Ford Star Review, a musical

comedy variety show that aired for one year on NBC. Although the show's run was brief, Lear

and Simmons impressed comedian Jerry Lewis, who hired them to write for the Colgate Comedy

Hour, where they worked until 1953. In 1958, Lear moved from writing to production, joining

with director Bud Yorkin to found Tandem Productions. With Lear writing and producing, the

pair produced numerous feature films, including Divorce American Style(1967), which earned

Lear an Academy Award nomination in 1967.

Lear made his biggest impact in the early 1970's when he went against the grain and

created controversial shows like “All In The Family”. “All In The Family” aired from 1971

to1979, but the show was renamed Archie Bunker's Place from 1979-1983. Norman Lear's shows

dealt with pressing social issues and were among the first shows to showcase an integrated cast.

Characters like George Jefferson a well established black business business owner from Lear's

1975 series The Jeffersons changed the dynamic in which African Americans could be portrayed

in television. The Jefferson were a fairly wealthy black family which overshadowed the typical

stereotypes of that time, which suggested that Black Americans were poor, uneducated, and

ignorant. Lear also shed light on other issues that were facing the world such as the struggles of

a black American family the Evans Family. This family was cast in the 1974-1979 show Good

Times. “Good Times” gave the world a close look at black America by displaying a lower class

family doing what ever it took to make ends meet.

Lear left television in 1981 and founded a non profit organization the “ People for

the American way”. This organization was devoted to protecting First Amendment rights,

strengthening national education, and furthering electoral and immigration reform. Lear wanted

Running head: 20th-Century Genius Award

to have a more personal influence on social change, and he dedicated his life to doing so. Lear

founded several other organizations after his writing and producing career was over such as the

Norman Lear Center and Declare Yourself, a nonpartisan youth voter registration initiative.

In addition to his organizations in 1999 he received the National Medal of Arts from former

Norman Lear is worthy of the 20th-Century Genius Award because of his ground

breaking work in television and production business that has now transformed into modern day

television. His remarkable yet realistic television programs united audiences as well as the

actors who the scripts. Norman Lear was the first writer and producer to integrate cast on a

consistent basis and endured much success in his time as a producer. He allowed audiences to

see different perspectives from the multiple ethnic groups cast in his programs. Lear inspired

other directors and producers like Spike Lee, Ron Howard, and John Singleton to continue to

incorporate mixed cast in their films and television programs. In addition to his influence on

modern day writers and producers Lear's early works are still aired today on classic television

networks around the world. The actors from shows like the Jefferons, All In The Family, and

Sanford and Son have paid homage to Lear and moved on to become mainstream actors as well

as producers and screenwriters. By the end of his career Norman Lear had given over 200

minorities careers in the television business, and had created over 20 popular programs

containing integrated cast. Norman Lear although heavily criticized by some of his peers

continued to captivate audiences to laughter and rigorous entertainment.