Award-winning American television writer and film producer Norman Lear passed away this week at his home in Los Angeles.
Lear's passing was confirmed by a release from his representatives and Lear's family is requesting privacy at this time while they mourn the centenarians passing.
A post to Lear's official Instagram read, "Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him. He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music. But it was people—those he just met and those he knew for decades—who kept his mind and heart forever young. As we celebrate his legacy and reflect on the next chapter of life without him, we would like to thank everyone for all the love and support."
Lear was one of the most influential figures in Hollywood and his impact on the culture cannot be understated.
While his family mourns his passing, the rest of the nation is looking back on Lear's career.
Lear served in the United States Army Air Forces from 1942 until 1945.
At the end of the war, Lear left the military and moved his family to California where he began his career as a publicist before eventually becoming a producer working in Hollywood.
Lear would get his big break with his creation of family dramas like All in the Family, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and The Jeffersons.
Lear used those shows to tackle controversial topics and influence American culture for years. In fact, without Lear, American culture would likely be much different and some argue would be more stable and less polarized.
All in the Family was particularly influential and many believe Lear's ideas lead to incredible cultural damage. Interestingly, Lear once compared former President Donald Trump to Archie Bunker.
Bunker was a caricature of a character that Lear created for All in the Family that was used to attack politically incorrect blue-collar Americans. Lear spent decades attacking rough around the edges America, something that many didn't appreciate.
Lear spent much of his later years advocating for various causes and was a true-blue liberal. In 1981 he founded People for the American Way which advocated for 1st Amendment rights and now advocates for voting rights and the LGBTQ+ community.
Lear was particularly attentive to voting rights issues and condemned efforts to secure elections against voter fraud.
In many ways, Lear was the perfect representation of Hollywood. He influenced the culture and used Television to push an agenda that changed our culture forever.
