Norman Lear’s Passing Draws Outpouring of Tributes From the Comedians He Inspired: ‘Thanks for Raising Me’

Jamie FreveleDec 6th, 2023, 10:38 am
 
Norman Lear

AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File

Norman Lear, who let sensitive social commentary be spun into brash, honest joke-telling in his revolutionary sitcoms of the 1970s and 1980s, died on Tuesday at 101. Decades after his shows — including All in the Family, The Jeffersons, and Maude — went off the air, the kids who watched them and were inspired to become comedic storytellers themselves have carried on his legacy. And now they’re paying tribute.

Jon Stewart, former host of The Daily Show who has made a career of turning political animals into a laughing stock, posted on Twitter/X:

Al Jean, writer and executive producer of The Simpsons, a direct descendant of Lear’s work, mourned a “comedy colossus”:

John Leguizamo, standup comedian and storyteller whom Archie Bunker would have hated/loved, called Lear a “master of story telling and a healer”:

David Simon, creator of HBO’s The Wire, who proved that Lear’s talents for social commentary inspired even the grittiest dramas:

Jane Lynch, whose characters cross the same lines of politeness that Lear’s did:

Rob Reiner, producer, All in the Family actor, and the son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, knows who else to thank for everything, especially the gift of “Meathead”:

Quinta Brunson, the Emmy-winning producer, writer, and star of ABC’s Abbott Elementary who is surely carrying on Lear’s legacy for the streaming generation and whatever is coming next:

Marc Maron shared the conversation he had with Lear on his WTF podcast and said he “truly changed the world with comedy”:

Something Lear would have made a joke about: he outlived the co-writer of his obituary in The New York Times, Richard Severo. You can read that here.

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