re: The destructive influence of Norman Lear shows on society in the 1970’s

Something to be said about making uncomfortable situations funny and not caring about offending people.

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Please don't be offended but I have a much higher standard of comedy writing than anyone I know. Even as a child I did not find cartoons funny at all.

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You sound like a real hoot to hang with.

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Rick Hawkins.

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I have never heard of Point Park University

LINK

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As one who generally laughs at all of the conspiratorial nonsense on this board, I have to say you'd have to be an idiot to not believe that television shows were and are littered with social and political messages.

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Notice on here that the attempt is to make sure everyone knows that even with all the adverse, counter-cultural images Lear and others like him were pounding into American living rooms daily, they knew it and weren't affected by it.

But some had to have been, otherwise we wouldn't have had Presidents like Billary, Obama, and this present mental defective.

Let's return to the days when somebody who made it his business to know the potential in carefully crafted images on silver screens.

A proud, unapologetic Communist who was "ideologically committed to the Leninist interpretation of Marxism."

One of his more revealing quotes:

"If I could control the medium of the American motion picture, I would need nothing else to convert the entire world to communism."

Stalin said this at a time when television was in its infancy, so he didn't know enough about it to appreciate its potential.

But if he had, he would've changed his focus.

Stalin then launched Russia's movie industry, all for the greater glory of Lenin, and what some Bolsheviks spoke endearingly about - the Permanent Revolution.

(Who else is it we know that has an admitted affection for Lenin.)

The difference is in watching movies occasionally at theaters, and having these counter-cultural images pounded into your living rooms 24/7/365.

And some insist that the young of the nation haven't been affected by this massive, subtle effort.

Now it's no longer subtle; it's open, blatant and in-your-face.

But what media type on Madison Avenue, or anywhere else would publicly admit to borrowing from, or emulating Stalin, Goebbels, Edward Bernays while they're going hog wild with the images during the breaks of that upcoming game in two days.

True, was surprised she was able to stay employed. She indeed, took no shite from anyone.

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Notice as the shows went on the themes always got more serious and more dire. Dystopian AF.

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Two key sitcoms that were also in that number.

The very short-lived, little-known All That Glitters - another Lear special effort - which made the unprecedented bold move in treating "gender behavioral switch," which involved depicting women as dominating, importunate, aggressive.

In effect, taking on all the behaviors that we'd come to associate with the male.

It then crossed all lines for the time by presenting the beauteous Linda Gray as a transgender.

It received really bad ratings, so didn't last long.

No doubt Lear convinced himself that "they" just didn't understand what he was trying to accomplish. But some did.

So not to be deterred from continuing to storm the cultural ramparts as much as he could since he had the power of the media, his next effort was Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

What for the time was also unprecedented, but did have its moments.

With its rising ratings, deep into the series after it had captured the audience, Lear proceeded with a series of episodes that included what had to have been the worst depiction of sustained, demeaning spousal psychological abuse ever seen on any medium up to that time.

It involved Martin Mull as the husband/abuser who was perfect for the part.

Then, Mary Hartman's father was depicted as an old senile deviant who kept being arrested for "moral turpitude."

His last arrest for the charge shown in the series was the vehicle for one of the funniest lines in media history.

After his arrest, Mary and her family go down to the police station.

While her family is in a state of embarrassment and chaos, Mary attempts to smooth the situation over by telling her family what they're going to do when Grandpa is released later that night.

Mary: "Everybody! Look, everything is going to be all right! Afterwards, we're all going down to the House of Pancakes."

This was the first "comedy" that blatantly attempted to show Caucasoids in less than admirable settings and behaviors.

After a successful but short run, the series disappeared suddenly.

But looking coldly at just about all the sitcoms of the time, it can't be denied that the tactic was to first capture the audience and then proceed with the probing social messages, which was the initial intent for all of them anyway.

The populace in this country has been under a constant probe by the Left testing what it's willing to tolerate.

While the Left has just about summarily dismissed any such demands for their own tolerance.