Isabel Sanford (right, with Roxie Roker) as Louise Jefferson on “The Jeffersons,” Norman Lear’s long-running spinoff of “All in the Family.”Credit…CBS, via Associated Press

Amid the 1970s television landscape selling obvious sex and youth, Norman Lear understood the magnetism of older everyday women.

Mr. Lear, who died on Tuesday at 101, has long gotten credit for being the first to train the television spotlight on issues of racism and class, war and poverty, to create plots centered on hot-button feminist issues such as equal pay or abortion. He deserves all of those accolades. But little has been said about the much quieter feminism expressed simply through his choice of leading ladies and the characters they limned.

Mr. Lear made stars out of gifted midlife actresses, without requiring them to look 20 years younger than they were. Instead, he made these women the focal points of important conversations, granting them dignity and gravitas and humor that was never cruel or at their expense.

Amid the 1970s television landscape of sexy pinups (Farrah Fawcett, Suzanne Somers), beautiful superheroes (Lynda Carter in “Wonder Woman,” Lindsay Wagner in “The Bionic Woman”), and relatable-but-thin-and-gorgeous heroines like Mary Tyler Moore, Mr. Lear’s leading ladies stood out for their sheer everyday-ness.

Bea Arthur as Maude Findlay, the outspoken main character in Mr. Lear’s show “Maude,” with Bill Macy, who played her husband, Walter Findlay.Credit…CBS, via Getty

Esther Rolle, far right, played Florida Evans on “Good Times,” seen here with, from left, BernNadette Stanis (as Thelma), Jimmie Walker (as J.J.) and John Amos (as James Evans Sr.).Credit…CBS, via Getty

Cast members from “All in the Family.” From the top: Sally Struthers as Gloria, Rob Reiner as Michael, Jean Stapleton as Edith and Carroll O’Connor as Archie.Credit…CBS

Edith Bunker, Maude Findlay, Louise Jefferson and Florida Evans were all middle- or working-class middle-aged women — attractive, but hardly supermodels. Over the years of their series, the actresses who played these roles ranged in age from their 40s to late sixties. They wore regular clothes on their regular bodies, simple dresses with tie belts, housecoats or tunic pantsuits (varied slightly to reflect their characters’ social status) — outfits any audience member might find in a department store. Their hair and makeup were unobtrusive.

Yet within these parameters lay real power. In their unflashy outfits, they had a commanding appeal different from and more enduring than that of all the bikini- and evening-gown-clad glamour girls of the era. (In her floor-length vests, Bea Arthur as the feminist suburbanite Maude could at times resemble a Roman senator.)

Mr. Lear’s characters held our attention, making us care about their struggles and joys, marriages and children, their money or work woes. They made us laugh. What’s more, these women had romantic lives. Sometimes, they would hint at having actual sex, despite the serious handicap of being over 40.

Esther Rolle was 53 when she began playing Florida Evans on “Good Times” (spinning off from her role in “Maude”) — 19 years older than John Amos, the handsome actor who played her husband, James. Yet they were depicted as having a vital, erotic relationship. In one episode, James whisks Florida off to a snowbound cabin for a second honeymoon, carries her across the threshold and murmurs that he wants to “get it on.”

Even the demure and innocent Edith Bunker — played by Jean Stapleton from age 47 to 56 — referred on occasion to her still-active bedroom activities. In an episode titled “The Joys of Sex,” Edith consults a sex manual to spice up her marriage. “Ain’t I always there when you’re in the mood?” asks a wounded Archie. “Yeah, Archie, and even when I ain’t,” Edith replies.

Mr. Lear’s heroines also confronted feminine reproductive issues: Edith endured a rocky menopause — replete with crying, rage and mood swings. On “The Jeffersons,” Louise Jefferson (played by Isabel Sanford from age 57 to 67) tries some marriage therapy techniques on her recalcitrant husband, George (Sherman Hemsley), trying gamely to get him to talk about sex. Most dramatically, Maude had a late-life abortion (when the character was 47 and Arthur was 50). In other words, these female characters had female bodies, and those bodies got to be part of the story: not as jiggling eye candy, objects of leering jokes or fashion plates, but as the flesh-and-blood, complex, flawed and sexual entities that bodies actually are — and that all women have, whether they’re 25 or 60, supermodels or not.

Norman Lear (1922-2023)

Norman Lear, Whose Comedies Changed the Face of TV, Is Dead at 101

Dec. 6, 2023

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What began with a book about helping young professionals navigate the ‘corporate jungle’ has evolved into a community coming together to support one another and create positive change for our environment and those affected by the autoimmune disease Lupus.

Drawing on 30 years of experience carving out his path in the corporate jungle, author Chuck Saia wrote YOU GOT THIS, KID! Words of Advice for Young leaders to share his experiences and learnings with young professionals looking to develop the skills needed to build self-confidence, navigate uncertainty and achieve their greatest goals.

Chuck’s passion for mentoring young professionals shines through in his speaking engagements, but it’s his compassion for family, friends, colleagues and every person he connects with that has inspired our foundation’s board to mobilize our mission of inspiring action to reduce toxins in our environment that have a particularly adverse effect on those with autoimmune diseases.

The Saia family has closely witnessed the trials and tribulations the autoimmune disease Lupus can place on a family. Chuck, Allison and their two sons, Ethan and Matthew, have supported Allison’s sister Amy Szoke and her family, through two lupus induced strokes, daily joint pain and fatigue as well as a recent diagnosis of Lupus Nephritis.

The Saia and Szoke families are just two of the thousands of families and millions of people impacted by Lupus in the United States alone. There’s not a cure nor even a trivial understanding of the root cause.

The latest research studies, however, are discovering more about how our environment plays a role in our health. Environmental toxins’ effect on Lupus activity is part of the 2021 Pre-Matriculation program at Quinnipiac University where Professor and YGTK Board member Courtney McGinnis. will be teaching pre-med students about the connectivity. The students will also hear from other board members Amy Szoke and Karin Wagner in a fireside chat discussing the patient provider relationship and their personal journeys with Lupus.

Our foundation’s influence has only just begun, and we welcome you to join us in our journey to drive positive change for young professionals, those affected by Lupus and all of our local communities to make for a brighter tomorrow.

“What started with a book became a community of people coming together to build this foundation and mobilize our mission.”

-Chuck Saia

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YOU GOT THIS KID AND QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR

Got this Kid Sponsors and Speakers

Listen to “YOU GOT THIS KID AND QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR” on Spreaker.

Got this Kid Awardees

Listen to “You Got this Kid Sponsors and Speakers” on Spreaker.

Listen to “YOU GOT THIS, KID! Leadership Foundation (YGTK!) because someone very close to me suffers from LUPUS, a debilitating auto-immune disease.” on Spreaker.

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Hamden, Connecticut: What began with a book about helping young professionals navigate the ‘corporate jungle’ has evolved into a foundation that develops young leaders through training, immersive learning, self-discovery, and philanthropy.
While leadership development is at the core of the You Got This, Kid! (YGTK!) Leadership Foundation, YGTK!’s mission is to support those affected by Lupus and promote environmental sustainability in our local communities.

YGTK! Pillars

● Leadership Development: Provide leadership training and immersive learning experiences within universities and corporations internationally

● Advance Lupus Research and Awareness: Lead philanthropic efforts and provide support and resources for those affected by Lupus

● Environmental Sustainability: Our focus centers around removing toxins from our communities and environment, as they have a particularly harmful effect on those living with autoimmune diseases

The YGTK! Leadership Foundation’s programmatic and philanthropic efforts have expanded nationwide. Donations that are made to YGTK! go to YGTK!/the Saia Family Fund at Quinnipiac University.

Our foundation’s influence has only just begun, and we welcome you to join us in our journey to develop young professionals, support those affected by Lupus, and promote environmental sustainability in our local communities to make for a brighter tomorrow.

Donations
The foundation actively generates charitable funds through YOU GOT THIS KID! Words of Advice for Young Leaders book sales, merchandise sales, speaking engagements, and direct donations to support each of its pillars through Quinnipiac University.

Chuck Saia Bio
Chuck is a Senior Partner at Deloitte, the Author of You Got This, Kid! Words of Advice for Young Leaders, a Board Member at Quinnipiac University, an angel investor, the former Chief Executive Officer of Deloitte’s Risk and Financial Advisory business, former Chief Risk, Reputation and Regulatory Affairs Officer of Deloitte, a philanthropist focused on Lupus and environmental sustainability and a frequent author and contributor to publications, including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and Fortune.

Karin Wagner Bio
Karin has led marketing acquisition programs for various organizations, including CaringBridge.org and UnitedHealthcare. She now owns a marketing agency specializing in lead generation, based in St. Paul, Minnesota where she lives with her husband and two boys. Karin has been surviving and thriving with Lupus for 13 years and works to help others with autoimmune diseases live a higher quality of life. Karin strives to expand treatment options for people with Lupus and eventually reach a cure.

Alexia Papavasilakis
Alexia is a New York-based artist who, in Spring 2021, will graduate from Parsons School of Design with a BFA in Illustration. “You Got This, Kid!: Words of Advice for Young Leaders” is the first full-length book that her work has been published in, but over the past couple of years she has done editorial for Slate Magazine and Bias Journal of Dress Practice. Aside from that Alexia works on commission and occasionally displays her work in gallery spaces across New York City. Sustainability is an issue that always struck her interest, so from being a conscious consumer to being a conscious producer of art, she is willing to lend a hand to the environment in any way she can.

About YOU GOT THIS, KID!
Words of Advice for Young Leaders
You Got This, Kid! challenges young leaders to find the secret sauce that will help them carve their unique path through the corporate jungle. Drawing on 30 years of experience, author Chuck Saia makes seven unforgettable analogies between the business world and the animal kingdom, from developing an armadillo’s thick skin to spotting scorpion-like managers to building a team of dolphins. All proceeds from You Got This, Kid! Words of Advice for Young Leaders will be donated to the Saia Family Fund at Quinnipiac University benefiting Lupus research and environmental sustainability efforts. The book

#chucksaia #karinwagner #alexiapapavasilakis #yougotthiskid #hamdenconnecticut #corporatejungle #helpingyoungadults #youngleaders #benefit #animals

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