Norman Lear feels like a kid again at 101. In an Instagram video marking his 101st birthday on Thursday, the legendary writer-producer addressed his followers, saying he’s “living in the moment” and “entering his second childhood” as he embarks on his next chapter.
“Norman Lear here, dribbling a bit because he’s entering his second childhood,” he said with a laugh. “I have just turned 101, and that is, they tell me, my second childhood. It feels like that, in terms of the care I am getting. I get the kind of care at this age that I see children getting. And so, I am now a 101-year-old toddler, and I am thinking about two little words that we don’t think about often enough: over and next. When something is over, it’s over, and we have the joy and privilege of getting on to the next [thing]. And If there were a hammock in between those two words, it would be the best way I know of identifying living in the moment. That hammock between over and next.
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“I am living in that moment now, with all of you,” he said. “Bless all of you, and our America.”
You can watch the video below.
A post shared by Norman Lear (@thenormanlear)
Most recently, Lear has shown solidarity with the WGA and striking writers.
“I have been, at my core, a writer,” Lear said last month in a message on Instagram.
“A writer who struggled and anguished to put words to paper that would provoke, create conversation, humanize us, help us see each other — words that would matter. I wrote in the very first year of television, when writers were revered. I now watch talented writers struggle to earn a living wage without the path to a career like mine.”
“The stories we tell, the stories I can now watch on any device, are the stories that connect us, engage us, make us laugh and cry together, and inspire understanding and compassion. That is something to be protected and cherished,” he wrote.
The Norman Lear Center also recently commended the Barbie team for its demonstration of non-violence in their war scene in the film.
“We would like to praise Greta Gerwig, Mattel, and the entire team behind ‘Barbie’ for demonstrating non-violence and creativity, by replacing traditional firearms with toys and non-lethal weapons during a battle scene. In an era where gun violence is tragically common, this reminds us that there are countless creative ways to tell a compelling and action-packed story while avoiding harmful stereotypes,” said Kate Langrall Folb, Program Director Hollywood, Health & Society, The Norman Lear Center.
She adds, “This is a true testament to the transformative power of storytelling, showing that there can be a fight scene – and triumph without resorting to deadly force.”
Born July 27, 1922 in Connecticut, Lear flew combat missions in World War II before he began his storied career in television, first with variety shows like The Martha Raye Show and The Andy Williams Show before creating such hits as Sanford and Son, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Maude, All in the Family, Good Times, One Day At A Time, The Jeffersons, The Facts of Life, among many others.
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