Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You Page #3

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-It's every tobacco company

in the business.

[ Helicopter blades whirring ]

-People were dying in Vietnam.

[ Machine-gun fire ]

Nixon was escalating the war.

And we saw the demonstrations

outside the White House.

We saw the demonstrations

on college campuses --

the anti-war movement,

but exclusively

on the evening news.

You just didn't see that

in the distraction

that passed

as prime-time television.

-This is all taking place

in a period of time

where we were at probably

our greatest change, socially.

We were in the midst

of a revolution

of talking about ideas.

Mainstream television was one

of the last things to jump,

and the first person to force it

over that hill was Norman.

-You and your bloody wars.

Eh?

You and your bloody wars.

I mean, look at you.

Look at you!

-If ever there was a time

in history

of this bloody country

when we needed a war, mate,

it's now --

a war

to get rid of most of them.

-You're mad!

You know that?

-Mad?

[ Indistinct arguing ]

-I was living in England,

and that's where I saw a show

called "Till Death Us Do Part."

I sent a tape back to Norman,

and I said,

"This'll blow your mind."

And he was the one

that came up with the idea.

He said, "Well,

why don't we do it in America?"

I said, "Geez,

we get this on the air,

it'll be a miracle."

-The show

was about a father and son.

The father was conservative.

The kid was progressive.

And I thought, "Holy,

how did I never think

about that?

That's a terrific idea.

I lived that with my father."

So I went with that relationship

and never had reason

to regret it.

-Anything interesting

in the paper?

-Yeah, 200 arrested at Vietnam

Day Peace Demonstration.

200. They should have thrown

the whole bunch of them

in the can.

-Well, I think they just

don't like the idea of America

fighting an illegal

and immoral war.

-Well, if they don't like it,

they can lump it...

take it down the road

and dump it.

-What are you --

You're saying "America --

love it or leave it?"

-That's right.

'Cause this is America,

land that I love.

-Well, I love it, too,

Mr. Bunker,

and it's because I do, I protest

when I think things are wrong.

-And stand beside her

and guide her...

-The right of dissent

is the principle

upon this country was based!

-Through the night

with the light from above.

-Listen to me.

It's in the Bill of Rights!

-God bless America,

you dumb Polack!

-You're prejudiced!

You're prejudiced!

-My home, sweet home.

-Not anymore!

I'm leaving!

- God bless America

-You're prejudiced!

[ Door slams ]

My home, sweet home

-There's a reason Richard Nixon

put Norman

on his enemies list.

To be able

to talk about real life

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