The Evolution of Television

Thousands of attendees at AARP's Vegas@50+ listened in on a personal conversation between two American social and cultural icons—Norman Lear and Maya Angelou—in the program, "Closing Show: The Evolution of Television."

The famous TV producer and writer (known for such memorable and thought-provoking sitcoms as "All in the Family," "The Jeffersons," and "Maude") and the best-selling author and poet volleyed life musings back and forth in eloquent, stream-of-conscious style in a session that might have been better titled, "The Evolution of Social Conscience."

Lear, who had earlier received the 2009 Andrus Award, AARP's highest honor, acknowledged to the audience that Angelou is not only a good friend but is also the godmother of his 14-year-old twin daughters. He told of meeting Angelou 16 years ago, after hearing her speak and approaching her about collaborating on a late-night television show. "The show never happened," he said, "but we spent many nights talking and working late, and it's fair to say that I fell in love."

"I knew we were going to be friends," Angelou responded coyly. "I was married [at the time], so it was too late for anything else!"

The twosome casually shared some of the profound lessons they'd learned in their eight-plus decades (Lear is 87, Angelou 81) on the vocation Lear called "the Creator's enterprise."

To wit: "I am a human being," Angelou said. "Nothing human can be alien to me."

Or: "When you're really committed," said Lear, "the entire universe is conspiring to confirm your success."

While Angelou described Lear as "courageous" in creating television shows that confronted racism and discrimination, Lear said, "I just believe that if you appeal to the wisdom of the heart of the American people, you can never go wrong. That's what we were trying to do."

"I would love for us to reach a place where we are not ashamed to be smart," said Angelou, recounting stories of growing up with her paternal grandmother, the person she credits with giving her "all my teachable moments." When Angelou spent six years without speaking after being molested at the age of seven, it was her grandmother who told her that she would one day be a teacher. And it was her grandmother who taught her, "If you don't like a thing, change it."

"Whining," Angelou continued, "doesn't do anything for the object of your disdain. [All it does is] let a brute know a victim's in the neighborhood."

Before taking a few questions from the audience, Lear expressed gratitude to Angelou for opening her home to his children. "There is absolutely no sense of color lines or race there," he said. "I wish you could all sit at her table."

While the audience wasn't able to seize that opportunity, we enjoyed Angelou's closing—her rap rendition of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven."