The Jeffersons Character Review: Mother Jefferson

*For the foreseeable future, some Character Review posts may not be published every Thursday as they have in the past.

*Warning: This post contains spoilers about the characters from the television series The Jeffersons. Read at your own risk if you have not watched the show.

There is something to be said about a well-written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front of us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations. When we get married, our marriage is much more than the person we said “I do” to. It is also, for better or for worse, that person’s family. I would love to say that every married person gets along with their in-laws. But that is not always the case. On The Jeffersons, Mother Olivia Jefferson, (Zara Cully) does not hide her disdain for her daughter-in-law Louise (Isabel Sanford).

In her mind, Louise is far from the ideal spouse for her son, George (Sherman Hemsley). She takes pleasure in tormenting Louise about everything. But Louise is no shrinking violet. What Mother Jefferson gives out, she gets back tenfold from Louise. But that does not mean that she is completely heartless. When George’s action cross a sexist line, his mother is quick to point out that he is wrong.

To sum it up: A mother’s love knows no bounds. That can also be said about her relationship with her daughter-in-law. Though one could easily put Mother Jefferson in the stereotypical mother-in-law role, it is her ability to step out of the 2D character occasionally that makes her stand out.

Which is why she is a memorable character.

This will be my last character review post for The Jeffersons. Come back next week for the new list of character reviews.

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The Jeffersons Character Review: Tom and Helen Willis

*For the foreseeable future, some Character Review posts may not be published every Thursday as they have in the past.

*Warning: This post contains spoilers about the characters from the television series The Jeffersons. Read at your own risk if you have not watched the show.

There is something to be said about a well-written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front of us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations. In 2021, it is not uncommon to see a mixed marriage in which one spouse has one skin color and the other spouse has another skin color. But it was not so long ago that it was illegal for an African-American and a Caucasian person to be married in the United States. The legal case of Loving v. Virginia is only 54 years old. On The Jeffersons, Tom and Helen Willis (Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker) were the first interracial married couple on television.

Tom is white and Helen is black. Their neighbor, George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) frequently mocks Tom for being white. Helen, who has become friends with George’s wife, Louise (Isabel Sanford), frequently has a smart comeback about George’s lack of height. After Tom and George become friends, the jokes switch to Tom’s weight. Tom and Helen have two children. Jenny, who looks like her mother, eventually marries George and Louise’s son, Lionel (Mike Evans/Damon Evans). Their son Allan (Andrew Harold Rubin/Jay Hammer), resembles his father and is frequently away from home.

Warning: the above video has the N word in it.

To sum it up: It is easy to love someone who is like you. It is harder to stay in love when your chosen partner/spouse is different and the people around you are not shy about pointing out those differences. But Tom and Helen make it work, proving that when you follow your heart and make a commitment, it is possible to stay together for what hopefully will be the rest of your lives.

Which is why they are memorable characters.

The Jeffersons Character Review: Florence Johnston

*For the foreseeable future, some Character Review posts may not be published every Thursday as they have in the past.

*Warning: This post contains spoilers about the characters from the television series The Jeffersons. Read at your own risk if you have not watched the show.

There is something to be said about a well-written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front of us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations. When one hires household help, they expect this person to be respectful and do the job they are paid to do. On The Jeffersons, Florence Johnston (Marla Gibbs) is not this kind of household staff.

Florence is a smart ass, lacks some of the skills needed to complete her work, and has no problem talking back to her employers. She frequently gets into rows with George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) and complains that her paycheck is on the small side. She is saved from being fired several times by Louise Jefferson (Isabel Sanford), who sees Florence as part of the family instead of hired help.

Though Florence and George don’t exactly get along, both reveal their softer sides and provide assistance when needed. George stepped in before Florence could commit suicide and Florence saved George when he got involved with a couple of con artists.

To sum it up: Household help characters have been around for generations. For the most part, they have been meek, mild, and have only been in the spotlight when they are needed. Florence is a unique not only because she is a major character, but because she is not afraid to speak her mind. Even if that means mocking those who sign her paychecks.

Which is why she is a memorable character.

The Jeffersons Character Review: Louise Jefferson

*For the foreseeable future, some Character Review posts may not be published every Thursday as they have in the past.

*Warning: This post contains spoilers about the characters from the television series The Jeffersons. Read at your own risk if you have not watched the show.

There is something to be said about a well-written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front of us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations. For every yin, there is a yang. The best partnerships are the one in which one person balances out the other. On The Jeffersons, Louise Jefferson (Isabel Sanford) is the the exact opposite of her husband, George (Sherman Hemsley).

When George is obnoxious and full of it, she is kind and openhearted. Willing to give people a chance, she becomes good friends with Tom and Helen Willis (Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker), a bi-racial couple who lives in the same building. Remembering the poverty she experienced in her childhood, she is reluctant to hire a maid. After some convincing on George’s part, she agreed to hire a maid. Over the years, the relationship between Louise and Florence Johnston (Marla Gibbs) becomes less like employer and employee and more like two women who know each other well.

But even as calm and collected as Louise is, there is one person that gets under her skin: her mother-in-law. Mother Jefferson (Zara Cully) knows exactly how to push Louise’s buttons. Though Louise and George have been married for a long time, she is still the target of criticism and disapproval.

To sum it up: Without Louise, George would be just another asshole. Her presence is both a calming influence on both him and the audience, allowing us to laugh without feeling the need to knock him down a peg or two. Louise is the character the audience can connect with, giving us a natural access point and allowing us to enjoy everything this show has to offer.

Which is why she is a memorable character.

The Jeffersons Character Review: George Jefferson

*For the foreseeable future, some Character Review posts may not be published every Thursday as they have in the past.

*Warning: This post contains spoilers about the characters from the television series The Jeffersons. Read at your own risk if you have not watched the show.

There is something to be said about a well-written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front of us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations. The American dream is the ability to pull yourself and your family up by your bootstraps. But as we all know, that dream still does not apply to everyone. On The Jeffersons, the patriarch of the family, George Jefferson is not exactly humble.

Descending from sharecroppers, and growing in poverty during the Depression, George became a business owner. Opening a chain of dry cleaners, he was able to move his wife Louise (Isabel Sanford) and son Lionel (played by both Damon Evans and Mike Evans) from Harlem to Queens and then finally to the Upper East Side of Manhattan. There are some in his shoes who would be unassuming and appreciative. But not George.

Like his former neighbor, Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor), George is arrogant, full of it, and has certain ideas about certain people. Though underneath it all he is a loving and supportive husband and father, that is not the impression one gets upon meeting him for the first time. He takes pleasure in riling up his neighbors, Tom and Helen Willis (Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker), and their maid Florence Johnston (Marla Gibbs). His schemes to bring in more money usually ended up in failure, to be replaced with a new idea.

To sum it up: George Jefferson should be proud of his success. In his time, what he was able to achieve is nothing to sneeze at. But there is a thin line between pride and arrogance. That being said, the reason that audiences have loved this character for nearly fifty years is the duality of being a good spouse and parent and having a large ego. Balancing both aspects, George appeals to the audience in a way that not only breaks boundaries but reveals the human side to what could easily be a dislikable man.

Which is why he is a memorable character.

Thoughts On the Live All in the Family and The Jeffersons

Last night, ABC aired two episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons live.

Stepping into the iconic shoes of Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor) and George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) were Woody Harrelson and Jamie Foxx. Airing as they did in 1973 and 1975 respectively, both episodes tackled two subjects that are as difficult to talk about today as they were in the 1970’s: racism and sexism.

What I think made the live episodes so potent and so in your face is that not only to they still induce deep belly laughs, but they also force us to ask questions that can only be described as uncomfortable.

If you missed it or you would like to watch it again, the episode is available on the ABC site.

I absolutely recommend it.

Even This I Get to Experience Book Review

Norman Lear is one of the godfathers of modern television. One of the geniuses behind All In The Family, The Jeffersons, Maude, etc, his shows forever altered the way the television landscape.

In 2014, Lear published his autobiography, Even This I Get to Experience.  The narrative is the standard womb to tomb autobiography. Starting with his parents, the reader learns about his early life and then goes through to his adulthood, his marriages and his children and his iconic career as a comedy writer and a show runner.

 

Yes, the narrative for the book is pretty standard for an autobiography. While some parts of the book are a little slow, overall, it’s a good read. As both a fan and a writer, it’s always fascinating to learn how one’s experiences and the people they meet along the way can either consciously or subconsciously be found in the writer’s work.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Throwback Thursday-Television Edition-The Jeffersons (1975-1985)

The 1970’s were a time of upheaval and change in America. While some show runners were content to present the status quo to the audience, Norman Lear knew that America needed to see itself reflected on the small screen.

After the monumental success of All In The Family, Lear knew that it was time for a spin-off. The Bunker’s neighbors, George and Louise Jefferson were taken out of working class Queens and into a Manhattan high-rise. Titled The Jeffersons, George and Louise now have live in maid, Florence (Marla Gibbs), who loves nothing more than to torment her male employer. The Jefferson’s neighbor’s Helen and Tom Willis (Roxie Roker and Franklin Cover) are an interracial couple, which was unique for television at that time. Add in Harry Bentley (Paul Benedict), another neighbor, whose roots are across the pond and a relationship between the Jefferson’s son and the Willis’s daughter and you have the future of America reflected on television.

Like it’s predecessor, The Jeffersons was funny, controversial at times and forced the audience to not only look at the world around them, but accept that the world was changing.

I recommend it.