Clip: First '"serious" trans story on a U.S. network sitcom - THE JEFFERSONS: "Once a Friend" - 1977
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ย. 2024
- TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
THE JEFFERSONS: "Once a Friend" - 10/1/1977, CBS
The first attempt at a "serious" trans story on a U.S. network sitcom. George's old Navy buddy is in town and George doesn't deal well with his friend's transition, though they reconcile by the end of the episode. Like so many pioneering LGBTQ episodes of 1970s sitcoms, this was on a series coproduced by Norman Lear.
Edie is played by Veronica Redd, who TV viewers probably remember best for her 1990-2004 run as Mamie Johnson on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.
The script, which won a Writer's Guild of America Award for Episodic TV, follows the formula the networks had used since 1971 with gay and lesbian stories: someone the main character knows, usually an old friend, shows up for one episode and comes out. The main regular character learns tolerance, if not acceptance, and then the queer character is never seen or heard from again.
Norman Lear is an absolutely amazing man. He constantly brought up issues no one wanted to talk about or were too afraid to. Not only that but he did it with humor and made it relatable to a huge audience.
He had a horrible show where Edith was supposed to have been raped on all in the family. They sold it as the first show on television to deal with rape. But that wasn’t so. All the way back in 1955 what are the early gun smoke episodes dealt with rape. That Indian girl was raped they just didn’t use the term. It was obvious that she was pretty beat up because she was up in docs office they had to get Miss kitty in to look at her. Again that was 1955.
He effed over good times to make JJ dumber at the cost of his 2 stars Esther Rolle and John Amos. I feel so ashamed seeing Jimmie Walker yelling dyn-o-mite as an old man in those Medicare commercials, which explains why they disliked it.
I do admit live from a studio audience was fun though not the diffrent strokes one lol Kevin Hart in that old man's lap.
But yes Norman Lear know politically incorrect humor well, and Carroll O'Connor had great range to be so different from obtuse and casually condescending Archie Bunker.
1:00 is a normal reaction compared to nowadays where everyone has to bend over to transgenders as they take over the schools and women's sports.
Dont pat him on the back too soon. He stole alot of ideas from a blackman and never gave him credit. Also he was known to being a racist.
I think you meant to say ERIC MONTE.
@@MrVariant Leaving others alone is POSITIVE, good n healthy. YOU CAN'T do that. You're the same as those who are willing to ruin women's sports with unfair competition. Why do you not want to LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE?
As ignorant as George was at times, atleast he asked questions and made an effort to understand what he didn't. God Bless Norman Lear and all the beautiful cast. This and many of his shows.... GOLD!!💫💫💫
Veronica Redd is a biological women
Just like Archie
Why is he ignorant? He's right! He is still a man and he still is Eddie.
@@infamous1427 exactly 👍
@@infamous1427 You’re ignorant. If you change your government name you are no longer your old self. You can not be a man with sex change and if no one knew that she changed her sex or gender, people would still assume that she’s a woman. Gender is not real, sex is and her gender is female. Sexually she’s a woman because where sexual organs are different. The only thing still male is the fitness limits that she has the ability to reach that most women can’t. You don’t get to decide and quantify someone else’s identity, just like no one else can to you.
This show was so inclusive and ahead of its time. They always touched on REAL subject matters ❤
Yeah, too bad the White shows weren't all inclusive.
That's where they should have been showcasing this abomination.
yes 📺📺📺🙏❣️💜
He didn't even want her touching him tho- I appreciate the inclusivity, I just wish she wasn't treated like she had a contagious disease 🤦🏻♀️😞
Thats every show back then because the world wasnt turned into snowflakes by democrats yet. 💯🤷🏾♂️
A difficult subject even nowadays. Ariana DeBose bravely touched on the subject of her sexuality in her Oscar acceptance speech. But this milestone moment was overshadowed by the drama at the Oscars between Will Smith & Chris Rock. SMH
That's cool that they made her seem happy with the change and showed the biggest problem with it was other people's perceptions. I don't think I've even seen any media today make a trans person feel so human
There no change, he’s still a man and always will be, no amount of makeup and surgery ain’t gonna change that fact
@@ninjanibba4259 there are women born and raised female with full female genitalia that have XY chromosomes. There is a trans woman here on TH-cam that was born male but has XX chromosomes. What would you call those people? Gender and sex are more complicated than chromosomes, or genitals. Chromosomes are only instructions for the body to develop, they are fallible and make mistakes, which is how we get intersex and transgender people. The biggest determinator for gender behavior as it is relevant in society is your hormones, which trans people change through hormone replacement therapy. And autopsies have also shown that trans women have the brain anatomy and brain chemistry of biological women. And male and female genitalia are homologous. For every part of the male genitals there is a female anatomical equivalent. What keeps you intolerant of trans people is your ignorance on what makes a man or what makes a woman. Trans people challenge your worldview and unfortunately you are one of the many people who are too stubborn to accept that not everyone fits into the narrow categories you’re so desperate for them to fit into.
That is an actual female actress though, right?
@ᴄᴏᴜʀᴛɴᴇʏ ᴡʜɪᴛᴍᴏʀᴇ I don’t care? Men are men, women are women, that simple, anything else is crazy territory
@@lawdhammercy4448 Veronica Redd is/was the actresses name
The Jefferson's was a Great Show!
RIP to All the cast members who have gone on To Glory!
🙏🙅👌
Yess....
Marla Gibbs is still here!!
Yep, Marla. I think Jennie and the dark-skinned Lionel are still kicking
Yes, agreed, I miss the good old days.
When television actually taught lessons to the audience, and kept children, children.
Respect, honesty and courage.
Yeah , I would sell my soul to go back.
IT WAS FUNNY AND SUPRISING TO ME THEY LET GEORGE SAY CRACKER...AS MUCH AS HE DID...AND IN THOSE TIMES...TOM COULD NOT...DARE NOT CALL GEORGE A ...U KNOW WHAT...AND ZEBRA WAS USED SO MUCH...NEVER HEARD IT TILL THEN...DONT THINK IVE HEARD IT SINCE THEN...IM STILL SURPRISED 2022🤭😏🤨😉🦚
Imagine something over 40 years old being so relevant today
I get your point, but some messages really are timeless. And this one could apply to other issues of self - acceptance and or societal tolerance. George simply wasn't ready.
I know and we didn’t make a big fuss about it
Yeah it's called CONDITIONING
Yeah but the difference is, you can't express the same discomfort today, as George felt back then - especially if you are white
I was naive back then sometimes I think I still am lol but I didn’t know what all that meant back then
Damn, I didn't even know The Jeffersons discussed this. Kudos to them!
I think there was a similar storyline on an episode of All in the Family. Of course Archie was the one having trouble with the topic, and Edith was just very confused in her sweet way.
PRAISE CHRIST YESHUA FOR SHEDDING HIS INNOCENT BLOOD ON THE CROSS IN CALVERY SO THAT WE COULD LIVE FOR ETERNITY IN HEAVEN. WITHOUT YESHUA WE WILL NOT ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND. MATTHEW 3:2.
@@yeshuaischrist9951 Well, at least you said Yeshuah and not Jesus. lol
Kudos for pushing this evil filth? It just means Satanic Hollyweird has been pushing this filth longer than people realize.
Kudos?! Really bro.... Really?!
The Jeffersons was groundbreaking in so many ways.
I understand all black woman are happy. This is the message they been trying to give black men for years.all you need to do is to get a sex change and all your problems magically go away. I say magically because this is the real witchcraft.in a country raising people on Disney and Halloween. Both founders were witches.
@@El-flaco-d seek help
I had friends that have sex change there makeing this stupid and makeing George look like a fool cause he can't accept it ....please I never did like this show 👎😐
@@El-flaco-d true another thing with these shows makes black men overly scrutinize beautiful black skinny women because the message they keep getting is beautiful black skinny women are actually men...it so backward
Lmao Mr Jefferson was gay tho.. that's what makes this funny
The actress was brilliant. A tough role and she played it perfectly.
He
Yeah, a woman playing a man who became a woman...she did amazing
@@burgerking220 this was a real woman
Not tough for a woman to play a woman.
@@atarbuck3452 you try it
For those of you who never saw the full episode George did end up having a drink
That's good. Lol
Maybe more than a drink 😊 Sherman Helmsley ( George Jefferson) was gay in real life.
@@borisaoco44 Wow, that deepens the interpretation of the scene and acting a little bit.
@@borisaoco44 says who?
That's really a man, they put it in plain sight. Look at how big the hands are. Look at the pyramid symbol he made with his hands at 1:44.
This was such a great show way ahead of its time. All In The Family, The Jefferson’s, Good Times, Chico and the Man. This is the kind of entertainment we need to have today.
They pushed the fabric of society by example and leadership.
Maude
What the kind that conditioned us to where we are today?
Norman Lear was a true groundbreaker. I hope he makes it to 100. He's pretty close!
When they started pushing independence for women and equality. It messed up the households. And also a lot of men going to jail and getting in drugs
This episode was Waaay ahead of its time.
But it was necessary to shed light on body dismorphia, gender dismorphia, Xy and XX chromosomes.. the whole business. Hell, one of my childhood friends went through this.
Same here but I didn't make a big thing about it I respected it on this episode they have him acting really stupid about it to be real I never did like the show
It was as relevant then as it is now. Just because it’s in the 70s and this still exists doesn’t mean it was ahead. Just goes to show how much things hasn’t drastically changed.
@@tonyallen6510 George Jeffersons character was to reflect the bigotry back then. Just as Archie Bunker did. That's why his character is acting like that.
@@shawns4354 I guess I never really like the show watch it here and there they made him to be so stupid in the show
Only note is that it's gender dysphoria, not dysmorphia. Body dysmorphia relates to body image and size, whereas body dysphoria relates to a feeling of wrongness with one's gender. Here's a wikipedia link on it: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_dysphoria
Source: Am trans
This is literally one of the most tolerant and progressive, and realistic, representations of trans women. And it was made 40 years ago.
Imo it hasn’t been matched since
It was played by a woman - not a transwoman. So not realistic at all
@@jayjaydubful a female character was played by a woman. More accurate than eddie redmayne
@@twokindsofovenfries32 ooh you're not conflating sex & gender are you? You lose points on your progressive card for that
@@jayjaydubful Oh good lord you’re a terf
@@neurodivergentpixi6736 wow you make a lot of assumptions about my age, sexuality, knowledge & experience. Maybe you should take some of your own advice.
There were trans identified men in this period or a man could have played the part. Getting a woman to play the part is propaganda and gaslighting. It is disrespect to women.
Women couldnt have equal pay or own property until well into the 70s. They could get raped in marriage until the 90s. And now we're losing our rights all over again.
As my grandma used to say “everybody ain’t gotta like what you like”.
what does that have to do with gender identification? you dont “like” gender - it’s an identity. it just IS.
@@weeniehutjr9977 Hi. Did you watch the scene? My comment had nothing to do with gender identification.
In the scene, George obviously doesn’t want to accept his friends new “life” as a chick. Which, is his opinion. What’s your issue??
@@prentisdavis9781 that’s not an “opinion” an “opinion” is “I don’t like the color orange”. “I don’t like your identity” is barely even an opinion
@@babyvia6712 Uh… watch the video and get out of your feelings.
Liking is liking. Disliking is disliking.
Grow up.
@@prentisdavis9781 grow up and realize that “liking” trans people isn’t the point. Grow up and realize that “disliking” is something that should never have anything to do with anyone else. You dislike the idea of transgenderism keep it to yourself. No matter what you ALWAYS validate the identities of your loved ones. You don’t get an opinion on another persons identity.
It's amazing how well shows like The. Jeffersons, All in the family and Sanford and Son had discussions and confronted issues in a manner that would not be allowed today.
Amazing? You no go outside? Nothing else going on in your life to compare the word amazing too?
Hah amazing that hilarious, theirs nothing amazing about this. This stuff is being shoved down everyone’s throats lord forbid you don’t agree and it’s a HUGE problem. Then theirs the big problem of trying to teach this stuff to children which is not appropriate.
Your statement is an acknowledgement that we are being constantly censored, mentally manipulated and reprogrammed.
Whether you consciously believe in "Conspiracy Theories" or not you have just recognized that an Agenda is definitely in play. We are all compliant with it. Welcome to the New World Order.
@The Chard N Nay Show Not pushing. Just letting it be known that these people simply do exist just like they did 40 years ago as you can see in this episode and 40 years before that and so on. By the way your comment is very reminiscent to things white folks would say when shows and movies starterd having more amd more minorities in them or sports started letting them play along side them.....IJS
@The Chard N Nay Show definitely over due discussions that need to be had .
Sherman Hemsley is brilliant.
Most definitely
What episode is this
News flash most on TV are...
He was gay in real life
@@soulqueen3819 I know I learned that late in life. He was a great actor. Great comic timing. The Jeffersons ROCKED.
I bet the people who watched this scene when it first came aired thought "poor George, he lost his best friend"
Now watching it most of us think "Poor Edie, she lost her best friend."
That's progress.
Nah, even at the time, it was clear you were supposed to side with Edie, and the end of the episode made that even clearer.
@@stevencapsuto873 I disagree. Many thought, "poor evie" and George's friend is different.
Maybe you thought the audience was supposed to side with someone when many just saw it as happening to George with no sides to be taken. "It is what it is" (which is a saying our community started)
Yes this indeed!
@@LydiAtheistLady George accepted her at the end too.
Sure
This show is great. It had the guts to do this scene and it's helped alot of people out there.
I had no idea, this is awesome. There was an episode of The Love Boat where one of Gopher's college friends was now a transwoman. Gopher struggled like Mr Jefferson did but after talking to Capt Stubbing, Gopher was able to come to terms with his friend's transformation and ultimately it strengthened their friendship.
I remember this episode when I was a kiddo in the 90’s. Boy did this fly right over my head. Never even thought twice about it.
I believe this was waaaay before the 90's.
@@manano06 reruns love.
@@GioMero4Eva ahhhh...got ya.
@@manano06 you're sloth slow as hell ain't you??!!!!
I would like to fly up in you
I first saw this episode when the seasons were on DVD and at Walmart for like 10.00. After watching each DVD, I remember thinking that Jeffersons had more heart driven, inspirational, and impactful stories than any other sitcom I have ever seen on TV. The Jeffersons episodes will always have a place in my heart and this one will stick with me forever. Of course the person who played George's friend is a female actress but that moment when her heart was broken really made me realize how trans people need to be heard, seen, accepted, and understood.
You should also check out All in the Family. The Jeffersons was a spinoff from that sitcom (among a few others). Norman Lear tackled a lot of topics on that show as well. Most of the topics are still relevant today. Great shows! Sadly, if someone created shows like this today, they would be canceled due to people not wanting to understand the content and message.
Both sobering comments. I know I'm just an altruistic fool to many, but I still have faith in humanity despite all the atrocities I have seen.
Trans people are men. Not women. You cannot become a woman no matter what
You should watch a show called GOOD TIMES. Duhhhhh
T-peeps are not misunderstood. Everyone just doesn't agree with their nonsense.
Almost cried at the end 😢 beautifully done
And this is exactly the way George would have acted back then. Very realistic .
@@TrudyPatootie right exactly I'm glad they showed how it really was and how hurtful
@@chelsep Yep... very hurtful.
That’s actually not how the episode ends. George comes around to accepting Edith, which was commendable for George. Can’t blame him for his initial shock and confusion. People need time to come around. I personally loved this episode.
@@lifein_between5631 wow that's awesome 👌 very ahead of its time
This is how I came to know what transgender was. I used to have the box sets of this show from seasons 1 to 6.
Is it also how you came to know what Halloween was?
That's amazing!!! The show actually taught someone a valuable lesson😍
This doesn’t tell you what being transgender is at all though ………
There literally wasn’t anything valuable taught about trans people . Other than that people dislike them purely out of Being different
@@AddictionToAwareness what lesson
@ᴄᴏᴜʀᴛɴᴇʏ ᴡʜɪᴛᴍᴏʀᴇGeorge is a racist and Mr. I had the operation is making a complete MOCKERY of actual women. Neither deserve ANY respect.
Actually, All In The Family (the show the Jeffersons spun off from), had a Trans character first. Beverly LaSalle.
They made you actually love Beverly over the course of several episodes. She always made people laugh, but the final episode she appeared in made people cry. They did an important service to the trans community by honoring the character of Beverly. Especially in how they dealt with how Beverly died. They shined a light on the violence the trans community endured, and they showed that trans people don't deserve to be abused.
In these two videos, Matt Baume does a good synopsis of Beverly LaSalle as the first trans character on T.V. who was actually treated with respect and reverence, and not limited to only being the brunt of a running joke:
th-cam.com/video/Szn21n1iWdw/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/211t6l84tac/w-d-xo.html
Beverly on ALL IN THE FAMILY is an odd case. Depending which episodes you watched, you might perceive the character as trans or as a cisgender (and probably gay) drag performer. In his first appearance, Beverly explicitly asks to be referred to in male terms.
@@stevencapsuto873 there's hardly any difference your splitting hairs
@@truthhurts775 trans women don't identify with male pronouns. 😑
A cis man who asks to be called by male pronouns is not a trans woman. That's not splitting hairs.
@@scj3188 I identify as someone who believes reality not your subjective pseudo science
That dress is still just as relevant and poppin today much like the topic! Kudos to the cast for bringing life to a topic many steered clear and still do today
Yes it was a beautiful dress. i would wear that today
I watched this clip and immediately pulled up this episode on Amazon Prime. Great episode and hilarious ending.
Thank you for the tip. I pulled up Amazon Prime and enjoyed this episode as well as the one about Billy Dee Williams! 😂
I’m one or two episodes away from this one. Been watching all episodes in order. Such a great show, and one of the best theme songs in history. Lol.
I remember being in 3rd grade and watching this with my family. My parents were very quiet throughout the whole episode. A few years later Veronica Redd the very talented and beautiful actress played the role of "Aunt" Mamie Johnson on "The Young and the Restless."
flilguy: Ms Redd-Forrest has gone on to do other roles as well 👍👍. I saw this episode only in syndication and was surprised to see issues like transgenderism being addressed. Then again, my late mother used to say "nothing is new, under the sun."
@@cocoafemme47 your mother was a very smart woman!
@@cocoafemme47 My grandma says that very line
Oh yeah. I was trying to figure out where else I hv seen her. Thanks!
@@cocoafemme47 Ms. Redd-Forrest also played the elegant and refined Constance Oglevee, the mother of Professor Stanley Oglevee (Dorien Wilson) on the sitcom _The Parkers._
Wow. Kudos to this show they really did an incredible job with this. It was appropriate for the cisgender audience but as someone who is trans, there was real thought put into this. They picked a female actress instead of man to really drive this point home. She is a woman. And the way the actress said "Take care of yourself..." almost brought me to tears. He has no idea how much danger she'll be in, especially in Ohio and as a black trans woman. It's always so hard coming out to your friends and its hard when they don't really want to understand you or be seen with you. It's nit just hard, it's soul crushing. You gotta pick up and start somewhere new when everyone's got a 10+ friendship under their belt. While it was played for jokes, bless that actress for that delivery and for playing the part. She made this character so human and gave the character class and grace. I really hope this character has a happy ending.
She did a fabulous job. And you're right the danger was and sadly still is real.
It is absolutely amazing that they kept her character serious and made George act like how a lot of people will act when they hear about it (given he is played up for laughs in this scene). You can feel the pain and longing to see her old friend again but he is not receptive to it. I am super impressed and this makes me appreciate these shows even more
I didn't find it funny. It was a sad story. And he ends up running away in the end. Eck.
@@joshyishot its a sad story but what makes it good is that did do stuff to hold people's attention while bringing up the serious stuff kinda like the bicycle man episode of Different Strokes
@@joshyishot like seriously as a trans woman myself I'm telling you that they didn't play her character up for laughs like other shows have. They portrayed her in an amazing way and showed a somewhat legitimate way a transphobe or ignorant person would react to that situation
This was ground breaking. I remember watching this episode as a kid.
She is a beautiful woman in character and real life.
You mean that's a woman for real?
@@the.real.novatic1 😂😂😂😂
@@the.real.novatic1 You must be short like George’ “for real “
@@silvercat5309 no
How do you know.
This is actually quite an amazing teaching lesson. It covers how some people react to the situation in addition to explaning what a transgender person goes through. All wrapped up in one episode. Lear is a damn genius.
The more things change the more they stay the same
Girl... put your records on
@@adamh9271 Play your favourite song
Go ahead let your hair doowwnn!!
I remember this episode like it was yesterday, I was a little girl at the time but I got the message. Makes me want to go back and re-watch the episode.
I remember this!!!! Because a few years later I met the first person I’ve ever known with the name Edie and this episode came back to my mind at that time. Thank you for showing this!
This is perfect for its time and is nearly timeless!
Ummm we have too many of this nowadays. Was ground breaking back then though.
@@henny6566 there could never be too much representation. And nowadays it's not this classy tbh
It’s a shame so much of this was played for laughs at Edie’s expense, but I can’t imagine how meaningful this level of considerate representation must’ve been. I guess trans people have had to accept what little kindness they’ve been shown. And at the end of it, despite George’s hurtful overreaction the show did frame her pain in a genuine fashion.
I’m curious as to whether the actress who played her was trans or not. I suppose it doesn’t matter - she committed to the part.
The actress was not trans
The world is being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century and Norman Lear is leading the charge
The Jefferson show was head of it’s time. And what amazing casts too 👍👍👍👍
Wow..to have the courage to address a trans woman's story line over 40 years ago - with insight from her perspective is amazing. Norman Lear was ahead of his time... I wonder what the network executives said and what the public feed back was after it aired. I did not know the Jefferson's was such a ground breaking show. Bravo
LOVE this episode PLUS "All in the Family" with the Beverly episodes. 'Specially the one where she was killed and Edith questions God. Both of these shows where SO ahead of its time. Respect!! 😄😍🥰😇
Yes all in the family. I never knew about this episode from the Jeffersons. Wow. Norman Lear was way ahead of his time
@@thekaerichtexas True enough! 😃
No no no! I HATED when Edith questioned God. To see her faith shaken like that...😢😢
The real reason for such a plot should be obvious today...
@@deductivereasoning4257 hence the name "Deductive Reasoning" Lol!
Was this episode ahead of it's time? Or were we light years behind?
Body Dysphoria has ALWAYS been around-
Yes?
Now we are transgendering our children
@@christophermclean3921 oh no! Not that.
Ahead of its time, I thought sex change was recent. I didn't know it was a thing over 40 years ago.
I'm amazed when I watch 70s shows how well they do with these controversial issues
I was too young to understand at the time they came out
Golden Girls touched on a lot of subjects too that I'm just now realizing as an adult watching them.
I its nice to watch non pc content , yet be mature about sensitive topics.
There was a lot of progress being made in the 70s. The 80s are when everything took two steps back.
You went from all in the family to full house...
@@johnindigo5477 What’s wrong with Full House?
“I have a confession to make “
“ what was that you just made!?”
😂😂😂
I remember this as a kid. And it's worth saying that Sherman Hensley was a talented gay male actor 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼💙
I didn't even know that until after he died.
I didn't know he was gay.
@@davidval7188 most of Hollywood is 🤷🏾♀️
Dad from Family Matters is gay...uncle phil from fresh prince. was gay....George Jefferson was GAY 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃
@@kayyoung9242 wow. Didn’t know that..Reginald vel Johnson and James Avery??.. wow!!!
I didn't even know they did those operations in the 1970s! Learn something new everyday! Talking about trans ppl in 1970s was unheard of!
The general public in the U.S. became aware of gender-confirmation surgery in 1952-53, amid media coverage (much of it mocking) of Christine Jorgensen's transition.
Christine Jorgensen
Then unheard of. Now, it's all that's ever heard.
@@justynjonn
Only if you actively look for it, pal.
Archie Bunker tackled this subject too. A character that was Edith's friend who was murdered for being trans. I've never forgotten that show.
I REMEMBER THAT EPISODE...THAT CHARACTER WAS MURDERED....HATE CRIME
It was Beverly. Archie gave him mouth to mouth to save his life finding out later it was a man in drag.
Beverly! I adored that character.
I was a kid watching this, reruns, i was little. But oh do i remember that episode.
I find it amazing that boomers complain about people being liberal abs modern shows but ignore how liberal abs modern their shows were. :)
I also remember Archie big masculine friend was homosexual.
I didnt know that type of surgery could be done back then. The cost must be astronomical.
And magical, that’s a female, most trans look masculine cuz they’re actually still men
@@ninjanibba4259 lol how would you know
@@GeeBarone cuz I have eyes
@@ninjanibba4259 But you wouldn't know if you couldn't tell...
@@GeeBarone I clearly just said i could, I do every day
A very very sad scene and a good reminder of how society will influence the behavior of people's mentality through media
Half of Society is already messed up by thinking this is ok
I'm definitely surprised that they tackled a topic like this in 1977. It would have been groundbreaking if Edie was a recurring character after this episode instead of never being seen or mentioned again....
AINT NO SURGERY THAT GOOD!
Actually trans women can and are very very beautiful. You can’t be serious with your comment
@@michaelberry7450 nah
@@michaelberry7450 it’s okay you like dudes but seriously? You can put lipstick on a pig but ….
Wow I completely forgot about this show.. It shows how things don't have to be antagonistic. We don't have to agree on everything. We can exist in this world without pressuring or forcing the issues. People will eventually find their way if we provide a.place for things to naturally develop.
@WILLIE SMITH III The pendulum swings both ways, for too long it barely moved. It's true it seems like overkill everywhere you look right now because everyone is trying to adjust, it will level out eventually and not seem such an extreme. Growth can be scary in general, never mind when it will affect so many aspects of life and how things were before.
@WILLIE SMITH III I hear you, I've reached saturation myself. To me it needn't be such an issue, everyone wants to be waving their banner, whether it be nationality of origin, preferences, faiths, haves, have nots and everything in between. It can me numbing, cause nonchalant complacency or just down right indifference. Meanwhile " nothing's going on but the rent ".
That’s a woman not a trans woman. Interesting clip!
Maybe they couldn't find one back then idk lol
Cis woman
Because they still look like men
The seventies were worlds more progressive than current. I've been watching us go backwards for almost a half-century.
The Jeffersons was always one of my favorite shows growing up. I was exposed to ideas and situations that I could never imagine in my small home town in the deep south.
Between George Jefferson and Archie Bunker I learned to be accepting and always think of the other side.
Imagine if they put this on tv today!
People would love it, this is the norm nowadays
Protest at the network, calling for George to get cancelled, network turning lynoel gay
@@shakeemdiggz2354 A protest would surely happen! So many people would be offended this was 'made a joke' and wasn't a serious subject
@@shakeemdiggz2354 The whole point is that George is a buffoon and his prejudices are being ridiculed. And you haven't seen the show's ending if all you've seen is this clip.
Conservatives would be having fake social media boycotts of the network.
Once again...the Jeffersons...tackles another difficult subject for it's time and tV.....this was right up there with interrcial marriage and passing for White...which Jenny's brother did.
You mean the very first “Alan”, not the second Alan Willis, right?
That blue wrap dress is stunning
I like that they didn't go with the fairy tale version of this, because in real life, it's alot to drop on someone. Some people will just need time to accept the idea. Others, will never. The point being, thats alot closer to what real life people would do. I really respect the fact this show took on topics like this.
Haha. " Alcoholics Anonymous..."
nice save, George. I regret not being as civil to my trans classmate who was
also named Eddie.
I mean you learned from your mistakes. It might be too late to say sorry but at least you can be a good person to the next trans person that comes into your life.
@@jocelynduncan3127 i agree. We were all uninformed at one point. Growth is a good thing.
A woman playing a trans woman
On 20th-century American TV? Cis actors playing trans was par for the course. I can't think of even one exception off the top of my head (though there may be some I'm not thinking of). That started changing around 2008.
@@stevencapsuto873 stop calling us cis.
@@chefboiardeeznutz9881 shut up cissy
@@chefboiardeeznutz9881 ahem… cis
@@crnkmnky why do you get to force your terminology on us but we can't call trans people by their real pronouns?
I remember seeing this episode and coincidentally the next day I walked into church For the first time as a gay man it was denomination that basically was filled with gays . Somebody had Mentioned that episode of the Jeffersons after church in a positive manner
Every body knows right from wrong. But what was a wrong thing to do....it was destroyed all at once. Sodom and Gomorrah. U C the world is on the brink of announcing peace and once that happens the end time is near
@@yelpyelptruedat.8521
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the band played on."
This episode was ahead of its time
"Underneath all that makeup and dress, you still Eddie."
Wise words.
It's true.
No operation can change your chromosomes.
I will say that I come from a great dysfunctional family. We have our internal issues but we always accept people where they are at in their life's journey. I love you all no matter what leg of the journey you are on.
I remember being really intrigued by this episode and my own understanding at the time. Part of my growing up and figuring out the many ways people are different than each other and have different needs and problems to solve in their own ways. I was really glad for it. I had thought myself open-minded for the time, but even then, sometimes you need something to make you think about things.
I identify as seventy-year-old man and I want my Social Security
One joke.
The love and respect in these comments give me a lot of hope for the future. Thank you all for sharing your kind words for the transgender community of the world.
Still some transphobic douchebags here and there, be overall people are being real respectful
Being that Sherman was gay, this episode hits even harder. 💜
I always wondered why they chose this topic to express on the show. 🌹
Love this show. Watch all the reruns. 💓💓💓
For being so "ahead of its time" it's still sad to see George's cringe reaction when Edie tries to touch him. Apparently some things haven't changed.
The general format of these Lear sitcoms was to portray prejudice in the first half of the episode and then challenge it in the second half.
Thanks for your response and for loading the video. To its credit it's great for the episode to put a human face to "them weirdos", but my 2022 sensibilities still can't help but feel a tinge of pain when people living their true life, like Edie here, are cast aside and rejected.
What do you mean? That was the funny part lmao
What are you even talking about? It was a realistic portrayal for the time. Stop thinking as if it was modern day. It was a topic no other show was willing to touch.
It’s never a woman. Eddy is still a man. You can’t change the software but you can change the hardware.
yup. Still a man at the end of the day. That can never be modified.
One of the best TV episodes ever
This show was ahead of its time!!!
The commentary in this episode doesnt quite hold up today by modern standards, but i think all people can agree that this was a pretty progressive episode when it aired. RIP Norman Lear
I remember watching this episode, it made me laugh but it also made me appreciate how George tried to understand his friend Eddy, Or Edie as she goes by now.
He
@@ninjanibba4259 *she
@@RevolutionAndPeace he
Norman Lear and all the actors on this show were brilliant. This show still stands up! Georges character is still shakey about this situation, but at least hes honest, sort of, his rejection helps the viewer see whats wrong with his actions, but like i said its true to the character. Like all in the familys patriarchal character archie bunker, they are folks trapped in styreotypes and old beliefs that dont work anymore as we collectively ascend to a higher understanding that.......all human life matters and deserves respect, and we are on that journey, be it ever so slow with major setbacks constantly and pushbach.
That's just a woman pretending to be trans
That's just a woman pretending to be trans
@@newsreader4321 Duh!!! You have a flair for the obvious! Thats how they did things then, backwards fucked up thinking, just like todays america, fucked up in the head 🤪
It’s not fvcked up. It’s another way of thinking.
@@MooBerry2009 ok, so your not progressive, got it
Sherman Hemsley lived the gay lifestyle all of his life, i can't believe that he was okay with playing this scene. He was such a great actor that everybody believed he was straight when he wasn't.
It's called acting.
Being gay is NOT a lifestyle, it's a sexual orientation! Big difference!
I’ll tell ya what. As a straight man, He is the kind of gay dude I wouldn’t mind being around. He just went about his business. He wasn’t flashy with it. He didn’t out it in your face. He didn’t force you to accept him. He didn’t brag about being gay. He didn’t dress up all “fabulous and fierce”. He didn’t use women’s mannerisms. He didnt talk with the “gay” twang. He was just simply gay and went about his business. I can respect that. Don’t tell me I have to like you because you’re gay. And then call me homophonic because I don’t want to be forced.
@@Keepdapocket
Nobody is forcing you to be homophobic, pal. You're the one who's choosing to be that way.
Because he didn't need EVERYONE to like his lifestyle and forced to be in bathrooms with him etc... He understood that people have a right to dislike stuff as long as he was respected and not physically harmed. Therefore Acting out this role was easy to raise awareness that's it's okay to be different and losing some old family or friends etc is to be expected Not take away their rights to inadvertently do the same thing to them... It doesn't fix anything just builds more hatred. Love because you want to Not because you're forced... Respect & Honor everyone in kindness.
Norman Lear was amazing at holding up a mirror to society so we can look at our real selves and see and reflect about who we are. Thanks Norm.
Exactly who are we? Society is beyond screwed in their thinking, this is not ok
@@ninjanibba4259 I didn't say it was OK. We just need to step back and look at ourselves. Not very pretty
Didn’t miss an episode of The Jefferson’s - loved this show and saw so many parallels in my own Greek-American family.
Perfect example of Hollyweird’s seed planting of woke ideology that is years in the making.
If by woke ideology you mean basic respect and decency, then sure, I guess.
I feel like they time traveled to make this in the past. I can't believe that this is in a 70s sitcom
God doesn't make mistakes. You are born the way God intended. Keep the gender you were born with.
You are right about if you were born a gender then thats what you was always will be but God makes tons of mistakes cause the world itself in its state is a mistake.. why? Because god doesn't exist
It was a joke then, just like it is now…
Thank you for sharing this! 💙
The way low jumped to get away from getting a Frank was hilarious 🤣🤣
Damn I messed that up😂😂😂 The way he low jumped to get away from getting a drank
@@Dlieutenant Yeah, that was crazy funny😂🤣😂🤣😂
Yes it was
I actually took that just the way you said it the first time. Its just as funny. 😂
@@kingovharts crazy how the brain fixes stuff without us even noticing 🤪
Hell yeah, loved this show as a little kid!! 🥰🥰🥰
Lol I'm so proud of george for standing up for what's RIGHT AND NATURAL....I will never agree with that lifestyle but I wont persecute them either...I actually feel for them and will always treat people I may not agree with like the human beings they r..I just wont ever co-sign the life style ever!
it is NATUURAL for 1 to be what their mindset tells them to be gender wise.
@@stumack9755 I think if a persons mindset is they r a pig..they r a pig roach tree duck tank truck flower molecule baby bumblebee shark deer swimsuit model that's what they r right..if a persons physical make up is a man they can think it and they can't woman..or an alien...or seaweed...if in their mind they like children to mate with its ok?..if their mindset is to murder than that's ok? ....truly we r living in the last days of sodom and GOMMORAH...lot...noah ect..if the government or society says it's ok..its ok lol...God help us!
it's natural for people to do whatever they want, you and them. it's more unnatural to force yourself to do what society tells you to
I used to love this show. Too funny! I still watch it and all the other great shows from back then.
Baby boomer here🥰
Pretty deep! Pretty damn deep and good beyond the usual script. Good job by all involved.
For the Black Community to be SO Homophobic we sure did Address these topics way before any other Community
In this case. It’s transphobic not homophobic
@@alphacharm whatever you say fam
The Jeffersons
Created by
- Don Nicholl
- Michael Ross
- Bernie West
Developed by
- Norman Lear
All of whom were white.
But "whatever you say fam".
@@SDayle what does that mean.....Tell me how that changes anything I said You weird ass dude
Damn 45 years years and we are still trying to get our minds around transgenderism
Back in the 90s, I waited on Sherman Hemsley a few times at the restaurant I worked in. He was a really nice guy and so sweet. The Jeffersons was a great show and ahead of it's time.
2:27 LOL, that move had me in stitches. HA HA.
They're talking about trans, but they used a real woman. Norman Lear was a genius.
Michelle Obama was great on this role
I love how this treated the subject with respect and dignity while treating us as depraved freaks at the same time. That took some skill.
Yeah. I like how they make jokes about both sides.
@@ratman202 The anti-trans jokes are only there to make the audience feel comfortable enough to actually let the message sink in. That was a clever tactic at the time, but now it would just be distasteful.
@@elhammo7478 I don't really care. I still find them funny.
@@ratman202 idk they just seem kind of sad to me
@@elhammo7478 Ok
Met my first John switched to Joan back around '72 or so. Did wonders for their esteem. I feel bad for people who are getting harassed by lower people who think they possess better ethics.
A natural interaction from an extraordinary situation. This is way ahead of its time. Bravo.
Some of the women's fashion from The Jeffersons and Good Times, needs to make a comeback. I do like Edie's dress.