In the footstep of Maude

In the 1970s, Maude was a plump, flashy, mouthy TV liberal character, married to her 4th husband, who let it all hang out--her female health problems, plastic surgery, her advocacy for better race relations, her adult daughter's love life and the tension between them. She got her start as a neighbor of the Jeffersons as I recall. Somehow, liberals (myself included since I was a Democrat then) were able to see the humor in her over-the-top extravagances. But if the shoe is ever on the other foot, the only conservative writers and producers could possibly find amusing is the straw woman--created for them to laugh at and knock down. If conservatives were presented as real people with black friends, gay sons or parents with AD, someone would jump in with more regulation and christen the show "hate speech" because real people aren't allowed on their political planet. Television's Strong Women Characters - WSJ.com