“Lou Grant,” an elderly man shouted at Ed Asner, “how are you?”
Asner, unlike his legendary grumpy newspaper boss TV character, greeted the fan cheerfully and shook his hand as though he were pumping a well.
With eager charm more befitting Mary Richards, Asner made an impromptu stroll through Exhibition Hall in Madison before delivering a midday speech there Wednesday.
Appearing at Madison’s Future Lifestyles Show, Asner, who turns 70 in November, addressed more than 1,200 elderly residents — a group he dubbed “chronologically enhanced.”
Beforehand, Asner slammed Hollywood’s portrayal of senior citizens with the subtlety of a Joe Louis punch.
“I don’t know which is worse,” Asner said, “the lack of senior presence on TV or the quality of it when they do portray us.”
To be specific, Asner ripped an episode of “Seinfeld.” On this particular show, Jerry, George and Elaine did volunteer work with senior citizens.
“Jerry was assigned to a nasty, old guy who he lost on the street. George thoroughly depressed an elderly man. And Elaine was repulsed by the sight of an old woman,” Asner said. “I say to Jerry (Seinfeld), ‘Just wait. He’s going to be old, and I hope to be around to see it.’ ”
Asner also lamented the fate of actor Jerry Stiller, who played George’s father on “Seinfeld.” Stiller now plays a supporting role on the sitcom “King of Queens,” but Stiller’s character is “the stereotypical codger, yelling and spouting.”
“What a waste of talent,” Asner said.
A seven-time Emmy Award winner and star of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “Lou Grant,” Asner has appeared in recent years on various short-lived TV series and broadcast TV movies.
“Networks and studios keep aiming their programming at the all-important 18- to 35-year-old demographic age group,” he said and grunted. “Many entertainment executives are barely old enough to shave.”
He laughed at how the TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” featured “a mature actor” whose character was 242 years old.
Asner’s advice to Hollywood: “Portray us as we are,” he said. “Some of us work. Some of us are in poor health. Some of us have money. Some of us don’t. Some of us live in our own homes. Some of us live in nursing homes. Some of us are grumpy. Some of us are happy.”
At the event, an audience member asked him to recreate a famous scene from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
In the scene, Lou interviews Mary and tells her she has spunk. Mary thinks it’s high praise, but Lou snarls, “I hate spunk.”
On Wednesday, Asner repeated the line, then smiled broadly.
Asner loves spunk.
