Is The Golden Girls still relevant today? You bet it is!
Mar 18, 2018 7:17:25 GMT
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Post by jasong on Mar 18, 2018 7:17:25 GMT
"We were like sex and the city for people over 50.."- Bea Arthur
From Illness to menopause and aging gracefully, the Golden Girls did this in every episode they aired, 4 older women living life out in Miami and making sure they were having fun while doing it. From Sophia getting arrested for the fire at Shady Pines to seeing Dorothy walk down the aisle finally happy that she found someone she truly loved. But that raises the question.. Is the show relevant in some ways of life? Oh yes.. It certainly is, and in every possible way.
I had someone ask me one time "Why did Bea Arthur say no to the #GoldenGirls at first? and why do you think the show still has the undertones to be watched in later years.." she didn't want to play a Maude type character again. Or as Bea put it "Maude and Vivian met Sue-Ann Nivens", she simply said no, until Rue coaxed her into it saying that Betty and herself swapped characters, Bea Arthur stated in an interview "It never dawned on me ever that these women on the show were all 4 older women living life out and having fun. They were well quaffed and didn't look like they smelt bad.." smelt bad.. I don't know any older person who smells bad.. Of course she was right, it was something you never saw on TV at the time an older all female cast, until that point it was The Facts of Life who had a young female cast and Diff'rent Strokes with a young actor cast as well, but no cast since then has ever had the same success.
But first let me go on a tangent here-
Tell me an episode of the show that hasn't dealt with a problem that is in the eye of this decade. Just give me one and I can tell you how wrong you could be when you think "oh its just a TV phenomena and left little legacy.." oh you're wrong if you think that. The show was a hit in over 60 countries and was even remade in three countries, oh sure "no legacy you tell me.." the girl even performed in front of the Queen Mother because she loved the show that much for crying out loud, not many shows can say they ever did that. The Golden Girls is special, those women Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, Betty White and Estelle Getty gave their all in this series, for 7 years and 177 episodes, that made an effort to do their best with what they were given for some episodes, other episodes you think "what happened here.." but that is all shows that on TV now, every show has episodes fans don't like or a favourite character they had of course I can say my favourite was always Rose (I also loved Dorothy as many people do, but I am a little bit of Rose and I have to respect fans opinions on who was their favourite Golden Girl..
Now on with the post.-
Loss/Death and Suicide-
The show dove into loss and death with Rose's Charlie and Blanche's husband George (Totally dead mam, crunch crunch). But what about suicide? The show dealt with that in the episode called "Not Another Monday." Sophia's friend Martha was tired of all her physical pain she wanted Sophia to watch her die in assisted suicide, Sophia cant handle the fact that she was asked this and ultimately agrees to watch her. But she doesn't in the end Sophia tells Martha to "Choose life" and "choose now" because we're not in this life for peace and boy is she right. We may fight but life is important for me and for everyone.
Martha: No, I want to go. Lydia looked so peaceful.
Sophia: We're not in this life for peace!
Martha: You're crying.
Sophia: No, I'm not, I don't cry.
Martha: I can see your tears!
Sophia: And I can see yours, you know what that tells me?
Martha: What?
Sophia: You're not as ready to die as you think you are. You still wanna live, kid!
Martha: Some kid! I don't know what to do.
Sophia: That's the point. If you're not sure, then you can't change your mind tomorrow. You wanted me to be there for your death. How about letting me be here for your life?
Martha: Like a friend?
Sophia: Like a best friend.
Suicide is a hard topic to even discuss, but to talk someone out of death like Sophia did was amazing and tell her life is for the now and for living, she is correct of course, but just to see it played out on screen was amazing. It was well written and well handled.
Illness (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and the HIV/AIDs scare-
Ah the infamous "Sick and Tired" episode, and episode I can say I do not like. Its not anyone's fault but it's been the only episode(s) I've only watched once. Why do you ask? I just have. But this episode is important for those who have been told "nothing is wrong with you." and that if you have to seek the answers you want you have to know that you are sick and of course know that you have to live with it. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome effects millions of people. Its the way the doctor in the episode is portrayed as "You're not sick" and its "in your head, people I see can't move, walk or talk.." type of doctor and that's how some doctors really are, they become to comfortable in their careers and just sometimes dismiss those who are sick and it makes the patient feel like they aren't worthy of treatment by them. Sometimes it takes a doctor with heart to understand someone.
The HIV/AIDs episode-
This episode with the banquet.. the banquet no one cared about.. I discussed this episode in length before, but this episode can put into perspective how something like waiting 72 hours can be nerve racking, it can change your life forever and it can be a scary proposition to face life with the disease. The show again dealing with the issue and making sure that they did it with respect.
Rose: Damn it! Why is this happening to me? I mean, this isn't supposed to happen to people like me! You must have gone to bed with hundreds of men! All I had was one innocent operation!
Blanche: Hey, wait a minute! Are you saying that this should be me and not you?!
Rose: No, no. I'm just saying that I am a good person. Hell, I'm a goody-two-shoes!
Blanche: AIDS is not a bad person's disease, Rose. It is not God punishing people for their sins.
Rose: You're right, Blanche.
Blanche: Well, you're damn straight I'm right!
And The Rest-
The rest is in fact what we live with in everyday life, and it can be a tough life to live for anyone. You must know that the show debuted in the 80s in years in which many other shows were topical as well. Norman Lear was still about producing his shows and proving that his envelope pushing did extremely well. Susan Harris, Tony Thomas, and Paul Witt wrote a little show named the Golden Girls which over its 7 seasons won over millions of people, and I will say this, the show in 2018 is more important than ever.
From Illness to menopause and aging gracefully, the Golden Girls did this in every episode they aired, 4 older women living life out in Miami and making sure they were having fun while doing it. From Sophia getting arrested for the fire at Shady Pines to seeing Dorothy walk down the aisle finally happy that she found someone she truly loved. But that raises the question.. Is the show relevant in some ways of life? Oh yes.. It certainly is, and in every possible way.
I had someone ask me one time "Why did Bea Arthur say no to the #GoldenGirls at first? and why do you think the show still has the undertones to be watched in later years.." she didn't want to play a Maude type character again. Or as Bea put it "Maude and Vivian met Sue-Ann Nivens", she simply said no, until Rue coaxed her into it saying that Betty and herself swapped characters, Bea Arthur stated in an interview "It never dawned on me ever that these women on the show were all 4 older women living life out and having fun. They were well quaffed and didn't look like they smelt bad.." smelt bad.. I don't know any older person who smells bad.. Of course she was right, it was something you never saw on TV at the time an older all female cast, until that point it was The Facts of Life who had a young female cast and Diff'rent Strokes with a young actor cast as well, but no cast since then has ever had the same success.
But first let me go on a tangent here-
Tell me an episode of the show that hasn't dealt with a problem that is in the eye of this decade. Just give me one and I can tell you how wrong you could be when you think "oh its just a TV phenomena and left little legacy.." oh you're wrong if you think that. The show was a hit in over 60 countries and was even remade in three countries, oh sure "no legacy you tell me.." the girl even performed in front of the Queen Mother because she loved the show that much for crying out loud, not many shows can say they ever did that. The Golden Girls is special, those women Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, Betty White and Estelle Getty gave their all in this series, for 7 years and 177 episodes, that made an effort to do their best with what they were given for some episodes, other episodes you think "what happened here.." but that is all shows that on TV now, every show has episodes fans don't like or a favourite character they had of course I can say my favourite was always Rose (I also loved Dorothy as many people do, but I am a little bit of Rose and I have to respect fans opinions on who was their favourite Golden Girl..
Now on with the post.-
Loss/Death and Suicide-
The show dove into loss and death with Rose's Charlie and Blanche's husband George (Totally dead mam, crunch crunch). But what about suicide? The show dealt with that in the episode called "Not Another Monday." Sophia's friend Martha was tired of all her physical pain she wanted Sophia to watch her die in assisted suicide, Sophia cant handle the fact that she was asked this and ultimately agrees to watch her. But she doesn't in the end Sophia tells Martha to "Choose life" and "choose now" because we're not in this life for peace and boy is she right. We may fight but life is important for me and for everyone.
Martha: No, I want to go. Lydia looked so peaceful.
Sophia: We're not in this life for peace!
Martha: You're crying.
Sophia: No, I'm not, I don't cry.
Martha: I can see your tears!
Sophia: And I can see yours, you know what that tells me?
Martha: What?
Sophia: You're not as ready to die as you think you are. You still wanna live, kid!
Martha: Some kid! I don't know what to do.
Sophia: That's the point. If you're not sure, then you can't change your mind tomorrow. You wanted me to be there for your death. How about letting me be here for your life?
Martha: Like a friend?
Sophia: Like a best friend.
Suicide is a hard topic to even discuss, but to talk someone out of death like Sophia did was amazing and tell her life is for the now and for living, she is correct of course, but just to see it played out on screen was amazing. It was well written and well handled.
Illness (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and the HIV/AIDs scare-
Ah the infamous "Sick and Tired" episode, and episode I can say I do not like. Its not anyone's fault but it's been the only episode(s) I've only watched once. Why do you ask? I just have. But this episode is important for those who have been told "nothing is wrong with you." and that if you have to seek the answers you want you have to know that you are sick and of course know that you have to live with it. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome effects millions of people. Its the way the doctor in the episode is portrayed as "You're not sick" and its "in your head, people I see can't move, walk or talk.." type of doctor and that's how some doctors really are, they become to comfortable in their careers and just sometimes dismiss those who are sick and it makes the patient feel like they aren't worthy of treatment by them. Sometimes it takes a doctor with heart to understand someone.
The HIV/AIDs episode-
This episode with the banquet.. the banquet no one cared about.. I discussed this episode in length before, but this episode can put into perspective how something like waiting 72 hours can be nerve racking, it can change your life forever and it can be a scary proposition to face life with the disease. The show again dealing with the issue and making sure that they did it with respect.
Rose: Damn it! Why is this happening to me? I mean, this isn't supposed to happen to people like me! You must have gone to bed with hundreds of men! All I had was one innocent operation!
Blanche: Hey, wait a minute! Are you saying that this should be me and not you?!
Rose: No, no. I'm just saying that I am a good person. Hell, I'm a goody-two-shoes!
Blanche: AIDS is not a bad person's disease, Rose. It is not God punishing people for their sins.
Rose: You're right, Blanche.
Blanche: Well, you're damn straight I'm right!
And The Rest-
The rest is in fact what we live with in everyday life, and it can be a tough life to live for anyone. You must know that the show debuted in the 80s in years in which many other shows were topical as well. Norman Lear was still about producing his shows and proving that his envelope pushing did extremely well. Susan Harris, Tony Thomas, and Paul Witt wrote a little show named the Golden Girls which over its 7 seasons won over millions of people, and I will say this, the show in 2018 is more important than ever.