Post by jasong on Aug 2, 2018 13:21:33 GMT
"Nanna, just doesn't fade from existence when she turns a certain age. She's still living life."- Betty White
"We had a huge following in the gay community. In the bars they would shut down the dance floor, turn on the TV and watch #GoldenGirls" - Betty White
Thank you for being a friend, you're a pal and a confidant.
A lot can be said for Golden Girls, one was how they were ahead of their time, even for 1985 they were ahead of their time and many shows were ahead of their time but not all shows did what the golden girls did while All in the Family was ahead of its time it used shock comedy and current events to paint a picture of America. (nothing against All in the Family.).
All of the girls supported the gay rights movement, Bea Arthur even willed $300,000 to the Ali Forney Centre which opened the Bea Arthur Residence at the end of 2017 which now houses homeless LGBT youth.
Now, I've seen posts on the show and how it has helped people laugh again, learn to live again, and in many ways the show taught me how to move on from the loss of a family member. (I've written about it before, it was for the loss of my grandma who suffered from dementia, the show was a portal for me and how much a cast can make you laugh in the face of mourning).
Fans Finding The Show-
Fans are finding the show everyday, either through a streaming service or through the use of social media.. (you know, pity Betty doesn't use her social media that often as she would be able to see how much fans love the show now more than ever..) and that's how you can a shows legacy has lasted. Now in 2018 it is more popular than ever, I think its more important to be a Golden Girl then it is to be a sheep of the Kardashians. or you know they did say in a cast and crew documentary that the shows biggest viewers were those 18 and younger (weird? Nah never.)
Laughter Through The Element of Family-
The show always had that charm on making the show with the 4 girls acting like an unconvential family, they were there for each other and they were there when they needed each other the most. Why that matters is because sometimes your closest friends are like family and that they are always there for you. During the Rose Heart Attack Episode, is Rose's daughter saying "She needs her family" with Dorothy saying that she is family she replies no and that the girls are her family and that she is enjoying life in Miami and doesn't want to take her away from that. During the finale Rose says she is moving out to be with her daughter, but in the end decides to stay with Blanche and Sophia because they became inseparable, and that sets up the premise for Golden Palace (but I wont get into that..) the show used comedy in unconventional ways such as making fun of each other like most families do, having disagreements and threatening each other, the comedy in the element of family was always there.
On Loss-
Dorothy: "Seems like I'm always mad at my brother Phil. I was mad the day my parents brought him back from the hospital. I thought he'd take their love away from me, and instead their love expanded and we felt more like a family. I was mad at him when I was 10 and he was 4, and we moved to a new neighbourhood. I was made because he always made new friends more easily than I did. And I'm mad today, because I never wanted to give the eulogy at my kid brother's funeral. I'm mad because he died, he didn't have the wisdom to know that family members shouldn't allow themselves to grow apart, because when this day comes, they can no longer tell each other how much they care. If he'd had that wisdom, he could've shared it with me and I would've known the hundreds of memories I have of just the two of us, eating ice cream on the stoop of our building, or going through the drawers at Grandma's house, or dressing up like the Bronte sisters. How those memories fill me with joy! Why didn't you have that wisdom, Phil? Why didn't you give us a chance to tell you how much we loved you?"
The show dealt with loss like any other show. Loss is a hard thing for any show to do. But the Golden Girls did it and they did it the only way they could for a comedy series, they did it with the trademark humour the show it was known for. No matter which episode you watch the most emotional one for myself was "Mrs George Devereaux" because of course with the loss of a loved one it can seem like the end of the world, but they will always be with us no matter what their legacy lives on with us for the rest of us lives. Everyone should know that Comedy Series are known for their emotional moments, heartbreaking and truly wonderful moments.
In a way the show helped me move on after the death of my grandma, she was the world to everyone, but when we lost her the world collapsed of course, but its not until you see its ok to watch a show episode about loss and remain optimistic about 'that person is no longer in pain' and they are now 'peacefully resting'.
Laughter Through Breakups-
Rose: 'What kind of a friend would you be if you let Elliot ruin her life? She could marry that man. They could have a child!...They could adopt a child! And then one night at the country club, possibly during little Mei Ling’s coming out party ...Dorothy’s having the time of her life when she goes to the powder room and she overhears the towel lady telling Mrs. Steinbeck that Dorothy’s husband, Dr. Elliot Clayton, has bonged every female member of the country club. Can you let that happen to Dorothy? Can you let that happen to little Mei Ling? Hasn’t she suffered enough?
As everyone knows a breakup is sometimes the most awful thing a couple can go through and can cause a bunch of emotions you never expected to have. The show dealt with many breaks in relationships, but did a wonderful in showing how a new relationship can be hard to maintain and easy to assume that its easy to have a relationship. We see it with Rose/Miles relationship until we never really see him after his episode when the CheeseMan is arrested and we never see him again. We see Sophia date many men but not date them long enough. Blanche is just Blanche and she goes out on dates, not to forget her husband but to fill the void of the loss of her husband George (no one is replacing George, ever.
The Health Scare Episodes-
Sick And Tired
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 and their illness.
72 Hours
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 and they made sure they got every aspect right, and how Blanche even said she asks her partners their history in an attempt to ease Rose, but it doesn't work out that way until Rose finds out she is cleared.
Humour In Compassion-
The show I think was known for its compassion in some episodes, as they wanted to help people, even if those people didn't want help. Nothing can get past Sophia and how she took a walk to the store to get a nectarine and go to the hospital to volunteer, this is why I love the character so much, its not what you expect but its what you get. She may be brash but she has a heart of gold. Blanche of course showed compassion to Sophia's friend after wanting a breast job, she decided not to get it and she decided that Lillian's health and well being was more important. Rose and Dorothy were know for their compassion as well, and the thing is that the show was so well-written that they all had an episode where their compassion was truly shown.
The compassion showed in many episodes, even one where Dorothy asks Sophia about her thoughts on having a gay son. She replies "I wouldn't love him any less." meaning she'd love him no matter what his preference.
The Years Since The Show Ended-
After the show debuted and ended the show's legacy has stayed with the show til this very day 26 years on, and as hard as it was to fathom the losses of Rue, Estelle and Bea we see their comedic legacy in the show live on forever and that is the most important thing now. Reruns, merch and twitter accounts (Ah you know the quote pages, fans finding the show), the legacy of the show is much better than many other shows, and with Betty White making the girls proud in 2018, I bet you they are watching over her, proud at how she is carrying on at the age of 96.
The reason why it matters is because the show is a great show and it makes me proud at what people have done with the show and how far they have taken the show into the 21st century.
Remember This-
Remember the show that gave us laughter in the face of loss, happiness, death, compassion, humour. Without those things the show would've never survived as long as it did. The show survived through a strong fan base and now more then ever changing attitudes and reboots of classic TV shows (As it would be really hard to reboot Golden Girls with only one remaining cast member, and Rue, Estelle and Bea could never be replaced.) it means the world to fans that everyone watch the show even now and see how far we have come in the world. The show ended in 1992 with a continuation called "Golden Palace" on CBS at the end of 92 and ran for a year which didn't go down well with fans as they were used to seeing the 4 together, but I wont be negative, they did a good job trying. Remember the show that gave use classic moments, not the bad things that happened.
"We had a huge following in the gay community. In the bars they would shut down the dance floor, turn on the TV and watch #GoldenGirls" - Betty White
Thank you for being a friend, you're a pal and a confidant.
A lot can be said for Golden Girls, one was how they were ahead of their time, even for 1985 they were ahead of their time and many shows were ahead of their time but not all shows did what the golden girls did while All in the Family was ahead of its time it used shock comedy and current events to paint a picture of America. (nothing against All in the Family.).
All of the girls supported the gay rights movement, Bea Arthur even willed $300,000 to the Ali Forney Centre which opened the Bea Arthur Residence at the end of 2017 which now houses homeless LGBT youth.
Now, I've seen posts on the show and how it has helped people laugh again, learn to live again, and in many ways the show taught me how to move on from the loss of a family member. (I've written about it before, it was for the loss of my grandma who suffered from dementia, the show was a portal for me and how much a cast can make you laugh in the face of mourning).
Fans Finding The Show-
Fans are finding the show everyday, either through a streaming service or through the use of social media.. (you know, pity Betty doesn't use her social media that often as she would be able to see how much fans love the show now more than ever..) and that's how you can a shows legacy has lasted. Now in 2018 it is more popular than ever, I think its more important to be a Golden Girl then it is to be a sheep of the Kardashians. or you know they did say in a cast and crew documentary that the shows biggest viewers were those 18 and younger (weird? Nah never.)
Laughter Through The Element of Family-
The show always had that charm on making the show with the 4 girls acting like an unconvential family, they were there for each other and they were there when they needed each other the most. Why that matters is because sometimes your closest friends are like family and that they are always there for you. During the Rose Heart Attack Episode, is Rose's daughter saying "She needs her family" with Dorothy saying that she is family she replies no and that the girls are her family and that she is enjoying life in Miami and doesn't want to take her away from that. During the finale Rose says she is moving out to be with her daughter, but in the end decides to stay with Blanche and Sophia because they became inseparable, and that sets up the premise for Golden Palace (but I wont get into that..) the show used comedy in unconventional ways such as making fun of each other like most families do, having disagreements and threatening each other, the comedy in the element of family was always there.
On Loss-
Dorothy: "Seems like I'm always mad at my brother Phil. I was mad the day my parents brought him back from the hospital. I thought he'd take their love away from me, and instead their love expanded and we felt more like a family. I was mad at him when I was 10 and he was 4, and we moved to a new neighbourhood. I was made because he always made new friends more easily than I did. And I'm mad today, because I never wanted to give the eulogy at my kid brother's funeral. I'm mad because he died, he didn't have the wisdom to know that family members shouldn't allow themselves to grow apart, because when this day comes, they can no longer tell each other how much they care. If he'd had that wisdom, he could've shared it with me and I would've known the hundreds of memories I have of just the two of us, eating ice cream on the stoop of our building, or going through the drawers at Grandma's house, or dressing up like the Bronte sisters. How those memories fill me with joy! Why didn't you have that wisdom, Phil? Why didn't you give us a chance to tell you how much we loved you?"
The show dealt with loss like any other show. Loss is a hard thing for any show to do. But the Golden Girls did it and they did it the only way they could for a comedy series, they did it with the trademark humour the show it was known for. No matter which episode you watch the most emotional one for myself was "Mrs George Devereaux" because of course with the loss of a loved one it can seem like the end of the world, but they will always be with us no matter what their legacy lives on with us for the rest of us lives. Everyone should know that Comedy Series are known for their emotional moments, heartbreaking and truly wonderful moments.
In a way the show helped me move on after the death of my grandma, she was the world to everyone, but when we lost her the world collapsed of course, but its not until you see its ok to watch a show episode about loss and remain optimistic about 'that person is no longer in pain' and they are now 'peacefully resting'.
Laughter Through Breakups-
Rose: 'What kind of a friend would you be if you let Elliot ruin her life? She could marry that man. They could have a child!...They could adopt a child! And then one night at the country club, possibly during little Mei Ling’s coming out party ...Dorothy’s having the time of her life when she goes to the powder room and she overhears the towel lady telling Mrs. Steinbeck that Dorothy’s husband, Dr. Elliot Clayton, has bonged every female member of the country club. Can you let that happen to Dorothy? Can you let that happen to little Mei Ling? Hasn’t she suffered enough?
As everyone knows a breakup is sometimes the most awful thing a couple can go through and can cause a bunch of emotions you never expected to have. The show dealt with many breaks in relationships, but did a wonderful in showing how a new relationship can be hard to maintain and easy to assume that its easy to have a relationship. We see it with Rose/Miles relationship until we never really see him after his episode when the CheeseMan is arrested and we never see him again. We see Sophia date many men but not date them long enough. Blanche is just Blanche and she goes out on dates, not to forget her husband but to fill the void of the loss of her husband George (no one is replacing George, ever.
The Health Scare Episodes-
Sick And Tired
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 and their illness.
72 Hours
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 and they made sure they got every aspect right, and how Blanche even said she asks her partners their history in an attempt to ease Rose, but it doesn't work out that way until Rose finds out she is cleared.
Humour In Compassion-
The show I think was known for its compassion in some episodes, as they wanted to help people, even if those people didn't want help. Nothing can get past Sophia and how she took a walk to the store to get a nectarine and go to the hospital to volunteer, this is why I love the character so much, its not what you expect but its what you get. She may be brash but she has a heart of gold. Blanche of course showed compassion to Sophia's friend after wanting a breast job, she decided not to get it and she decided that Lillian's health and well being was more important. Rose and Dorothy were know for their compassion as well, and the thing is that the show was so well-written that they all had an episode where their compassion was truly shown.
The compassion showed in many episodes, even one where Dorothy asks Sophia about her thoughts on having a gay son. She replies "I wouldn't love him any less." meaning she'd love him no matter what his preference.
The Years Since The Show Ended-
After the show debuted and ended the show's legacy has stayed with the show til this very day 26 years on, and as hard as it was to fathom the losses of Rue, Estelle and Bea we see their comedic legacy in the show live on forever and that is the most important thing now. Reruns, merch and twitter accounts (Ah you know the quote pages, fans finding the show), the legacy of the show is much better than many other shows, and with Betty White making the girls proud in 2018, I bet you they are watching over her, proud at how she is carrying on at the age of 96.
The reason why it matters is because the show is a great show and it makes me proud at what people have done with the show and how far they have taken the show into the 21st century.
Remember This-
Remember the show that gave us laughter in the face of loss, happiness, death, compassion, humour. Without those things the show would've never survived as long as it did. The show survived through a strong fan base and now more then ever changing attitudes and reboots of classic TV shows (As it would be really hard to reboot Golden Girls with only one remaining cast member, and Rue, Estelle and Bea could never be replaced.) it means the world to fans that everyone watch the show even now and see how far we have come in the world. The show ended in 1992 with a continuation called "Golden Palace" on CBS at the end of 92 and ran for a year which didn't go down well with fans as they were used to seeing the 4 together, but I wont be negative, they did a good job trying. Remember the show that gave use classic moments, not the bad things that happened.
