By Charlene Giannetti
Last fall when my daughter was leaving for her junior year at college, I asked whether she wanted some new movies to take back. Her college doesn’t have cable so she and her friends depend upon DVDs for entertainment. I was amused when she requested The Golden Girls. Luckily for my daughter and other fans, The Golden Girls is shown frequently on TV and the seven seasons have been conveniently packaged in DVD sets.
For some reason, women of all ages love watching Bea Arthur and her costars chase men while they test the bounds of friendship. The show, frequently compared to both Sex and the City and Friends, is one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. Arthur died from cancer on April 25, but she leaves behind a rich library of TV shows, which, in addition to The Golden Girls, includes six seasons of the Norman Lear comedy, Maude.
Maude, a spin-off from Lear’s earlier hit, All in the Family, broke new ground, particularly an episode where Maude, finding herself pregnant in her late forties, decides to have an abortion. Yet Arthur will be more fondly remembered for her role as Dorothy Zbornak, a divorcee living with two good friends and her mother in Florida. Watching several episodes back-to-back (the best way to enjoy the series) Arthur’s acerbic wit never fails to hit its mark and get a laugh. She cares about her friends but she also won’t hold back from speaking her mind. Arthur’s husky voice and sarcastic tone serves her character well.
Arthur and her co-stars, Betty White, Rue McLanahan, and Estelle Getty, playing Arthur’s mother, have not lost their enthusiasm for men or sex, and their exploits, particularly those of McLanahan’s character, Blanche, could give Carrie Bradshaw and crew a run for their money. While younger fans may find it amusing to see the geriatric set still so interested in sex, older women are happy to see their age group portrayed as being sexually active and not sexually dysfunctional.
The Golden Girls was sheer brilliance. The writing was excellent, starting with a good premise, creative plots, and strong characters. The acting, because of this quartet of skilled performers, was always up to the material. Luckily for us, that material will be around for a long time for many generations of women to enjoy.
