Ed. Mental Floss mourns the loss of actress Estelle Getty, who passed away today after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia. We all hope that she went to a better place than Shady Pines, and thank her for the many laughs she gave us over the years.
Have you ever threatened someone by simply saying “Shady Pines, Ma”? When you feel as jumpy as a virgin at a prison rodeo, is cheesecake the only remedy that will soothe your nerves? If so, you just might be a Golden Girls fan. The show originally ran on NBC from 1985 to 1992, and 15 years later, it still attracts an average of 16 million viewers weekly on Lifetime, despite being aired four times daily.
1. Where did the idea actually come from?
Former NBC wunderkind Brandon Tartikoff got the idea for the series while visiting an elderly aunt. His aunt’s neighbor was also her best friend, and he was amused at how they constantly bickered with one another, but yet they always remained pals.
2. “Jealousy is an ugly thing, Dorothy. And so are you in anything backless.”
Estelle Getty was 47 years old before she first appeared on stage, so it was no wonder that she felt intimidated by her veteran co-workers. Since Sophia was a last-minute addition as a regular character, who would’ve thought that she would ultimately become the most popular Golden Girl? Part of her charm was the stroke that had damaged the part of her brain that censored her speech, which allowed the writers to give her some classic cutting lines:
BLANCHE (trying to entice a suitor): I’m going to take a long, hot steamy bath, with just enough water to barely cover my perky bosoms.
SOPHIA: You’re only going to sit in an inch of water?
Estelle seemed to fluff her lines more often than not, and had to resort to using cue cards or script pages taped to the kitchen table. Some of her co-stars felt a bit put out that they had to do so many re-takes because of Estelle, yet she was the cast member that received the most fan mail. As time went on, Estelle had some other odd medical problems that ultimately led to a misdiagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. Sadly, the medications she was given (in error) further exacerbated the problem. It wasn’t until the mid-2000s that she was finally diagnosed as suffering from Lewy Body Dementia. Betty White kept in touch with Estelle described her current health situation as “a curtain wafting in and out” – she has her good days when she’s active and communicative, and other days when she does nothing more than doze in her favorite chair.
3. Looking for Bea Arthur in all the Wrong Places
When casting the show, Lee Grant was first offered the role of Dorothy, but she refused to play a woman old enough to have grandchildren. Even though the original production notes describing Dorothy Zbornak listed her as “a Bea Arthur type,” it took some time before the producers got the bright idea of actually offering the part to actress Beatrice Arthur.
A Golden Girls fact: Bea Arthur (Dorothy) was actually a year older than the actress who portrayed her mother on the show.
4. Why wasn’t Betty White the sexy one?
This and the answers to more all after the jump…
When Rue McClanahan and Betty White were first hired for the series, it was with the intent of Betty playing man-hungry Blanche, and Rue the naïve Rose. However, both actresses felt that those roles were too similar to characters they’d recently played: Rue’s Vivian on Maude and Betty’s Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. They asked the producers if they could switch roles, and after the first table reading it was agreed that the change was a brilliant idea.
5. What happened to the flamboyant cook?
The pilot episode featured a flamboyantly gay cook named Coco (played by Charles Levin) who worked for the Girls. By the time the series was picked up, though, his part had been eliminated for two reasons. One was that the writers noted that in many of the proposed future scripts the main interaction between the women occurred in the kitchen while preparing and eating food, and a separate cook would distract from that camaraderie. In addition, the character of Sophia had originally been planned as an occasional guest star, but Estelle Getty had tested so strongly with preview audiences that the producers quickly made Sophia a regular character (and chief chef), which made Coco superfluous.
6. The Gay and Lesbian factor
A 2005 study by Simmons Market Research determined that more gays and lesbians watched The Golden Girls than the general population in any given week. Admittedly, the show touched on homosexuality more than once: Blanche’s brother came out as gay in one episode, Dorothy’s college friend was a lesbian, and then there was that time that clueless Rose was trying to prove herself on her first day on the job as a production assistant on a local Miami TV talk show…
7. “Cheesecake,” and the real Golden Girls’ appeal
A large part of the Golden Girls’ appeal was that they were all women over age 50 who were still actively working, volunteering in the community, and, yes, dating and having sex. They showed the world that menopause didn’t automatically equal resigning oneself to knitting afghans and baking cookies. This was brilliantly illustrated when the Girls were preparing to go on a Valentine’s Day cruise with some gentlemen friends and Dorothy suggested that they should perhaps bring along some “protection.” Of course, Rose got it all wrong…
Now is your chance to come out and admit your Golden Girls love. What is your favorite St. Olaf story? How crazy do you go trying to match the internal architecture of their house with the outside shots? And please try and explain to me the varying number and ages of the Girls’ children and grandchildren.
Past ‘Confessions of a TV-Holic’…
• When Sitcoms Go Global
• 5 Cases of Unwanted Fame
• When Sitcom Stars Start Expecting
• We Still Love Lucy
• 6 Backdoor Pilots (and why they belong at the back door)
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What was the story with the episode where Dorothy gave the long angry speech in a restaurant to her doctor about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome being real? That was like a public-service announcement within the show. Did one of the writers have CFS?
posted by Jason on 11-28-2007 at 3:32 pm
I like the ep where Rose and Dorothy entered a jingle writing contest about Miami.
To this day I can’t forget that song…”Miami…miami…you’ve got style!”
posted by Kats on 11-28-2007 at 3:44 pm
i always found it funny that my father, who is a korean war vet, sits in front of lifetime tv about 5 or 6 hours a day.
in my entire life (i’m 29) he has only said, ‘i love you’ to me once. and even then, i think it was a slip, because no one in the room was more surprised than him. he’s one of those doesn’t show any emotion types.
his favorite show? golden girls.
i have always found that awesome.
posted by amywithlemon on 11-28-2007 at 3:46 pm
I’ll admit it, I love the Golden Girls
“How crazy do you go trying to match the internal architecture of their house with the outside shots?”
haha, it drives me nuts!!! that always bothered me…
:)
posted by Clotho on 11-28-2007 at 3:47 pm
To respond to Jason – the creator of the show Susan Harris does suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
As to favorite moments – how could one choose? Each episode of this show is still laugh out loud funny. Although the “Miami Is Nice” song contest one still sticks out in my mind.
The writers of this show then went on to spawn Arrested Development and Desperate Housewives, and Kent Zbornak (Dorothy’s namesake) works on The Office. Those are some good comedy genes.
posted by Muffy on 11-28-2007 at 3:56 pm
I LOVE the Golden Girls. As a young gay youth of 12 years old, I remember watching the show with my mother. If that isn’t the perfect Norman Rockwell portrait of a gay boy, I don’t know what is!
I never get tired of the same old jokes. The perfect timing and delivery. And come to think of it, I can’t for the life of me figure out how the inside was supposed to match the outside of the house!
posted by klein on 11-28-2007 at 4:09 pm
I loved the Golden Girls episode where rose and blanche, dorthy were entered in a tap-dancing contest and at the last minute, dorthy hurt her foot.
I also loved Rose’s St. Olaf stories and Sophia’s put downs. I stil watch it on lifetime to this very day!
posted by Tamara on 11-28-2007 at 4:38 pm
I used to watch Golden Girls with my grandma, who is pretty much exactly like Rose.
posted by Amber on 11-28-2007 at 7:01 pm
oh my how i adore the golden girls to this day. i can sing that miami miami song and frequently do, haha. i’m only 25, but man, those jokes are timeless and it is never not funny. when i’m having an especially bad day, i know a little dose of the golden girl’s will put it all in perspective and make me laugh again. just goes to show quality shows are never out of style! hooray for The Girls :)
posted by danielle marie on 11-28-2007 at 7:20 pm
Count me in as another gay man who loves “The Golden Girls”. And I still love watching, especially when you can see people like George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino in guest roles.
I also got to see Estelle Getty on Broadway in “Torch Song Trilogy”. We got to meet her after the performance and she was very sweet to everyone.
posted by Sheldon Siegel on 11-28-2007 at 8:42 pm
I used to watch the show with my gramma in the summer, and then with my sister (when we were both in high school) late at night…I loved it. My wished-for episodes included the one where Dorothy marries Leslie Nielsen’s character. . .and the spin-off after the wedding (Golden Palace, was it?!)
posted by Liz on 11-28-2007 at 9:05 pm
I love all the love that Golden Girls gets…I never paid any attention to it when it was on the air…I think I watched a few eps here and there, but the women were so dang horny all the time that it seemed all they were doing were trolling for eligible men…I do love Betty White, tho, she’s the bomb…
posted by donner on 11-28-2007 at 11:16 pm
I love them, I am a 28 year old married guy and even here in Ireland, they were HUGE! One of my favorite episodes was when they went to the nudist camp (especially the Dinner scene!)
Brilliant!
posted by Alan on 11-29-2007 at 8:02 am
I always loved Dorothys’ slow burn and incredibly expressive eyes…no one does it better than Bea.
I am another gay man who grew up watching the ‘Girls’ with my mom and when it came time to come out to my family, the positive gay role models portrayed on the ‘Girls’ helped to lessen the stigma of being gay.
As for the exterior of the house…if you ever visit the Disney Studios’ in Orlando be sure to go down the ‘Residential Street’ on the production lot and you will see the exterior of the house as well as the ‘Empty Nest’ exterior also.
posted by David Bufler on 11-29-2007 at 8:44 am
I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE the Golden Girls. When I had just had my baby, I stayed home and would wake up extra early just to watch the show. My son even calls them “the girls”. I watch them so much I feel like they are family. I’m in process of trying to get all the DVD’s. My fav episode is the Jingle contest…”Miami, Miami…You’ve got style……..”
posted by Shaunni Shaunte on 11-29-2007 at 8:55 am
The house exterior is on the ‘backlot’ at Disney MGM in Florida, with the house for “Empty Nest” right across the street. I stood on the front lawn!
posted by Greg Steinmayer on 11-29-2007 at 9:07 am
I loved the show growing up. It was must see TV.
My favorite line was from the ep in which the girls helped the FBI (I believe) plant a bug in their neighbor’s house. In the ep, Dorothy came ranting into her kitchen saying to the two males that she’d had it with them leaving the toilet seat up…only to have Sofia say that it wasn’t them…she had tried something new and it hadn’t worked!
The show is timeless.
posted by Mark on 11-29-2007 at 9:12 am
I love getting sick and calling out of work just so I can watch this show at 9am and 4pm on Lifetime. My favorite episode is probably when Dorothy upstages Blanche at the Rusty Anchor when she starts singing and Blanche gets jealous and tries to be suave on top of the piano.
Rose is classic. Definitely one of the best television characters, ever.
posted by Melanie on 11-29-2007 at 9:59 am
I too love the Golden Girls. That was one of the best things about Saturday nights growing up. I also liked the show Empty Nest which was a spinoff of GG – and it was always fun when the characters from that show made appearances on GG. I learned the word lanai from the show. Always loved the sarcasm of Dorthy and the cutting wit of Estelle Getty (who was actually the youngest one on the show). “Thank you for being a friend…”
posted by Michele on 11-29-2007 at 10:18 am
Just a bit of information so that no one is confused: Although it used to be,The Golden Girls House is no longer at the Disney MGM Studios in Florida. The street with TV homes known as “Residential Street” was removed when they put in another attraction.
And on a lighter note, my favorite Golden Girls joke is when Dorothy is having a rare, touching moment with Sophia on the couch telling her that she loves her. Then the doorbell rings, and as Dorothy gets up to answer it, she says “That must be the schmaltz police.”
posted by MaxPower on 11-29-2007 at 10:51 am
I love the Golden Girls! My family has always made fun of me for watching it. It’s my feel good show, and when I’m sick or having a bad day, it never fails to cheer me up.
One of my favorite moments was the wedding/Elvis fan club episode, with all the Elvis impersonators at the wedding (including Quentin Tarentino). Classic!
posted by SpecialK on 11-29-2007 at 10:51 am
I didn’t know I was gay then, but I would watch the “Girls” with my gramma on weekends (She was much like Rose) and those were some of my best childhood memories. Watching her lava lamp bubble on top of the tv (she was semi hip) while the Golden Girls, Mama’s Family, and Carol Burnett Show reruns were forming my future sensibilities. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
posted by Kyle on 11-29-2007 at 11:11 am
golden girls, my all time favorite show. i’ve been a fan of it since i was 7 years old, and i’m 28 now. i remember watching it with my mom every saturday night for years. i was so excited when we got cable for the reruns on lifetime. sophia never fails to crack me up. my favorite line ever, from the episode where rose’s sister holly comes to visit-”mopey, dopey and full of crap–you’re rose’s sister!”
i really have to rack my brain in order order to think of my favorite episode. the episode with dorothy upstaging blanche at the rusty anchor was classic, and the episode someone mentioned about the nudist colony is classic as well. ah hell, its all gold.
posted by J on 11-29-2007 at 11:31 am
I used to watch Goldern Girls with my mom all the time, we still joke about me sending her to Shady Pines or if one of us is being a dork we ask for the metro section
“Rose hand me the Metro section”
Hilarious
posted by Lindsey U on 11-29-2007 at 12:04 pm
Reading these posts is like reading into my own memories. I’m 30 and my Saturday nights growing up were spent watching GGs, Empty Nest, Nurses, and Sisters…Or whatever else was on around the Girls. My BFF at work loves them too, and we were just talking about playing hooky from work so we can sit around and watch our Girls on Lifetime together. One of my favorite eps is when Dorothy was solving the murder mystery at the hotel, when she puts a knife up to Sophia’s throat. Sophia nervously informs everyone, “Not part of the act, folks! Not part of the act!”
posted by Phoebe Walker on 11-29-2007 at 12:11 pm
My husband and I watch the GG’s every weekday morning and have for years. We know what episode it is usually in the first 30 seconds. Our favorite ep’s are the jingle epsidode, “Miami, your’e cuter than and interuteran.” We love when they go buy protection and the cashier does a price check for the condoms over the loudspeaker. It is so funny. WE LOVE the GOLDIES!
posted by Nancy Howes on 11-29-2007 at 12:27 pm
The Golden Girls are the greatest! My favorite moment happened when my dearest friend, Denise, who happens to be the age of my daughter, replied – “This must have been your Sex in the City”! – Absolutely!
posted by Peggy Powell on 11-29-2007 at 1:31 pm
Oh man. Best post ever.
I got my fiancee hooked on the girls(he loves them)… and now even though we have to get up early for work, we’ll stay up to watch them at 1am and 1:30, singing the song and getting excited when its the long version (you’ll know its the long open when the first shot is of a plane taking off into the sunset).
They resonate the same way that Sex in the City does. It’s sisterhood – the love I have now with my girlfriends, and the love I hope to have when I’m old and gray.
Damn, I love those girls.
posted by Stef on 11-29-2007 at 2:01 pm
You can’t put into words what this show did for so many people. I think any sex at any age can laugh at this show. This is the type of tv that was good clean fun.
When I was in college, I would watch it at 8, 5, and 10 so I could tape them. I have probably over 100 episodes on tape and even though I don’t watch them often, its great to know that the girls are there whenever i want them.
I agree that they are a great way to spend a rainy day inside. :)
posted by Nicole on 11-29-2007 at 3:03 pm
Ahhhh… back when television was worth watching! We grew up on the Girls; I’d have to say Dorothy was my favorite although it could be two-way tie with Sophia. To this day my sisters and I still call each other Rose when one of us does something stupid!
posted by A. Brown on 11-29-2007 at 3:19 pm
This may not be appropriate, however…As a young man, I was excited to see “sexy” Rue not wearing a bra. Must See TV.
posted by Denny on 11-29-2007 at 3:56 pm
Like most gay men in their early 30s, I watched the Golden Girls growing up, and I still watch them today (unlike most gay men, however, I just admitted I am in my early 30s…lol).
Favorite episode: the murder mystery.
posted by Barry on 11-29-2007 at 7:00 pm
This show was in the top 10 for six seasons straight! Pretty awesome, considering.
Thank You for being a friend.
Travel down a road and back again.
Your heart is true, you’re a pal and a confidante.
And if you threw a party, invited everyone you knew, you would see the biggest gift would be from me and the card attached would say, Thank You For Being a Friend!
My sisters and I will sing that at the drop of a hat.
Rose: You know, Sophia, your problem at work reminds me of something that happened back in St. Olaf.
Sophia: Please. Dust reminds you of something that happened back in St. Olaf!
Dorothy: How long do you think you can stay handcuffed?
Blanche: My personal best is 32 hours… of course, then I had someone to play with.
Blanche: I treat my body like a temple.
Sophia: Yeah, open to everyone, day or night!
Blanche: I’ll give you anything. I’ll give you one of my sons.
Dorothy: Blanche.
Blanche: Dorothy, I’ve given this a lot of thought. I’ve had 3 sons, I’ve never had a Mercedes. Which one do you want? Biff, Doug, Skippy? No, don’t take Skippy, he’s got asthma.
Rose: I just had a thought…
Sophia, Dorothy, Blanche: Congratulations.
Miles Webber: I’m a college professor, Rose. What did you think when I said I taught Hemingway?
Rose: I thought you were old.
Dorothy: [to Sophia] You’re a furry little gnome and we feed you too much.
Blanche: I don’t really mind Clayton being homosexual, I just don’t like him dating men.
Dorothy: You really haven’t grasped the concept of this “gay thing” yet, have you, Blanche?
Blanche: Well there must be homosexuals who date women.
Sophia: Yeah. They’re called lesbians.
Love love love.
posted by Sara on 11-29-2007 at 7:07 pm
Something about them just made you root for them– something so winning about them. Indomitable spirit, tits to the wind, every one of them living fully and authentically. The jokes were true– not cheap gags, mostly. And I guess they were earnest– always wanting to do the right thing and be the best versions of themselves they could! It’s like having some old friends you miss.
posted by alex on 11-29-2007 at 10:08 pm
I’m so obsessed with the show. When I first graduated in college, I had no job and it took me months to find one because all I did was watch Golden Girls reruns!!!
My fave episode is when Blanche takes Sophia with her to her date with the man in the wheel chair, and Sophia says “We was po” and “We sho was.” Love it love it love it!
posted by Liz on 11-29-2007 at 11:36 pm
I still vividly remember the very night I first watched the Girls: the chair I was sitting in, where my mom was sitting…and how hysterically we laughed that half hour. I was 8 years old. One of my very best friendships was built on spewing caustic Golden Girls lines at each other. That show is the only reason I still own a television.
posted by Sheelin on 11-30-2007 at 9:00 am
My friends and I also love the GGs (as we affectionately call them).
The four of us even dressed up as the Golden Girls for Halloween in 2006. We were a huge hit – wanted to post a pic so everyone could have a good laugh, but no links allowed:(
Timeless show.
posted by Jessica on 11-30-2007 at 11:16 am
I’m a huge fan and love the beginning jingle…thank you for being a friend, travel down the road and back again….
My favorite is Blanche. Her spunkiness reminds me of my late grandmother. I must have seen all episodes at least twice.
posted by Eloise on 11-30-2007 at 2:20 pm
I LOVE the GG’s! My friends make fun of me for loving the show (they don’t know what they are missing).
My favorite episode is when the girls are sitting at the kitchen table eating icecream and talking about their “first time with a man”. Rose says, “Blanche, the first time did you……” and rolls her eyes and head. It was great, we all knew what she was talking about but she just couldn’t say it. That scene is truly a classic.
posted by supafly on 11-30-2007 at 4:02 pm
Yeah actually the creater of the show, Susan Harris, had CFS. I loved how Dorothy b*tched out the doc, and how his wife made him swallow the medicine too!
posted by GoldenGirlNutcase on 11-30-2007 at 4:17 pm
I’ve watched the series since it first debuted, and can’t believe it’s still running on Lifetime! But of course that channel launched with GG playing like three times a day everyday! Those actresses have to be billionaires by now off the residuals. Seriously. But that’s cool, they’ve brought alot of entertainment into my life and it’s shaped my sense of humor over the years.
posted by Eludium-Q36 on 11-30-2007 at 7:55 pm
What a great post! My favorite memory was watching the show every Saturday night with my mom and grandma. I’m the only one of those three “golden girls” left now, and seeing the show really brings back memories of them.
My favorite moment was Rose buying those condoms, but right up there would be when Dorothy and Sophia went as Sonny and Cher to a costume contest.
posted by Lindsey on 11-30-2007 at 8:41 pm
There are so many great moments to choose from, but one of my personal favorites is when they are going to see Burt Reynolds and decide to get a drink at the hotel bar first. Turns out the hotel was used to run a prostitution ring. Dorothy grabs Blanche’s arm and says, “Do you know what they think we are?” Rose replies, all offended, “Waitresses!”
Classic! The comedic timing and deliver on that show was spot on!
Another great line was:
Sophia- “I don’t believe it! Arrested for prostitution”
Dorothy- “Ma, ma we’re innocent!”
Sophia- “I know that. I mean I can’t believe these dumb cops would think anyone would pay money to sleep with you!”
I love these girls!!
Ok- last one:
Burt Reynolds: “Which one’s the slut?”
B, R, & D’s hands go up (in unison) “I am!”
posted by Tara on 12-1-2007 at 12:50 am
My favorite moment: Sophia sitting under sun, in a house coat and holding her purse, with headphones on . . . belting out “Purple Rain”
Priceless!
posted by Kandi on 12-1-2007 at 2:23 am
My mom never missed an episode and I’ve seen most of them. Mom identifies with Dorothy, sees herself as being like Dorothy. I don’t dare tell her, but she’s more like Rose (haha). I remember when they were robbed. Blanche ran into the kitchen to see if they got her jewelery that was hidden in the flour bin. She comes out of the kitchen covered in white powder. Dorothy says, “Well, at least we see they didn’t get your cocaine.” (maybe not an exact quote)
One day Dorothy was feeling old. She tells of how she got into her car, looked in the rearview mirror and saw an old woman staring back at her. Rose asked, “Who was it?”
posted by Tdave on 12-1-2007 at 5:21 am
p.s. I wish I had a station that showed the reruns.
posted by Tdave on 12-1-2007 at 5:26 am
I watch The Golden Girls everyday from 4-5. I love the opening theme song and I even own The Golden Girls tshirt.I heart Sophia. I have seen every episode twice. It is one of those shows that brings me peace for some reason. If I have had a bad day, I know I can sit down, watch the show, and feel better by the end.
posted by ash on 12-3-2007 at 4:03 pm
I grew up watching the Golden Girls. I still watch them twice a day on lifetime. My two favorite episodes was the one where the girls get arrested for prostitution. The other episode is where sophia makes friends with the man with alzehmiers (SP). I think I have seen every episode ever made. Probably seen them twice. This tv program is a classic and will ALWAYS be one of my favorites.
posted by Laura on 12-3-2007 at 11:08 pm
I recently read an article that in 2005, Disney destroyed Residential Street where TGG and Empty Nest “houses” were. That sucks! I was planning to go see it! I suppose all good things must come to an end, but thanks to Lifetime, we can still watch this AWESOME show!
posted by Jonathan on 12-5-2007 at 12:08 am
My mom got addicted to Golden Girls when I was only a baby. I started watching the show with her as a teenager and I’m only 23 now but it’s got to be my favorite show of all time! I’ve bought her all the boxed sets as gifts over the years and we love to sit and watch them over and over. I love the episode where Blanche tries to write a novel and due to lack of sleep, she starts hallucinating. The kitchen scene with the egg yolks in a baggie is hilarious!
posted by Alyson on 12-6-2007 at 9:21 am
I love the GGs!!!!! I have so many good memories. Watching it with my grandmother. In college, my friend Ashley and I would get together, order dinner and watch the Girls (this was when it was still on at 6 pm on Lifetime). It’s one show that my little sister and I can always agree on watching.
My grandmother and three aunts remind me of them. We always joke that my one aunt is rose and she hates it! As my other aunt says…no one minds being the sl** but no one wants to be the stupid one!
I’m currently working on getting the whole series on dvd. It really is a feel good show and can always make me laugh no matter what kind of mood I’m in.
posted by amanda on 12-6-2007 at 9:41 am
I always thought I was the ultimate GG fan but I’m happy to hear that I’m not the only one that thinks they’re so friggin’ funny. If I can’t sit and watch the episodes for the umpteenth time then I make sure I have it on for background noise. My 17 month-old son will stop what he’s doing when he hears the theme song and he’ll to go to the tv to see it! I had a signed (8 X 10) autographed photo of the GG on my desk at work…got to the point where my co-workers came together and gave me the box set of the show for my going away–maternity leave! One of the main reasons why I love the show so much is b/c the Dorothy/Sophia dialogue is just like what I have w/ my own mother. I have tees that I wear w/them on it and all kinds of people will stop me to talk about how much they too love the show. They’re just timeless!
posted by Ant on 12-8-2007 at 9:57 pm
I like the fact that I can actually see intelligent, active women on TV that are my age, and with whom I can identify. How would you 30 year olds like watching nothing but 12 year old children and listening to their issues? That’s what it’s like for someone over 50.
posted by Sharon lLmmel on 12-10-2007 at 3:03 pm
The internal architecture never bothered me because all our lives, starting with Santa Claus when we were little, we just accept certain things without questioning too much. That’s how I view it, anyway.
GG are my comfort food. I watched it in the 80′s, when I was in my 20′s. I’ve watched it all these years, and still count on seeing them every day. It has definitely stood the test of time.
You are right about the love/hate thing, though. Twenty years ago, my grandma said it was horrible, those old women talking about sex all the time. It was my dad’s favorite show. You know, now that I think about it, the GGs really weren’t that old…they were closer to my mom’s age than my grandma’s.
I’m glad to see that GGs still has so many fans.
posted by bandersnatch on 2-7-2008 at 1:00 pm
HAHA!! I am a Golden fanatic, although I have to admit I’m not a lesbian. I actually redecirated my room a couple of weeks ago to look exactly like Blanche’s!! I’m 15 and have a big pic. of the girls on my binder at school. Everyone is like, “Why do you have a bunch of old ladies on your binder?”
I say,”These aren’t just OLD LADIES you dummy, they are the Golden Girls!!”
My favorite episode, is when Rose explains to Dorothy and Blanche about “The Great Herring War”!! The girls are soooo funny, and you can tell that they are cracking up when they aren’t supposed to!!
posted by memberofthehunkahunkaburninlovefanclub on 2-11-2008 at 12:46 am
WOW I remember as a kid sitting down with my grandmother and watching the Golden Girls..I’m 21 years old now and still love and watch the Golden Girls to this day…I catch myself singing the Theme song from time to time…Rose’s St.Olaf stories crack me up and it’s hard to choose…As a matter of fact I just watched the Episode where Rose was telling the girls about the Great Herring war…Priceless timeless comedy and I will love the Golden Girls forever…
posted by Meg on 2-18-2008 at 9:03 pm
wow – I loved the Golden Girls growing up – I remember being 16 and waiting to go out on Sat night until the show was over with…I still watch the reruns (thank Heaven for Lifetime!) – I love the girls and often have a hard time believing they did not get along in real life as well as on set as they had such unbelievably great chemistry! I have so many faves…I loved the episode where Rose was dating a gentleman of short stature and Blanche screws up the conversation self-consciously so many times….it was flawless! Glad to see how many people also love them…when I had surgery, my best friend from grade school gave me season one…I was so excited to be able to watch them while I was off of work!
posted by Juni on 2-23-2008 at 11:59 am
We seldom buy any DVD’S, but we own all 7 seasons of The Golden Girls. We don’t even have our flat screen TV hooked up, but use it to watch The Golden Girls DVD’s, and a few movies here and there.
posted by Gail on 2-24-2008 at 1:46 pm
The other week I found out why St. Olaf was targeted for being so dim. One of the people working on the show (I forget if it was a writer or not) went to their rival school, and wanted to get revenge. I’m sorry if this was already posted or well known, but I certainly didn’t know about it and I’ve been watching this show for a long time!
posted by Jenni Robinson on 3-13-2008 at 7:10 pm
I’ve always loved watching Golden Girls reruns…. and two years ago my friends and I went as the girls for Halloween. Its one of my favorite costumes ever–I was Sophia!
posted by Michelle on 6-1-2008 at 4:20 pm
I loved the episode with the Medicare song by Sophia..
The sunshine in a bag is up there too!
And then the Talent Show and the Chicken Little…
How can you pick just one???
I love them all…
posted by Jackie on 7-11-2008 at 1:38 pm
“No Ma, it was a little girl selling Girl Scout toilets…”
Love it!!!! Best show ever. I have watched since I was 10 and still watch every day on Lifetime.
posted by Elaine on 7-12-2008 at 6:22 pm
so i left this page up during my lunch break, and by the time i came back i heard that estelle getty had passed away. whate a sad and somehow touching coincidence. i love the golden girls, and especially sophia. rest in peace estelle, you will be greatly missed…
posted by tiffany on 7-22-2008 at 3:36 pm
This was quite a shock. I can only hope that this wonderful actress and person finds peace in God’s kingdom. I love the Golden Girls, which now has become something of an icon.
posted by David Miller on 7-22-2008 at 8:13 pm
RIP, Estelle. Thanks for portraying such a great character who said what we’ve all wanted to say from time to time.
posted by Sandy on 7-22-2008 at 11:17 pm
Phoebe Walker – Thanks for reminding me of one of the funniest TV lineups ever! Golden Girls, Nurses, Empty Nest, then finish up with Sisters for a little brevity. You mentioning those shows brought up a flood of memories of my mom and I making popcorn in a saucepan and sitting down together for a lazy evening of television.
Estelle, you are very sorely missed!
posted by Rose on 7-22-2008 at 11:22 pm
oh no!
the golden girls is my favourite show ever- and i’m only 24. it reminds me of the 80′s in such a great way, i just get a warm, homey feeling everytime i watch it. i have every season, and know every episode by heart.
in fact, i’m so bummed out about Estelle Getty’s passing that when i get home in the morning, i’m going to have a golden girls show marathon to breakfast with my boyfriend. picture it, 2008, breakfast in a small apartment….
posted by Em on 7-23-2008 at 12:16 am
what i loved most about the show was how non-egocentric the actresses were. they oftentimes made light of their physical attributes with hysterical outcomes. two of my favorite examples are the episodes where blache and rose are running for fashion show chairman and in trying to “out-fashion” each other end up insulting dorothy’s body as they decide whether she should wear pearls or a chain with a particular outfit; the other is when blanche and rose are leaving a women’s dress store and this dialogue ensues:
blanche: “i haven’t found a thing today. i don’t look right in american clothes; i have a more european body.”
rose (innocent): “oh? in europe do they all have big butts too?”
priceless!
posted by Nathan on 7-23-2008 at 9:15 am
Even as a not gay male, I loved this show too. I seem to like shows with many cast members, like Seinfeld, The Simpsons, and News Radio.
These ladies were very funny, sort of remind me of my great-aunts.
posted by Dan1101 on 7-23-2008 at 12:09 pm
I love the Golden Girls. As several others have mentioned the Miami is Nice song contest episode is a great one.
I also loved the one that had a subplot of Blanche writing the great American Novel and she stayed up for like 72 hours to write it, but when Rose tries to read it, the manuscript is full of gibberish.
Blanche (staring at a bag of egg yolks Rose has left lying on the counter): Roooose…little yellow eyeballs are staring at me
Or from the songwriting contest episode:
Rose: Why not make it ‘Miami is nice, so I’ll say it thrice’?
Dorothy: Thrice…who the hell says thrice?
Rose: It’s a word!
Dorothy: So is interuterine, but that doesn’t mean you should use it in a song.
Rose: *ponders, then strikes a chord on the piano* Miami…you’re cuter than…an interuterine…
Also, the episode where Dorothy was convinced Sophia was losing her hearing, that was a hilarious one. And any episode that featured Sophia saying “Picture it. Sicily, 1923…”
The episode where Dorothy was diagnosed with CFS is a special one to me. I was home sick one day, after a nearly two year long string of random illnesses, feeling mighty depressed, and that episode came on. I watched with increasing shock, despite the fact that I had seen it a thousand times before, and realized that I fit Dorothy’s symptoms to a T. I did a little research, and mentioned it to my doctor at the next visit and it led to me eventually being diagnosed with CFS. So yes, despite the fact that I’m young enough to be one of the Girls great-grandchildren, those ladies have always been very special to me.
posted by Jen on 7-23-2008 at 1:01 pm
This show kept me sane thru grad school. Special faves were the episode where the GG’s buy “protection” at the supermarket (laughed til I cried) and where Rose picks up the phone, hits “0″ and says, “Operator, can you give me the number for 911?”
Aaahh, for the days of real comedy.
posted by Dawn on 7-23-2008 at 3:20 pm
Miami…you’re cuter than an inter-uterine! How can you go wrong with lines like that?
posted by Spark on 7-23-2008 at 3:34 pm
I love the show, me and my brother and my parents watch it. One night we were watching it, and then we watched The Simpsons and Betty White was on there, then we watched Family Guy…and Betty White was on it…then that 1-800-PETMEDS commercial came on…with Betty White. So for a short time, Betty White was our television stalker.
posted by Special Agent Baker on 7-23-2008 at 9:37 pm
Rue McClanahan as the sexy one in the “Golden Girls” did work as a humorous slant on the man chaser.
Personally I think Betty White was fabulous as the sex machine on the Mary Tyler Moore show.
posted by Sexy on 7-24-2008 at 9:18 am
I remember watching Golden Girls with my grandmother and cousins as a little girl. Now I’m 22 and my grandmother has since passed on but still watch the Golden Girls and laugh and think of my grandmother..a wonderful show!
posted by Melissa on 7-28-2008 at 10:31 am
My kids favorite ep of GG’s is one of the earlier episodes when the girls are robbed and Rose buys a guy. Rose shoots the gun and destroys Blanche’ vase. Sofia helps pick up the peices and puts some in her purse to deter Blacnhe from putting the vase back together. Sofia hated the vase. So Sweet :o) Rest in peace, Sofia.
posted by Robin on 7-30-2008 at 12:31 pm
I was never able to watch “Golden Girls” because the Estelle Getty character was so nasty. How can someone who doesn’t start watching a series from the beginning know that her nasty remarks were related to a stroke? Another series where something similar happened was “The Sopranos.” Everytime Carmella’s mother would call out her husband’s name “Hugh”, I thought she was calling him “You!” And she was usually semi-yelling at him. Has anyone else had this happen to them?
posted by lynne gawlas on 7-30-2008 at 9:32 pm
“Picture it…Sicily, 1942..”
posted by Yolanda on 8-14-2008 at 4:36 pm
I LOVE “The Golden Girls”! I got addicted to them shortly after high school. Sophia was my favorite character. I don’t really have a favorite moment, though. Estelle Getty will surely be missed.
posted by Sara on 8-15-2008 at 11:51 am
There are just too many great eps to chose from.
Dorothy: Condoms, Rose! Condoms! Condoms! Condoms!
Clerk: Calm down lady… you just get out of prison?
Get back here, you deceitful little Sicilian gecko!
Now listen up, you withered old Sicilian monkey!
What the hell goes on at night in this house?!?
Classic!
RIP, Estelle
posted by John on 8-16-2008 at 9:42 am
will be missed by all who watched her estell getty. l love the golden girls and l watched it in the eightys l was only 14 then but l understood the humour .l watch it still on dvd l have the whole series my best clip was roses new boyfriend the dwarf l nearly chocked on and popcorn watching it l laughed and chocked at the same time blanch was a scream .now does anyone out there know where l could get the fabric to make a bed cover like blanches bed has , l am from scotland and l have never seen it here .
posted by lori combe on 9-8-2008 at 8:07 am
Golden Girls. What can I say apart from the best comedy ever to come out of the USA. Who would have thought that 4 ladies of a certain age could have been so entertaining. Nothing for me on t.v has matched their wit, humour, grace, humility and professionalism.
Golden Girls – Bea, Betty, Rue and Estelle. You are and always will be the best.
Goodnight And God bless Estelle Getty.
posted by crimble crumble on 11-9-2008 at 3:57 pm
My favorite epsisode was “Goodbye, Mr. Gordon”. DOrothy and Blanche are on Rose’s talk show as two lesbians. Sophia stands up and asks what kind of shame and embarrassment has this caused Dorothy’s mother. Dorothy’s reply is that she doesn’t know but will ask her tomorrow at “The Home”. Sophia doesn’t ask another question.
I also love the murder mystery episode.
posted by JasonS on 1-6-2009 at 7:28 am
Wow, no one mentioned one of my favorite exchanges ever —
Blanche: Well, what’s wrong with that, isn’t Danny Thomas one?
Dorothy: Not Lebanese, Blanche. Lesbian!
It’ll always be one of my favorite shows. The chemistry was perfect.
posted by gillian on 1-8-2009 at 2:48 pm
But also to add to the last quote…the funny part to me is HOW Blanche says the word lesbian after Dorothy tells her. “Lesbian……Lesbian…..LESBIAN!!!”
Another favorite comment of Blanche…I don’t remember the main storyline of the episode (doesn’t matter for quote)but Blanche is telling a story about herself…and she calls herself Peacock. “Peacock…that’s what I like to call myself.”
posted by MakesMeHappy on 6-1-2009 at 8:22 pm
I love the Golden Girls Dvd’s and watch them as often as I can. God rest Bea and Estelle who are greatly missed, and
my thanks and love go out to Rose and Blanch for the wonder of their brilliant
talent. I know I’m addicted to watching the G.G.; and it takes me away from all
the violent, sex and drug scenes shown
on television, so thank God for Dvd’s
for one has choice in viewing clean
material for a change. Dom Wynne
posted by Dom Wynne on 6-10-2009 at 3:11 pm
Im very far from a gay man(30′s), and I still think Golden Girls may be one of the greatest shows of all time. I love the ‘snap backs’. Some one name a show, other than maybe Family Guy, with more ‘good’ wise cracks per episode. I guess it bothers me that they are associating this program with thier sexuality. The two things arent related.
posted by T on 8-7-2009 at 12:29 pm
p.s.
I thank all the talent, and will miss the ones who are gone. Its a shame they couldnt make the show forever somehow.
posted by T on 8-7-2009 at 12:34 pm
With all the wonderful things Miss Arthur has done in her life, wouldn’t it be great to see her final interview, in HER OWN WORDS talking about her career etc.
I found this clip of Bea Arthur’s final interview. The clip also show Betty White, Carol Channing and Phyllis Diller.
We need to contact Merv Griffin Productions and see if entire interview will be aired. An email that was given to me was:
roy_bank@griffingroup.com
I’d hate for an full interview with Bea or the other legendary ladies in the clip to go unseen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqTi7rsk3GY
posted by stephen on 12-19-2009 at 2:14 pm
My favorite episode was when one of the girls won 3 tickets to see Burt Reynolds. They were all dancing around until Sophia realized she wasn’t going. Anyways later on, Dorothy, Blanche and Rose were in a bar/club having a drink and were snagged in a prostitution sting through a misunderstanding and they called poor Sophia who was left sitting at home. When Sophia shows up to bail them out she snatches the Burt Reynolds tickets and leaves the girls sitting in the jail cell. LOL….awesomeness.
posted by har har har on 2-11-2010 at 12:06 pm
1 thing YOU might not know about The Golden Girls: it was a stupid show with an asinine premise about some ugly old biddies pretending it’s normal or natural to do anything past fifty but get old. No wonder so many perverts loved it – perverts always stick together.
posted by Bob on 6-4-2010 at 10:02 am
Okay Bob u suck. . . This show was the best I just completed my collection(I now have all 7 seasons yum) I have no one favorite moment but Dorothy was my girl. . . The way she always looked back @ Sophia after she said something smart, the way she’d stop drinking her coffee and just stare after one of Rose’s old St Olaf stories. . . One of the best is the episode when Sophia married her best friend’s husband and Dorothy got thrown out of the unofficial Elvis fan club. I cried with laughter ,I’ve just been thrown out of an unofficial Elvis fan club. I’l yet to pick up the pieces of my life and move on. . . I mean there must be a support group for ppl like me. . . Genius!
Okay one more – was I the only one who cried in the series finale when Dorothy married Lucas? I vet every time especially when she says youlll always be my sisters – always. . . Love the post
posted by Dee on 6-14-2010 at 3:13 pm
Ugh sorry about the typos! I was too excited to have found fellow fans!
posted by Dee on 6-14-2010 at 3:15 pm
I love this show! I think my favorite episode is the one where Rose gets the new job as a product tester and she wears the “fat pants” that attach to a vacuum, and she puts the vacuum in reverse and blows the pants up instead. I’m so sad that Betty is the only GG left now. It will always be one of my all time favorite shows.
posted by Rebeccagrace on 7-1-2010 at 3:10 am
I have to say, this show has touched me on so many levels. Obviously, its an awesome show when it connects to people who aren’t even the target audience (teenagers, and young adults). But what makes this show even more awesome is that it connects with other cultures!! I am N African-American woman who is about to turn 30, and I don’t know what I would do at night if I didn’t at least watch one episode before I went to bed. A lot of comments were made already about some of my fave scenes and lines. But I didn’t see one in regards to when the girls went back to blanches home in the south because her “grammys” house was being torn down. I loved the line when she was standing on the balcony in her old room and was sayin the little boys use to crowd around below and sang “I see London, I see France, I see Blanches underpants”. That tickled me to my core!! I will forever miss all the wonderful actresses, its up to Betty White to continue their legacy….and she’s doing a wonderful job thus far!!!!!
posted by Ullanda on 10-7-2010 at 10:23 am
this post was created in 2008- two years later people are still commenting. Like most of you, I cant go to bed without watching at least one episode. Thank God for Hallmark and WE. Lifetime, you should have kept the girls. :-)
posted by Cali on 10-20-2010 at 12:43 am
Estell getty died,july 22, 2008.died at 84
Rue mclanhan died,june 3, 2010 died at 76
Bea arthur died,april 25,2009 died at 86
Betty white,89.still living.
posted by darius on 1-21-2011 at 2:31 am
Gosh, a LOT of Folks love this show! And, me too. Another (what 10 year old, maybe) future homo watching the Golden Girls. I always preferred GG to the Designing Women. They were always a little heavy handed with the message. But GG? Brilliant! Plus, they had a flashback episode (the first of, like, 600) in the FIRST Season. Who does that? I was surprised to read of Estelle Getty’s lack of skill on set. I always thought she had great timing! I live all the Golden Girls equally, and even Stan. I think the BEST episodes are anytime Rose and Sophia end up in cahoots, or the Vacation on the Island from He’ll. But they always produce out loud laughter. I think part of the reason the show is so great is that it offers different styles of writing, all good or great, throughout each season. Also, with the lead roles split fairly evenly by four, depending on your mood that day, you can associate with the different characters more or less; creating a new connection, thus experience. Whoo. I’m really overthinking these ladies, huh?
BLANCHE: I just don’t want you to think I’m some kind of…back stabbing slut.
ROSE: Of course not!
(BANCHE exits. ROSE leans over to DOROTHY)
ROSE: Can you BELIEVE that back stabbing slut?
posted by Shady Pines Resident on 2-1-2011 at 6:09 pm
Dorothy you should do make out real well with those meathooks! (Grab that Dough)
Blanche thinks she is Peter Pan and Rose is turning into Mommie Dearest!
posted by Brandi on 3-20-2011 at 5:04 am
My parents didn’t let my brother and me watch the show, but our babysitters did! I remember the nudist colony episode, too- hilarious!
posted by Megan on 5-9-2011 at 10:52 am
My wife, who is 30, could watch it if there were a Golden Girls Network – nonstop. So I’ve resorted to buying her the DVDs. Our favorite exchange, that always gets my wife laughing, is where Dorothy says she doesn’t know the meaning of quit, to which Rose says aloud “and she calls herself a teacher”!
Of course “Hurricane a-comin” is now our favorite phrase for any bad weather moving in.
posted by Kent on 5-9-2011 at 11:23 am
I’ve gotten so many laughs out of this show over the years. I think everyone who loves this show kinda sees themselves as a specific character (I’m a dorothy) or is reminded of family members. I have a cousin who uses the shady pines threat. If my husband wants to make me laugh, he breaks out “picture it, sicily 1926″. And who doesn’t remember the theme song?
posted by jamie on 5-9-2011 at 5:14 pm
I made a reference at work about a guy I don’t like but I can’t really place why…he just seems like a shady character. I HAD to use Sophia’s “I can’t put my finger on it, but if I did, I would have to wash it!”
I was devastated to learn that the two girls I was talking to had no idea what show I was talking about. I had to educate…and I’m only 35.
posted by Cheryl on 5-9-2011 at 8:14 pm
Forget the disappearing gay cook, how about the missing 4th chair in the kitchen…
Early episodes had a 4th chair at the kitchen table, but of course nobody ever sat at it with their back to the camera. Whoever was last to the table always brought over a stool from the counter. Eventually, the chair disappeared completely.
posted by Wayne on 5-10-2011 at 2:57 pm
I started watching Golden Girls with my mom when I was about 12. Even at that age, I could appreciate most of the jokes. I have since bought her every season on DVD and even though I am near 30 and always busy, I always make time to watch Golden Girls with her. And yes, we usually eat cheesecake while we laugh our butts off at the same jokes over and over.
My all time favorite episode is the one where Blanche tries to write a romance novel, stays up all night writing nonsense and then is completely loony in the morning. “They’re like little balls of sunshine in a bag!”
posted by Alyson on 5-21-2011 at 12:31 pm
want to see your favorite Golden Girls characters made into Barbie dolls?
http://www.gay.net/boys-love-barbie-too/2011/08/vote-who-should-be-next-barbies-tv
posted by Adam Higgins on 8-9-2011 at 1:57 pm
Rose- “I don’t know why I raised my hand.”
posted by birdhead on 9-14-2011 at 2:38 am
Here it is Sept. 2011 and the Golden Girls posting still go here. That’s a testiment to these wonderful timeless actresses and to th whitty writing and fine direction…and… in fact, everyone involved with that show did a bang up job.
My favorite thing…all those beautiful colorful stylish outfits those women wore. Figure 15 years …hundreds of lovely outfits with an equal number of accessories… I want to go through those women’s closets!!! They must be huge!
posted by dustie meads on 9-19-2011 at 1:37 am
Oops, sorry, make that 7 yrs, not 15…was thinking something else. Still, figure all the clothing changes in single eisodes and never the same outfit twice… I want those cloths!
posted by dustie meads on 9-19-2011 at 1:46 am
OMG my grandmother got me into the golden girls and i cant stop watching them lol. every night at 12 on halmark. ive seen every episode and im still laughing lol.
posted by bridget on 10-18-2011 at 3:42 pm