A golden old show that warms hearts
A fan looks back fondly on a beloved show
Set in Miami, Florida, The Golden Girls is a sitcom that aired from 1985 to 1992. It acquired 68 Emmy nominations, winning 11 throughout its run. Created by Susan Harris, the show focused on a demographic that is not often shown on TV, that of older women.
Aging is often scrubbed out of TV. It is the elephant in the room that must be ignored, often treated like a curse. In an era where older women are erased from TV, The Golden Girls is a refreshing sitcom about older women who live together.
The iconic characters of this show are Dorothy Zbornak, Rose Nylund, Blanche Devereaux, and Sophia Petrillo.
Played by Bea Arthur, Dorothy is a sarcastic modern thinker who works as a substitute teacher. Then we have the sweet Rose, played by the beloved Betty White, may she rest in eternal peace.
But the show would not be complete without the iconic, vibrant and vivacious Blanche, brought to life by the breathtaking Rue Mclanahan. Lastly, we have the glue of the show, a loving mother to Dorothy and friend to our leading ladies, Sophia, played by the fabulous Estelle Getty.
The Golden Girls rose to popularity because, despite its premise, it gained a fan base of people across all backgrounds and ages. The first time I watched the show, I was still a newcomer in Canada.
It was a show that aired every single day, and I would find myself intrigued by it. I was twelve years old; I didn’t really understand a lot of the jokes at the time, but the show brought me a lot of comfort growing up and navigating the complexities of being a young girl.
The Golden Girls is a stunning show because it does a fantastic job at tackling many different topics that were taboo at the time (and are still somewhat of a taboo to this day). These included mental health struggles, suicide, depression, racism, the HIV-Aids crisis, hoouselessness, menopause, sexuality, divorce, infidelity, addiction, and plastic surgery, among others.
The Golden Girls and its leading ladies were understanding and willing to unlearn biases they personally held, but most importantly, they were unapologetic about who they are.
The Golden Girls teaches us that life does not end just because you reach a certain age. Aging is a blessing. It is a gift to be grateful for. Life does not stop. Life goes on, and as such, you must go on with it.
There is no point in trying to hold on to our youth. These are merely fleeting moments. Letting go of them does not mean we forget them, but rather that we learn to acclimate to the stage of life we are currently in.
Additionally, The Golden Girls reminds us that although we cannot choose the family we are born into, we can create our own family of people who love us, care about us, and are always there for us. We have our entire lives to forge unbreakable bonds.
Susan Harris explains in an interview from 2010, “I think everybody – including younger people – when they reach an age when they feel alienated, the thought of being alone and spending your life alone is terrifying. These women were at an age where they were alone and were likely to stay alone until they found each other.
“Then they constructed a family that really, really worked. They encouraged each other and had a life together. It showed that you didn’t need the customary, traditional relationship to be happy. It paints a picture of all the possibilities for family. I also think young people like Sophia because she says whatever pops into her head!”
When I was younger, I found myself feeling afraid of growing up and getting older. However, the older I get, the more I realize how fabulous it is to get older. You become more confident, more comfortable with yourself. I like to say that it allows you to settle into yourself. The Golden Girls highlights this beautifully.
The show is also beloved due to its theme song “Thank You for Being a Friend.” The song was originally a single by Andrew Gold, however it was covered by Cynthia Fee for the purpose of the show.
The show additionally paved the way for other writers involved in the process such as Marc Cherry, the creator of the hit TV show Desperate Housewives. I think the concept of The Golden Girls is what ultimately changed television. Other shows that we have come to adore such as Sex and the City, Desperate Housewives, Hot in Cleveland, to name a few, would not have existed today without influence from The Golden Girls.
Ultimately, the reason why I always go back to The Golden Girls is because it deals with the subject of grief throughout the show. All of our girls on the cast have experienced grief. Sophia has lost her husband and her son. Dorothy has lost her brother. Blanche has lost both of her parents, and Rose has lost her husband.
The ladies help each other through their grief. When you reach a certain age, you might find that you have lost some of your loved ones. Grief has no timeline and it does not discriminate. Grief is something we all have in common. It is the essence of life, and the essence of humanity. We have all experienced grief in our own ways.
When life beats you down in such a gruesome manner, it is difficult to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. It is difficult to believe that you will be able to smile, laugh, or be happy again. The Golden Girls remembers that life does not stop with grief, rather, you learn to live with the grief. You make room for grief in the depths of your heart, and you make room for your remaining loved ones to carry you through it.
