Comments on: Thank You For Being a Friend: Bea Arthur, 1922-2009

By: Nomad

Nomad — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:46:08 +0000

Bea Arthur was the alpha Golden Girl
She’ll be missed

By: Sunday Catch Up « The Gender Blender Blog

Sunday Catch Up « The Gender Blender Blog — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 21:24:50 +0000

[...] A tribute to Bea Arthur, 1922 – 2009. [...]

By: SarahMC

SarahMC — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:54:43 +0000

Can you imagine a tv show about four old women getting off the ground in 2009? I can’t. Can you imagine a female main character getting an abortion on a tv show in 2009? I can’t.
RIP Bea!

By: La Chica Lucy

La Chica Lucy — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:45:43 +0000

oops, that should read “I wouldn’t MIND setting up the retirement home.”

By: La Chica Lucy

La Chica Lucy — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:44:46 +0000

Aw, this was a great post. I actually have more male (some of them gay, most of them not) friends than female, and, honestly, I think it’s because a lot of the women I know are NOT feminists and don’t get me. I’m not saying my male friends are feminists, although some of them do identify that way, but they’ve been surprisingly more open to my notions about gender than a lot of women I know. Of course, my best friend in the world is a woman, and I consider the awesome women in my family to also be my friends. Anyway, while I hope my husband lives a long, long time, he is 14.5 years older than me and we have no plans to have children so I do kind of worry about being alone in my old age. At 38, I’m probably older than most of ya’ll Harpies but I wouldn’t setting up the retirement home for some rad feminist broads. And I agree with PilgramSoul: being near the ocean is a must.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:37:05 +0000

I think I speak for the whole gay community when I say, “We love you Bea and will miss you. God bless you.” Thank you for being a friend. RIP.

By: bellethellama

bellethellama — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 23:39:07 +0000

@Sarah–I was the same way. I grew up watching not only Golden Girls, but also Empty Nest and Nurses (they were all in the same universe, which freaked me out!) and I always had respect for Bea Arthur in speaking her mind, and not giving a shit what other people thought. I really need to rewatch the entire GG series–I think that my childish weirdness at hearing about women the same age as my grandmother (who was a widow since 1970 and never remarried and had her own crew of friends kind of like this) being, well, women turned me off the show as a teen or a young adult. But it boasts such a fabulous cast that I really, really need to revisit it.

By: sarah.of.a.lesser.god

sarah.of.a.lesser.god — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:01:10 +0000

Thank you for this post. I remember watching The Golden Girls as a child, and while most of the innuendo went right over my nine-year-old head, I just thought Dorothy Zbornak was the absolute coolest. As someone who went through most of her life without many close friendships, that show really looked like such a cool way to live life — surrounded by loved ones who didn’t have to be parents or siblings or children or spouses, but loved ones with whom you had a bond that was just as powerful as anything “familial.”

By: BeckySharper

BeckySharper — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:30:53 +0000

When I read about this my first thought was: “86? Really?” She came across as so authoritative and strong that to my mind she seemed ageless. I really don’t like the cliche “a force of nature”, but that’s absolutely what Bea Arthur was. You just have to stand up and salute when you come across a fabulous, gutsy broad like her.

Incidentally, my mom, like Sophia, will be joining us at the Old Harpy Home. Y’all will love her.

By: PhDork

PhDork — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:24:39 +0000

I love how she took what might have been–and indeed, were–disadvantages for a woman of her era, like her amazing stature, her throaty voice, and her genius for lacerating with words, and not only made a great career for herself, but presented an alternative image of women’s realities and abilities. She always seemed so unafraid of censure, and comfortable in her skin, I would have admired her as a person, if I didn’t already love her for her work.