Picture it: America, 1985. NBC debuted a new form of comedy: four women who live together and comically navigate love, loss, and career changes. The catch was three of the women were 50 years old and one woman was 80 years old. For seven years, The Golden Girls graced television sets, making audience members keel over with laughter as Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Rose (Betty White), Blanche (Rue McClanahan), and Sophia (Estelle Getty) went about their lives.
The beloved and classic series is groundbreaking in a multitude of ways. First, the cast was age-appropriate, meaning the actors playing 50- or 80-year-olds were around those ages themselves, except for Getty, whose makeup was done so that she could appear to be 80. Second, death and dying were dealt with in a believable way for those whose social circle lessens due to death. Finally, love, divorce, and children that are also adults are often driving forces for each character. When one show is able to tackle topics like ageism, love, and death all while making people laugh, it proves more shows like it can be as successful. As such, here’s why we need The Golden Girls and other shows that celebrate women navigating life over 50.
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Age Appropriate Actors
NBC
Ageism is one of the most prevalent issues in Hollywood, crossing other issues like racism, anti-LGBTQIA, and sexism rather frequently, according to The Panel. The entertainment industry’s obsession with youth often prevents shows and films from casting age appropriate actresses, especially if the character in question is a woman over 40 years old. Despite claims that actors are cast based on their age, it’s actually quite the opposite when it comes to women. Yet, the most extraordinary element of The Golden Girls lies in each actress’ real ages being between 50-60 while also playing characters who were in their 50s. Until The Golden Girls, TV shows rarely featured a main female character, let alone four main characters who were in their 50s, single, and who were divorced or widowed.
Health Concerns Women Face at 50 and Beyond
According to The Huffington Post, your 50s are about menopause and healthy fatty foods, your 60s are about antioxidants and freedom, and your 70s are about keeping your mind sharp. While the myriad of issues women can face when they turn 50 are astonishing, another remarkable aspect of The Golden Girls was that Sophia had suffered a stroke, losing her ability to communicate without insulting people. Again, most TV and film would have one episode regarding the risks, concerns, etc. of health issues with anyone 50+. Yet the writers and producers of The Golden Girls casting actresses who are facing those issues in each episode made the problems they faced more real.
Women who Persevere and Embrace Big Changes
By casting age appropriate actresses, The Golden Girls is much more than a sitcom about women in their 50s navigating life, it’s a celebration of women persevering and embracing major changes. After her husband passes away, Rose Nylund decides to embrace this new chapter in life instead of staying in her home alone grieving. She becomes the first woman in her family to leave her small town in Minnesota. She left the only home she knew to live in Florida with three women she didn’t know at the ripe age of 50! Starting over or making any change is daunting enough, but Rose is a prime example of embracing change in everything from where you live to whom you love. She is happy in her career as a counselor, though she decides to pursue journaling and becomes one of the best reporters at the station. One of the reasons Rose is such a beloved character is that she overcomes a lot emotionally due to spending a majority of her life sheltered. She is quite innocent compared to her roommates, yet her innocence makes her all the more tenacious in tackling difficult situations like dating or friendships. She is often the first to reach out and mend the bridge, showing that life can be difficult, but you don’t have to give up.
Women Celebrating their Bodies Past their Youth
When a show champions any group, it’s important to show the triumphs without the tragedies they endure. For example, showcasing women in their 50s doesn’t have to focus on health but instead can focus on the celebration of your body at any age. Blanche Devereaux, the sultry homeowner, is the queen of indulgence. Always dressed to the nines, Blanche is the most fashionable of the foursome. Her accessories and make-up are as extravagant as a mint julep on a hot Southern afternoon. This chic Southern Belle not only opens her home to three other women, but she is open to loving a myriad of handsome men. In one episode, Blanche discovers she enjoys the thrill of dating multiple men at once, a storyline often reserved for men in television. As a true lady of the South, Blanche never reveals her true age, leaving her roommates to guess without any confirmation. Another way Blanche celebrates her body is by having cheesecake on hand, just in case she needs a late-night snack with the girls. Though her favorite indulgence was spending time with Dorothy, Rose, and Sophia.
How The Golden Girls Faces Death
Florida in the 1980s. Four single women living together. Three women were in their 50s and without a man. One woman, the envy of the household, was in her 80s and just as lively as the rest. Except when her age became a reality with the passing of a beloved friend. Despite Estelle Getty being in her 60s when the show premiered, her portrayal of an 80-year-old woman was possibly the most heartbreaking. While Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche were navigating love and their aging bodies, Sophia was past that point. She was the sage of the group, offering wisdom when everyone needed it, but she was also closest to death. Typically, sitcoms deal with death a few times and move on with the story. But as The Golden Girls focuses on women who are 50+, the circumstances women face are often solitary due to outdated taboos, especially in TV. The way in which death and grieving are so prominent in the show is astounding. The episodes where Sophia attends a funeral aren’t any less funny. Even though Sophia friends are dying, each woman is faced with the uncomfortable truth that after 50, your circle of friends can diminish due to old age or other health concerns. In fact, something Sophia reminds the other women of each time they attend a funeral is that she hates reading the newspaper because she sees more of her friends in the obituaries than on any other page.
Divorce, Financial Struggle, and Remarriage
While Blanche and Rose find men to be devoted to, Dorothy is often targeted by her mother’s shaming to go on dates. While each of the women have their trademarks, Dorothy’s is being smart and witty, albeit about everything except love and romance. Dorothy married Stan out of obligation and after decades of being cheated on, Stan abruptly left Dorothy. But Dorothy is a fighter. She found an ad in a grocery store for a room for rent with two other women. Dorothy struggles as much with finances as she does with love, though finances are easier to handle. Another typical element of sitcoms is that teachers are often able to afford to live in big cities without the financial burden. Yet Dorothy is a substitute teacher, paid by the day rather than by the year like a certified or licensed teacher, who is living with roommates and taking care of her mother. Several times throughout, Dorothy mentions an allowance she gives to Sophia, who often loses money to gambling. In addition to her dedication to teaching despite the financial burden, Dorothy eventually finds love again. With divorce still considered a taboo, remarriage was even more of a taboo for women rather than men in sitcoms. Often there is a couple that is on-again-off-again which could have happened with Dorothy and Stan. Except Dorothy had evolved beyond her dependence upon Stan and eventually remarried. Of the four women, she is only one to remarry and the only one to not be widowed.
