Thank You for Being a Friend: Celebrating 40 Years of The Golden Girls

Picture it: NBC, September 14th, 1985. A sitcom called The Golden Girls made its television debut on the American network. Little did the viewers who tuned in know that they were about to embark on a glorious, seven-year journey filled with laughter, tears, and plenty of cheesecake.

The Golden Girls: A New Contender in the TV Landscape

Created by Susan Harris, The Golden Girls was daring for its time. For one thing, it revolved around four older women (gasp!) who lived together in Miami, Florida:

• Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), a snarky substitute teacher from New York; 
• Rose Nylund (Betty White), a warm-hearted yet naïve native of St. Olaf, Minnesota; 
• Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), a Southern belle with a keen eye for men; and 
• Sofia Petrillo (Estelle Getty), Dorothy’s elderly Sicilian mother whose sharp tongue rivalled that of the late Joan Rivers.

For another thing, the show didn’t shy from serious topics that people considered taboo at the time of its airing. Indeed, over the course of seven seasons, it shed light on any number of sensitive yet important themes, ranging from sexuality and female health to ageism and addiction.

With all this in mind, it’s no wonder The Golden Girls garnered critical acclaim from the get-go. It captured the hearts of millions around the world and still does so 40 years later.

A Treasure Trove of Hilarious Gems

Many of the sitcom stalwarts of the time, including Family Ties and Growing Pains, relied on the tried-and-true “nuclear family” trope. This meant that the focus would fall on a married couple and their kids and the hilarious ways in which they all dealt with the trials and tribulations that life threw at them.

In contrast, The Golden Girls presented a unique situation. Thanks to Harris and the show’s writers’ room, it pulled the curtain back on a demographic long overlooked by the media: women over the age of 50 — and nearly 80, in Sophia’s case.

Three of them are widowed and the other divorced, but they all come from vastly different backgrounds to create a found family of sorts. They find solace in their sisterhood, uplifting one another and offering support in nearly every aspect of their lives.

Of course, with witty writing, thoughtful directing, and the cast’s impeccable comedic timing, the successful balance of emotional depth and top-notch humor leaves a memorable impression.

Indeed, Dorothy’s acidic one-liners, Rose’s absurd St. Olaf stories, Blanche’s romantic hijinks, and Sophia’s bluntness provide much of the show’s comic relief. Iconic lines like Rose’s “The older you get, the better you get — unless you’re a banana.” have taken their rightful place in the history of comedy.

Just try to avoid cracking a smile as Blanche uses balloons to boost her bosom’s profile during an acting audition. Or stopping a chuckle every time Dorothy threatens to send Sophia back to the Shady Pines Retirement Home. But don’t ignore Sophia’s classic barb, “No matter how bad things get, remember these sage words: You’re old, you sag, get over it!”

The Show’s Groundbreaking Nature Makes It Relatable

Yet for every laugh-out-loud quote or sass-filled scene, there are also bittersweet moments in The Golden Girls that can quickly sober one up.

Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, it was difficult for most TV shows — let alone sitcoms — to delve deep into sensitive subject matter. Fortunately, The Golden Girls did so in ways that opened up a meaningful dialogue, giving viewers who experienced these issues a sense of validation.

We practically feel Rose’s loneliness when she spends her first birthday after her husband Charlie’s death by herself; we are outraged on Blanche’s behalf when no one takes her claim of being sexually harassed seriously; and we feel helpless like Dorothy after her doctor dismisses her growing health concerns.

Almost reluctantly, we begin to understand the ailments that old age brings, as Sophia witnesses firsthand when she discovers that her new friend Alvin has Alzheimer’s disease.

“People think if you live to be my age, you should be grateful just to be alive,” she tells Dorothy, blunt in a way that conveys her sorrow. “Well, that’s not how it works. You need a reason to get up in the morning. And sometimes even after you find one, life can turn right around and spit in your face.”

Ageism is also a prominent theme in the series. Notably, it occurs when Rose struggles to find a job because potential employers view her as too old; when Blanche is shamed for dating a much younger man; and when Dorothy directs ageist comments at herself as she wistfully wishes she could be 40 again.

It’s easy to relate to these issues as we grow older. Often, we heard our grandmothers and mothers — with whom we watched the shows as youngsters — sighing and nodding along in agreement with the characters’ sentiments. Now that we ourselves are nearing their age, facing our own physical and mental battles, it’s amazing how their words ring true upon rewatching.

Lessons We Can Learn From The Golden Girls

Four decades after its debut, The Golden Girls proves that it simply gets better with age. With every rewatch, another lesson appears for us to take away from Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia.

The most outstanding lesson is that aging isn’t something to be scared or ashamed of, especially as a woman. In fact, it should be celebrated. After all, life doesn’t stop after 50 — but it’s what you make of it that counts.

It certainly doesn’t stop our fabulous quartet, who live life to the fullest regardless of how society treats them. Whether it’s dressing to the nines while attending one of their many social events, going on dates, or indulging in tea and cheesecake in the wee hours of the morning, they show us that it’s possible to live, laugh, and learn, no matter our age or experience.

Another valuable takeaway from the show is the sheer power and beauty that friendship encompasses. The bonds that Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia share are strong enough that they’re able to navigate the ups and downs of life together, leaning on each other in times of dating disasters and family dramas.

It’s a reminder that friendship is a safe haven, where we can be ourselves in the company of those who understand and care about us, flaws and all.

Lastly, and the most important lesson of all: Cheesecake is the solution to every problem. Whether it’s relationship issues, work frustration, or just a case of hunger pangs, cheesecake will save the day!

Setting a Gold Standard

Despite ending in 1992, The Golden Girls has gone down in history as one of the world’s best sitcoms, if not one of the best TV shows.

Thanks to the likes of Arthur, White, McClanahan, and Getty, female leads are now more prominent in this genre. Think of New Girl, 2 Broke Girls, or the show’s spiritual successor, Hot in Cleveland (which also starred White!).

Yet, we still find ourselves drawn back to the show that captivated the generations before us. My late Gran was a big fan of the show, always watching it after a long day of cooking, cleaning, and squabbling with her sisters. She also held equal parts sweet like Rose and equal parts sharp-tongued like Dorothy and Sophia — and her name was Blanche, to boot!

When I began watching The Golden Girls on a whim in college a few years ago, I found myself laughing at the ladies’ antics and marveling at the ease of their witty banter. I also admired them for their brass, sass, and unabashed approach towards topics like HIV/AIDS, homophobia, and racism, which are still sore subjects in my neck of the woods despite the progress we’ve made.

In The Golden Girls, I — like many folks my age who rediscovered the show’s magic or just caught a glimpse of it for the first time — found a trusted companion, one that offered wisdom, guidance, and laughter in healthy doses. Fortunately, it’s available to watch on Disney+ and Hulu. 

The show has become our beloved friend and continues to be forty years later. For that, we can only say thank you.

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