April 26, 2009
Goodbye, Bea Arthur
Not Just a "Golden Girl"
It's a sad day today, since beloved actress and bona fide funny lady Bea Arthur has died. But if anyone had an inspriational life, combining wit, spirit, and ferocity, it had to be Bea.
Arthur, already an accomplished broadway performer, started her television career after she turned 50. But she was always on the cutting edge; for those of you too young remember, Arthur played Edith Bunker's liberal cousin Maude on "All in the Family." Arthur was very proud that her own spinoff "Maude" continued the tradition of discussing controversial topics of the day -- and this included Maude's decision to have an abortion, a plotline you certainly won't see on television today.
"Condoms, Rose, condoms, condoms, CONDOMS!"
In the 80's, Arthur played the irascible Dorothy on "The Golden Girls," the show which surprised everyone by showing senior women who had lives, loves, and even (gasp!) sex. Perhaps it was for this reason that the show found success with a younger-than-expected demographic, and continues to inspire nostalgia in a wide variety of Gen-Xers.
Arthur never slowed down, continuing to make cameos on television shows like "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Malcolm in the Middle," and eventually touring with her one-woman show when she was pushing eighty--we should all be so lucky! Most importantly, she made her mark on the digital era, so her work will not be lost on future generations. Check out her performance as Femputer on "Futurama":
Though this is an obituary, I always assume that a comedian would want to go out with a smile, and be remembered for the joy (s)he brought to others. It seems fitting, then, to end with a clip that combines Bea Arthur's feminist humor with the dry irony that kept her from taking herself too seriously. That's a gift we should hope to emulate.
