Jason Howard Green

Jason Howard Green

Sunday, April 26, 2009

A Pal and a Confidant - Bea Arthur Dies

Yesterday we lost an icon for the LGBT community. Bea Arthur is probably best known as Dorothy from the Golden Girls but her career goes back way before that show ever premiered. For black folks Good Times is one of those staple shows that many of us connect with and rever. But were you aware that Good Times was a spin off of Bea Arthur's phenomenally successful sitcom Maude. That's right, if there were no Maude there may not have been a Good Times.

The role that probably put her in the spotlight for gay men was her potrayal as Vera Charles in Mame. She was catty and witty and we loved it. In her role as Dorothy she was part of a stellar cast that had a special chemistry on camera that we repeatedly tuned in to see. Golden Girls was such a success that it's general format (four single women with very different personalities) would be benchmarked in many sitcoms that followed like Designing Women, Girlfriends and Sex & The City.

Though I'm sad to hear the news that she died peacefully in her sleep yesterday, I'm happy as I recall that she has brought me so many smiles and laughs in my life. Bea Arthur, you will be missed. Below is one of those funny moments that Bea will be remembered for.

2 comments:

Noble P said...

Bea will truly be missed. It is so unfortunate! Ive been watching golden girls all day and a little bit of Maude

Anonymous said...

Golden Girls is one of those shows I can watch over and over and over.