Honoring Betty
A fan’s tribute to the legendary actress, comedienne, activist, and queer icon Betty White
My first exposure to Betty White’s impeccable body of work was her iconic show, “Golden Girls”, where she played ditzy and loveable Rose. When I was probably 3–5 years old, my family had cable for a short time. During that short few years, “The Golden Girls” was in reruns, and 4-year old me was smitten. I didn’t know what the show was called, so (in typical little kid fashion), I simply called it ”Pussycat”. If you watch the show, you’ll know that “Pussycat” was Sophia’s (Estelle Getty) nickname for her daughter, Dorothy (Bea Arthur). From then on, I loved both the show itself and all other subsequent projects Betty was involved in.
Like the rest of us, I watched her go from her iconic “Golden Girls” role to various beloved movies, TV specials, and one-off superbly delightful guest-starring roles or cameos. Like the rest of us, I was delighted and charmed by all of it. Her quick wit, spot-on comedic timing, and penchant for character acting became hallmarks of her work for me. It was even sweeter to find out that this hilarious and multi-talented woman was just as generous and humble as she was gifted.
While the world will rightfully remember Betty for her iconic roles in “Golden Girls”, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”, and her many films, I’d like to draw attention to something…
