Remembering Bea Arthur
Tyler Vogler
Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: The Edge
Comedic legend Beatrice "Bea" Arthur died after a battle with cancer at the age of 86 on Saturday, April 25. She was best known for her height, deep, husky voice and razor-sharp line delivery.
Her debut series, "Maude," came by accident when Arthur guest starred on "All in the Family" and CBS executives made the decision to give the talented actress her own series.
"Maude" featured Arthur as a liberal woman in her fourth marriage, living in affluent New York with her husband and daughter from her first marriage.
Arthur's character was liberal, advocating gender equality and civil rights, and the show's writers pushed the boundaries of topics sitcoms could (and should) cover.
In the most famous example, Maude struggles with a late-life pregnancy and must make the decision whether or not to have an abortion. The two-part episode aired just months before Roe v. Wade legalized the medical procedure nationwide, and dozens of stations refused to air the episode.
The series jumped the shark late in the sixth season, and Arthur left the show to pursue other options.
What followed was a show about four single women, all best friends, dealing with relationships, love and the drama of everyday life. The show pushed boundaries and changed the way people look at and talk about women.
Sound familiar?
No, I'm not talking about Carrie Bradshaw and the girls - I'm referring to four other groundbreaking women: Rose, Blanche, Sophia and, of course, Dorothy.
About 13 years before the premiere of "Sex and the City," NBC launched the runaway hit "The Golden Girls," staring Beatrice "Bea" Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty.
The show was controversial, not for sociopolitical topics like "Maude," but for its blatant use of innuendo and sexuality. Featuring four retirees as the main characters, the show discussed many taboo topics of the era, like interracial marriage, adultery, drug addiction, cross-dressing and gay and lesbian lifestyles.
Her debut series, "Maude," came by accident when Arthur guest starred on "All in the Family" and CBS executives made the decision to give the talented actress her own series.
"Maude" featured Arthur as a liberal woman in her fourth marriage, living in affluent New York with her husband and daughter from her first marriage.
Arthur's character was liberal, advocating gender equality and civil rights, and the show's writers pushed the boundaries of topics sitcoms could (and should) cover.
In the most famous example, Maude struggles with a late-life pregnancy and must make the decision whether or not to have an abortion. The two-part episode aired just months before Roe v. Wade legalized the medical procedure nationwide, and dozens of stations refused to air the episode.
The series jumped the shark late in the sixth season, and Arthur left the show to pursue other options.
What followed was a show about four single women, all best friends, dealing with relationships, love and the drama of everyday life. The show pushed boundaries and changed the way people look at and talk about women.
Sound familiar?
No, I'm not talking about Carrie Bradshaw and the girls - I'm referring to four other groundbreaking women: Rose, Blanche, Sophia and, of course, Dorothy.
About 13 years before the premiere of "Sex and the City," NBC launched the runaway hit "The Golden Girls," staring Beatrice "Bea" Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty.
The show was controversial, not for sociopolitical topics like "Maude," but for its blatant use of innuendo and sexuality. Featuring four retirees as the main characters, the show discussed many taboo topics of the era, like interracial marriage, adultery, drug addiction, cross-dressing and gay and lesbian lifestyles.
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