Betty White reveals why Bea Arthur hated her - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Mr. Television · 05-05-2011, 07:00 PM

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailym...e_white_vs.php

Betty White Reveals Why Bea Arthur Hated Her!
By Michael Musto, Thu., May 5 2011

We know full well how Bea Arthur felt about her Golden Girls costar Betty White, partly thanks to all those years when Rue McClanahan ran around saying that Bea called Betty a c-word.

In Rue's book, there was also the darling little anecdote about how Bea was pissed when Betty was the first of that cast's ensemble to get nominated for the Best Actress Emmy.

But I guess Betty's been too busy working--and living and triumphing--to give her side of the story.

Until now.

At last night's TimesTalk, the 89-year-old supernova--promoting her new book, If You Ask Me--took a breath and said:

"Bea had a reserve.

"She was not that fond of me.

"She found me a pain in the neck sometimes.

"It was my positive attitude--and that made Bea mad sometimes.

"Sometimes if I was happy, she'd be furious!"

Well, nowadays, Betty is so bursting-at-the-seams with success and happiness it would have driven poor Bea batty.

Oh, well, Bea's at peace now--and so are Rue and Estelle Getty.

But hey, what about Estelle?

Well, said Betty, her big quirk was that she hated doing any scripts involving death.

"Death frightened her very much," confided Betty.

"It was almost a phobia!"

I bet Bea frightened her too!

(Kidding. I worshiped all four of these ladies, phobias and all. Damn, they were good.)

Guy Incognito · 05-05-2011, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailym...e_white_vs.php

Betty White Reveals Why Bea Arthur Hated Her!
By Michael Musto, Thu., May 5 2011

We know full well how Bea Arthur felt about her Golden Girls costar Betty White, partly thanks to all those years when Rue McClanahan ran around saying that Bea called Betty a c-word.

In Rue's book, there was also the darling little anecdote about how Bea was pissed when Betty was the first of that cast's ensemble to get nominated for the Best Actress Emmy.

But I guess Betty's been too busy working--and living and triumphing--to give her side of the story.

Until now.

At last night's TimesTalk, the 89-year-old supernova--promoting her new book, If You Ask Me--took a breath and said:

"Bea had a reserve.

"She was not that fond of me.

"She found me a pain in the neck sometimes.

"It was my positive attitude--and that made Bea mad sometimes.

"Sometimes if I was happy, she'd be furious!"

Well, nowadays, Betty is so bursting-at-the-seams with success and happiness it would have driven poor Bea batty.

Oh, well, Bea's at peace now--and so are Rue and Estelle Getty.

But hey, what about Estelle?

Well, said Betty, her big quirk was that she hated doing any scripts involving death.

"Death frightened her very much," confided Betty.

"It was almost a phobia!"

I bet Bea frightened her too!

(Kidding. I worshiped all four of these ladies, phobias and all. Damn, they were good.)

Wow. I had absolutely no idea about ANY of this. I'm learning new things every day on these forums...

HuntingtonM15 · 05-05-2011, 07:24 PM

Very interesting. This is the first direct confirmation I've ever seen about this. Though, I never really doubted it. There always seemed to be a type of strange tension between the two of them.

McGillicuddy · 05-07-2011, 05:53 PM

I've only heard of 3 people that ever disliked Betty. Bea Arthur, Lindsay Lohan and Phyllis Lindstrom (

)! Seriously though, thats pretty sad Bea felt that way. And Betty White, was very professional, as always, finally explaining the situation. Betty always takes the "higher road"!

onthesetflickr · 05-08-2011, 05:44 PM

I guess this is what happens when you have two very successful actresses on the same stage both trying to steal the show. They sound like they were not very far from the charachters they played in terms of personality. One light and cheerful, the other one the total opposite.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24682838@N05/3391967073/

JR1 · 05-15-2011, 04:49 PM

references in some episodes, with Dorothy commenting how she was sick of Rose's cheery disposition (when they had the flu), when she was telling Miles that Rose was so cheery that you wanted to take a grapefruit and squash it in her face (or something like that), etc. etc.

ShamelessFanGirl · 11-22-2011, 01:57 AM

This surprises me as well. Whenever they were shown together in the public eye they always seem like they got along so well.

lucyandethel · 12-04-2011, 10:05 PM

It isn't surprising to me, as I have heard from reliable sources that Bea Arthur could be a royal pain in the you-know-what. She was very abrasive and direct. One story I heard was that early on, Bea was less than kind to Estelle Getty. Bea felt that she was a "novice" when it came to acting, and she sort of made Getty feel she was less than important than she, Betty and Rue. Eventually, she came to be very fond of Estelle, and Estelle of her, but at first, she scared the hell out of Estelle Getty. There are also stories that Bea could be almost nasty to special guest stars as well. She went off on one actor during rehearsals because she saw him chewing gum.

But on the other hand, Bea could be very kind. She just had a few aspects of her personality that didn't necessarily make her "warm" and "friendly", but underneath it all, she could be very sweet, charming and her work for animal rights makes her an "A-OK" human being in my book.

Besides, don't we ALL have our bad days????

USATVFAN · 12-04-2011, 10:48 PM

We all have our Bad and Good days. Betty was or its just is a very cheerful and Happy person which there is nothing wrong with but if Bea did hate Betty that could be part of it. Peoples who are extremely cheerful all the times annoys some peoples which is unfortunate, And I could see where that could get on someone nerves like Beatrice from time to time.

ThomasE · 01-13-2012, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucyandethel

Besides, don't we ALL have our bad days????

True but how many bad days did she have? I love her, her work and all but DANG!

It sounded like she could be downright evil.

USATVFAN · 01-13-2012, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThomasE

True but how many bad days did she have? I love her, her work and all but DANG!

It sounded like she could be downright evil.

The Sad thing is that we never got Bea Side of the story.Which is okay I guess, Although she was a very private person. I don' know she would still say anything anyway . I guess, But the heck she was still a Great actress! And right Who knows what really went on as according to Rue they(Beat and betty) got along fine,

bandonurse · 08-17-2016, 08:52 PM

"Who knows what really went on as according to Rue they(Beat and betty) got along fine"

Well, that's not exactly accurate. Rue does describe Bea calling Betty a horrible name and being pissy about Betty, in Rue's book "My First Five Husbands". She tries to be tactful about it, but makes it clear that the animosity came from Bea's direction, not Betty's. Bea was also not always nice to Rue herself, but Rue went out of her way to tell a story where Bea showed her much kindness right after Rue lost her father. (what half-way decent person wouldn't, however)

tlc38tlc38 · 09-21-2016, 12:22 PM

Some people hate me because of my upbeat, positive, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" attitude but I don't really care. I'm not changing myself to suit others.

Bonniegirl · 09-21-2016, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlc38tlc38

Some people hate me because of my upbeat, positive, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" attitude but I don't really care. I'm not changing myself to suit others.

I get that too sometimes

If I'm real happy and too cheery, negative people try to bring me down and act annoyed with me!

bandonurse · 09-21-2016, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bonniegirl

I get that too sometimes

If I'm real happy and too cheery, negative people try to bring me down and act annoyed with me!

I believe you, but how odd. Personally, I find depressed, unhappy people much harder to be around than happy, cheerful ones. Who wants to be around a perpetual "downer"?

05-05-2011, 07:00 PM	#1
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,128	Betty White reveals why Bea Arthur hated her http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailym...e_white_vs.php Betty White Reveals Why Bea Arthur Hated Her! By Michael Musto, Thu., May 5 2011 We know full well how Bea Arthur felt about her Golden Girls costar Betty White, partly thanks to all those years when Rue McClanahan ran around saying that Bea called Betty a c-word. In Rue's book, there was also the darling little anecdote about how Bea was pissed when Betty was the first of that cast's ensemble to get nominated for the Best Actress Emmy. But I guess Betty's been too busy working--and living and triumphing--to give her side of the story. Until now. At last night's TimesTalk, the 89-year-old supernova--promoting her new book, If You Ask Me--took a breath and said: "Bea had a reserve. "She was not that fond of me. "She found me a pain in the neck sometimes. "It was my positive attitude--and that made Bea mad sometimes. "Sometimes if I was happy, she'd be furious!" Well, nowadays, Betty is so bursting-at-the-seams with success and happiness it would have driven poor Bea batty. Oh, well, Bea's at peace now--and so are Rue and Estelle Getty. But hey, what about Estelle? Well, said Betty, her big quirk was that she hated doing any scripts involving death. "Death frightened her very much," confided Betty. "It was almost a phobia!" I bet Bea frightened her too! (Kidding. I worshiped all four of these ladies, phobias and all. Damn, they were good.)
	__________________ Sonny

05-07-2011, 05:53 PM	#4
McGillicuddy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 28, 2002 Posts: 5,179	I've only heard of 3 people that ever disliked Betty. Bea Arthur, Lindsay Lohan and Phyllis Lindstrom ()! Seriously though, thats pretty sad Bea felt that way. And Betty White, was very professional, as always, finally explaining the situation. Betty always takes the "higher road"!

05-15-2011, 04:49 PM	#6
JR1 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 07, 2009 Location: USA Posts: 742	There Were... references in some episodes, with Dorothy commenting how she was sick of Rose's cheery disposition (when they had the flu), when she was telling Miles that Rose was so cheery that you wanted to take a grapefruit and squash it in her face (or something like that), etc. etc.

12-04-2011, 10:48 PM	#9
USATVFAN Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 31, 2007 Location: Kalispell, USA Posts: 1,742	We all have our Bad and Good days. Betty was or its just is a very cheerful and Happy person which there is nothing wrong with but if Bea did hate Betty that could be part of it. Peoples who are extremely cheerful all the times annoys some peoples which is unfortunate, And I could see where that could get on someone nerves like Beatrice from time to time.
	__________________ Love watching 1960's-1990's TV Classics! 1970-2004: The best Years of Televsion

09-21-2016, 12:22 PM	#13
tlc38tlc38 Every day’s a Dolly day! Forum Star Join Date: May 02, 2008 Location: I’m just travelin’ thru Posts: 19,257	Some people hate me because of my upbeat, positive, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" attitude but I don't really care. I'm not changing myself to suit others.
	__________________ Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. Deuteronomy 15:10 In loving memory of my best friend, my Mama.

05-05-2011, 07:24 PM	#3
HuntingtonM15 That Bothers Me Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jun 20, 2003 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 11,060	Very interesting. This is the first direct confirmation I've ever seen about this. Though, I never really doubted it. There always seemed to be a type of strange tension between the two of them.

05-08-2011, 05:44 PM	#5
onthesetflickr Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 21, 2009 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 55	I guess this is what happens when you have two very successful actresses on the same stage both trying to steal the show. They sound like they were not very far from the charachters they played in terms of personality. One light and cheerful, the other one the total opposite. http://www.flickr.com/photos/24682838@N05/3391967073/

11-22-2011, 01:57 AM	#7
ShamelessFanGirl Great Power and Resposbility Forum Regular Join Date: Jul 16, 2011 Location: Kentucky, USA Posts: 581	This surprises me as well. Whenever they were shown together in the public eye they always seem like they got along so well.

12-04-2011, 10:05 PM	#8
lucyandethel Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 18, 2009 Location: Los Angeles CA Posts: 435	It isn't surprising to me, as I have heard from reliable sources that Bea Arthur could be a royal pain in the you-know-what. She was very abrasive and direct. One story I heard was that early on, Bea was less than kind to Estelle Getty. Bea felt that she was a "novice" when it came to acting, and she sort of made Getty feel she was less than important than she, Betty and Rue. Eventually, she came to be very fond of Estelle, and Estelle of her, but at first, she scared the hell out of Estelle Getty. There are also stories that Bea could be almost nasty to special guest stars as well. She went off on one actor during rehearsals because she saw him chewing gum. But on the other hand, Bea could be very kind. She just had a few aspects of her personality that didn't necessarily make her "warm" and "friendly", but underneath it all, she could be very sweet, charming and her work for animal rights makes her an "A-OK" human being in my book. Besides, don't we ALL have our bad days????

08-17-2016, 08:52 PM	#12
bandonurse Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 17, 2015 Location: Mentor, Ohio Posts: 1,082	"Who knows what really went on as according to Rue they(Beat and betty) got along fine" Well, that's not exactly accurate. Rue does describe Bea calling Betty a horrible name and being pissy about Betty, in Rue's book "My First Five Husbands". She tries to be tactful about it, but makes it clear that the animosity came from Bea's direction, not Betty's. Bea was also not always nice to Rue herself, but Rue went out of her way to tell a story where Bea showed her much kindness right after Rue lost her father. (what half-way decent person wouldn't, however)