How The Golden Girls nurtured its considerable gay following

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http://www.avclub.com/article/read-h...able-ga-233407

When The Golden Girls premiered on NBC in September 1985, it was hardly a sure thing. The show’s producers, Susan Harris, Tony Thomas, and Paul Junger Witt, had a track record of sitcom success, and at least three of the lead actresses were well known to the public by then, but the show’s focus on 60-plus women made it an anomaly in the television landscape. Even the actresses themselves were unsure of the show’s chances, especially when they saw how young the writers were. But the series was an immediate, warmly received hit, and stayed that way for seven seasons. Over at Frontiers Media, writer Drew Mackie has assembled a nice tribute to the show called “Thank You For Being A Friend: An Oral History Of The Golden Girls.” The interviewees here are writers and producers who worked on the show and remember it fondly. While they talk about the show’s stars, including a nice little anecdote about Bea Arthur laughing at the dirty parts of The Opposite Of Sex with her pal Angela Lansbury, the real focus of the article is how and why The Golden Girls became such a hit in the gay community.

Writer Jeff Duteil, who penned a script in which Arthur’s character befriends a lesbian, remembers that The Golden Girls “had a huge gay following—and right away, too.” Some gay bars, according to the article, were hosting viewing parties for the series as early as the first season. “The gay community really felt these characters were an extension of their own communities,” Duteil says. “They were accepting and funny and bitchy. The best *** hags a guy could have. They were accepting.” Especially by the standards of the era, The Golden Girls was extremely gay-friendly in its storylines as well. In one episode, for instance, elderly Sofia (Estelle Getty) defends gay marriage. Crucially, this was the episode submitted for Emmy consideration. But the great thing about The Golden Girls, the insiders agree, is that it appealed to a broad spectrum of viewers. As writer Stan Zimmerman puts it:

[kevko76]

they way the Golden Girls' writers and actors handled sensitive material like homosexuality(along with so many other socially taboo topics) was and is an amazing feat. To tackle these serious topics with both high comedy and sensitivity is spectacular... And they still feel relevant so many years later.
Watching so many new modern comedies, I cant help but cringe, and compare everything back to the Golden Girls.
A fearless show that shined in an era that could've shut it down. Love it.
Thanks for the article!

[OH Nuts!]

Originally Posted by kevko76

they way the Golden Girls' writers and actors handled sensitive material like homosexuality(along with so many other socially taboo topics) was and is an amazing feat. To tackle these serious topics with both high comedy and sensitivity is spectacular... And they still feel relevant so many years later.
Watching so many new modern comedies, I cant help but cringe, and compare everything back to the Golden Girls.
A fearless show that shined in an era that could've shut it down. Love it.
Thanks for the article!

Yes, this too, but on a larger scale, the show just appealed to EVERYONE. Four senior women just letting it all hang out and BE JUST WHO YOU ARE, and enjoying and living a full life AT ANY AGE are why many diverse demographic groups embraced the show. Definitely, IMO, one of the best top ten shows EVER.