The Golden Girls was on air between 1985 and 1992. I remember absolutely loving it as a child. I remember being in awe of the naughty things Blanche said (most of which went over my head, but I could tell they were naughty). When I saw The Golden Girls on Disney+ in South Africa, I knew it was time for a revisit. Does it hold up?
It absolutely does – with some provisos.
The biting wit of Dorothy, the cluelessness of Rose, the raunchiness of Blanche, and the sass of Sophia are even more wonderful to me today. So much so that during my maternity leave, I watched four full seasons (there are seven in total). And these are proper seasons with 20-odd episodes each.
I was nervous about how a topic like homosexuality would be handled. Homosexuality in the show is initially kind of shocking to the characters, but ultimately the queer characters are accepted by the foursome. It’s a bit awkward to watch that shock moment of the characters finding out someone was queer, but this is television from 40 years ago during the AIDS crisis, and coming out to someone was a different proposition entirely. Which I admit, makes me wonder…was The Golden Girls ahead of its time in this regard? They certainly advocated for empathy in episodes that highlight the reality of how people end up living in shelters for unhoused folk or the need for more affordable care for the elderly.
One of my favourite episodes that focused on topical issues is when Rose received a letter from the hospital about a possible HIV exposure that took place when she had a blood transfusion during a gallbladder surgery. The episode follows her as she goes through the stressful testing process. Blanche shares that she, too, has been tested. There is a particularly beautiful moment when Blanche says that “AIDS is not a bad person’s disease. It’s not God punishing people for their sins.” I’m in awe of how in this episode the writers manage to simultaneously expose the stigma around AIDS as baseless in science while weaving in humour.
These earnest social commentaries aside, this show is a sex-positive comedy about friendships between older women. Would that even be made today? It’s a poignant, humorous look at what it is to be middle-aged and getting older without a partner around. (I realise for Blanche, there is always a body around. Imagine that line uttered in her particular Southern drawl accompanied by a lusty shimmy.)
For me, this show is comforting and hilarious and thoughtful. And as an old contemporary, it’s a fun little time capsule. If your nerves are a little frayed, if you’re feeling uneasy, put this show on and let it soothe you with its warmth, wit, and very loud laugh track.