Rue McClanahan died today at the age of 76. She had suffered a stroke 2 days earlier and wasn’t able to hold on. I have to admit, I’m doing way too many of these lately. This death in particular does make me a bit sad. We all know Rue from her role as Blanche on The Golden Girls. She played a sassy older woman who didn’t let her age stop her from living life. She won an Emmy for her role and rightly so. I used to watch The Golden Girls as a kid. They would show reruns everyday on cable. I didn’t realize it then, but the show was a bit of a revolution. Women have such a hard time making it in comedy. And older women at that time barely had a chance. It was pretty much Joan Rivers and that was it. But here comes a show with 4 older women all with amazing chemistry, perfect comic timing, and joke delivery on par with anyone. The show was smartly written, had a huge heart, and wasn’t afraid of its subject matter. I hope that through the DVDs and reruns, future generations to come will be introduced to Rue, a beautiful, funny, talented woman. Rest in peace Ms. Devereaux. I officially honor thee by making you an eternal Jedi ghost. Yoda, you better watch out, she’s a little kinky.
Don’t forget Bea Arthur…
