I had a totally different post planned for today, but then I learned that Bea Arthur passed away and I just had to acknowledge the joy she has brought me.
Many people love Bea for her role on The Golden Girls, but for me it’s all about Maude. I loved watching Maude as a child and I didn’t even understand why.
I grew up bombarded by stereotypes and feeling trapped because I was born female. I never wanted to learn to cook or type because I was afraid that was all I would ever end up doing. My Nana and Mother would tell over and over what “girls” should be like and it would make my skin crawl. I was outspoken, loud, intelligent and I was made to feel like I should be less of those things. The future that I was supposed to want just seemed like some sort of a prison. I would watch telenovelas with my Nana and just hate them and their hysterical women all defined by their relationships to others. The women were always someone’s mother or girlfriend or jilted lover.
And then there’s Maude! She was loud, brassy, confident and I loved her!!! My God, a show that had a strong female lead. The show was named for her character. She wasn’t anybody’s anything, she was Maude and she made her own decisions. But it wasn’t just Maude, it was Bea too. My God, she was a tall woman with a deep voice who was not what people would call pretty and she got her own show at 50 years old!
Thank you, Bea. Thank you for all the laughs and inspiration.Thank you for letting a little girl know that some women make their own rules. R.I.P.
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