All Episodes Talk: Picture It. PTer. Today.

[greekmom]

On 1/17/2017 at 6:05 PM, ZuluQueenOfDwarves said:

Protagonist-centered morality. The girls mocking Rebecca's weight was all in good fun, but the same comments from a one-off character is cruel. The only difference, of course, is we never see Jeremy again. 

It struck me that Dorothy, who was the only one of the girls who wasn't snide about Rebecca's weight, was also the first to get genuinely pissed at how Jeremy was acting. Blanche had to talk her down from telling him off. She was more maternal than Rebecca's actual mother. 

In my top 10 of favourite GG episodes.

I look at it that: Blanche is very vain and has her own issues with weight there were teased through the series, Blanche due to her being very vain again, would care if her kids (especially her daughters) are good looking, slim, etc.  

Also, people were not as mindful of not mocking weight and would make cruel remarks back when GG ran than today.

[Maherjunkie]

I was actually thrown off an unauthorized GG fan club on FB.  I made a political joke out of a Sophia riff.  I'll try to pick up the pieces...

[Aja]

Perhaps you should find an organization a little less fanatical in its devotion. Like the PLO.

[Maherjunkie]

You're right.  And Trump would never leave that much meat on a pork chop.

[Ryan Chamberlain]

As for the ages. I just watched the unedited version of the Pilot on Hulu. Sophia states that she is 80.

 

And, hi everybody!!! :)

[CocoaGoddess]

I'm starting the series over on Hulu! I'm so interested in seeing if these episodes are unedited, I'm sooooo sick of the edited versions on TV. 

It's also weird to see the ABC logo on the sitcom when it originally aired on NBC.

The layout of this house is never more confusing than in the pilot. smh

[CocoaGoddess]

We just have to ignore the ages I think, especially in the pilot, as Dorothy just described Stan as a 65 year old man who windsurfs ...

[scarynikki12]

Happy Hulu day everyone!  I'm taking it slow, only one or two episodes a day.  I also fully expect to abandon this plan in less than a week and start sacrificing sleep to watch just one more episode.  This is the best.

[Ryan Chamberlain]

2 hours ago, CocoaGoddess said:

I'm starting the series over on Hulu! I'm so interested in seeing if these episodes are unedited, I'm sooooo sick of the edited versions on TV. 

It's also weird to see the ABC logo on the sitcom when it originally aired on NBC.

The layout of this house is never more confusing than in the pilot. smh

Yeah. I was a little thrown off by the ABC logo as well. I guess the rights to the show switched hands or something.

And, yeah. They're unedited. I've seen a few scenes I don't ever remember seeing before. Also, there was an article online that said they were gonna be the original NBC versions with no cuts. :) This is great.

Wasn't the opening originally longer though...like the "and if you threw a party" line was repeated twice and there was more clips in the opening? *Tries to remember from when I was 4 watching it on NBC*

Edited February 14, 2017 by Ryan Chamberlain

[Bastet]

On 2/13/2017 at 3:04 PM, Ryan Chamberlain said:

As for the ages. I just watched the unedited version of the Pilot on Hulu. Sophia states that she is 80.

Oh, I forgot about that one when I mentioned her "I live 80, 81 years [followed by list of things she's survived and prediction that one night she'll belch and "Stable Mabel here will blow my head off]" line several episodes later, but you're right -- that's another one establishing her as 80 years old at the time the show starts.  "How long is this story?  I'm 80, I have to plan."

Edited February 17, 2017 by Bastet

[WendyCR72]

5 hours ago, Ryan Chamberlain said:

Yeah. I was a little thrown off by the ABC logo as well. I guess the rights to the show switched hands or something.

Could be the same thing like with some of today's shows: For instance, Modern Family airs on ABC and always has, but the show is owned by Fox. Which means ABC must pay Fox a licensing fee to broadcast the show.

Perhaps this was also the case back in 1985 (although I'm just spitballing here!).

[Madding crowd]

I have been watching my GG DVD's a lot and noticed all of the women have sisters they don't get along with. I guess it's a standard sitcom thing but they could have switched it up and had one of them close to their sisters. 

[Bastet]

It's funny that the discussion of the show's references to character ages was revived last night, because one of the episodes I watched while awake in the wee hours overnight included a conversation between Sophia and Dorothy, in which it's said Dorothy was born in 1932 (which would make her 53 at the start of the show).  It was in Two Rode Together, from season four.

[BookThief]

23 hours ago, Ryan Chamberlain said:

Wasn't the opening originally longer though...like the "and if you threw a party" line was repeated twice and there was more clips in the opening? *Tries to remember from when I was 4 watching it on NBC*

I wonder if you got used to the version that aired on Lifetime back in the day? They often had a longer and shorter version of the opening song, maybe based on what they had to edit out of any given episode or something. I was young when the show first aired (though I did watch it), but I watched Lifetime reruns since maybe middle school (until they stopped airing the show--fools!) and I remember at first wondering why I always heard parts of the opening twice. So I don't think the original did that, just subsequent reruns on TV.

[Ryan Chamberlain]

40 minutes ago, BookThief said:

I wonder if you got used to the version that aired on Lifetime back in the day? They often had a longer and shorter version of the opening song, maybe based on what they had to edit out of any given episode or something. I was young when the show first aired (though I did watch it), but I watched Lifetime reruns since maybe middle school (until they stopped airing the show--fools!) and I remember at first wondering why I always heard parts of the opening twice. So I don't think the original did that, just subsequent reruns on TV.

That's it!

I'm remembering Lifetime opening. Thanks.

[legaleagle53]

14 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

I have been watching my GG DVD's a lot and noticed all of the women have sisters they don't get along with. I guess it's a standard sitcom thing but they could have switched it up and had one of them close to their sisters. 

Rose was actually pretty close to Lily.  What caused a temporary problem between them was that Lily was so used to being independent that losing her eyesight was a difficult adjustment for her, sending her from one extreme (overconfidence in her ability to do everything she was used to doing) to the other (complete dependency regarding even the simplest of tasks, coupled with a massive dose of self-pity). Rose's tough-love approach to helping her adjust was what finally helped Lily find the middle ground and become more of the self-assured, capable woman she had always been and the one sister whom Rose had always adored and admired.

Edited February 15, 2017 by legaleagle53

[BitterApple]

Golden Girls has always been one of my favorite shows, but I can't freaking stand the Hallmark and TV Land editing. They cut to commercials right in the middle of scenes and leave out the build-up to the funny zingers. The one-liners have no context, it's just horrible. 

[CityBoy1986]

On 13/02/2017 at 9:19 PM, Ryan Chamberlain said:

Yeah. I was a little thrown off by the ABC logo as well. I guess the rights to the show switched hands or something.

I may be wrong on this, but syndication rights aren't dependent on the original network.  In this particular case, Touchstone Television (owned by Disney), produced the show.  When it went into syndication, Buena Vista Television (also owned by Disney) distributed the show to stations.  In 1996, Disney bought ABC, later (in 2007) changing the name of Buena Vista Television to Disney-ABC Domestic Television.  Incidentally, ABC co-owned/s Lifetime.

It is so nice seeing the show without cuts and weird commercial break inserts.  I'm watching relatively slowly rather than binge-watching, so I'll have to wait to see if they include the entire discussion on getting rid of their microwave oven during the episode when Blanche gets a pacemaker.

Edited February 17, 2017 by CityBoy1986
Ed.: Dependant vs. dependent.

[Ryan Chamberlain]

I don't get this.

This was the OG NBC seasons 5-7 opener right? 

Opening

It's not used on Hulu's episodes. So, I still don't think these are the OG prints. 

Betty's clip is different.

I'm nitpicking here. I know. However, since I've seen so many clips and heard jokes I haven't before...They are uncut. I just don't get the thing with the opening. Kinda odd. 

Edited February 17, 2017 by Ryan Chamberlain

[ShadowSixx]

In the episode where Rose took care of the pig "Baby", it lived for 2 days after sending him to Rose's relative. I always wondered why Rose didn't at least get some money since he spent a majority of his last days with her. It wasn't like she gave the pig to her relative because she no longer wanted to take care of him. Doctor told them that it was homesick.

[imjagain]

I just noticed the golden girls are on Hulu and I quietly screamed... The girls!!! I need a life. 

[HoboClayton]

It's odd. I have the DVD's though I hardly pull them out to watch them. Even though at least daily, I watch on Hallmark, TV Land, or LOGO. 

[LucyEth]

This is silly, but I noticed today that they use that yellow baby blanket with the pom pom on top for both the Lindstrom baby they watched and Blanches granddaughter Aurora or as Blanche called her Oreo!

[dotdot]

On ‎2‎/‎14‎/‎2017 at 10:19 PM, legaleagle53 said:

Rose was actually pretty close to Lily.  What caused a temporary problem between them was that Lily was so used to being independent that losing her eyesight was a difficult adjustment for her, sending her from one extreme (overconfidence in her ability to do everything she was used to doing) to the other (complete dependency regarding even the simplest of tasks, coupled with a massive dose of self-pity). Rose's tough-love approach to helping her adjust was what finally helped Lily find the middle ground and become more of the self-assured, capable woman she had always been and the one sister whom Rose had always adored and admired.

Rose didn't get along with her sister Holly. Holly would purposely leave Rose out of plans with her and Dorothy and Blanche and then ended up sleeping with Blanche's boyfriend.

[dotdot]

On ‎10‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 2:25 PM, Madding crowd said:

Yes, the show didn't explain things very well. Perhaps the actresses didn't want to be portrayed as being older?  I agree with you about people retiring older and older. I have a sister a lot older than me and she still has to work at 68. She would love to move to Florida! I still love the Golden Girls and their lovely pajamas. I think Blanche had some clothes stylish for the time. Dorothy and Rose mostly looked frumpy to me. 

I've read that Rue had it in her contract that she got to keep any outfits Blanche wore. My daughter noticed that often they are each wearing a different color from each other (like Dorothy in Green, Blanche in Red, Rose in Yellow and Sophia in Blue)

[legaleagle53]

5 hours ago, dotdot said:

Rose didn't get along with her sister Holly. Holly would purposely leave Rose out of plans with her and Dorothy and Blanche and then ended up sleeping with Blanche's boyfriend.

I know.  I was only pointing out to the original poster (who wished that at least one of the girls could have been close to her sisters) that Rose actually was close to Lily.  The original poster seemed to think that NONE of the girls got along with ANY of their sisters.

[Madding crowd]

Well I was the original  poster and just wondered why they more or less had the same story with all four women; which was having a sister they couldn't stand. Not world shattering, but it would make more sense to me to have at least one have only positive things to say about a sister and I still feel the same way. 

[Maherjunkie]

Or a brother who didn't have a quirk.

[Bastet]

2 minutes ago, Maherjunkie said:

Or a brother who didn't have a quirk.

In that era (when it comes to mainstream media), marrying a man was a quirk for a brother to have.  As was cross dressing. 

[Maherjunkie]

Yes, that's what I meant.

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

I can't remember any of Rose's brothers being particularly quirky. Were any of them ever seen? Or part of a long-running gag?

[Miss Chevious]

I don't recall seeing any brothers. Rose hardly ever talked about them. We did see her cousin Sven in one episode but that's the only male relatives I recall seeing. Other than her adopted father in a dream sequence (the Jonathan Newman episode) and her real father the Monk.

[Blergh]

For the first time in decades, I've seen "Maude" reruns on a retro channel and have to say I'm surprised at how I had initially thought Bea Arthur and Rue McClanahan were better in that one than "GG" at the time. However; not only was Maude far more overwhelming and trigger-tempered than Dorothy (and Vivian  a downright silly twit as opposed to the flirtatious if sometimes not as smart as she thought Blanche) but I'm so happy that they NEVER had children living in the house for more than an occasional episode. I mean, I have to wonder why anyone thought it was fun or entertaining to have Maude's young grandson Phillip almost constantly being upstairs while his grandparents, neighbors and his gorgeous mother Carol were downstairs screaming in each other's faces and throwing things almost nonstop? Did they think he somehow was deaf to all that turmoil? Jackie Gleason was right in that grown folks arguing and struggling can be funny but having kids in the midst of it is NOT (which was one of the reasons he refused to have them on his show).

[Maherjunkie]

I think we accepted it as life then.

[sasha206]

This is probably an unpopular opinion, but as much as I love Blanche and Rue's portrayal of her,  I don't see her as being attractive. But I guess if she is known as being easy, she'd be able to get dates.  Dorothy ends up being the most attractive one of the bunch at the end of the show.

And I'd love to know what Betty White would've looked like without that frumpy hairdo she's had since she was even a young thing. Her face was always very pretty but the hair has always been bad.

[brinpol]

I always saw Blanche as the most attractive due to how she was dressed. Nothing to do with her being "easy". That and her outgoing personality.

The show really did a good job with the wardrobes of the women with regards to how they were perceived. Blanche wore bright colors and tending to be the most stylish. Rose was a bit frumpy and conservative. Dorothy was a walking disaster. And they all overdressed for Miami (yes I realize that had more to do with the studio more than anything, but still). 

[Maherjunkie]

I thought Blanche was pretty but not living up to her own hype.

[Madding crowd]

My father used to say Blanche was sexy, I guess it was her confidence. It drives me crazy how they wear heavy sweaters in Miami. I guess they wanted to cover up more but unless they had the air cranked and didn't go out they would be roasting.

[ShadowSixx]

I always thought Blanche was the prettiest. I loved her hair in the later seasons and I think it was her confidence in her appearance and outgoing personality. Blanche tried to get the other girls to see that in themselves in being confident. She really did bash Dorothy's outfits and rightfully so.  I loved Blanche's style of dress, it wasn't slutty like Sophia always pointed out, bold bright colors. I like that the show had mature women who didn't dress too dowdy and frumpy for the most part. Despite Dorothy's hideous clothes, they were a unique style. Rose while mostly frumpy had some nice outfits here and there.

[chessiegal]

Quote

 

Gah - wasn't trying to quote anything! Just wanted to say I love the wardrobe department on this show. So much variety. Unless I'm missing something, I think they must have custom made Dorothy's outfits - I've never seen anything like it in stores.

[Miss Chevious]

27 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

 Unless I'm missing something, I think they must have custom made Dorothy's outfits - I've never seen anything like it in stores.

Thank goodness. Those cutoff culottes, those ugly boots, those baggy tops with vests attached, the pinafore like contraptions masquerading as a blouses. Ugh. Need I say more. 

[BitterApple]

On Saturday, March 18, 2017 at 11:21 AM, Maherjunkie said:

I thought Blanche was pretty but not living up to her own hype.

That's what I thought as well. She reminds me of the current crop of Instagram girls who post selfies every two seconds but aren't nearly as hot as they think they are. I think Blanche was attractive but not a great beauty.

[Ananayel]

If you google young Rue McClanahan, you'll see some pretty dishy photos. I have no problem believing Blanche was just enough of a narcissist that she would see that face looking back at her from the mirror, no matter what the calendar said. If young Blanche looked like young Rue, she probably did get tons of attention for her appearance, and clearly accepted it as the natural way of the universe, always and forever. That, plus her outgoing personality and confidence carried her through.

[Bastet]

While there's certainly narcissism - and a touch of delusion - involved, Blanche looking in the mirror and seeing only her best features (or seeing in her mind's eye the younger version of herself as still existing) is infinitely preferable to me in a woman, especially a woman her age, than one who has so internalized society's narrow standard of beauty that she looks in the mirror and sees only those features which don't conform.  It's entertaining, and I do laugh at her about it, but I also truly enjoy the way Blanche regards herself.  And that when Dorothy or anyone else takes the piss out of her following one of her grandiose descriptions of her own beauty, she's generally not fussed about having reality pointed out to her; she just goes on her merry way.

[Madding crowd]

I didn't like the constant references to how ugly and masculine Dorothy was. She certainly had strong features but when her hair was fixed and she had nice clothes, she was attractive. Sophia calling her things like Barnaby Jones or Fess Parker was not funny to me.

[FormerMod-a1]

I agree. I never understood how/why they painted Dorothy as ugly, or Blanche as fat.  Those "jokes" just fell flat for me.

[BitterApple]

37 minutes ago, Madding crowd said:

I didn't like the constant references to how ugly and masculine Dorothy was. She certainly had strong features but when her hair was fixed and she had nice clothes, she was attractive. Sophia calling her things like Barnaby Jones or Fess Parker was not funny to me.

Yes! I never thought Dorothy was unattractive. Whenever the women were dressed in fancy gowns she looked the best because her height carried the clothing so much better. It annoyed me how she was always the punching bag for the ugly jokes. 

[AndySmith]

I think it is a case of what is supposed to be "on paper", so to speak, and what we end up seeing on screen. Bea Arthur was more attractive than Dorothy, so to speak. Granted, Dorothy was more of a fashion disaster in the earlier seasons, what with the shapeless clothes, clashing colors, bad architecture to the outfits, etc. And the actresses did help sell it. Was it mean? Yeah, but I still find some of those scenes very funny. Here are two that still make me chuckle.

 

Edited March 21, 2017 by AndySmith

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

I actually thought some of the earlier seasons were better for Dorothy, clothes-wise. At the end everything was dark and baggy, except of course for her toilet paper wedding dress. 

Dorothy dated the foxiest of the silver foxes on the show though, and was the only Girl to be married by the end, so clearly the whole frumpy, can't-land-a-man thing was bull. 

[qtpye]

On ‎3‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 10:05 AM, sasha206 said:

And I'd love to know what Betty White would've looked like without that frumpy hairdo she's had since she was even a young thing. Her face was always very pretty but the hair has always been bad.

As Blanche would say, "Her hair is the color of a twinkie" (not an exact quote).  Lol, I think she still has that same hairdo today.