Goodnight, Ms. Arthur
Bea Arthur and Rock Hudson singing an ode to substance abuse. [source]
Like millions of people, I was sad to hear of the death of Bea Arthur today. She was a tough broad and a brilliant comedian. I grew up watching Golden Girls, and the model of friendship-as-sustenance shown on that series has influenced my own approach to life and relationships much more than the shows I probably should have been paying attention to in my formative years — Beverly Hills 90210 or Friends or My So-Called Life. The most important friends are the ones who will worry about you to the very end. I hope Bea Arthur had a zillion of them. I’m sure those matter more than fans.