The Golden Girls: A Cultural History

by Bernadette Giacomazzo

"This book is a much-needed addition to the growing body of scholarship around this beloved sitcom. An essential read for The Golden Girls fans and media studies scholars alike." — Library Journal, Starred Review

Over the course of seven years and 180 episodes, The Golden Girls altered the television landscape. For the first time in history, Americans (and, later, the rest of the world) were watching sexagenarians—and one octogenarian—leading active, vital lives. These were older women who had careers, families, lovers, and adventures, far from the matronly television characters of the past.

In The Golden A Cultural History, Bernadette Giacomazzo shows why this iconic sitcom is more than just comedy gold. She examines how, between all the laughs and the tales of St. Olaf, these women tackled tough issues of the time—issues that continue to resonate in the twenty-first century. From sexual harassment, ageism, and PTSD to AIDS, inter-racial relationships, and homosexuality, Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia weren’t afraid to take on topics which were once considered taboo.

This first-ever cultural history of The Golden Girls explores how the show forever changed the world’s perception of what it means to grow older, and showed us the healing power of friendship, community, and sisterhood. It gave the voiceless a new voice and unveiled all the possibilities of what “family” can mean—no matter one’s race, religion, creed, or sexual orientation.

Genres: Nonfiction, Tv, Pop Culture, Adult

193 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 15, 2023

About the author

Bernadette Giacomazzo is a NYC-based editor, writer, photographer, and publicist with a career spanning more than two decades in the entertainment industry. Her work has been featured in People, Teen Vogue, BET, HipHopDX, XXL Magazine, The Source, Vibe, The Los Angeles Times, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising Series and is the CEO of G-Force Marketing & Publicity, which has been featured in The Hollywood Reporter and has obtained film, television, radio, and print placements for blue-chip clients all over the world. She will release "In Living Color: A Cultural History" on Rowman & Littlefield Press in February 2023, and "The Golden Girls: A Cultural History" on Rowman & Littlefield Press in August 2023.

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Golden Girls: A Cultural History is a 2023 release written by author Bernadette Giacomazzo. I found the book on NetGalley, and being a fan of the series whose watched every episode multiple times I wanted to see what this one could offer. Reliving memories through someone else's eyes is always entertaining and nostalgic, and this was no exception. I enjoyed her take on each of the Golden Girls' top 10 episodes. Seeing how far ahead of the time it was, this show was and remains a major powerhouse when it comes to dealing with social issues and friendships. Viewers can learn so much, and the author highlights these touching moments in a wonderful way. If you've never seen the show, this book will make you want to. If you have seen it, it will surprise you with a few behind the scenes info and commentary on what was really happening in the world at the time. As a kid, I probably misunderstood half the references, and even now, sometimes I think... how is this still possible, meaning... they are talking about social issues from 40 years ago that are STILL problems. Ah society can be cruel, but this book and show really make a difference in turning things around (toward the better.

[Martin Maenza · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book will be released on August 15, 2023. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers provided an early galley for review.

I have fond memories of this show. Not only the joy I have whenever I watch episodes but also of watching it when it first ran with important women of my life growing up: my mother, my aunt, my grandmother and my cousin. Sadly, they are no longer with us (just like the four actresses who made this show), but the memories are forever.

I came into the show thanks to Susan Harris' involvement (knowing her specifically from her amazing writing on Soap). She was a master at making the audience uproarious laugh one moment and meaningfully cry the next. I am glad this book acknowledges her contributions that helped make The Golden Girls so memorable. I had hoped for more focus here, though Harris' work (indirectly) does get mentioned later through the specific episodes sited.

As expected, a bulk of the book is dedicated specifically to the main characters and the women behind them. Each gets a "top ten" episode list (as determined by the author?) that further illustrates what is seen as defining moments for each woman and for the show. They also give additional evidence to support the cultural impacts of the show.

The writing on the book could have benefitted from another editing pass, with a focus on cleaning up repetition of certain facts and phrases that are not required multiple times. As it is, the repetition comes across as padding of word count on an already shorter book. And, although pointing it out in several places that things were different when the show aired, the author sites flaws in the writing on the show (legal and social) that do not reflect societal ways of the 21st century. This is a judgmental pitfall that occurs when analyzing previous centuries' things by today's standards. Times were different then.

[Kay West · Rating 2 out of 5]

A love-letter to Golden Girls that misses the mark when trying to place the show in a cultural context.

I grew up watching Golden Girls with my grandmother, and definitely missed the saucier parts of the show. I then re-watched the series in my early 20s with my best friend and fell in love. Even in my 30s, it's still a comfort watch for me. This book claims to put the show in a cultural context of what was happening in the 80s, and why the show was so ground breaking, while also providing some unknown/behind the scenes peeks at the cast, the making of the show, etc.

The behind the scenes parts are great fun. I like how Bernadette brings in the previous roles by Better White and Rue McClanahan on other popular TV shows, and how those played into their choosing to play these characters. Did you know that Betty was supposed to play Blanche and Rue was supposed to play Rose?! So cool! I also like how Bernadette creates a definitive 'Best Episode List' for each of the characters, based on her personal preferences.

Talking about Bernadette's personal preferences, she approaches putting Golden Girls in context based on her own lived experience (as far as I can tell) and is very thin on data-informed theories. She makes sweeping statements like, "When it comes to addiction, far to many people-even the 21st century - have the wrong idea about it." Without providing how she got to this conclusion or more detail comparing what addiction looked like in the 80s and now, this statement falls flat.

The book speaks about feminism in the broadest and simplest terms, but misses the mark when it comes to putting these in context. For example, the book speaks about women in the 1950s-80s enduring physical, emotional abuse at the hands of their husbands, saying there was no '#MeToo' movement, but that simplifies and erases the incredible work done by women in the United States (and beyond). There was a vibrant women’s movement during the 60s-80s, which was culturally influential and politically powerful, especially around reproductive rights and civil rights and I wish the book provided more context around that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rowman & Littlefield publisher for this advanced reader copy. I received an uncorrected proof from Rowman & Littlefield, so it's possible some of my quotes/concerns will be addressed before publishing.

[Dena · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice to remember some of the better Golden Girls episodes.

[Neeyati · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75*

[LiteraryGamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this if you:

📖 loved the GGs and want to get more in-depth on specific episodes
📖 enjoy reading what other people think made the show tick
📖 are interested in tv history and what makes the Golden Girls such a phenomenon 40 years later.

This book is very recent, published only shortly after Betty White’s death (RIP). I’m going through my Golden Girls era for the fifth or sixth time in my life, this time as a woman who’ll hit 40 by the end of this year. I think it’s easy to forget that this show was so far ahead of its time, that I think episodes now would have a hard time getting made that are still relevant. The show tackled immigration issues (shout out to baby Mario Lopez and his dimples in that episode), gun ownership, the AIDS crisis, and other LGBTQAI+ issues (mainly focusing on the G and L).

Golden Girls is a prdocut of its time, but one that ages mostly well with a lot of comedy that’s still absolute gold. Since it’s Pride month and all four women were very focused on LGBTQIA+ rights (as well as rights for Black people and fighting for animal welfare), I wanted to touch very lightly on the things the author pointed out about each actress:

☀ Estelle Getty (Sophia) - "Getty made it clear that she refused to engage in Homophobic behavior despite it's acceptability at the time. 'I will not do gay bashing jokes. I've been in show business all my life, and the majority of my friends are gay. I don't deny that. A lot of my friends have died from AIDS.'"

☀ Bea Arthur (Dorothy) - "In private, she hosted dinner parties at her sprawling Los Angeles home, where gay men—who were very closeted at the time, as they were targets of arbitrarily enforced sodomy laws if they weren’t—were free to be their fully authentic selves without fear of reprisal."

☀ Rue McLanahan - "Since her little-known stint in the 1971 indie film Some of My Best Friends Are—which was set in a gay bar and featured the legendary Fannie Flagg and Warhol girl (and transgender icon) Candy Darling—McClanahan was an 'out' and proud advocate of the queer community. She frequently appeared at pride events and fundraisers for LGBTQIA causes and advocated for same-sex marriage in the United States."

☀ Betty White - "Betty White—the Golden Girl who lived the longest of the four—had a long-standing history of standing up for the LGBTQIA community, even in the face of direct threats to her standing in Hollywood circles."

I really enjoyed reading through this book, and while I spotted some errors as a huge nerd of the show (as I’m sure anyone is who writes a whole novel!), it was still obviously written with so much love. Pick this one up even if you’re only interested from a historical point of view.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVE The Golden Girls and still watch the show all the time. So, when I saw this book I knew I wanted to check it out despite the mixed reviews. And after finishing it the mixed reviews were correct in my opinion - it wasn't a great book. The subtitle of this book is "a cultural history" but it's a pretty light history. The author goes over how the show was created, and each character with her list of top 10 episodes for that character (I would have liked more of an explanation for how/why she picked those specific episodes too). Then she gets into some of the hot topics that the show covered and how it was ahead of it's time and a trailblazing show. But all of these things were just very quickly covered and often with added commentary that seemed kind of forced. While the author repeatedly says she's not going to "woke-check" the episodes, it also seemed like she only focused on the topics and episodes that would be considered "woke" today - AIDS, gay/transgender issues, homelessness, illegal aliens/immigration, etc. While never talking about some of things that the show joked about that would now be seen as sexual harassment or even sexual assault. The show is a product of its time and was still way ahead of its time in many ways. I just didn't feel like this book really lived up to its title The Golden Girls: a cultural history. But, it is a book about the Golden Girls so it was still a fun, quick read - just not as thorough as it could have been. In my opinion Golden Girls Forever by Jim Colucci was a much better Golden Girls history.

Some quotes I liked:

"But what is it, really that makes The Golden Girls so iconic? What makes the show so important, so unique, and so timely in the twenty-first century?...Whether they were addressing homosexuality, artificial insemination, or AIDS, the tough topics were fair game. But they didn't beat us over the head with proselytizing or morality - rather, they addressed even the toughest topics with equal amounts of humor and love, proving to all of us that we, too, could handle them in the same way." (p. 147)

"Prior to the debut of The Golden Girls, women older than fifty were depicted as dowdy, matronly, and all but nonexistent outside the core of their nuclear family. They were blank slates - they were asexual - they were little more than an extension of their families. But thanks to The Golden Girls, older women were seen in a whole new way: as career professionals, as warm and understanding friends, and as fully realized sexual beings." (p. 147)

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers and Bernadette Giacomazzo for the copy of this book.

I was so excited to receive a copy of this book because I adore the Golden Girls. I have great memories watching the show with my aunt for hours on end and still watch the reruns at times. Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book as much. I am not sure where the book is in the edit process but the Introduction needs a lot of editing. The same information was basically repeated three times. Most of the information presented is a summary of each character and the author reveals her favorite 10 episodes for each character. The author does go in depth to explore the mother daughter relationship between Dorothy and Sophia as well. The book also discusses several episodes of the show in which topics were "before their time" such as gay marriage, artificial insemination, assisted suicide, AIDS and racism.

Although several times throughout the book I was excited to briefly relive the episodes I have seen, it was a struggle to get through the book. I thought it would be an absolute blast to read. I am happy it was short.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. This isn’t a “the making of…” type of book; it examines how the show looked at various social issues. As a consequence, it also shows how ahead of its time that the show was. The historical context is excellent. And since I loved the show when it was on, this book was a great trip down memory lane. This is a feel-good book and I think that anyone who liked the show will like the book. Thank you NetGalley and Rowman & Littlefield for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[libreroaming · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up. The best of episode segments could have used a few more editing passes to make the writing less repetitive ("why _____ is the best episode" appears dozens of times), the subject matter is always fun to recount.

Was expecting something more academic too, but many of the real world comparisons didn't add much in regards to context of the time. A fun read for fans who already know the quips, but not a great introduction to somebody who you want to convert to the humor that is "The Golden Girls."

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started off really good by exploring why Golden Girls was so game changing for television, including going in-depth on the culture at the time. But once it starts diving into the characters it changes to episode synopses and, for some reason, all the best episodes are the ultra dramatic ones (which, sure, they were great but there was a lot of good comedy in there too!) I was hoping for a little more history of the show with this one.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A super quick read that’s perfect for the casual fan. nothing in this book shares facts that weren’t known before but it does break down each character as well as a top 10 list of episodes for each.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

[Stephanie P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, Bernadette Giacomazzo, and Rowman & Littlefield for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Golden Girls: A Cultural History in exchange for an honest review.

I love The Golden Girls. I binge the show every so many months. This book dedicated to the show, however, is not great in my opinion. I am overlooking the formatting issues when reading the Kindle version.

Everything about it felt very biased and also like there was no heart involved. It was basically just various episode descriptions to claim which ones were the best for each character. There are a lot of phrases repeated by the author and the overall placement of the author's thoughts did not seem to be organized very well.

[Lilya · Rating 4 out of 5]

What questions do you have for me about golden girls reshaping the cultural landscape of 1980s television forever

[June Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born out of a comedy sketch that at best sounded rather trite and tired, "The Golden Girls" became not just a hit tv show but an icon of sorts. I've read a bit on the series, most recently Marissa DeAngelis' "The Binge Watcher's Guide to the Golden Girls", so I will admit up front to already being familiar with much of the info shared here. Despite this and some repetition, I found it an interesting read. The author also supports her conclusions and information shares with extensive references and notes.

I won't belabor what is in the book as the blurb does a good job of that, but will say that I enjoyed the extensive look at each actress/character and how their background, both personal and work related, played into their role. Although I watched the show, I was never an obsessive fan, so must admit some of her takes made me go, "Hmm, how did I miss that?" Like the four actresses who portrayed them, the characters are shown to be anything but one-dimensional. Looking back, especially with some of the venom shared concerning controversial issues today, it's rather amazing to think how well the show's writers tackled issues still controversial today. I'll note that the four women didn't just mouth their support for causes, they walked the talk, too, which the book goes into. Rock Hudson even gets a mention.

Overall, while hardly ground breaking, the book does an admirable job diving into not just the show, including the author's chosen best episodes, but where each character fit into the whole picture. More importantly, it not only gave a voice to senior women, often making their way on their own, but emphasized that a chosen family can be just as vital as a biologic one. No matter what their race, sexuality, or beliefs, that everyone deserves love and friendship. That's the message I got from the book and I thank #NetGalley and #Rowman&Littlefield for allowing me to indulge in a bit of important nostalgia for a bit. Heck, it gives us a good look at society as a whole and how it has not just evolved but how the media played a role.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Golden Girls: A Cultural History is an informative and entertaining read about America’s favorite girls. Though I was familiar with some Golden Girls lore prior to reading this, this book went in depth on the cast as well as the cultural significance and impact of the Golden Girls. I left the book learning a lot about history - both political and theatrical and how both interweaved - as well as the actors themselves. The actors - like their fictional counterparts - were truly ahead of their time, advocating for LGBTQ rights as well as those afflicted with AIDS. They were also animal lovers and activists. Class acts through and through.

I first watched Golden Girls as a child with my grandmother. I then rediscovered it in college when it was rerun on the Lifetime network. Now as an adult I fall asleep to the familiar sounds of Sophia, Rose, Blanche, and Dorothy every night (thanks Hallmark!). I know the characters and episodes very well so it was a treat recounting some of these moments in the highlighted episodes in the book.

If I were to give some feedback, it would echo the sentiments of other reviewers. There were some repetitious turns of phrase used that took away from the narrative. Also, a lot of the book is more opinion-based than actual facts (who decided these were the best episodes of the 180?). I also would have liked to have read more episode quotes. As the author recounted her favorite character episodes I was excited waiting to read my favorite line only not to see it. While I understand the book wasn’t exhaustive, some of the best lines were left out in my opinion (“So am I! So is Blanche!” anyone? What about Mr. Pah-fieffer?)

The pros outweigh the cons though and this book is truly necessary for Golden Girls fans. It gives a new perspective I’ll be happy to have when watching the episodes again.

[JennyGirlReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars but rounded up to 4.

I was excited to read this as a long time fan of the Golden Girls and the actresses of the show. Like most Gen X'ers I watched this with my grandmother and mother in the late 80s and early 90s. I've watched the show several times since then on various streaming platforms. It is definitely a comfort show for me when I want some good laughs. The show ran for 7 years and was well known as a ground breaker for the way it depicted women in their 60s and older.

I came into this book having seen the show multiple times from start to finish and was very pleasantly surprised to learn so much more than I knew about the lore of the show. It delved deep into the 4 main characters and gave a lot of background on a lot of episodes in the show. It even talked a bit about the actresses themselves and gave a little bit of history on each.

I did feel the writing could have been better. It felt the author was using 20 words in the place of one, and was repeating a lot of info or opinions, almost as if she were just trying to reach a certain word count. This book has the potential to be so much more but the repetition of information made it a bit lackluster.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of the E-book in exchange for an honest review.

[Elysa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Golden Girls: A Cultural History" is a really interesting look at how the Girls were culturally relevant then and now as well as ahead of their time. I liked that the author related the show and specific episodes to news that was current during original airing and juxtaposes that against today's issues and the show as a cult classic. There was a lot of intriguing information here, and I liked the organization.

In a few places, the writing is clunky. Specifically, the sections that break down each character's best episodes read like freshman year papers with the repeat of the "thesis" at the beginning and end of each part. There were weirdly several grammar and spelling errors in the beginning of the book, but not many towards the end.

The writing had bumpy moments, but I definitely recommend this one for television and Golden Girls fans.

[John Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a fan of the show — I watched it when it released on Hulu as I didn't grow up with the show — this book will make you want to visit the girls and thank them, once again, for being a friend.

I thought the placement of the show amongst the history of the 1980s and 1990s was okay. It felt more like an introduction more than a fully fleshed out cultural history/commentary. I did like the discussion on Reaganism and the legacy these women leave as icons of Queer culture.

Aside from my aforementioned critique, I do feel like the writing of this book suffers from the five paragraph essay writing structure of: introduction, support 1, support 2, support 3, and conclusion that basically rehashes the introduction unnecessarily. It got tiresome, especially in the episode rankings.

[Shelby Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-arc, in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, quick read about The Golden Girls and their cultural impact. The book dives into how the show changed people’s views on elderly women, and lead them to see older women as more well rounded, instead of just someone’s grandmother. The show also tackled very tough topics such as sexuality, AIDS, interracial relationships, and many more tough topics. I thought the author did a good job at showing how The Golden Girls really went against the grain of the conservative 1980’s, and spoke out against harmful stereotypes and views. I enjoyed reading this one.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Golden Girls: A Cultural History is what the title suggests, sort of. It includes a brief history of the show, touching on the cultural context surrounding the show. However, it's very brief, and at times seems like the author's personal examination of her relationship with the show. It's unclear who the intended audience is, because some passages seem like they're written for children while the language is clearly for adult readers. It also feels extremely tied to the time when it was written, often using language that already feels dated. Let's get a longer book about the history of the show, the creators, writers, actors, and a separate book of personal essays.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up The Golden Girls: A Cultural History on Netgalley.

The author obviously shares my fondness for the cultural phenomenon that was The Golden Girls. The intimate view into the casting choices and relationships, or lack thereof, among the cast, was fascinating. I didn't realize the discontent that was present on the set.

The dive into the social issues touched up in every episode was great, because although it might have gone unnoticed in its time, the show is as relevant now as when it was written.

I enjoyed this walk through television history, and recommend it highly.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun to read. I love a good history of a specific topic, and the Golden Girls is obviously a favorite show of mine. The problem being I watched it well after it was off-air, so many of the contexts to which it was speaking were histories I was unfamiliar with. This was a good enough description of the events around it, but I could have gone for something a little broader, something I rarely say. While the anecdotes were great, I guess I was looking for more of a social history.

***Thank you for the ARC!***

[Carol Custer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been a fan of the Golden Girls and thanks to the constant reruns showing, I could visualize every episode talked about in this book. The show was one of the absolute best comedies ever (I still laugh at them no matter how many times I've seen them) and it was fascinating to go behind the scenes with this book. The author researched the subject well and gave some interesting insights. Any fan of the show would enjoy this book

[Leanne Gregoire · Rating 5 out of 5]

What’s not to love about the Golden Girls, right? This book was a great reminder and opportunity to reminisce about how progressive the girls were in a conservative period of time. From LGBTQ+, to welfare and homelessness, to AIDS, to interracial relationships, the Girls taught us to love, to be open minded, and to be, well, golden. They were icons and still are - portraying vibrant and active senior ladies. We’ve all got a little Sophia, Blanche, Dorothy and Rose in us!

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning the parallels between the show and the culture of the time. While I always knew the Golden Girls was a show that did not shy away from a topic, I found it interesting to see specific examples of how it pushed back against the conservative narrative of the time. I did find the writing to be redundant at times and in need of a little editing.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a fan of The Golden Girls (and who isn't) this will give you a little more background on the show and each of the characters. A fun read and a good reflection on those times.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's golden!

[Cathy Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC of The Golden Girls. I loved revisiting with Rose, Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia and enjoyed a little bit of their history both as actors and characters. A quick and delightful book by Bernadette Giacomazzo. Gotta love those ladies.

[Cathy Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC of The Golden Girls. I loved revisiting with Rose, Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia and enjoyed a little bit of their history both as actors and characters. A quick and delightful book by Bernadette Giacomazzo. Gotta love those ladies.