i am sassa

Props forever to the badass woman who dared to pour herself fully in the role of the hilarious Southern Belle of the Golden Girls, Blanche Devereaux. Blanche was at first glance a stereotype; impeccably fashionable, as Southern as extra-sweet tea, and lusty all day long. When you really come to know her character though, there was so much more to her. She exuded confidence and didn’t put up with any crap from men (or women for that matter). She was waaaayyy ahead of her time in terms of being open-minded and progressive.

I’ve learned today that it wasn’t as big a leap as I might have guessed for Rue to get into Blanche’s character. Apparently they weren’t all that different. She was married SIX times, and was apparently very fond of regaling friends with stories of her love affairs. She also reportedly kept ALL of Blanche’s exquisite clothes (so many SHOULDER PADS)! Rue was an open-minded and extremely kind woman, advocating for animals alongside her Golden Girls friends, and fighting for gay rights and marriage equality. She genuinely wanted to make the world a better place, and I have been feeling that come through her character while I binge-watch the Golden Girls. Though they never totally break the fourth wall, I feel like Blanche is so obviously offering senior women a new way to view themselves. She was sexy, bold, and confident to the point of complete obliviousness to anyone who didn’t see her in the same glorious light she saw herself.

Thank you, Rue McClanahan.