The Golden Girls is one of those series that has a timeless appeal. It’s easy to see why, considering the fact that there is undeniable chemistry between the four actresses. What’s more, the comedy is as sharp as it was when it was first on the air. More importantly, the show wasn’t afraid to dive into the serious issues affecting older women, including sexuality.
Though all four of the women engaged in numerous sexual escapades with men, Blanche proved to be especially adept at relations with the opposite sex, leading to numerous times when the other three slut-shamed her for her perceived promiscuity.
When Dorothy Refused To Believe That Her Boyfriend Hit On Blanche
Given the fact that the show is focused on four women who live together, it was probably inevitable that they would fall for the same man. In this case, however, it’s a bit different, since it’s Dorothy’s boyfriend who makes a pass at Blanche.
Unfortunately, because Dorothy is both stubborn and because Blanche has a tendency to go after almost any man she sees, she gets accused of being the aggressor. Though it eventually gets resolved, it’s a bit of a somber reminder of how even her friends are willing to see Blanche in a less than flattering light.
When Dorothy And Rose Refused To Believe Blanche Didn’t Sleep With Gil Kessler
In a similar fashion, in the second season, Blanche is accused of having an affair with Gil Kessler, a local politician. The irony here is that she didn’t – she spent the night with him talking him through his anxiety.
Unfortunately, neither Rose nor Dorothy is willing to believe her, in part, because Gil lies about the affair as he believes the notoriety will help him, politically. Fortunately for Rose and Dorothy, Blanche proves to be forgiving of their willingness to believe in the worst of her.
That Time That Blanche Took Them To A Hotel Full Of Prostitutes
In one of the funniest episodes of the entire series, Dorothy, Blanche, and Rose are mistaken for prostitutes and are taken to jail. As it turns out, Blanche chose the hotel in question because of the number of men in the lobby, not realizing that it was the base for a prostitution ring.
The other two women, of course, don’t take kindly to this, and they give Blanche a bit of a lecture on her tendency to choose a place solely on the basis of how many men happen to be present.
When Sophia And Blanche Sparred For The Attention Of Fidel
At first glance, it might seem a bit unlikely that Sophia and Blanche would fight for the same man, but that’s exactly what happens when they both fall in love with the dashing Cuban Fidel Santiago. In the process, they hurl some spectacular zingers at one another, including Sophia’s famous crack: “Beat it, you 50-year-old mattress.”
It’s of course a hilarious moment, both because it takes aim at Blanche’s sexual behavior but also because it reminds her of how old she is (and everyone knows that Blanche doesn’t like to be reminded of that).
When Blanche Agreed To Go Out With Miles
The relationship between Rose and Miles is one of the most endearing in the entire series, and it’s one of the few that actually lasts for more than an episode. However, things didn’t begin quite so well, since Rose felt very intimidated by the fact that Miles was a college professor. In fact, she even asked Blanche to go out with him instead.
When Blanche (somewhat reluctantly) accepted, Rose referred to her as a “backstabbing slut,” a rare moment of candor from the normally kindhearted Rose.
When Sophia Gets Lost In The Hospital
When Sophia has to have surgery to repair a hernia, she ends up getting misplaced by the hospital staff and stuck in an elevator while she recovers. As Dorothy and Blanche try to find her, Blanche urges Dorothy to slow down so that she looks sexier.
Dorothy then delivers a double-whammy, both saying that she doesn’t have the rolling gait of a nymphomaniac and asking if Blanche is just a great big pile of estrogen. Delivered in Bea Arthur’s signature deadpan style, it’s truly a remarkable moment of comedy.
When She Gives Bad Love Advice To Sophia And Rose
It’s not really surprising that Blanche would consider herself something of a love guru, especially considering how many “relationships” she’s had. This leads her to give some truly bad advice to Sophia and Rose, which leads to them both doing things to alienate their respective love interests.
They both subsequently shame Blanche for handing out such bad love advice, a reminder that though Blanche succeeds with a certain type of man, she has yet to find the one that will make her truly happy.
When Dorothy Informs Her That Not Everyone Is Classified By The Navy As A Friendly Port
Very early on in the show, Rose struggles with going on a date with a man, largely because she hasn’t been with a man since her husband died. Blanche, of course, is more than a little incredulous at this bit of restraint on Rose’s part and, to put it bluntly, she gives her a hard time about it.
Dorothy, never one to hold back, comes to Rose’s defense and reminds Blanche that “not everyone is classified by the Navy as a friendly port.” It’s a sharp remark from the caustic Dorothy and a reminder of the significant differences among the women.
When Rose Thinks That She Slept With Miles
As the seventh and final season opens, Rose comes across a roll of film that seemingly has a picture of Blanche in bed with her dead husband, Charlie. Though it ends up being a double exposure (a convenient bit of sitcom explanation), before this revelation, she actually says some not very nice things to Blanche, including noting that she’s “been under more sailors than a nautical toilet” and that she’s “landed on her back more than the American Gladiators.”
It’s another reminder that there are times when even best friends are willing to believe the worst in one another.
When Rose Thinks She Might Have HIV
This series was known for being willing to take risks with the type of material that it explored, and that included the AIDS crisis that gripped America in the 1980s. In a bit of storytelling genius, it’s actually Rose who believes that she might have been infected by a blood transfusion.
However, she also lashes out at Blanche, implying that Blanche is the one who deserves to be afraid, due to the way in which she lives her life. It’s a stunning reminder of the judgments of the time, as Rose implies that promiscuous people deserve to get sick.
