• Latest
  • Life
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Out for Good
Queerty* Queerty* Pride
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • newsletter
  • Menu
Close
Queerty*
  • Log in
  • Register
  • Life
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Goods
  • Video (Queerty TV)
  • Queerty Ever After
  • Dragaholic
  • Prepared
  • Health
  • LGBTQ Nation News
  • GayCities Travel Guides
  • Share a Tip

Dragaholic*

Follow @dragaholicnews
Friends Forever

‘The Golden Girls’ Turns 30, Logo Plans On-Air Drag Salute

By Dan Renzi September 4, 2015 at 7:09am · 12 comments

golden-girls-dragIn an announcement that is certain to set minds spinning with memories of yesteryear, Logo TV announced that it is planning an on-air celebration of the 30th anniversary of The Golden Girls.

Yes, as of September 14, it has been 30 years since Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia entered our lives through our TVs, teaching us about life, love, and how to casually read someone to filth without a moment’s pause. TV shows may come and go, but The Golden Girls — currently broadcast in reruns on Logo — endures, thanks to its delicious combination of sisterly love and bickering. Gay men in particular, who culturally prefer to fight with their words before their fists, worship at the feet of The Golden Girls, the Patron Saints of Bitchy Quips and Exasperated Facial Expressions. The gays aren’t the only queens who love the show: even Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II requested a private showing by the cast, and she found the sex jokes funny; her ex-daughter in-law, Princess Diana and her pal, Queen’s Freddie Mercury, liked to drink champagne with while they watched the show on mute and improvised lines. Diana and Freddie, drunk and cackling at The Golden Girls, is simply too marvelous to comprehend.

Speaking of queens, endless parodies of the show abound, usually featuring men in drag hamming it up for every bitchy laugh; the Cavern Club Theater in Los Angeles recently staged a sold-out run of The Golden Girlz Live featuring drag royalty Jackie Beat and Sherry Vine, with celebs such as Katy Perry stopping by to sit in the audience and giggle. Of course, Logo’s Golden Girls tribute will feature four cast members from the only other show on the network that anyone watches, RuPaul’s Drag Race (see photo above, from left to right): Shangela, Delta Work, Pandora Boxx and Willam, playing Sophia, Dorothy, Rose and Blanche, respectively. They’ll chit-chat about the show during episode breaks while mocking each other for fun. In honor of the Girls, they better be in top form.

Thanks to reruns over the years on numerous networks, The Golden Girls is a part of the American identity; most people won’t know the names of their local political officials, but ask anyone and they’ll probably know who Dorothy Zbornak is. But The Golden Girls‘ enduring popularity is more than just four old women being funny. They demonstrated how relationships can be complicated, yet sex is simply a part of life. Monogamy and promiscuity are choices, not morals. Learning to laugh at yourself once in a while will make it more fun to laugh with your friends.

Perhaps most importantly, if there’s one thing The Golden Girls taught us, it’s the fact that age is just a number. Growing older is something to acknowledge, not dread, because life is as fun as you make it. Although if you want to sit inside all day and watch reruns of an old TV show about a bunch of old ladies, go ahead. You’ve probably seen those episodes 10 times, but who cares? And yes you have to pig out and eat ice cream and cheesecake the entire time.

delta work Jackie Beat Logo Pandora Boxx Photos RuPaul RuPaul's Drag Race Shangela Sherry Vine The Golden Girls Willam Willam Belli
View Comments12

Get Dragaholic's Newsletter

Subscribe to Dragaholic for the best drag news and updates in your inbox

12 Comments

  • Finrod

    It was the Queen Mother who requested a private show, although both she and the Queen seem to have been in attendance. Confusing the Queen with the Queen Mum is a fast track to losing your gay card.

    September 4, 2015 at 8:09am
  • Steve McSheffrey

    If you saw the picture without the headline, wold anyone realize they were trying to look like the Golden Girls? Epic fail…

    September 4, 2015 at 8:09am
  • Kieran

    You just know the Logo channel is run by a bunch of homophobic straight guys who think gay men all want to look and act like women. Instead of gay movies, documentaries on gay issues or interviews with gay personalities, Logo (aka ‘the gay channel’) offers a steady stream of ‘Facts of Life’, ‘Golden Girls’ and ‘Buffy the Vanpire; reruns. Embarrassing.

    September 4, 2015 at 8:09am
  • bobbyjoe

    Logo has literally nothing besides RuPaul. Notice even the Golden Girls thing is hosted by…. you guessed it… queens from RuPaul.

    I still like RuPaul’s Drag Race, but migod, Logo just gave up and has become some sub-grade Nick-At-Night. It’s like the network that sits around in its basement, wearing sweat pants and a sweat shirt and never, ever going out, covered in Cheeto dust and sadly eating tubs of ice cream, eternally pitying itself. A few years ago Logo threw some original– but bad– LGBT programming at us; it didn’t work, and the lesson they took from it was not: “these shows were bad, let’s make better shows,” it was “oh nobody will watch LGBT programming; just slap up lots of reruns of Buffy, Golden Girls, and Bewitched.” Their entire strategy seems to be: give up, retreat, do as little as possible, sulk.

    Even RuPaul jokes about how he’s the only thing keeping the lights on at Logo. Logo really might be the worst run network in the history of tv. Who IS running that place, anyway?

    September 4, 2015 at 9:09am
  • Chris Thomas Phillips

    Ken Thomas

    September 4, 2015 at 10:09am
  • Stache99

    @Kieran: Oh no. The facts of Life. That show is hideously bad.

    September 4, 2015 at 12:09pm
  • Glücklich

    @Kieran:
    @bobbyjoe:

    BBC America is in the same boat. WTF do ENDLESS reruns of “X Files” and “Star Trek Next Generation” have to do with 70+ years of British TV broadcasts? ‘Cause, y’know, I can’t find that shit on at least a dozen other channels up in this bitch if I need inspiration to put a shotgun in my mouth. At least the goddammed fucking “Top Gear” bullshit isn’t on rotation anymore.

    September 4, 2015 at 12:09pm
  • martinbakman

    The run at the Cavern Club was awesome. Jackie Beat was great as Dorothy. Not surprised Logo is grabbing onto such a successful idea for drag, but after seeing the live production I wonder if the success will translate well to television.

    September 4, 2015 at 1:09pm
  • Sammy Schlipshit

    Is this to start now?….when?

    September 4, 2015 at 1:09pm
  • Desert Boy

    ‘The Golden Girls’ still makes me laugh. What a talented group of women.

    September 4, 2015 at 2:09pm
  • Bob LaBlah

    @bobbyjoe: “Logo has literally nothing besides RuPaul. Notice even the Golden Girls thing is hosted by…. you guessed it… queens from RuPaul.”

    I could not agree with you more. And since I quit watching after the second Drag Race season the only reason I “stop by” is why they are showing something like the original Hairspray with Divine and Ricky Lake. What LOGO proves is that the gay audience is really no different that any other audience. If I don’t like what I am watching I reach for the remote.

    I found many of the shows they did try to produce simply too smothering with things gay. Ok, you like to take it up the….well, I think they focused to much on the characters being the perfect fit by the actor portraying the character but after a few episodes one simply said “ok, now what’s next” and that “next” didn’t seem to come. Believe it or not I think reality shows that featured gay characters are what killed it for LOGO. Once the public got a taste of gays being no different more or less who gave a fuck about shows aimed TOTALLY at gays?

    I mean really, how long can one be expected to watch a narcissistic ass gym queen on television week after week before stopping to think “why am I watching this queen”?

    September 4, 2015 at 5:09pm
  • Gothrykke

    Only Shangela got the outfit. The rest need to go back and do some damn research. Willam, please! You looked more like Blanche when you were doing the Beat Down.

    September 4, 2015 at 6:09pm

Comments are closed.

More in Dragaholic

Biggest ‘Drag Race’ drama yet? Queen swears at RuPaul & storms off show.
Drama queen
12 comments

Biggest ‘Drag Race’ drama yet? Queen swears at RuPaul & storms off show.

Michelle Visage reveals which 4 gay icons have consistently turned down ‘Drag Race’
In Quotes
17 comments

Michelle Visage reveals which 4 gay icons have consistently turned down ‘Drag Race’

WATCH: This DILF transforms into a drag queen to call 2020 and tell her “She’s Canceled”
screening room

WATCH: This DILF transforms into a drag queen to call 2020 and tell her “She’s Canceled”

WATCH: Drag Star Alaska invades Hollywood with an epic version of “Let It Snow”
Slay Ride

WATCH: Drag Star Alaska invades Hollywood with an epic version of “Let It Snow”


Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton on finding her very own “queer circus” in Hollywood
In Quotes

Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton on finding her very own “queer circus” in Hollywood

Anderson Cooper reveals when he knew he was gay and why it took so long to come out
Broadcast news

Anderson Cooper reveals when he knew he was gay and why it took so long to come out

Belgian pro-cyclist Justin Laevens comes out as gay
Closet Door Bustdown

Belgian pro-cyclist Justin Laevens comes out as gay


Latest on Queerty

Now Trump might be losing the lease on his golf course in West Palm Beach
game over?

Now Trump might be losing the lease on his golf course in West Palm Beach

Multinational yoga & travel fan Franco Briseno, on the motivational power of short shorts
Stretching Limits

Multinational yoga & travel fan Franco Briseno, on the motivational power of short shorts

Before Black Lives Matter, there was the Central Park Five. Discover their harrowing story
Weekend Binge

Before Black Lives Matter, there was the Central Park Five. Discover their harrowing story

Did Brie Larson just come out of the closet?
Is She?

Did Brie Larson just come out of the closet?

Melania won’t meet Dr. Jill Biden for tea, won’t even talk to her on the phone
snubbed
1.6K shares

Melania won’t meet Dr. Jill Biden for tea, won’t even talk to her on the phone

The Queerty podcast has officially arrived! Here’s where to listen.
New beginnings

The Queerty podcast has officially arrived! Here’s where to listen.

Biggest ‘Drag Race’ drama yet? Queen swears at RuPaul & storms off show.
Drama queen
12 comments

Biggest ‘Drag Race’ drama yet? Queen swears at RuPaul & storms off show.

As Melania looks back on the legacy of #BeBest, the rest of Twitter tells her to #BeGone
girl bye!
7 comments

As Melania looks back on the legacy of #BeBest, the rest of Twitter tells her to #BeGone

Twitter rejoices over photos of moving boxes outside the White House
moving out
7 comments

Twitter rejoices over photos of moving boxes outside the White House

Franklin Graham compares Republicans who voted to impeach Trump to Judas
holy moly
14 comments

Franklin Graham compares Republicans who voted to impeach Trump to Judas

“The Greatest Snow on Earth”: Five great reasons to ski or ride in Salt Lake City
wanderlust

“The Greatest Snow on Earth”: Five great reasons to ski or ride in Salt Lake City

Alleged insurrectionist quits job at local high school to become global fighter against pedophilia
pivot
18 comments

Alleged insurrectionist quits job at local high school to become global fighter against pedophilia

Free of an agenda (except that gay one)
Adam Rippon Freddie Mercury Gus Kenworthy Nick Jonas Nico Tortorella Pietro Boselli Ricky Martin Russell Tovey Zac Efron
Donald Trump Homophobia Coming Out Rupaul's Drag Race Scandal Religion Relationships Grindr
  • Q.digital
  • A Q.Digital Company
  • © 2021 Queerty, Inc.
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact

  • Share a Tip
  • Comments Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Follow

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • GayCities: Your Gay Travel Guide:

  • New York
  • London
  • San Francisco
  • Chicago
  • Los Angeles
  • Washington DC
  • Dallas
  • Gay Saskatoon
  • See all 230+ cities...