Another Tribute To Betty White
Another Tribute To Betty White
Editor: Normally CNP stays away from publishing articles on similar topics two days in a row. But in this case I said, Oh, hell, yes. So here is the second article on Betty White in two days, and I suggest just like Anna Hessel, let’s all try to be more like Betty. *Please consider donating to your local no kill shelter in the name of Betty White.
“Be Like Betty”
By Anna Hessel
The Great Betty White
The world remembers the legendary Betty White with awe, honor, and respect. Those that knew her personally recognized she treated everyone with equal importance and kindness. We often recall the “Golden Girls” theme song, “Thank You For Being A Friend”, when thinking of Betty. She was a friend to all, especially God’s furry creatures.
Lover Of All Big And Small
She is quoted as saying, “When I am around animals, I don’t pay attention to people”. Her parents were animal lovers, also, so Betty grew up visiting zoos on a regular basis. Animal rights organizations have been flooded with donations on what would have been her 100th birthday, January 17th. She was a champion of other liberal causes, as well. Also on her birthday, a Google search of Ms. White’s name unlocked rose petals fluttering down the page and a message saying, “Thank you for being a friend”.
A Television Pioneer
Ms. White was a pioneer of women in television, the first female to produce a situation comedy, “Life With Elizabeth”. In the opening of NBC’s “The Betty White Show”, which aired in 1954, Ms. White sang the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic song from “The King and I”, “Getting to Know You”. She played various characters – naughty Sue Ann Nivens, The Happy Homemaker on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”, had the title role in “The Betty White Show”, but is remembered most as the loveable, storytelling Rose Nyland on the cult classic “Golden Girls”.
Queen Of TV
In her 90’s she had a leading role in the comedic series “Hot In Cleveland”. Considered the First Lady of Television, her 80 year career even included voicing “Bitey White”, the adorable toy tiger from Pixar’s “Toy Story 4”, a Hallmark Hall of Fame appearance, an extremely well-received Snickers Super Bowl commercial, and her best-seller audio book, which she published, entitled “If You Ask Me”, for which she was awarded her first Grammy. She also appeared in over 20 motion pictures.
Multi-Talented
A natural beauty, inside and out, she touched all of our lives with humor and grace. Her dimpled smile was legendary. When asked about her career, she remarked that she hoped to have made people laugh and think. Her numerous other television appearances and guest spots included The Rose Parade, “Password”, “Match Game”, “What’s My Line”, “To Tell The Truth”, “I’ve Got A Secret”, “Just Men”; her prank show, which she executive produced, “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers”; “The John Larroquette Show”, “Ally McBeal”, “Boston Legal”, “The Practice”, “My Name Is Earl”, “Yes, Dear”, “The Lost Valentine”, “The Tonight Show”, “Saturday Night Live”, and “Betty White Goes Wild”, and on and on. Whenever Ms. White was slated to appear on one of these shows, the ratings would soar. Before that, Betty’s radio career consisted of “The Betty White Show”, as well as roles on “The Great Gildersleeve”, “This Is Your FBI”, and “Blondie”. She even had a Little Golden Book written about her.
Growing Up Betty
Betty Marion White was an only child, born in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois. Her family later moved to California. Betty’s father was an electrical engineer, who worked as a sales executive for a lighting company. Her mom was a homemaker. She was of Welsh, Greek, English, and Danish descent. During the Great Depression, with its difficult economic times, the White family moved from Alhambra, California, to Los Angeles. As a teen, she enjoyed trips to the Sierra Nevada, sparking a passion for wildlife. As a female at that time, she was unable to become a forest ranger, so she turned to theatrics.
Honoring Betty
Oak Park, her birth place held a brief ceremony honoring her legacy January 15th, complete with pet adoptions, cake, and a live Facebook feed. The event was very well attended, and included photo ops to “Be Like Betty” and a crowd sing-along of “Thank You For Being a Friend”. During this celebration, it was announced that Chicago’s Navy Pier will host the very first Golden Girls convention this coming spring. Also, a Betty White parade in New Orleans was attended by hundreds of people.
Her Many Accomplishments
Though Betty was, as Rose Nyland would put it, “Not one to blow her own vertubenflugen.” I want to take just a minute to highlight some of her many awards: Women Film Critic Circle Awards, TV Guide Awards, Teen Choice Awards, Television Critics Association Awards, SAG Awards, People’s Choice Awards, Movie Guide Awards, MTV Awards, Critics Choice Award, Golden Globe Awards, American Comedy Awards, a Gracie Allen Award, Grammy Awards; 5 national prime-time, one daytime (the first women to win one for the category of “Outstanding Game Show Host”). Also she was the recipient of a number of Lifetime Achievement Awards including one from the Publicists Guild of America. She in 1988 Betty got her star on the Walk of Fame.
Thankful For Our Friend
Ms. White’s assistant, sharing one of the very last photos of Betty, quipped, “She was as happy as ever”. Ms. White died peacefully in her sleep from a stroke on New Year’s Eve 2021, only 17 days short of her 100th birthday. This fulfilled her wish to be reunited with her very beloved husband, “Password” game show host Allen Ludden, and her Golden Girls co-stars, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty, who had all passed previously. Betty was married three times, although she had no human children, she had an infinite number of “fur-babies”. Her classic St. Olaf stories are a favorite of mine – I share her love of animals, and admire her zest and compassion. We should all strive to be much more like Betty, the legend that we love. Betty White, thank you for being our friend.
