The Golden Girls

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 sexagenariansand one octogenarianleading 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 Girls: 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 timeissues 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 werent 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 worlds 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 meanno matter ones race, religion, creed, or sexual orientation.