IN MEMORIAM: Rue McClanahan

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IN MEMORIAM: Rue McClanahan

POSTED: Thursday, June 3, 2010, 5:36 PM

Filed Under: TV

Super sad to say that Rue McClanahan, aka The Golden Girls' Blanche Devereaux, passed away yesterday after suffering a stroke. While 2010 has been the Year of Betty White, I alway appreciated the Southern fried Blanche. Not only was she a woman in control of her sexuality, but she was an older woman in control of her sexuality. (Actually, McClanahan was set to play White's naive Rose, and vice versa but the ladies switched at a table read because of McClanahan's prior performance as the Rose-like Vivian on Maude and White's turn as the spicy Sue Ann on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.) Blanche was the catty one, the slutty one, the Samantha (sans the gag inducement). McClahanan imbued Blanche with a mean streak that made her insanely likable, embodying "If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit by me" ideal. But McClahanan also gave Blanche a certain degree of vulnerability that softened her edges, making her palatable. She will be missed. So now that Betty White is the last Girl standing, does that make her the Highlander?

Lindsey

Posted 2010-06-03 17:39:06

OMG! BETTY WHITE IS TOTALLY THE HIGHLANDER!!!!! THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!

Drew Lazor

Posted 2010-06-03 21:51:44

It's so true.

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 5:36 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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