Let’s face it, Betty White is a national treasure. This year is White’s 99th birthday (January 17) and in the 82+ years of her career, she has endeared herself to the LGBTQ community. While some of us know White best for her role as Rose Nylund on the iconic ‘80s NBC sitcom, The Golden Girls, White has an illustrious career before and after that show.
Here are some of the reasons we love Betty:
Betty White is a true ally to the LGBTQ community
White has made known her love of the LGBTQ in her various appearances and interviews in recent years. While in attendance at the GLAAD Media Awards 2013, White shared her thoughts on marriage equality.
She and Rue McClanahan did a panel at The Paley Center for Media with The Golden Girls creator Marc Cherry. During the panel, it was discussed why the show was appealing to the gay community.
She never takes herself seriously
White appeared in a Snickers Super Bowl commercial in which she was the joke of the commercial.
In 2012, White did a commercial for Tide detergent. The premise of the commercial was to have her in a bunker preparing for the upcoming 2012 apocalypse that never happened.
White appeared as a diva version of herself in the ABC dramedy, Ugly Betty.
White is the oldest person to host Saturday Night Live
After appearing in the Snickers Super Bowl commercial earlier in 2010, demand for White to host the long-running sketch show through a Facebook page resulted in her hosting the Mother’s Day episode. At the time of the show, White was 88, making her the oldest guest host. White also won an Emmy for guest hosting SNL.
White is very saucy in her late-night talk show appearances
Whether it is drooling over Jason Momoa on Conan or scolding James Corden for not shaving, it is not hard to see why the late-night talk show hosts love having the actress come on their show.
White is a Dog Lover
At an early age, thanks to her parents, White has a soft spot for animals, especially dogs. White’s golden retriever Pontiac is in her will to inherit a portion of her estate.
And of course, The Golden Girls…
Many of us grew up right during the time The Golden Girls originally aired on NBC, thus making it the first time when had ever seen White on television. Her character, Rose, made us laugh so many times, whether it was some Saint Olaf story or her delivery of an insult.
Let us know what you think in the comments or on our social media accounts.
Sources: The Wayback Machine, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Woof Republic
