Just before her 100th birthday, Betty White passed away peacefully. Many people, including students and faculty at Barstow, recognize Ms. White for her work as an actress. She is especially known for her role as Rose in The Golden Girls and Sue Ann on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Ms. White was a prominent figure in Hollywood for over 70 years. Known to all as a wonderful person and optimist, she is greatly missed.
Caroline Fry, a senior at Barstow, states, “I knew Betty White from tv shows and pop culture in general, but she was also a big spokesperson for the LGBTQ+ community and reduced the stigma around it, which is incredibly important.”
Between winning many awards for her acting and spending years as an activist for animal rights, Ms. White lived an accomplished life. She won a total of six Emmys in her lifetime and spent years advocating for animal rights. Ms. White also set a Guinness World Record for the longest time spent as a female entertainer. Everyone, including students at Barstow, should have a kind, honest celebrity to look up to. With the growing rate of problematic celebrities on social media, this is becoming more difficult to find. Ms. White should be remembered as a fantastic model.
Ms. White was born on January 17, 1922, in Illinois. She grew up performing in her school’s plays but paused working as a performer to volunteer as a driver to deliver supplies to soldiers during World War II. After the war, Ms. White returned to the performing arts to act in theater plays. At one of her performances, an agent named Lane Allen noticed her and told her she should pursue acting. Betty White started appearing on radio shows, and then started appearing on television, including many game shows.
Later in life, Ms. White became an even more significant name in television. She acted as Sue Ann on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rose on The Golden Girls, and many other tv shows at the time. Ms. White also guest-starred on many popular tv shows, such as That ‘70s Show. She also appeared on the soap opera, “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
Towards the end of her life, Ms. White appeared in movies, including “The Proposal” and “You Again.” She also hosted SNL in 2010. By the time she finished her career in Hollywood, she was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame, won six Emmys, , won a Lifetime Achievement Award, and much more. She also spend years advocating for animal rights and the LGBTQ+ community.
Ms. White was well known for her positive attitude and was loved by most she worked with. She said in an interview, “Having a sense of humor is the key to a long and happy life: Just looking at the positive side and not dwelling on the downside. [It] takes up too much energy being negative.”
Fry ‘22 believes, “I think making sure to remember her culturally, whether that be through awards in her name, statues, just not letting her be forgotten, is incredibly important.” Betty White should not be forgotten for all her achievements and her contribution to the community.
Ms. White lived a long and incredible life. She managed to work as an actress and activist and was a positive role model for everyone around her. With honest celebrities becoming increasingly difficult to find these days, one such as Betty White should be celebrated. Students and faculty at Barstow should remember Ms. White for the wonderful person she was and look up to her as a role model.
