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A teen tried to prank Rue McClanahan with a profane question but her response was golden

Larry King wasn’t ready for it, but she was unshakable.

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Rue McClanahan at a book signing. Brightly colored 80s telephones.

If you had a television in the mid-80s, it's quite possible you would have at least heard of the NBC sitcom The Golden Girls. Created by Susan Harris, it wasn't only a huge ratings hit with audiences, but a darling for critics as well, winning Golden Globes and Emmys, including one for each of its leading actresses.

The show was ahead of its time and truly spoke to women entering their "third act" of life. The premise? Four women share a Miami home while navigating life after 50 and learning that friendship is a beacon of light when facing any kind of adversity.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com, NBC, The Golden Girls

Those women—Dorothy, Rose, Sophia, and Blanche—were played brilliantly by Bea Arthur, Betty White, Estelle Getty, and Rue McClanahan, respectively.

In 1988, McClanahan went on Larry King Live to promote The Golden Girls and also her work with Purina's Pets for People program, which Rue explains is an "adoption program that Purina has helped set up for citizens over 60 years old."

-Rue McClanahan on Larry King Live in 1988www.youtube.com, Larry King Live, CNN

Appearing via satellite in a bright green patterned blazer, she and Larry King discuss the show, of course. Larry asks, "When that idea was presented to you—when they did the pilot—did you think it would be a winner?" McClanahan answers emphatically, "Yes, I did! In fact, even before I opened it. When I saw the title, The Golden Girls, I said, Uh-oh, I wanna be a part of this."

They also discuss that the audience for the show wasn't just senior citizens. McClanahan, in fact, shares, "Most of the fan mail I get is from teens." Which is what made what happened just a few minutes later all the more hilarious and outrageous.

King opens up the phone lines for callers to ask questions, which a few respectfully did. Then, a younger voice appears on the line from Lansing, Michigan, sounding possibly like he might be in middle school. He then asks a question not meant for primetime. Possibly, on a dare, he inquires, "Um, I'd like to know, when was the first 'F' you've ever had?" It's jarring for sure. But leave it to McClanahan, perhaps channeling her inner Blanche, to laugh with pure glee.

This video contains language that might not be suitable for a younger audience.

From @thegoldengirls.4 life via @thetotally80sroom Instagram page:

While King seems understandably uncomfortable (as did perhaps so many of us) McClanahan sees the absurdity, maybe even remembering what prank-calling was all about for tweens and teens. She exclaims, "That was a pornographic phone call…isn't that fun?" Her shoulders shake with laughter.

King tries to cover, though he too is now laughing. "Maybe he meant job? Where was your first paid job?"

The comment section is alive with reactions, with a top commenter pointing out, "Her reaction is so Blanche," and another with a similar sentiment: "He asked #BlancheDevereaux a legitimate question…am I right or am I right?"

Another, seemingly a fan of the show, writes, "That call sounded like Betty." (Referring, of course, to the late Betty White, who was a notorious prankster.)

Betty White, The Golden Girls, prankster, silliness, gifBetty White dances joyously.Giphy, Golden Girls Dancing GIF by TV Land

This commenter claims, "…and that was when the FCC instituted the seven-second delay on LIVE TV, LOL."

Another adds that this kind of thing wasn't just common in the U.S. "Used to get these kinds of calls all the time in the UK on Saturday morning kids' shows."

The overall consensus was that McClanahan handled it like a champ. "This is why they are all beloved forever," reads another comment. One goes a step further by romanticizing the decade, in general: "The 80's Were A Magical Era Of Our Lives."


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Ava DuVernay’s heartfelt tweet about Lena Waithe is a reminder to fight for your dreams.

You know incredibly dope, superfly Lena Waithe, right?    

GIF via Paley Center for Media/Tumblr.

The goofy, brilliant, loveable, queer black woman everyone just can’t get enough of?  

Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images.

Well, the brilliant actress and screenwriter recently made history in a really awesome way.  

She’s just become Vanity Fair’s first openly black, lesbian cover star.

Vanity Fair, one of the world’s most famous high-end magazines, made the excellent decision to feature Waithe on the cover of its April issue.

Naturally, the internet went wild.

 
 
 

 LEEEEENNNNAAAAAAAAAAAAA 💯

 

A post shared by Elaine Welteroth (@elainewelteroth) on

The incredible cover has been lauded by actors, musicians, journalists, and screenwriters alike.

Many are praising new editor-in-chief, Radhika Jones, for using her first Vanity Fair magazine issue to amplify a queer black woman’s story and change the game.

Photographed by the always-iconic Annie Leibovitz, Waithe’s cover is a welcome change to the homogenous, somewhat stuffy narrative that Vanity Fair’s been criticized for in the past.

But Jones is making a very clear statement with this cover: The world of film and art is changing, and readers should take note.        

The shoot’s candid photos of everyday life deviate from Vanity Fair’s norm of solely showcasing high-fashion imagery. Considering the magazine’s historical focus on white, heterosexual, cisgender people (for instance, their all-white female cover in 2017), it’s encouraging that Jones is making good on her promise to take the sometimes-exclusionary publication to the next level.

She’s doing so by engaging with the current cultural moment to diversify the ways in which we tell stories — and whose stories get told in the first place.

The honor is certainly well-deserved. Waithe has worked in the industry for more than a decade and recently became the first black woman to win an Emmy for comedy writing for her incredible “Master of None” episode, “Thanksgiving.”  

Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SXSW.

But considering the fact that she’s now voicing commercials, producing and writing the beloved television show “The Chi,” and working with Steven Spielberg on a new movie, the actress/screenwriter/producer seems to be just getting started.

Unapologetically black and lesbian, Waithe remains true to herself while also working to lift marginalized voices on her journey to success.    

GIF from The Emmys.

While it’s certainly impressive, there’s one star who really wasn’t surprised by Waithe skyrocketing to the top.

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay saw Waithe’s talent nearly 10 years ago on the set of one of DuVernay’s first films.    

Yes, Ms. DuVernay, you did tell us so.

Her tweets are a delightful reminder for anyone who’s working longer hours, having a few sleepless nights, and hustling to mark their mark in the world.

Hard work pays off.

Entering a new industry, taking a chance on a dream, or working towards a degree often takes extra time and energy, but DuVernay reminds us that doing your absolute best (even when it feels like you're at the bottom) pays off.  

DuVernay isn’t the first to applaud Waithe for her work ethic, either. Waithe had a long working relationship with “Love & Basketball” director Gina Prince-Bythewood and often discussed the long — usually hilarious — days that gave Waithe some of her most invaluable experience.

“There is nothing I cannot do," she once said. "With a little bit of help, little bit of resources, and little bit of swag, I’m gon' get there."  

Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Essence.

In a world that’s constantly challenging everyone to think bigger, work harder, and achieve more, Waithe’s words ring truer than ever. Fighting for your dreams is hard work that often requires long hours, sleepless nights, and sacrifices.

But DuVernay’s words are incredibly motivating for anyone trying to make it.  

Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images.

When you respect others, remain true to yourself, and work hard to listen and learn each day, nothing is impossible.

Lena Waithe taught us that.

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What Alec Baldwin got right — and wrong — about the power of art at the Emmys.

Art affects each of our lives, but so does government.

Alec Baldwin is getting a lot of press following the jabs he took at President Donald Trump in his acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at this year's Emmys.

GIF via CBS/YouTube.

During Trump's time hosting "The Apprentice," he was nominated for two Emmys but never won. Trump has often detailed his grievances with the award show, saying, "The Emmys have no credibility"; arguing that he didn't win because of politics; and, in 2012, even blaming the show's "bad ratings" on the fact that he wasn't nominated that year. But Trump's inability to lose graciously is not what we need to talk about right now.

In the closing moments of Baldwin's speech, he kinda missed the mark on something vitally important.

Baldwin wrapped his speech with a message of hope about the power of art, but in doing so, downplayed something else (emphasis added):

"I always remember what someone told me — that is when you die you don’t remember a bill that Congress passed or a decision the Supreme Court made or an address made by the president. You remember a song. You remember a line from a movie. You remember a play. You remember a book. A painting. A poem. What we do is important. And for all of you out there in motion pictures and television, don’t stop doing what you are doing. The audience is counting on you."

Baldwin accepts the award for his portrayal of Trump. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

The power of art is a nice sentiment, especially at an award show celebrating just that, but downplaying the significance of legislation and court decisions is a luxury many cannot afford.

While Baldwin may be right — a poem or TV show may stick in our brains more than a piece of legislation — it's pieces of legislation that truly have an effect on our lives and can alter everything from our quality of living to how long we live. A Supreme Court decision may one day determine once and for all whether or not it's legal to deny me housing, employment, health care, or access to public accommodations protections simply because I'm transgender. Legislation being proposed in Congress could gut access to health care for low-income individuals who rely on Medicaid or any number of other social programs.

Recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals protections may be pulled away from the only home they've known if legislation doesn't soon grant them a more permanent status in America. Some members of Congress are moving to turn the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into a shell of what it once was, making the world a lot less accessible to millions of people. As Robyn Powell of Rewire wrote of the proposed ADA changes, "Never in my life as a disabled woman have I been so terrified of losing my civil rights as I am now."

Even the songs, movies, plays, books, paintings, and poems Baldwin championed in his speech are at risk of losing funding, depending on what moves the government makes when it comes to budgeting.

Government legislation matters, and good legislation affects our lives in ways that aren't always apparent.

For instance, during a July debate between conservative commentator Tomi Lahren and comedian Chelsea Handler, Lahren unwittingly admitted that she benefits from the Affordable Care Act.

Asked whether or not she had health insurance, Lahren replied, "Luckily, I am 24, so I am still on my parents'." That's thanks to a provision in the ACA that allows people to stay on their parents' plans until they're 26. Millions of people benefit from that change, and it's such a commonsense, helpful bit of legislation that it's easy to forget things haven't always been this way. It's not something we should take for granted.

Baldwin speaks at January's "We Stand United" rally outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York. Photo by Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images.

It's not as though Baldwin is aloof here, and he would almost certainly agree that things like court rulings and pieces of legislation can affect us in both positive and negative ways — even some that we might not be immediately aware of. Baldwin, famously, is open about his personal politics. He's been an outspoken proponent of addressing climate change and even protested Trump's inauguration. There is no doubt that he understands the power of government — for good and for bad. It's safe to say that his speech was not meant to downplay those effects.

The truth is, however, that there are people who wonder why everything has to be about politics lately. The answer is simple: Millions of lives hang in the balance. Art is important, but we can't forget the lives that can be drastically affected by various court decisions and legislation.

Watch Baldwin's acceptance speech below.

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A popular sitcom is standing with Planned Parenthood in an amazingly generous way.

Before the Emmy nominations come out in July, production companies spend a small fortune advertising their best TV shows.

These "for your consideration" advertisements in trade magazines, newspapers, and on billboards are common.

But this year, the popular CBS sitcom "Mom" is pushing back on this expensive tradition.

Anna Faris as Christy (left) and Allison Janney as Bonnie. Photo via Robert Voets/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

Instead of the traditional Emmy ad campaign, "Mom" will donate $250,000 to Planned Parenthood.

The show's star, Emmy-winner Allison Janney, and Executive Producer Chuck Lorre appeared on the "CBS This Morning" to discuss the forward-thinking idea.

"Our show is all about women, and we don't shy away from dealing with all issues that affect women and families," Janney said in the interview. "Planned Parenthood is such an important organization that helps give health services to millions of women and families, and it's in danger."

Image via CBS This Morning/YouTube.

The generous donation couldn't have come at a better time, as Planned Parenthood's federal funding is threatened.

Planned Parenthood provides reproductive health care to 2.5 million patients each year, many relying on the organization for all of their care needs. But the latest health care bill seeks to defund Planned Parenthood, which really means blocking patients who rely on public health programs from getting the care they need at Planned Parenthood locations. This move would greatly affect people of color, people in rural areas, and people with low incomes.

Madison Tolchin visits Paula Glass, an advanced registered nurse practitioner, for a health checkup at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Wellington, Florida. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

Every donation will help the organization provide care, education, and advocacy. That's why "Mom" isn't stopping at $250,000 — they're encouraging fans to donate as well.

Image courtesy of CBS.

"It's such a critical time," Janney said. "It made sense that we stand up now and say something and encourage other people to donate to Planned Parenthood and help this organization."

"Mom's" break from tradition may be seen as controversial, but Janney and Lorre are steadfast in using their celebrity and money for good.

"It's not a statement about the Emmys. We'd loved to be included," Lorre said. "It just seemed like a better way to put that money to work."

Let's hope their generosity catches on.

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