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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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What other TV shows can learn from the creators of 'This Is Us' and 'The Good Place.'

On the NBC hit comedy, "The Good Place," Manny Jacinto plays, well, a lovable idiot.

The show follows a group of strangers brought together in the afterlife. Jacinto's character, Jason Mendoza, is always a little behind on the group's quickly shifting plans. But the aspiring DJ and Jacksonville Jaguars fan with a gentle spirit is often the heart of this charming comedy.

But while the hapless goof is a pretty common television trope, there's one thing that sets Jason Mendoza apart from the rest — he's Filipino-American.

GIF via "The Good Place."

It is truly rare to see Asian-American characters on television, let alone one who isn't high-achieving, bookish, or an otherwise model minority.

Mike Schur, the creator of "The Good Place," took this into account when developing the show's cast of characters.

"They were trying to figure out something different and one of the things that popped up was that you don’t really see a lot of dumb Asian guys on mainstream television," Jacinto said in a recent interview with Vulture. "He’s usually intelligent or the model minority. I’m not saying playing Jason is pioneering, but it’s so great for me to do because it’s not a stereotype."

Manny Jacinto after the Golden Globes. Photo by Loreen Sarkis/Getty Images.

Now, full disclosure, Jason was confused for a silent Buddhist monk from Taiwan named Jianyu for the first few episodes of the show, and it looked like we'd be right back into Asian stereotype territory. (It's a delightful reveal, and though I just revealed it, there are plenty more where that came from.)

But on the whole, "The Good Place" works hard to subvert and call out cultural stereotypes through character development and sharp writing. Even in a place as perfect as heaven, Mendoza is offered tofu instead of his favorite meal, buffalo wings.  And he commiserates to main character Eleanor, played by Kristen Bell, “Everyone here thinks I’m Taiwanese. I’m Filipino. That’s racist. Heaven is so racist.”

GIF via "The Good Place."

But even while calling out stereotypes and rethinking representation, Jason Mendoza's ethnicity isn't the crux of his character. And that's kind of awesome.

“His culture doesn’t make up his character,” Jacinto said in an interview with Mochi magazine. When Jason connects with other characters of color, there's no pressure to push on his background. "They’re having a normal conversation as people. It’s not something you see in mainstream media at all — usually, there’s some sort of cultural joke.”

This doesn't mean his background gets erased or ignored — just the opposite. Jason Mendoza gets to be Filipino-American, and a huge Blake Bortles stan who has a fondness for EDM. Like all of us, he's the intersection of a lot of weird and wonderful things. Why shouldn't TV show all of that?

GIF via "The Good Place."

Roles like this remind us that while colorblind casting affords great opportunities to actors of color, sometimes there's beauty in specificity.

Sterling K. Brown, who won a Golden Globe for his role as Randall Pearson in the NBC drama, "This Is Us," made a point to mention this in his acceptance speech, emphasis added.

"Dan Fogelman, you wrote a role for a black man that could only be played by a black man. What I appreciate so much about this is that I’m being seen for who I am and being appreciated for who I am. And it makes it that much more difficult to dismiss me, or dismiss anybody who looks like me.”

Sterling K. Brown poses with the trophy for Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series — Drama. Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images.

What it comes down to is this: representation matters.

Seeing someone like you, with your skin color, spiritual background, age, sexual orientation, or disability is no small thing. It can inspire, change minds, and move people to act. Every role on every show gives Hollywood another chance to get it right. Not just for top talent, but for the children (and Jacksonville Jaguar-loving adults) watching and wondering if anyone sees them too.

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Criticizing women who didn't wear black to the Golden Globes is part of the problem.

Not every woman wore black on the red carpet, and that's totally OK.

With so many stars decked out in black for this year's Golden Globes, it was hard not to notice actress Blanca Blanco's bold splash of red.

The  all-black look, adopted as part of the Time's Up campaign to end workplace harassment, became a sort of de facto red carpet uniform. Many of the night's guests adopted a more conservative look compared to years past, transforming the often obnoxious (and occasionally sexist) "Who are you wearing?" type of questions into an opportunity to discuss important societal issues.

Actresses Reese Witherspoon, Eva Longoria, Salma Hayek, and Ashley Judd attend the 2018 Golden Globes. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

Blanco and a few others, like Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Meher Tatna, donned bold colors — but with a purpose.

Blanco arrived in a daring red dress alongside actor John Savage, people immediately took notice. Variety reporter Cynthia Littleton remarked on Twitter, "I think I would call this look 'not reading the room' this year."

"The problem is that when millions of women [fight] sexism and the sexualization of the woman's body, you are just the image of what those women are fighting," wrote one Twitter user, placing the blame for sexism on women like Blanco. "Wearing a dress like this when women are asking to heard not just seen is so appalling," wrote another.

But these negative reactions sound a lot like the victim blaming and objectification of women in the workplace that the #MeToo movement is trying to address.

Blanco's choice to buck the night's unofficial dress code wasn't intended as some sort of rebuke of the Time's Up movement — in an interview with Fox News, she said that she she is "excited about the #TimesUp movement; true change is long overdue."

Similarly, there was no hidden meaning behind HFPA's Meher Tatna's outfit. PR firm Sunshine Sachs tells us Tatna stands with and supports Time's Up but wore a dress custom-made for her by Anamika Khanna because in her culture, it is customary to wear festive colors during a celebration. And this was the 75th anniversary of the Golden Globes. Tatna did, however, don a Time's Up pin in support.

Blanco, too, stands by the movement. "I love red," she offered Fox. "Wearing red does not mean I am against the movement. I applaud and stand by the courageous actresses that continue to break the cycle of abuse through their actions and fashion style choices. It is one of many factors leading women to a safer place because of their status."

After the awards, Blanco took to Twitter, saying, "Shaming is part of the problem" and "The issue is bigger than my dress color."

Shaming really is part of the problem, feeding into tired tropes about scapegoating women who were "asking for it" based on what they were wearing at any given moment.

HFPA president Meher Tatna, model Barbara Meier, and Blanco opted not to wear black to the 2018 Golden Globe Awards. Photos (L-R) by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images, Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images.

Arguing that Blanco and her dress (whether the color or the style) are somehow at fault for sexual assault and harassment is patently ridiculous — a contradiction of the spirit of the #MeToo movement and feminism itself, which is focused on equal rights for women, who should be granted the agency to make their own choices for their own reasons.

The only people to blame for harassment and assault are, by definition, those who harass and assault others, reinforcing the act's cultural acceptability.

Whether you see Blanco's red carpet dress as a fashion hit or miss, it's unfair to take it that extra step further to criticize her for the culture that made movements like Time's Up and #MeToo so sadly necessary.

Savage and Blanco attend the awards. Photo by Greg Doherty/Getty Images.

Black dress, red dress, or something else altogether, we should work to make blaming women's fashion decisions for sexism a thing of the past.

Clarification 1/9/2018: The headline was updated because not all women pictured in the share image are actresses. Additional update 1/11/2018: Information about Meher Tatna's red outfit has been included.

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Women in Hollywood are uniting to deliver an important message during awards season.

As the brightest stars in Hollywood gather at the SAG awards to celebrate the best films of the year, these time-honored celebrations may look a little different — and for good reason.

For the first time ever, the 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards will be hosted by a woman, Kristen Bell, and all of the night's presenters will be women.

This is not a coincidence. It's a very intentional, kickass decision to honor the women who made 2017 such a game-changing year when it comes to speaking up about attacks on women and families, sexual harassment, and misconduct.

“Beginning with the Women’s March in January, it’s been the year of the woman," SAG Awards Executive Director Kathy Connell told The Hollywood Reporter. “This is a unifying salute to women who have been very brave and speaking up.”

Kristen Bell attends the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Patron of the Artists Awards. Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for SAG-AFTRA Foundation.

Putting women front and center is not an attempt to slight or punish men for their performances or contributions to the industry this year. (Though frankly, some of them may deserve it.) Instead, the all-women lineup is a way to honor the strength and talent of women in a unique and highly visible way.

"It’s still an awards show and a celebration — we’re not here to preach to anybody,” Connell said. “To me, just having some of these fabulous women onstage sends its own message.”

Niecy Nash and Olivia Munn speak at the Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations Announcement. Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images.

Just prior to the SAG Awards, women attending the 2018 Golden Globes will make a statement before the show even begins by wearing black on the red carpet.

According to US Weekly, a small group of actresses decided to wear black to protest the pervasive sexual harassment and misconduct against women in the industry. The idea has since spread, and some stars are even changing their gowns in time for rapidly approaching Jan. 7 award show.

Since the fashion at these award programs is as closely watched as the talent, every photo and red carpet interview will be an opportunity for women to share their own story or the impact sexual misconduct has had on the industry.

It's sure to be a powerful demonstration.

Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images.

Official or unofficial, these coordinated efforts to center women and equality are right on time.

As more women (and folks who aren't women) break the crushing silence that often follows sexual harassment or assault, it is becoming abundantly clear just how toxic and pervasive this problem is. Not just in Hollywood, but across every industry.

By prompting the discussion of these important issues at some of the most-watched events of the year, this long-overdue conversation continues — hopefully leading toward safe and comfortable workplaces for all.

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