This TAW has been in tons of TV sitcoms (many named after her). She is also an Honorary Forest Ranger. She said she always wanted to be one but couldn’t because girls weren’t allowed. Can you name this TAW?
She’s Betty White!
Can I just say that when I am 90 years old, I would love to have accomplished HALF of what Betty White has done. To be honest, I don’t think I have ever seen an IMDB page longer than that of Betty White…and I have done a lot of IMDB surfing in my days. But, during my IMDB excursion (and other research), I have learned that Betty White is so much more than her cough 375 IMDB entries (if I didn’t know that already).
Can we talk about the park ranger thing (other than that being a completely unique “what I want to be when I grow up” story)? I think a lot of actors like to talk about their childhoods by saying, “Oh, I always knew I wanted to act.” But BWhite rejected that norm. She didn’t come out and say, “I want to be a beauty queen, or a model, or a princess.” No. She said, “I want to be a Forest Ranger.”
I think it’s amazing that she made the choice to discuss her childhood in a very real way. And she’s completely right. During her childhood, women weren’t park rangers. Only until recently have women started to comprise more of the ranger workplace.
Alright, before I go nuts over this park ranger thing, let’s move on. According to IMDB and a great interview on YouTube (see below), Betty White also had dreams of becoming a writer. After high school, she had a successful radio show and eventually started working in television. She had many eponymous sitcoms during this time and became popular as a TV host. In the 1970s, BWhite started to get into comedy and thus, a star was born. I’m kidding. But I do think her work in comedy is probably where we start to see the Betty White we know and love.
I won’t go too much into her acting career. All anyone has to do is turn the TV on at any hour and there is probably some show or movie or whatever that has a hilarious BWhite scene or two (The Proposal anyone?). So instead, I will talk about her non-theatric endeavors.
In between her work, she joined the American Women’s Voluntary Services to help serve during World War 2. I think this is great for several reasons.
- Whenever we hear about someone putting their career on hold to help out Amurrrica, it is always a man…and it is always Elvis.
- I think it breaks down this stereotype that only the men left during WW2 to fight for God & Country and that the women were left behind until they came back. BWhite not only helped during the war, but she kept up with her career which was….I’m not going to go there again….you get my drift.
Additionally, Betty has been an avid animal rights activist during her career. She not only put together a calendar to raise help raise awareness but she also has set a great example of activism in acting (take that alliteration!). You all remember As Good As It Gets, right? Well, did you know that BWhite turned down the role of Helen Hunt’s mom because she didn’t like how the animals would be treated on set? This is a great example to me because it’s easy to be an activist when it’s conducive to your lifestyle. But, when it could potentially impact a job, how easy would it be to maintain?
This becomes clear to me every time I remotely consider becoming a vegan. I say, “Hmm…I’m going to gradually try to limit my meat consumption.” Five minutes later, I am shoving a cheeseburger into my mouth while munching on chicken nuggets and drinking a gallon of milk (Okay…clearly exaggeration but you get my point).
Anyways, for these reasons, I think it’s only right to induct Betty White into the ranks of the Totally Awesome Women (like she doesn’t have enough awards).
But, in case you’re not totally sold, veg out on some of these quick facts:
*She was nominated for the first Emmy Award that was designed to applaud women on TV.
*She co-founded a production company.
*She was a commentator on a number of parades (think Macy’s)
* She said Charles Darwin is her hero.
*Do you see that picture of her with Obama?
*Did I mention the forest ranger thing??? (I know I know)
Cites:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QqbgF1DtEw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QqbgF1DtEw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAqY8kGBd4Y
http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2010/06/betty-white-reflects-on-a-golden-career-.html
http://news.yahoo.com/betty-white-reveals-her-presidential-preference-071449210.html
ShoutOut! James Madison University 
Betty White is amazing! I feel like she manages to ignore a lot of the hang ups that women face in Hollywood as they age. She’s been able to continue to have a successful, hilarious career and, if anything, her career has exploded in her old age, which is so amazing. I feel like she has no limits, she just decides she wants to do something and so, she does it. No worries about if she should or can, or what people might say. She probably gets up in the morning and decides, “I’m gonna do whatever I want and do it well!” epic. I. want. to. be. her.
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Is it weird if I responded to this in my head but forgot to actually respond to it? I know what you mean about having no limits. I was watching her on “Inside the Actor’s Studio” and she was talking about the roles she plays and eventually she said something along the lines of, “Well I get a lot of jobs because who else is going to play a 90 year old woman.” Maggie Smith said something similar. Picture this: them in a movie together. Mind blown.
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