You Can Watch An All-Black 'Golden Girls' Tonight Starring Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King
Tonight, we'll be thanking a whole new group of women for being a friend. A re-imagining of Golden Girls featuring an all-Black cast is coming to a Zoom near you on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. According to a video on Tracee Ellis Ross's Instagram, Ross will play Rose in the live reading, a role originated by Betty White. Regina King will play Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Sanaa Lathan will play Blanche (Rue McClanahan), and Alfre Woodard will play Sophia (Estelle Getty).
Details about the virtual event, titled The Zoom Where it Happens, show that the first episode will benefit racial justice organization Color of Change. Free to all, the watch party will be directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball) and hosted by Lena Waithe (The Chi). "Join us for an evening that takes a look back to the sitcoms of yesteryear - Before you could pause your screens or binge watch. We bring to you our rendition of Golden Girls, reimagined with an all-Black cast of your favorite actresses," the event's description reads, teasing future installments.
Further information about the reading is TBD, including whether the group will be working with an existing episode of Golden Girls or presenting an entirely new installment. The event comes during a global racial reckoning that has found its way to the doorstep of Golden Girls. In June, Hulu removed a season 3 episode of the show from its service. Titled "Mixed Blessings," the episode features Rose and Blanche wearing mud masks and telling Dorothy's son Michael and his Black fiancée Lorraine, "This is mud on our faces, we’re not really Black." As it's been widely noted, that scene is far from the only racially tone-deaf moment in the sitcom's seven seasons.
When news of the re-vamped Golden Girls made its way to social media, several celebrities shared their anticipation for the event. "This. This. This. This. This," Kerry Washington replied to Ross' post. "Everything about this is a YES," Insecure's Yvonne Orji wrote. "Yes please! ??" Halle Berry commented on King's post.
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