I arrived at Rue La Rue Café on the early side of the lunch hour, both starving and woefully undercaffeinated. There was no wait at the counter, which in turn, made me feel pressured to choose something quickly. As the thirty-something man behind the register smiled kindly at me, I scanned the two-sided laminated menu…
Well, it’s time for another round of social-media mourning for Rue McClanahan, despite the fact that the Golden Girls cast member has been dead for five years. And no, you don’t have deja vu—this is, in fact, the second time that McClanahan has been reanimated and subsequently killed by Facebook and/or Twitter.
Fret not: Despite Facebook posts to the contrary, Betty White is alive and kicking. Rumors of her demise are thanks to America's poor reading comprehension skills and some confusion over her bottle-blonde hairdo.
A couple of hours ago, my boyfriend walked in my office and said "I think one of the Golden Girls died."
The best part about Rue McClanahan's apartment — which she was about to sell before she died and is featured in the real estate section of The New York Times — is not the spice rack/secret passageway. It's better:
Today in Tweet Beat, everybody loved Rue McClanahan, as evidenced by the many celebrities—like Lance Bass, Margaret Cho, Marlon Wayans and John Larroquette—who were sad to learn that she'd passed away today.
Rue McClanahan—who passed away today—is best remembered for her Emmy-winning role on The Golden Girls. Blanche Devereaux was a notch in the bedpost of sex-positive feminism because—for the first time—a self-involved, slutty, older lady was endearing, not repulsive.
More in memory of Rue later, but for now: Be mesmerized as she shimmies and shakes to the Pixies (not the original soundtrack, obvs), from 1968's Hollywood After Dark. [You Tube]
Rue McClanahan passed away early this morning after suffering a massive stroke. The Golden Girls star suffered a previous stroke in November, from which she never fully recovered. More to come. Thank you for being a friend, Rue. [People]
Along with the "Time 100," there's this list of the 100 least influential people, which includes freaking RUE MCCLANAHAN, apparently because she's overshadowed by Betty White's second wind. Listen: We adore Betty, but don't you dare question Blanche Devereaux. [Time]
Ranging from trashy to tragic to triumphant, the biographies and memoirs in this compilation not only tell the stories of the women who've helped define "celebrity" in the past 100 years, but also provide some pretty entertaining bathroom reads.
Rue McClanahan, 75, is recovering from a stroke she suffered after having bypass surgery in November, her (sixth) husband has revealed. With her speech and mobility affect, McClanahan is currently in a nursing facility. [M&C]
This morning, Rue McClanahan and Betty White called GMA to remember their Golden Girls co-star Bea Arthur. Rue says Bea was actually quiet and timid, but always brave as a performer. Clip at left.
