We Can All Learn Something From Betty White

Actress Betty White. Photo retrieved from Good Housekeeping.

Rayanna Parnitzke

    Betty White, former actress from The Golden Girls and TV personality, died on New Year’s Eve at 99 years old. She was a feminist who broke borders and challenged stigmas, an animal rights activist, a supporter of minority civil rights in a time where it was rare, and a successful leader in American television. She left behind a legacy that cannot go unnoticed.

White volunteered in the Army during WWII. Photo from People

    In a time when women were expected to be housewives or secretaries, Betty White refused to settle. She joined the U.S. Army in World War II and served our country as a young woman. After the war, she began her career in television, co-hosting a show and later starting her own daily show. She won five Emmy awards for her acting and was nominated for sixteen. She didn’t stop there: she acted in movies and appeared on game shows, and hosted many events, such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. She won a Grammy for her audiobook If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't). She became the oldest person to host SNL and she won a Grammy for her comedic role.

            Betty White loved animals and supported animal rescue efforts throughout her life. Photo from People.

Betty White won many awards and led a successful life in television and acting, but maybe even more impressive was her continued support for the people (and animals) around her. She was married three times but stayed with her last husband, Allen Ludden, until his death in 1981. She never remarried and she never had biological children, a testament to the lifelong commitment to her work. However, she step-mothered Ludden’s three children. She also helped to fight the stigmas against AIDS/HIV as well as ageism as she grew older. She learned to be optimistic and advised others to “get over” their fear of aging and to live their lives to the fullest. She loved animals, and started a pet fan club that donated money to animal rescue charities. When she became the host of her own show, The Betty White Show, in 1954, she hired a female director as well as a tap dancer named Arthur Duncan. Her show was ridiculed and boycotted for featuring Duncan, who was an African-American, but she continued to feature him on the show until it was cancelled. She told those who ridiculed her, “I’m sorry. Live with it.” She never cared what others thought, and she always spoke her mind and told people to mind their own business.

Betty White (far right) and the Golden Girls. Image from Showbiz Cheat Sheet.

So what can we learn from Betty White? White proved that we can break barriers and accomplish the things we never thought we could. We can be committed to our passions and learn to not worry too much about the future. We can learn to mind our own business when it comes to other people’s private lives. We can love the people and animals around us, and help others even when we might be criticized. As White herself said, “I just make it my business to get along with people so I can have fun. It’s that simple.”