An episode of “The Golden Girls” that features a gag in which the girls are mistaken for wearing blackface has been pulled from streaming on Hulu.
The Golden Girls, a beloved sitcom that ran from 1985 to 1992, has recently come under scrutiny for an episode that features blackface. In the episode, called Mixed Blessings, two of the show’s stars, Rue McClanahan and Betty White, appear on screen with mud masks on their faces as a way to make a part of their beauty regimen.
The controversy surrounding this episode has resurfaced in light of the Black Lives Matter movement, with many people calling for it to be removed from streaming platforms. But the episode also touches on issues of ageism and interracial relationships, highlighting the complexity of social issues that were present in the late 1980s.
Mixed Blessings was aired back in 1988 and tells the story of Dorothy’s (Bea Arthur) son Michael (Scott Jacoby), who wants to marry an older Black woman named Lorraine (Rosalind Cash). His mother, however, does not approve of the union, but not because Lorraine is Black; it’s because she’s much older than her son. The two families then join forces to stop the wedding.
When Lorraine and Michael come to visit the family, they walk in on Blanche and Rose wearing mud masks on their faces as face treatment for aging. Lorraine, a Black woman, is shocked to see the two Golden Girls wearing what appears to be blackface, and Rose tries to make light of the situation by saying, “This is mud on our faces, we’re not really Black.” While this joke may have been acceptable back in the late 1980s, it’s not something that would be tolerated today.
As the episode continues, Lorraine’s mother, Greta, expresses concern about her daughter marrying into a family with racist tendencies. Dorothy also has reservations about the union, and when Greta asks if she has something against Black people, Blanche, still wearing blackface makeup, speaks up and says, “Of course not! And I resent the insinuation! Why we firmly believe that all men are created equal.” But it’s hard to take Blanche seriously when she’s wearing blackface.
Dorothy argues that the age difference between Lorraine and Michael is the real issue, not race. Blanche, ever the quipster chimes in with, “Sex!” Greta doesn’t care about the age difference, but she does care about Michael’s relatives wearing blackface. She would rather her daughter date a Black man than someone from a family with racist tendencies.
With its blackface scenes, this episode of The Golden Girls is no longer available on Hulu. While it may have been acceptable at the time, it’s now a reminder of how far we’ve come in our fight for racial equality.
Sources: AWM, Dailymail, People
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