Betty Marion White Ludden also known as Betty White and often referred to as the "First Lady of Television '' was an American actress and comedian with a career spanning over eight decades. She, a pioneer of early television, the treasure of Hollywood, one of the first women to work both in front of and behind the camera, unfortunately died on 31st December 2021 because of a stroke at the age of 99 just few weeks before her 100th birthday.
She was a groundbreaking television comedienne, bringing the inner lives of American women to the forefront in popular sitcoms across seven decades. She paved the way for female comedians to express themselves fully, tackle unexpected roles, take on production roles, as she did beginning in the early 1950s. She was a person who broke barriers for women in television. When she had just started her career, she starred in several high school theater productions before graduating and joining the American Women's Voluntary Services during World War II. She broke into television as the host of “Hollywood on Television '' (1949-53). She is considered the first woman to host a talk show and she didn't stop there, but continued to break several other barriers for women in the television industry throughout her lifetime. In “Life With Elizabeth,” a sitcom in which she starred from 1953 to 1955 recounted the goofy mishaps of the error-prone Elizabeth and her new husband. In her role, she broadened the typical range and role of the ditzy housewife character with a self-awareness and proto-feminist irreverence. At the end of each skit, a male narrator would pose a question: “Elizabeth, aren’t you ashamed?” she would pause, then respond with a shake of her head—not in the least.
For me, she was a strong minded woman who was willing to break the social norms that were placed against women in her time. She was a unique thinker, as she had her own ideas and thoughts when women were restrained. She was one of those women who made an effort to actually change the controversial thoughts of society on women in television and proved that women could also make great changes through her actions. Though she was not a feminist, she was definitely a feminist role model. A great leader and role model for all the women in the entertainment industries. She never fully retired. Even though she had stopped acting, she still took on projects. Her last project was in 2019. According to me, she was a person who continued to take on new challenges. At a time of life when people are supposed to relax and step away from their work, she still continued on her passion and dreams. She was a very passionate person. A lot of people were devastated when the news came out that she left this world. I am pretty sure that all the people who considered her as their role model were also very depressed. The only regret was that America was not able to celebrate her 100th birthday which she was looking forward to.
Comments