Au revoir, Madame Devereaux

I know this happened three days ago but I just can't stand to be party to the vulgar internet eulogizing in which many of my peers indulge, so I held off until I felt it was decent.

All I shall say is this: Blanche was, is and always will be my soul mate (though in my dumber moments I'm very Rose, my heart will always belong to the Slut). And we have the exact same reaction to form-letter rejections:

Bea Arthur

Beatrice Arthur, beloved by spinsters everywhere, passed away today.

I love this quote from her, circa 2008, in which Arthur "[recalls] with bemusement CBS executives asking about the new "girl." ... '[When I did All in the Family] I was already 50 years old. I had done so much off-Broadway, on Broadway, but they said, `Who is that girl? Let's give her her own series,' Arthur said."

Our good old, 5'9", gravel-voiced, razor-witted girl. I think Dorothy Zbornak would raise her eyebrows at that!

I like to think there's a special heaven for people who made really good TV shows, and that she's up there sharing G&Ts in a tiki bar with Estelle Getty right now.

It's Rue McClanahan's Birthday for Five More Minutes!

Come on, you have time for one more drink! I raise my glass to thee, Blanche Deveraux.