Straight guys and the Golden Girls

You're ready to fly right out of here aren't you OP?

I've never heard of a single one.

Maybe these two guys were forced to watch with their wives?

I'm gayer than Gay Gayerson, and I can't stand the Golden Girls. It's hard for me imagine what kind of straight guy would watch them. Maybe the Marcus Bachmann kind of straight guys?

They're actually creepy to me, especially the fake old lady. I've never watched one episode. It wasn't a gay factor - it was a stifling, creepy factor

I caught a few episodes myself here and there.

Couldn't really get into it.

I'd rather watch old Maude or Mary Tyler Moore episodes.

What were the references, OP?

Yeah we watch golden girls when they pass by.

R6, well, one was quoting chapter and verse and another just referred to Rose Nyland (sp?), Betty's character, by name.

Ask them if they know all the words to Send in the Clowns.

How old are they? It's possible they're parents watched it in the 80s and because they had no choice they watched it too, especially if they're family only had one TV.

This never happened.

I'm sure a a few were fans. And, there are probably more who familiar with the show and have caught it in passing. Obsession with it seems to be limited to gays.

Maybe they knew gay guys were into it and were trying to make you feel comfortable.

You know, like white people do when they bring up Jay Z to black people.

I think r13 has the winning answer. I'll bet that's exactly it. Its like when people meet my Italian mom and without provocation launch into how much they love spaghetti.

But how would they know details if they didn't watch, R14?

I don't watch the show, don't know any of the characters' names, though now that I've read this thread, I know Rose Nyland, and I don't know any of the bits or famous episodes. I've seen a few minutes a few times, but doubt if I've ever seen a whole show, and there's no way I could fake an interest in it.

(Just like I also couldn't fake any knowledge about Jay Z. Don't know a thing about him.)

Isn't Danny Thomas one?

Danny Thomas is Lebanese Blanche! Lebanese!

Granny porn

My (straighter than straight) father ended up watching it by default because he lived in a fucking hen house: a wife, three daughters, and even our grandmother lived with us for a while when my grandfather was getting care up here (in NY). He would never God forbid turn it on himself but it was on so damn much (both in the original and in endless reruns) that it certainly grew on him after a while. And in his own way he admitted that he liked it. Actually, he did comment a couple of times that it was probably the best ensemble ever put together on a TV show.

But no, he never fucking quoted it.

And yeah, all of my boyfriends knew I watched it, and occasionally they have humored me and watched it with me, the same way I humor them and watch Yankee games (certain sports I DO enjoy watching, but baseball was never one of them). But I still have to play it down.

Yes. I watched it growing up as part of NBC's Saturday Night line up. And though I've seen them countless times in reruns, the show still makes me laugh out loud. The writing was brilliant as was the cast. I have a feeling more straight guys watch the show but would never admit to it.

Only feminine guys watched the show willingly, whatever their sexual orientation. It has actually no appeal or relatability to normal dudes.

R20 I think there was once a Friends joke about Ross watching GG, but I'm not 100 percent sure.

Unlike The Golden Girls, I don't know every single episode of Friends backwards and forwards - yet.

OP = Ron Carlivati

Since it was such a huge hit, I think lots of people watched it and enjoyed it!?

It's like asking if "The Wizard of Oz" is iconic only because of it's gay following. I've heard many straight guys say 'that's my favorite movie!"

Stupid fags like OP who believe they own shows like ab fab or golden girls. Bitch we're only three percent of the populace and these shows are big hits everywhere. They're MAINSTREAM.

It was very popular, so probably couples looked it together on Sat evenings and enjoyed it.

R13 w&w

Straight guys can watch only the beginning of an episode of the Golden Girls, because the show is an instant cure for heterosexuality, and the viewer cannot remain straight throughout.

I'm with R5.

Most males would not admit to watching it even if they did because men watching it is so socially stigmatized and looked down on.

[quote]Only feminine guys watched the show willingly, whatever their sexual orientation. It has actually no appeal or relatability to normal dudes.

For that you could watch [italic]Silver Spoons[/italic]. With the curtains pulled WAY down.

I remember when one of the stars on that show died some woman in the office sent out an email about it. A dude on the list said he never had seen the show, and all the guys chimed in and said they had not either and would never go watching it. It seemed to be a male badge of pride that they don't watch "crazy female" shows like this. I can't imagine most men watching or admitting watching this show. It is just not a "dude show."

My Dad was indifferent to it. My Mom and I loved it and still do.

My brother watched it with my parents and I when we were kids and loved it. Unfortunately, for the exact reason R30 did, he would probably never tell anyone.

But it can't have had so many seasons on such a popular time slot if NO straight guys liked it.

I have never, ever heard of any straight man who has ever voluntarily watched The Golden Girls.

[quote]But it can't have had so many seasons on such a popular time slot if NO straight guys liked it.

Not to mention is was consistently in the top ten in the Nielsens for six of its seven seasons: S1 (#8), S2 (#5), S3 (#4), S4 (#6), S5 (#6). S6 (#10), S7 (#30). Nowadays, a sitcom is lucky if it makes it in the top ten or even 20. And GGs had stiff competition in the 1980s.

Saw a great t-shirt the other day, worn by one the guys who works at the local pot dispensary. What initially caught my eye was the "Solid Gold" logo (as in the syndicated musical program). I did a double-take, thinking, "Ha! A Solid Gold t-shirt!" And then I finally registered the illustration above the logo -- it was the Golden Girls, drawn to look like something like this:

Some straight guys at a TV.com forum discuss liking THE GOLDEN GIRLS, circa 2006.

Although I wouldn't use the term, most people would consider me a "normal dude" and I love the Golden Girls.

The show started when I as a kid and ended when I was a teenager - a time when I learned that I wasn't going to have a life like everyone else. It was a very accepting program for the time, and definitely showed it was possible that if you weren't married with kids you didn't have to end up old and alone. Plus it was funny.

I still watch it from time to time as comfort television.

R23, oh, how I WISH!

R29, I'm actually OP and R5.

I'm straight and have no problem admitting I watch The Golden Girls. But I would NEVER admit to watching The Golden Palace.

Huh

Very few men period publicly admit to watching it. It's not considered manly

My dad liked it and he was definitely straight. The Golden Girls was a big hit show in the 1980s and was in the Nielsen Top 10 for six of its seven seasons, so lots more than just gay men watched it and liked it.

I know a couple other straight guys from my generation who like it and will watch it. All the straight guys, my dad included, seem to like the character of Rose the best. Maybe that's why the straight guys you're talking about referenced Rose Nylund? She seems to be the straight man's choice.

Would men admit watching Golden Girls over admitting watching Designing Women?

Yes, R45, especially after season 5

Did you start the start guys whipping out their cocks thread?

R46, yeah, that's why Season 6 (with Duffy and Hooks) was the highest rated DW season ever and was the #6 show for the year.

The previous seasons (with Burke and Smart) were usually in the #30s or #20s, except for Season 5 which finally cracked the top ten (#10) but that was mainly due to the controversy revolving Burke and her backstage shenanigans and people tuned in to see if they could detect the animosity amongst the cast.

It seems the GG is more popular now than it was when it was first run. They even made a big deal over the gay couple on the soap General Hospital watching it on DVD. I'm not sure but I think it was also mentioned on Modern Family, of course again for the gay couple.

It's funny R19 that my father really disliked the Golden Girls because his all time favorite show ever was Soap. When I started watching Golden Girls I told him the same team that did Soap was doing this show. It really was nothing like Soap and I think that was a big disappointment to him and made him dislike it even more. We mostly had the same taste in TV shows and watched most together but never the Golden Girls. Of course we had no women in the house, just us and had our own rooms and TVs and also one in the living room so if I was watching that he never had to.

Then again he loved baseball and especially football and I never did, those or any sports so again we never watched those together. Now that he's been gone for over a decade I wish I had more interest in sports.

R49 last season of LOOKING also referenced GOLDEN GIRLS a couple times. The first time, when Patrick and Dom drive Agustin to his new place, and as they're leaving Patrick says to him (but not singing it), "Thank you for being a friend... traveled down a road and back again... your heart is true... You're a pal and a con-" and he's interrupted by Dom who is eager to return to San Fran.

Then the season ended with Patrick watching GOLDEN GIRLS online and the theme song playing.

does anyone know the name of the episode where Blanche is in her room putting on make-up and Dorothy is sitting next to her talking. Blanche says that she has the bone structure of Christie Brinkley and hopes that CB stays married to Billy Joel because she doesn't her bugged eye husband coming after her.

"You've been under more drunken sailors than a nautical toilet".

So anyway...of the two guys who referenced the GG's I think the one I'm quite fond of is truly straight and the other one, who's probably gay, is someone I'm not attracted to at all.

Dammit.

Blanche is hot and dishes out sex. What straight guy wouldn't like that?

I'm a straight guy and think The Golden Girls is one of the funniest shows ever. The writing was incredible, even in the last season and of course, the acting is great. I grew up watching it as part of NBC's Saturday Night Lineup, although early on I didn't always make it past nine o'clock, Then I watched in reruns in college and eventually bought the DVDs. I have no problem admitting this and if people think I'm gay cause I watch a certain tv show with a huge gay following, so be it.

I had an elderly neighbour (in London) who became a friend and she watched a re-run one day at my house. She'd never seen it at the time and swore she hated most comedies, but was hysterical to see GG for the first time. It happened to be the show in which they buried Dorothy's brother in a dress - so that helped.

Anyway, it brought her much joy in her old age.

I bought her Series One for Christmas.

Wasn't it a hit show when it was on TV the first time OP?

There wasn't a whole lot on TV back then, right? Just 3 channels. And so maybe they watched it back then and figured since you were gay they'd reference it, kind of like talking about hip hop to black people to establish cred, lol

[quote]There wasn't a whole lot on TV back then, right? Just 3 channels

There were a lot more than that. It wasn't the 50s and most people had cable (where I lived, anyway).

I feel like the kind of queen who asks these sort of questions is the same kind who swishily announces that any semi-fuckable celebrity is secretly a Yuuge Gay and swears that straight guys can only watch Sportsball and lesbian soft core porn lest they become a Mary.

The Golden Girls was a major long-running mainstream sitcom, in the vein of Big Bang Theory and its ilk. Anyone from that time frame or soon after would have at least a passing familiarity. It's long been a major cultural trope and it's not one that the gays own exclusively. The writing is surprisingly dirty and mean in an appealing why. Why wouldn't straight guys watch it now and then?

R19 Are you a frau?

My best friend is who is a foul mouthed straight man and total pussy hound loves golden girls. We both watch all the time and he's seen every episode multiple times as have I. He is even contemplating changing his name to Rex Huntington or Mel bushman. Blanche is his favorite character because we are both sluts like her and my friend likes to tell me in detail all the sexual acts he would love to perform on Blanche. The writing and the casting on GG is brilliant and still holds up to this day. GG is our comfort show and always will be. So yes I know at least one straight man who loves the show. There must be others out there.

Golden Girls is FUNNY. Not just to gay guys who are into camp but it's a genuinely funny, smart show. There are undoubtedly tons of straight guys who are fans of the show or at the very least have watched it a few times and enjoyed it.

The question here is whether or not they ADMIT it. Basically any show with an all female cast is going to be a "Chick show" by default and straight guys are going to trash it reflexively. The ones who freely admit to liking it are probably not aware of the stigma surrounding it and don't realize that they're being faggy. My dad is a fat, blue collar, redneck straight guy who loved Desperate Housewives. Probably because he had no friends and didn't know he would be teased for it.

I knew someone (okay, a woman) who used to turn down social invitations on a Saturday night to stay home and watch the GGs.

VCRs existed; guess she didn't know how to program hers. Or was quite antisocial.

At any rate, her favorite character was Sophia.

Come on, people. This is a classic show. One of a kind. Don't try to pigeonhole their success by making the audience gay or straight. I know men, women, gay or straight who loved the show. It also helped that there wasn't much competition when it was on Saturday nights.

R65, I must confess that Saturday night used to be a "must see" tv night. I kind of liked that stupid show with Tootie and Natalie, 8:30 - don't recall, then GG, then Amen.

I can't find a thread where we say who our favorite GG is. Did one exist a long time ago, or are we not supposed to have a favorite.

For the record, my fave is Dorothy, of course!