The news of the tragic demise of Betty Marion White Ludden has put the whole world, no matter the generation, in mourn. More commonly known from her stage name: Betty White, she has often been considered the First Lady of the television and the Honorary Mayor of Hollywood for the plethora of shows she played in but, more importantly, the dedication she has given not only to the entertainment industry but also to several good causes. She, unfortunately, passed away the 31st of December 2021, 2 weeks before her birthday which would have been her 100th.
Betty White is the perfect role models for each individual of this Earth. She is the incarnation of activism, hard work and determination. With her 82 years of experience and the fact that she started as a part-time radio hostess, Betty White is the epitome of someone who had to climb all the steps of the ladders one by one. Her journey has been tumultuous right from the start since she was continually rejected for roles in movies for not being ‘photogenic’ enough for the producers and had to start as commercial actress and member of show crowds which later on led her to a radio job.
Among the endless prizes she won and the millions of hearts she conquered by her lively and hilarious characters, her careers highlights were her Guiness Record for the ‘Longest TV Career for Entertainer’ and her Emmy won for ‘The Golden Girls’ where she was nominated 7 years in a row. She earned the respect of important figures such as Joe Biden or Oprah Winfrey as well as worked with celebrities like Ryan Reynolds or Lucille Ball, her best friend. Moreover, she hosted the Saturday Night Live in 2010, being the oldest host of that show at 88 years old then at, as a result of a Facebook campaign called ‘Betty White to Host SNL (please)’ which included around 500,000 members and reappeared on SNL in 2015 at 93
There are several causes for which Betty White advocated and numerous organizations she collaborated with to show the ardor of his beliefs. First, as a woman in the entertainment industry since the 1950s, she had to work five and a half hours for 6 days a week in a radio station for 4 years as her first big job. She did not give up and that quality is what made me one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood. In 1952, she directed her own movie called ‘Television Comedy Life with Elizabeth’ for which she won a Los Angeles Emmy Award but also which propelled her career as one of the very few women in television with the control over their own shows, a feat at that time. With the help of Lucille Ball, they did not give in to the opposite gender and fought through thick and thin. This is why the younger generation saw a warrior in her and a role model.
A second cause for which she got criticism at that time was her opinions towards racial minorities. Coming from a Caucasian background in the 20th century, the US was considered to be racist as the majority of the population was of the same color as them. However, to Betty, it did not fail the show; quite the contrary. When she was directing her first show, the latter featured actors from diverse background including a black man which defied the brutal macho stereotype, playing the role of a tap dancer. This earned her a lot of hate and threats telling her to remove the actor from the series. Of course, Betty made a public interview about the matter to which she responded: “He stays, live with it" and granted the man greater airtime on the show– a power move then which created support and was considered a breakthrough for the world at that time
Another advocacy close to Mrs. White’s heart: Animal Welfare. Being a pet enthusiastic and a defender of the animal rights, she did not spare her efforts. According to Wikipedia, her first involvement for the animals was her series called ‘The Pet Set’ produced and host by herself in the 1970s. She also served as trustee for the ‘Morris Animal Foundation’ which she was elected the president in 2009. Throughout her career, she worked hand in hand with endless organizations namely: “Los Angeles Zoo Commission, African Wildlife Foundation, Actors and other for animals. She used her fame to appeal to a wider range of the public. Her contributions to these organization were not only her devotion but only her regular monetary donations; something many modern celebrities cannot say to have done the same. According to a member in the Los Angeles Zoo, Betty’s donation for the month of April in 2008 amounted to $100,000.
A last cause of her support and definitely not a least, LBGT rights. Although her involvement on the matter is not as vehement as hers in the other fields, she remained an ally to the LGBT community. In an interview where she was directly asked about her opinion on the subject, she did not hesitate to compare homosexual relationships to heterosexual ones stating that gay relationships are more solid than some hetero ones. Moreover, she added: ‘Mind your own business, take care of your affairs, and don’t worry about people so much” – a quote homophobes can start using a lesson for their future.
All the heart she put in defending the lives of other living creatures is a true sign of her pure soul. In 2018, a PBS documentary called ‘Betty White; First Lady of Television’ was released and the biography was such a success that another one was programmed to released on her 100th birthday called ‘Betty White: A celebration’ which had interviews from all the coworkers she had in life… but will obviously miss its protagonist now. Indeed, two weeks before the premiere, the woman of the hour departed. Rest in peace Betty White…
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