Who Would Have Thought A Bitch Of The Week Would Have Come From "The Golden Girls?????????"

                                Now that I am something of a "Golden Girl" myself, darlings, I can appreciate the lifestyle more.  Not that I want to move to Florida, but there is plenty to do, even when one is not working.

                                   The other day, I watched the episode entitled "Dorothy's New Friend."  This is where actress Bonnie Bartlett (wife of William Daniels) plays local author Barbara Thorndyke, who turns out not only to be a snob, but an anti-Semitic bitch.

                                     Perfect for this column, dolls!  Barbara is this week's winner of The Raving Queen Bitch Of The Week Award.

                                      Of course, it is all foreshadowed before.  It all starts with Dorothy (Beatrice Arthur) craving more stimulating companionship.  She goes to a local lecture of Barbara's, who is a local author.  Now, that is something that should have tipped Dorothy off right away.  Her titles include "So Dark The Waves On Biscayne Bay," and "Scarlet Dawn At Boca Raton."  These are hardly world beaters, darlings, and Dorothy should have spotted this outright.

                                         Barbara is condescending to Blanche and Rose; she name drops authors like Bernard Malamud, when it is clear she is not even in his literary league.  I loved when Blanche finally got her with "I know what a metaphor is, dear. I'm not dumb."

                                          Barbara is barely tolerant of Rose and Blanche, telling Dorothy they are "limited."  So is she.  Nevertheless, she does attempt a good will gesture, which turns disastrous.

                                          But not before she and Dorothy jointly dine at this spot where she says is where "the intelligentsia of Miami" hang out.  Dorothy should have realized--there is NO SUCH THING as intelligentsia in Miami!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Or in Florida!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            Barbara invites all the girls, and their dates, to a lovely evening at the town's most exclusive club--Mortimer's.  There is no problem, until Sophia's date, Howard Guttman, arrives.  He is a charming gentleman, but Barbara is put off.

                                             In the big confrontation scene in the kitchen, Barbara explains that Howard Guttman cannot come to Mortimer's, because it is "restricted"--no Jews!   I was shocked--even back in the 80's????????????  Dorothy is appalled by Barbara's intolerance, and tells her to "Go to Hell!," which she deserves.  She walks out, and that's it.

                                               Now, bitches like Barbara are not limited to Florida.  They are all over.  And that name--Thorndyke.  Bet it is a pseudonym, and if she hadn't shown up with her underage date, and mentioned that "young Moroccan," I would have thought she was a lesbian, interested in Dorothy.

                                                Bonnie Bartlett nailed Barbara as the bitch she is.

                                                 Beware of any Barbara Thorndykes, who may be lurking in your lives, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!