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Original poster

To think the Golden Girls had a great living arrangement

86 replies

Twinstudy · 01/08/2021 10:59

And wonder why more people don't do it?

I recently noticed golden girls was on Disney+ and remembered my mum watching it when I was younger so put it on for a bit of nostalgia.

Four older divorced/widowed women living in a house share just seems like a great idea to me. Lots of women in their situation find themselves lonely and struggling financially so this just seems like a perfect solution. Obviously lots of people would hate it and it'd need to be a pretty big house but in a lot of ways it seems ideal to me but it's not something I've come across in real life.

OP posts:
CounsellorTroi · 01/08/2021 11:00

It does seem a good idea.

I love Bea Arthur.

ParadiseLaundry · 01/08/2021 11:04

I started watching it the other day and was shocked to see it described them as 'middle aged women' Shock when I was a kid watching it I always thought they were elderly! I suppose watching it now they were probably only meant to be in their 50s, were their exact ages specified?

But yes, I think it would be a great set up! All the midnight chats and cheesecake! Yes please!

Original poster
Twinstudy · 01/08/2021 11:14

Ha ha yes to the age thing, I guess when you're young 50s is elderly 😄 I think Dorothy was supposed to be 55 but shes actually about the same age as the actress who played her mother so that might have confused things!

OP posts:
Heavymetaldetector · 01/08/2021 11:19

I was literally just thinking about this yesterday. There's a house on a walk I like to do which is big and detached and has a sort of 80s vibe to it with a white metal balcony on the first floor overlooking the river. I call it the Golden Girls House and I have decided to live there with my best friend when we are old. It is an excellent and well thought through plan.

mintbiscuit · 01/08/2021 11:22

Loved Estelle Getty in this.

Agree OP, I would love to live like that if I was on my own in later life.

PearlFriday · 01/08/2021 11:24

Yes, but I wouldn't want to live with my mother!!

If it was three of my good friends in a lovely BIG house where we all had our own space, then yeh, could be great fun.

In real life I'd probably prefer my own place nearby to friends' places..

PineappleCakes · 01/08/2021 11:25

Loved Golden Girls and watched all of it during lockdown, I have a backup plan to live with friends if/when we're all divorced or widowed - probably formed due to GG influence!

There was a great thread recently about women only communities around the world, inc one in London, Older Women Co Housing? I remember the aconymn OWCH :)
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4247189-Women-only-societies-villages

Oblomov21 · 01/08/2021 11:26

Agree with PearlFriday.
When I was younger and watched it years ago, I thought they were all really old.

ChocolateCakeYum · 01/08/2021 11:29

I couldn’t live with my mother. Awful woman.

Love the show though.

Thatnameistaken · 01/08/2021 11:31

I once worked in a care home which had 2 3 bed bungalows attached.
More able ladies would house share. It was great for them, they had company but still had independence.
I've never seen that set up anywhere else.

Globaluser · 01/08/2021 11:35

Hot in Cleveland is good as well

ThunderCrow · 01/08/2021 11:36

My best friend and I have this agreement. If both single we shall pool resources and be mad old dog ladies living together.

DottyHarmer · 01/08/2021 11:38

It looks fun, but it wasn’t exactly a house share as it was Blanche’s house. I think in real life it wouldn’t be a bed of roses if one person was the owner and the others had to mind their ps and qs.

Murraytheskull · 01/08/2021 11:38

I've been watching this recently too and love the idea of living with friends and eating cheesecake. I was surprised that Rose, Blanche and Dorothy are all supposed to be in their 50s (and two of them are widows which seems young to be) as I thought they were meant to be older. Sophia is in her 80s.

If I had three good close friends this is the kind of setup I would love.

Orf1abc · 01/08/2021 11:41

Most of the story lines involved them bickering and sniping at each other. Funny to watch for half an hour, but not to live with permanently.

JenniferAllisonPhillipaSue · 01/08/2021 11:42

OMG were the GGs meant to be in their 50s? As in, my age? I always saw them as older than that, maybe 65 and Sophia as being 90.

Bigassbeebuzzbuzz · 01/08/2021 11:42

Used to love this show. Me and my friends have often spoke about doing it but more of us having a second home without dc and dh so it stays tidy.

Cazzovuoi · 01/08/2021 11:44

I agree except that I’d rather peel the skin off my face and wash with lemon juice than live with my mother.

Living with other women … hell yes.

Original poster
Twinstudy · 01/08/2021 11:46

I should have said in the op that my mother definitely wouldn't be invited 😄 Friends only in my GG

OP posts:
DottyHarmer · 01/08/2021 11:51

They became friends; Blanche advertised for roommates. And Dorothy’s mother sneaked in as she didn’t want to be in the “sunset home”.

(Too much GG knowledge as had to watch every week with my mum and dad!)

MojoJojo71 · 01/08/2021 11:57

It’s a great idea. My friend and I decided that if we were still single by 50 we’d look into doing this. She’s a cleaning addict and I’m a great cook so I’d cook, she’d clean. It’d be a match made in heaven and together we’d be able to afford a nicer property.

This year I turned 50 and she got engaged, the selfish bitch 🤣

Bbq1 · 01/08/2021 12:14

@ParadiseLaundry

I started watching it the other day and was shocked to see it described them as 'middle aged women' Shock when I was a kid watching it I always thought they were elderly! I suppose watching it now they were probably only meant to be in their 50s, were their exact ages specified?

But yes, I think it would be a great set up! All the midnight chats and cheesecake! Yes please!

No, surely not middle aged?! I used to watch with my mum and I'd say they were supposed to be late sixties then and I still think today that they are meant to be women in their late sixties. Early sixties at a push. Estelle Getties character doesn't quite fit with that but it's doable as I'd say she was meant to be around 80?
CrazylazyJane · 01/08/2021 12:18

Love, love, love this idea.

Spent 9 months living in a youth hostel in my 20s and flippin' loved the fact that there was always someone around. Give me a large double bedroom, with a big window and an en-suite in my autumn years.

Housemates would have to be hand picked but with more and more women finding themselves living on their own and I think it's a viable idea. I tried living on my own. I lasted 6 months and hated it.

paisley256 · 01/08/2021 12:19

Love this show especially Blanche clicking about in her sling back sandals!

Bbq1 · 01/08/2021 12:38

@DottyHarmer

They became friends; Blanche advertised for roommates. And Dorothy’s mother sneaked in as she didn’t want to be in the “sunset home”.

(Too much GG knowledge as had to watch every week with my mum and dad!)

Shady Pines!
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