By Lindsay Christ

This past Saturday, the world lost a pioneer in women’s television. Bea Arthur paved the way for shows like “Sex and the City,” and helped change the way women are viewed on television. She used her dry wit both to entertain and to educate, and will be missed sorely.

Although having been around for many years, Arthur first received widespread attenion as Maude, the feminist cousin of “All in the Family” character Edith Bunker. She was only in two episodes of “All in the Family;” though her liberal feminism served as a stark contrast’s to Archie’s racist male chauvinism and earned her a spin-off entitled “Maude.” The series raised eyebrows when Maude unexpectedly became pregnant at age 47, and decided to have an abortion. This was the first time that a female primetime character had actually had an abortion, and the episode aired shortly before Roe v. Wade was passed

Arthur is perhaps best known as Dorothy Zbornak from “The Golden Girls,” a sitcom about four senior women living together in Miami. Aside from being ridiculously funny, this sitcom shattered the notion that women became old prunes after 50. The “Golden Girls” had active sex lives and openly talked about sex and men often over a late night cheesecake. They dealt with homosexuality at a time when it was still somewhat taboo, teen pregnancy, AIDS, addiction and a myriad of other issues. More importantly, they were able to weave these issues in without being preachy, but simply entertaining.

Bea Arthur may not seem relevant to many young people today, but without her, many of the television shows that we watch may not be on. Thank you, Bea, for paving the way. Stay golden.