Wednesday, April 15, 2009

How Do You Say "Thank You For Being a Friend" in Turkish?


I have an unabashed love for The Golden Girls. I watched it religiously when it aired from 1985 - 1992. In 2000/2001 when I worked some crazy ass split shift at a TV station in Winnipeg that left me with a big chunk of free time in the afternoon, I'd watch repeats of these four fabulous bitches every day as I was getting ready to drag my horrendously underpaid ass back to work. Years later when I was living in Calgary, some friends and I went to Golden, BC for a drunken weekend and I decided we'd make the weekend a Golden Girls theme. We all dressed like elderly people (we actually did this) and I had a cake specially made featuring a picture of the marvelous Miami ladies saying of course, Thank You For Being a Friend. My friend cued the Golden Girls theme song as I presented the group with the cake. Classic. Then, last summer when I moved to Toronto and was staying with friends while looking my own place, we partook in an ongoing Golden Girls marathon, every night for a few weeks we'd take in an episode or two on DVD. It got to the point where the three of us were speaking like Blanche, in a Southern accent, talking of mint juleps, speaking ill of 'yankees' and deeming inappropriate social behaviour 'Un-southern." We eventually started to annoy ourselves. My goal is to become Sophia when I'm older. No joke. The amount of joy the Golden Girls have brought into my life is immeasurable.

Now finally, others will get to experience this joy. Nearly 25 years after it premiered in North America, the people of Turkey are getting a taste of Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Sophia. Sort of. Turkey has created its own version of The Golden Girls, airing in the form of a 13-part mini series. I wonder if the Rose character on the show will start off all her inane stories with "back in Konya" instead of "back in St. Olaf?"  What is the Turkish word for lanai? Is there a Shady Pines in Turkey? So many questions! 

The people of Turkey have no idea what is about to hit them, their lives will be changed. For the better.

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