The sight of Mary Tyler Moore tossing her hat in the air welcomes visitors to Nicollet Mall. Marion Ross, who played Marion Cunningham on "Happy Days," returned to her hometown of Albert Lea last July for the unveiling of her bronze sculpture. Now it's time for Minnesota to honor a third TV icon.
Betty White, who died on New Year's Eve in her Los Angeles home just weeks shy of her 100th birthday, spent most of her life in California. But her most beloved characters had a deep connection to our state.
The addition of Sue Ann Nivens to "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in the fourth season gave the wholesome gang at Minneapolis' WJM newsroom the perfect foil, a cooking show personality that would make Martha Stewart look like Snow White.
On "The Golden Girls," Rose Nylund was the total opposite of "The Happy Homemaker," a seemingly naive bumpkin. But she often shocked her roommates with the inner toughness she developed by growing up on a farm in fictitious St. Olaf, Minn., a town that held a milk-diving contest and where Eva Braun once taught high-school gym.
I once asked White why she thought her two most famous characters were Minnesotan.
"I don't know!" she said during the 2010 chat. "I'm not Norwegian, even though both characters leaned that way. I'm Danish. Geographically, I guess that's close enough."
There's not an obvious spot for the statue, but let's consider the campus of St. Olaf College in Northfield. It might prompt students to learn more about why White is a pop-culture icon. Here are just some of the reasons why she earned the title:
She was one of TV's first superstars
In 1949, White began co-hosting "Hollywood on Television," a live variety show that was almost completely ad-libbed. That was quickly followed by "Life With Elizabeth," a sitcom that she produced, and "The Betty White Show," a talk show in which she also had creative control. None of those projects are remembered as fondly as "I Love Lucy" or "The Tonight Show," but they paved the way for every one that followed.
She brought sex appeal to prime time
By today's standards, "MTM" was anything but racy. But the idea that Mary Richards was happily single — and took the Pill — was fairly progressive for TV in the early 1970s. And then came Nivens. Her character was a sexual barracuda. In one of the sitcom's most hilarious episodes, she finally beds Lou Grant, played by Ed Asner, who died last August. She didn't have a lot of scruples (it's hard to forgive her for having an affair with Phyllis' husband) but you had to admire her shameless appetite at a time when women on TV weren't allowed to have primal urges.
She was TV's greatest game-show contestant
This may not seem like much of a title. But remember that the genre once dominated afternoon programming the way courtroom shows do today. White's history of working without a script served her well on popular series like "I've Got a Secret," "To Tell the Truth" and "Tattletales." Her charm and competitiveness caught the eye of "Password" host Allen Ludden; the two were married in 1963 and enjoyed one of Hollywood's most successful marriages until his death in 1981. Ludden is buried in Mineral Point, Wis., just outside Madison.
During her game-show heyday, women were rarely allowed to serve as host. But White was a pioneer here, as well. Her 1983 program "Just Men!" earned her a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host, the first time the award had gone to a woman.
Her "Saturday Night Live" episode was a classic
White would earn another Emmy for hosting a Mother's Day episode of "SNL" in 2010. The booking was a result of a Facebook campaign urging producer Lorne Michaels to do the right thing. White would have earned accolades for merely doing an opening monologue and popping up on "Weekend Update." Instead, she appeared in every bit, mixing it up with past cast members like Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler.
Her ability to do sketch comedy may have been a pleasant surprise to "SNL's" younger viewers, but those of a certain age will remember just how hilarious she was whenever she joined the Mighty Carson Art Players on "The Tonight Show." The routine in which she and Johnny Carson played a divorcing Adam and Eve is one for the ages.
She refused to act her age
White never had much of a movie career, although you can spot her playing a senator in 1962's "Advise and Consent" opposite Henry Fonda. But she did snag one juicy big-screen role, stealing every scene she could from Sandra Bullock in 2009's "The Proposal." It was the highlight of a third act that was as rich as any actor has ever enjoyed. Her credits after age 80 include a popular Snickers commercial, a killer role on "Boston Legal," the popular sitcom "Hot in Cleveland" and guest-hosting "WWE Raw." She had recently taped interviews for a 100th birthday special that will now serve as a lifetime tribute. It will screen Jan. 17 in 900 movie theaters, including 19 in Minnesota.
Purchasing a ticket for the all-star film is a great way to honor the legend. Getting behind a campaign to get that statue erected is even better.
