CHICAGO (AP) — TV shows about sci-fi or comic fare usually inspire fan conventions — not a sitcom about four women of a certain age living together in Florida.
But sisters Hillary Wasicek, 37, and Melissa Gluck, 43, took the first The Golden Girls convention to heart this weekend at Navy Pier in Chicago. Both women, who flew in from California, spent Friday in elaborate cosplay as the characters of Dorothy and Blanche. The series has always held a special place for her as friends become family and inclusivity. Dressing up in wigs and everything they’ve done before on a “Golden Girls” cruise only enhances the convention experience.
“It’s a fun expression of respect and appreciation for something you admire. You just feel more a part of it,” said Wasicek, who plans to don a different costume every day. “We met so many people and heard so many stories. It’s like, ‘These are my people.'”
Drag queen performers dressed as characters from ‘The Golden Girls’ pose for a photo at Navy Pier in Chicago, Friday, April 22, 2022. The Golden-Con, which runs through Sunday, gives those who who adored the NBC sitcom, a chance to shuffle, watch panels, and shop for merchandise. The show, which ran from 1985 to 1992, starred Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty and Betty White, who died in December aged 99.For Gluck, meeting other “Golden Girls” fans gives her “a greater appreciation for the show itself. Now I’ve brought my son and husband to it.”
Golden-Con: Thank You For Being a Fan, which runs through Sunday, gives those who adored the NBC sitcom a chance to come together. More than 2,000 participants are expected. The show, which ran from 1985 to 1992, starred Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty and Betty White – the last remaining “Golden Girl” who died in December aged 99. It was revered for showing their characters sharing a Miami home and exploring later issues such as ageism, sex and LGBTQ rights.
As with any “con” there are discussion boards and Q&A with people who have guest starred or worked behind the scenes. There is a vendor market with stalls selling candles, masks, t-shirts and other Golden Girls themed merchandise. Fans can snap photos in a replica of the kitchen where the “girls” used to eat cheesecake, as well as a giant replica of Sophia’s signature handbag. There are also two separate drag queen groups planned for tributes.
Among the guests is actress Bonnie Bartlett, best known for roles in St. Elsewhere” and “Boy Meets World” (both with her husband, actor William Daniels). She is known for playing a snooty new friend of Dorothy’s in a Season 3 episode. However, the two-time Emmy winner, 92, didn’t turn up her nose at the idea of a fan convention.
“I was running around chasing Betty Grable and people like that,” Bartlett said. “I was a big fan since I was a kid, so I get it. My husband doesn’t get it, but I do.”
Stan Zimmerman, a television producer whose second job as a writer was during the first season, could never have imagined mingling with fans almost 40 years later. Being in an industry where popularity is fickle, he doesn’t take that for granted.
“So I’ve seen the trajectory of popularity, but nothing quite like what’s happening now,” Zimmerman said. “It’s so cool to see that young people who obviously weren’t even born when we wrote it know every line.”
This “Golden Girls” extravaganza was originally intended to be just a bar trivia night. Zack Hudson, who works in eldercare and is a “hard core fan,” reached out to his friend and fellow fan, Brad Balof, to host an event in November. They eventually planned to book a community center, but then interest started to build up outside of the state and even the US.
Fans of The Golden Girls TV show browse a merchandise stand in Chicago on Friday, April 22, 2022. The Golden-Con, which runs through Sunday, gives those who have adored the NBC sitcom a chance to mingle, see panels and shop for merchandise. The show, which ran from 1985 to 1992, starred Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty and Betty White, who died in December aged 99.“All we did was make an announcement on social media,” Hudson said. “It just escalated from there. So we turned around a bit to welcome as many people as possible. And now we are here.”
Hudson, Balof, a nightclub manager, and Balof’s brother Brendan, who lives in Phoenix and has experience in event planning, organized a small army of volunteers and staff. The entire group has been juggling regular jobs and convention planning for the past few months. Hudson has scouted all the talent for the panels. While they’ve secured some sponsorships, most of Golden-Con’s funding comes from ticket sales.
They believe interest was also up because “Golden Girls supporters were looking for an outlet to continue mourning White.” So there’s a booth with hundreds of note cards for fans to write about their favorite memories of the show or what it’s done for them.
“This is a chance to pay so much (respect) to a show they loved and the actresses who made it shine,” said Brad Balof. “One thing that helps the show stay timeless is that there’s enough humor that doesn’t depend on any particular situation, either politically or geographically… It’s just funny.”