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“Thank you for being a friend”? No, Bea Arthur — thank you.
From All In the Family to Maude to the Golden Girls, the quintessential Miami sitcom, Bea Arthur’s 60-year career showed off her many sides. But you probably haven’t seen her as Brooklyn artist John Currin pictures her in a painting aptly titled “Bea Arthur Naked” — relaxed, maybe a little bored, and yes, topless.
Golden Girls? More like golden globes, amirite?
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The painting, created by Currin in 1991, sold at a Christie’s auction last night for $1,915,750 — kind of a letdown, frankly, since it was originally valued as high as $2.5 million. Looks like the Bea Arthur’s ta-tas bubble has finally burst.
But don’t be sad, Omniscient Spirit of Bea Arthur Who Watches Over Us All. You’re still a damn icon. Don’t listen to the Christie’s spokesperson who categorized you as “asexual” to the New York Post. (Jezebel rightly points out that Arthur, who addressed issues like abortion and AIDS in her roles, is anything but.) Your fans are here for you.
In fact, if you threw a party, invited everyone you know, you would see the biggest gift would be, well, worth about $1.9 million. And that ain’t bad.
Follow Ciara LaVelle on Twitter @ciaralavelle. Follow Cultist on Facebook and Twitter @CultistMiami.
