I’ll be the first to admit my love for all things pop culture and cheesy. Slap the word ‘musical’ at the end of any Disney show, and I’ll watch it. Involve a person dancing in an animal suit, and I’ll probably buy the related merchandise. Incorporate a Betty White cameo into an ad, promo, film or show, however, and I’ll be pissed. Betty White Fever has got Americans hot for the 88-year-old, and I’m simply not feeling it.

Most recognized for her roles as Rose Nylund on ‘The Golden Girls’ and Sue Ann Niven on ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show,’ White has been a notable gemstone in American television for decades — far before her first Super Bowl ad and far before the first Super Bowl, for that matter.

Not until recently, White’s name and career only resonated with loyal fans who grew up with her on TV or who watched ‘The Golden Girls’ reruns on Lifetime (OK, guilty). But due to White’s cameos in seemingly every ad, promo and prime-time show, even my millennium-born cousin knows the name ‘Betty White.’

Kick-starting 2010, Snickers gave Super Bowl XLIV viewers a commercial featuring White getting decked during a game of backyard football. Frustrated, one of her teammates tells White, ‘You’re playing like Betty White out there,’ to which she replies, ‘That’s not what your girlfriend says.’ The commercial went over like wildfire, earning Snickers the best Super Bowl ad of the year and White a new spot in America’s heart.

At first, I was receptive to White’s newfound place in Hollywood. It was funny to see her act out of character for her age by throwing back a saucy remark to a younger guy. And it was kind of funny when she pronounced Jay-Z as ‘Jaze’ during a promo for ‘Saturday Night Live.’ But by the time White’s opening ‘SNL’ monologue rolled around, it was clear her comedic niche rested on the ‘I’m so old’ routine.

Apparently, the driving reason behind White’s stint as ‘SNL’ host was due to a Facebook campaign begging producers to put her on the show. White responded to the campaign’s efforts by thanking the creators in her monologue, saying she ‘didn’t know what Facebook was and, now that I do know what it is, I have to say it sounds like a huge waste of time.’ Although White’s ignorance of 21st century social media sites launched the audience into a 30-second span of laughter, the ‘joke’ left me confused. Don’t we all know Facebook is a time suck?

‘SNL’ continued by delivering a predictable White plus 21st century technology plus sexual innuendo combination, leading to its highest ratings since May 8, 2008. I’m sorry, but this combination is funny once, maybe even twice, but not for an hour and definitely not in every White cameo thereafter.

Even in the trailer of ‘You Again,’ White is shown mentioning Twitter. This typical routine suggests White’s second wave of popularity solely depends on her out-of-placeness within 21st century technology and loosened morals. She knows this, and she jokes about it over and over again. 

While I do give White props for revitalizing her career, I’m just begging her to please stop while she’s ahead. Unfortunately, it may be too late.

In July, White launched a clothing line with her face plastered on pink zip-ups. Priced at $48 each. In addition, a calendar featuring White posing with various animals and men is set to hit stores in 2011. Really, I’m not kidding.

For the sake of my own sanity, I can only hope 2011 remains the year of the rabbit and not the year of Betty White: Round 2.

Amanda Abbott is a junior geography and IST major. She is the assistant opinion editor at The Daily Orange, where her column appears occasionally. She can be reached at aeabbott@syr.edu.

 

Published on October 13, 2010 at 12:00 pm