In 2010, Hollywood’s newest it-girl is not Miley Cyrus, Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan. Puhh-lease. Lindsay was so 2004. Instead, the newest starlet is none other than 88-year-old Betty White.

Betty is America’s grandma. Except for the fact that she’s cooler, hipper, and doesn’t want to smother you with kisses or tell embarrassing stories of your childhood to the clerk at the checkout counter.

She began her career in the 1940s as a model and radio host in Los Angeles, before she was featured on ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show.’ But her biggest claim to fame before the new millennium was ‘The Golden Girls.’  Who could forget Betty’s lovable character, Rose? (For all those who don’t know, ‘Golden Girls’ was like ‘Sex and the City,’ except replace the New York City cougars with Boca Raton retirees.)

But just when we thought Betty was going to retire like her character, the golden girl pulled an awe-inspiring comeback.

Recently, Betty starred alongside Academy Award-winning actress Sandra Bullock in ‘The Proposal,’ was featured on a Super Bowl commercial for Snickers that was voted the best in the Super Bowl Ad Meter and was a guest on ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.’ On May 8, she will host ‘Saturday Night Live.’ This makes her the oldest female celebrity to host the show in its 35-year history.

But that’s not all. Betty is full of jokes. On ‘The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,’ she joked that Sarah Palin is ‘one crazy b****.’ She also confided to Ferguson with a smile on her face that Barack Obama is ‘one hot piece of man. If Barack Obama needs more experience, I could give it to him.’

Here’s to you, Betty. You’re officially the sexiest senior citizen on this side of Boca. Lohan and Hilton, eat your heart out. There’s a new debutante in town and her name is Betty White.

— Compiled by Andrew Swab, asst. feature editor, ajswab@syr.edu

Published on April 28, 2010 at 12:00 pm