In 1990, the much-beloved sitcom, The Golden Girls — a show about four older women, Rose, Blanche, Dorothy, and Sophia, living together in Miami, Florida — was in its fifth season. On February 17, the “72 Hours” episode aired. In it, Rose receives a letter from the hospital where she had gallbladder surgery notifying her that she needs to take an HIV test because she had received a possibly contaminated blood transfusion. While Rose endures waiting the requisite 72 hours to receive her test results, tensions run high as the women deal with fear and confusion surrounding HIV and AIDS. Their anxiety about was understandable. By that time, women accounted for about 40% of AIDS cases worldwide, and reported deaths from AIDS had reached 120,453 by the end of 1990.
The Golden Girls was not the first network television show to deal with HIV and AIDS, but this episode has become one of the most memorable for the way that it portrayed so many of the emotions surrounding the epidemic with both humor and sensitivity. Behind the scenes, writers and crew members were also dealing with struggles of their own. Writer Tracy Gamble shared that his mother went through a situation similar to Rose’s. Peter D. Beyt, the episode’s editor, also related that his partner was dying of AIDS at the time and the episode helped him deal with his own fear and shame.
“HI…V…wait a minute. You’re talking about AIDS!”
In the opening scene, Rose (Betty White) reads the letter from the hospital and stammers, “HI…V…wait a minute. You’re talking about AIDS!” This line deftly addresses the developments in understanding that had taken place since the epidemic was first reported in 1981. The CDC would use the term AIDS for the first time in 1982 and, by the time the show premiered in September 1985, the FDA had approved the first commercial blood test, and screenings at blood banks in the United States had begun. Scientists did not discover the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS, until 1986, and confusion about the progression of the disease would persist for many years.
When Rose arrives at the hospital for the test, the receptionist informs her that she can check in with a fake name if she wants, and there is a moment of humor when she gives Dorothy’s name instead. Rose confides to Blanche (Rue McClanahan) that she thinks this is “creepy.” Blanche responds, “Honey, it makes sense. People who test positive have trouble getting insurance, jobs. It’s terrible.” This line recalls how discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS was rampant at the time.
