---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Remember a few years ago when they left…"
description: "\"Remember a few years ago when they left Bea Arthur out of the death reel at the Oscars? Bea Arthur! How did they leave Bea Arthur out? She was in Mame;..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/joan-rivers-669_arthur_remember-a-few-years-ago-when-they-left_825605.png"
---

#  Remember a few years ago when they left Bea Arthur out of…

![“Remember a few years ago when they left Bea Arthur out of the death reel at the Oscars? Bea Arthur! How did they leave Bea Arthur out? She was in Mame; she was in All in the Family; she was in Maude; she was a Golden Girl, for God's sake! Bea was not only one of Hollywood's leading ladies, she was…” quote by Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/joan-rivers-669_arthur_remember-a-few-years-ago-when-they-left_825605.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/joan-rivers-669_arthur_remember-a-few-years-ago-when-they-left_825605.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/joan-rivers-669_arthur_remember-a-few-years-ago-when-they-left_825605.png)

> “Remember a few years ago when they left Bea Arthur out of the death reel at the Oscars? Bea Arthur! How did they leave Bea Arthur out? She was in Mame; she was in All in the Family; she was in Maude; she was a Golden Girl, for God's sake! Bea was not only one of Hollywood's leading ladies, she was one of Hollywood's leading men!”

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker criticizes the Oscars for omitting Bea Arthur, highlighting her significant contributions to TV and film.

**In simple terms:** Bea Arthur was unfairly excluded from Oscar tribute despite her iconic roles.

Key Takeaway

Advocate for proper recognition of influential artists.

Themes

recognition media criticism gender roles

Mood

frustrated advocacy

Type

commentary critical.

When to use this quote

- award ceremonies
- TV retrospectives
- industry discussions

Key Concepts

celebrity culture award politics legacy representation

Questions to Reflect On

- How does omission affect an artist’s legacy?
- What criteria should guide tribute selections?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Golden girls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golden-girls/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Leading ladies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leading-ladies/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Oscars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oscars/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm on Grace And Frankie, which is also about that time in life, I'm realizing. But I would - so I guess I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-diane-raphael/i-m-on-grace-and-frankie-which-is-also-about-that-time-in-life-i-m/)

[June Diane Raphael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-diane-raphael/)

> [Charles Pierce, Bea Arthur, and I were like a terrible little trio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millicent-martin/charles-pierce-bea-arthur-and-i-were-like-a-terrible-little-trio/)

Millicent Martin

> [I know Bea Arthur left the Pam Anderson roast really early, but it could have been because she was half dead; I don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lampanelli/i-know-bea-arthur-left-the-pam-anderson-roast-really-early-but-it/)

[Lisa Lampanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lampanelli/)

> [My idol is Bea Arthur. I really tried to follow her example. She is one of my comedy 'she-roes.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-azlynn/my-idol-is-bea-arthur-i-really-tried-to-follow-her-example-she-is-one/)

[Valerie Azlynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-azlynn/)

> [I worked on this Showtime series called 'Beggars and Choosers,' this was like 2000, and Bea Arthur guest-starred on our show. I always loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherri-saum/i-worked-on-this-showtime-series-called-beggars-and-choosers-this-was/)

[Sherri Saum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherri-saum/)

> [Estelle Getty used the language of a truck driver, or a sailor. Bea Arthur didn't wear shoes. Bea Arthur was a comic genius. Her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leland-orser/estelle-getty-used-the-language-of-a-truck-driver-or-a-sailor-bea/)

[Leland Orser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leland-orser/)

> [There were TVs everywhere. When we weren't on stage, we were watching what America was watching and rooting for each other and our leading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-benanti/there-were-tvs-everywhere-when-we-weren-t-on-stage-we-were-watching/)

[Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/)

> [I was always a character actress and never a sex symbol. Even when I was the leading lady, I was a character actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-was-always-a-character-actress-and-never-a-sex-symbol-even-when-i/)

[Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/)

> [How did I end up in films with people like Keira Knightley... all these beautiful leading ladies and me - it's kind of shocking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/how-did-i-end-up-in-films-with-people-like-keira-knightley-all-these/)

[Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/)

> [Divine was like a 400-pound beached whale. He was one of my favorite leading ladies, I've got to tell you. He was really terrific.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tab-hunter/divine-was-like-a-400-pound-beached-whale-he-was-one-of-my-favorite/)

[Tab Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tab-hunter/)

> [Ronald Reagan makes me proud to be an American. His intelligence, capability, and Christian brotherhood are so inspiring and his way of leadership is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laraine-day/ronald-reagan-makes-me-proud-to-be-an-american-his-intelligence/)

[Laraine Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laraine-day/)

> [“Happy endings? The only ending life allows us is death, and that’s rarely happy. So, until my happy death, I have to fill my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mosley/happy-endings-the-only-ending-life-allows-us-is-death-and-that-s/)

Stephen Mosley

> [I have memories of being in Yale five years ago. It was December and so damn cold that while professing love to my leading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahrukh-khan/i-have-memories-of-being-in-yale-five-years-ago-it-was-december-and/)

[Shahrukh Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahrukh-khan/)

> [In almost every musical ever written, there's a place that's usually about the third song of the evening - sometimes it's the second, sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-ashman/in-almost-every-musical-ever-written-there-s-a-place-that-s-usually/)

Howard Ashman

> [“If there was a bad guy we could appeal to the people because, like it or not, we, the huddled masses, want our public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-carter/if-there-was-a-bad-guy-we-could-appeal-to-the-people-because-like-it/)

[Bill Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-carter/)

## More by Joan Rivers

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I was getting dressed and a peeping tom looked in the window, took a look and pulled down the shade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-was-getting-dressed-and-a-peeping-tom-looked-in-the-window-took-a/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [All my way through college, I worked my way as a window dresser for Lord &amp; Taylor, so I always liked fashion. I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/all-my-way-through-college-i-worked-my-way-as-a-window-dresser-for/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [Everyone thinks Angelina Jolie was the first celebrity baby hoarder, but she wasn't. Before Angelina there was Mia Farrow. Mia had an entire farm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/everyone-thinks-angelina-jolie-was-the-first-celebrity-baby-hoarder/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I have no sex appeal, which kills me. The only way I can ever hear heavy breathing from my husband's side of the bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-have-no-sex-appeal-which-kills-me-the-only-way-i-can-ever-hear/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [Life goes by fast. Enjoy it. Calm down. It's all funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/life-goes-by-fast-enjoy-it-calm-down-it-s-all-funny/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [If you hate something, you hate it, and if you like something or somebody, you like it, but tell the truth. And most celebrities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/if-you-hate-something-you-hate-it-and-if-you-like-something-or/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I have no line. If I think it's funny, it's funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-have-no-line-if-i-think-it-s-funny-it-s-funny/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I know now that everybody in the arts is forever a beginner. Experience counts for a great deal and very little. Every night onstage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-know-now-that-everybody-in-the-arts-is-forever-a-beginner/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [Why women don't blink during foreplay... not enough time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/why-women-don-t-blink-during-foreplay-not-enough-time/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [My breasts are so low now I can have a mammogram and a pedicure at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/my-breasts-are-so-low-now-i-can-have-a-mammogram-and-a-pedicure-at/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I love Vines. You make this 6.4-second drama, and you can reach 6 million viewer, and make people laugh. I find it so fabulous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-love-vines-you-make-this-6-4-second-drama-and-you-can-reach-6/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [Grandchildren can be annoying - how many times can you go: "And the cow goes moo and the pig goes oink"? It's like talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/grandchildren-can-be-annoying-how-many-times-can-you-go-and-the-cow/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I'm a New York girl. I come out of New York theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-m-a-new-york-girl-i-come-out-of-new-york-theater/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [All babies look like Renée Zellweger pushed against a glass window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/all-babies-look-like-ren-e-zellweger-pushed-against-a-glass-window/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

[Explore all 417 Joan Rivers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

## More Arthur quotes

> [... Arthur Gride, whose bleared eyes gloated only over the outward beauties, and were blind to the spirit which reigned within, evinced - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/arthur-gride-whose-bleared-eyes-gloated-only-over-the-outward/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [Merlin' was awesome, but the costumes would drive you insane. Every day, you'd get into chain mail and wear 30 pounds of that stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/merlin-was-awesome-but-the-costumes-would-drive-you-insane-every-day/)

[Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/)

> [What a wonderfully exciting cough,' said the little man, quite startled by it, 'do you mind if I join you?' And with that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/what-a-wonderfully-exciting-cough-said-the-little-man-quite-startled/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [A guy called Arthur Brown... was a big influence of mine... and also Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/a-guy-called-arthur-brown-was-a-big-influence-of-mine-and-also-ian/)

[Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/)

> [I have a sense of them being Easter religions, for some reason. Christianity, of course, is a mystery religion, too, and I believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-have-a-sense-of-them-being-easter-religions-for-some-reason/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [And then, all of a sudden, you're like, all that's great and fun, but Arthur Miller's in my dressing room. This is the third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-krause/and-then-all-of-a-sudden-you-re-like-all-that-s-great-and-fun-but/)

[Peter Krause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-krause/)

> [For five hundred dollars, I'll name a subatomic particle after you. Some of my satisfied customers include Arthur C. Quark and George Meson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/for-five-hundred-dollars-i-ll-name-a-subatomic-particle-after-you/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [Arthur Conan Doyle was entranced by the notion of a brilliant detective who can deduce everything a stranger has been up to from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-yglesias/arthur-conan-doyle-was-entranced-by-the-notion-of-a-brilliant/)

[Rafael Yglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-yglesias/)

> [“That boy had wanted to be Ser Arthur Dayne, but someplace along the way he had become the Smiling Knight instead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/that-boy-had-wanted-to-be-ser-arthur-dayne-but-someplace-along-the/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [The book that really, really shaped my politics and has forever is Arthur Koestler's "Darkness at Noon," which is a novel based on terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/the-book-that-really-really-shaped-my-politics-and-has-forever-is/)

[Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/)

> [Since I came here I have learned that Chester A. Arthur is one man and the President of the United States is another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-a-arthur/since-i-came-here-i-have-learned-that-chester-a-arthur-is-one-man-and/)

[Chester A. Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-a-arthur/)

> [“In the energies of the Green Knight, we have an Elder who comes to the entire court of Arthur to challenge and "open a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-chandler/in-the-energies-of-the-green-knight-we-have-an-elder-who-comes-to-the/)

[Virginia Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-chandler/)

> [“AT&amp;T developed cross-country systems of microwave relay towers, which marched across the countryside from coast to coast and border to border, every 20 to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-t-developed-cross-country-systems-of-microwave-relay-towers-which/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Now that Marilyn Monroe is kosher, Arthur Miller can eat her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-levant/now-that-marilyn-monroe-is-kosher-arthur-miller-can-eat-her/)

[Oscar Levant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-levant/)

> [You don't have to believe that there was a King Arthur to get the significance of those stories, but Christians say we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/you-don-t-have-to-believe-that-there-was-a-king-arthur-to-get-the/)

[Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/)

Browse all 340 Arthur quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Remember a few years ago when they left Bea Arthur out of the death reel at the Oscars? Bea Arthur! How did they leave Bea Arthur out? She was in Mame; she was in All in the Family; she was in Maude; she was a Golden Girl, for God's sake! Bea was not only one of Hollywood's leading ladies, she was one of Hollywood's leading men!",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Joan Rivers"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/remember-a-few-years-ago-when-they-left-bea-arthur-out-of-the-death/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Arthur"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/remember-a-few-years-ago-when-they-left-bea-arthur-out-of-the-death/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/joan-rivers-669_arthur_remember-a-few-years-ago-when-they-left_825605.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/joan-rivers-669_arthur_remember-a-few-years-ago-when-they-left_825605.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/joan-rivers-669_arthur_remember-a-few-years-ago-when-they-left_825605.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Remember a few years ago when they left Bea Arthur out of the death reel at the Oscars? Bea Arthur! How did…” — Joan Rivers",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Joan Rivers",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Remember a few years ago when...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/remember-a-few-years-ago-when-they-left-bea-arthur-out-of-the-death/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/remember-a-few-years-ago-when-they-left-bea-arthur-out-of-the-death/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
