Maude

Pop culture made me a feminist. As a suburban girl in the early 90s, I picked up my beliefs about equality from some books at the library and a copy of Cyndi Lauper’s “She’s So Unusal.” After no one at my elementary school opted to join my "Gender Equality Club," I looked back to pop culture to find others of my kind—and I found the most feminists were on network TV.

It is a sad day for fans of the incomparable Bea Arthur, who died of cancer Saturday. Arthur was revolutionary on so many fronts, on both stage and screen, bringing feminist issues like abortion and ageism to light while crushing gender stereotypes. She proved the snake eye, a commanding voice and a confident swagger were just as fit for the ladies as they were for the fellas. She played funny, smart and unrelenting sarcasm to a tee. She was one of a kind. She will be missed.