*WOW* check out the headline for the NYT obit on Bea Arthur

[underpants]

Bea Arthur, TV Battle-Ax, Dies at 86
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/arts/television/26arthur.html?_r=1&hp
Bea Arthur, who used her husky voice, commanding stature and flair for the comic jab to create two of the most endearing battle-axes in television history, Maude Findlay in the groundbreaking situation comedy “Maude” and Dorothy Zbornak in “The Golden Girls,” died Saturday at her home in Los Angeles.

[WinkyDink]

1. "A woman held to be antagonistic or over-bearing." Shows what the NYT thinks of independent, smart,

and funny women.
"A bit of a loud-mouth"??

Mr. Weber is likely too young to have seen her programs, and too misogynistic to appreciate them.

[Obamanaut]

3. Actually, the two characters were "battle-axey" and Mr Weber

is old enough to have seen them. The article in the link (of the OP) is favorable, and gives quite a nice profile of both characters.

http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Bruce-Weber/37119984/biography
<snip>
“…His first piece for the Times was a profile of Raymond Carver for the Sunday magazine in 1983...”

edited to clarify

[DrDan]

4. di dyou read the whole article? I found it to be quite positive toward her.

[WinkyDink]

15. Why don't you ask the OP what he/she meant, then, by stressing the TITLE?

[DrDan]

18. just responding to your comments . . .

"Shows what the NYT thinks of independent, smart, and funny women. . . . Mr. Weber is likely too young to have seen her programs, and too misogynistic to appreciate them."

[originalpckelly]

8. My child, that is exactly what independent women who claim to know everything are...

and it does make them absolutely hilarious.

[WinkyDink]

13. Thanks, Pops. I must be a laugh-riot, then.

[dem629]

9. You clearly didn't read it, nor do you have any clue about Mr. Weber.

I guess your zeal to judge his age and gender overwhelmed any slight desire you might have for facts.

Oh well.

[WinkyDink]

14. Why don't you ask the OP what he/she meant, then, by stressing the TITLE?

[Raven]

2. She probably would love that label! One of my favority actors. :-)

[Deja Q]

5. "TV Battle-Ax". Those are the roles she most often relished...

Maude
Dorothy
The Fembot in that hilarious episode of "Futurama"

Given the quantifying word "TV" is in the line, it makes sense, stands out, and does not demean her as a person. Especially as the article goes on to compliment her.

I dare say she might have liked the phrase.

Though if anything, I might have written it as "Endearing TV Battle-Ax" - to help set her apart form generic battle-ax figures. Bea Arthur was a class act to be sure. As was Carroll O'Connor...

[mwb970]

6. I think it was probably affectionate and ironic. /nt

[Berry Cool]

7. I think the description of her Maude character is quite accurate and fair:

"An unabashed liberal, a bit of a loudmouth and a tough broad with a soft heart, she was, in the parlance of the time, a liberated woman, who sometimes got herself into trouble with boilerplate biases just the way her cultural opposite number, Archie Bunker, did."

I think the term "battle-ax" is used here with a bit of implied irony. As in, Maude was certainly a contentious soul, and so was Dorothy for that matter--but not a nasty one. Just one who stubbornly and loudly defended her beliefs--and was sometimes wrong about things.

[peekaloo]

10. God will get him for that.

;-)

RIP

[mmonk]

11. She would chuckle at that.

[skooooo]

12. She was great..

...and it was great seeing a strong, independent woman on tv in the 70s.

Maude was so cool!

[WinkyDink]

16. I THOUGHT the OP said, "WOW! Check out the headline...." AS IN: "HEADLINE".

As in:
http://news.google.com/news?pz=1&ned=us&cf=all&ncl=1341169259

Oh, wait; perhaps the OP meant, "Wow! What an awesomely complimentary headline!"
My mistake.

[UTUSN]

17. Well, look what Gawker is attributing to Gays:

**********QUOTE********
http://my.yahoo.com/

Bea Arthur, Beloved Gay Icon, 1922-2009 And Now She's Dead

.... Update: The cult of Saint Beatrice has begun. Gays are posting this blasphemous Virgin Dorothy mashup in her holy memory:



(Photo by AP/Wally Fong)

********UNQUOTE********

[aikoaiko]

19. NYT: Bea Arthur, Star of Two TV Comedies, Dies at 86

Did they change it?

:shrug:

[TankLV]

20. now, isn't that a prime example of misogyny?!!!

or am I wrong - but this just doesn't pass the smell test...

I've certainly learned a lot on DU over the years...

[omega minimo]

21. Don't ax em no questions, they won't tell you no lies

:thumbsdown:



Rest in Peace, Maude!! :loveya:

[applegrove]

22. I use battle axe as a term of endearment to describe one of my grandmothers who

went through a lot in her life, worked from the time she was in her late teens until she was 80+. I love the term. I loved Maude. I certainly wasn't offended to see it in the title for Ms. Arthur's obit.

[Vidar]

23. The article is good, though the headline is hideous.