We are all a Golden Girl. Before Sex and the City and Will and Grace and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, there lived a quartet of four actresses who shape-shifted cartoonish stereotypes of otherwise-not-so-far-reaching descriptions of gay men (and, o-kayyy, women, too). Needless to say (but I will again), we are all a Golden Girl.

The sauciest gals in Dade County -- Dorothy, Rose, Sophia, and Blanche (Bea Arthur, Betty White, Estelle Getty, and Rue McClanahan, respectively) -- revolutionized television in their treatment of women in their sunset years as anything but tepid, old biddies. Consequently, the show also provided gay audiences with a source of highly intelligent, outlandishly funny, and gay-friendly scripts that continue to earn a loyal following on WEtv and in real life, where top-notch Golden Girl tattoos have made their way around the Internet.

If you haven't already paid tribute to your favorite Girl in permanent ink yet, here's a guide to which one (if not all four) would ideally sit on your flesh for the rest of your life.



DOROTHY (Bea Arthur): This whole tattoo thing isn't exactly your cup of tea. You're a little bit (okay, a lot of bit) shy, and the idea of etching permanent ink into your arm is making you mildly dizzy. You know you want it because, hey, you're entering a new phase of your life and why not take a walk on the wild side? You are woman, hear you roar! But if it hurts too much, we'll come back and finish the rest of the tattoo in about three months.

LOCATION OF TATTOO: Back right shoulder -- keep it small, okay?



ROSE (Betty White): Well, this tattoo parlor sure looks nice. Now the tattoo is injected into the skin? That reminds you of a story about your hometown of St. Olaf, Minnesota. Back in St. Olaf, there was a pair of identical twins: Fjueger and Ljueger Barnoffeloffen. The Barnoffeloffen twins were actually fraternal, but they each had a freckle so big that... What's that? You're not interested? You're just gonna stick me? Okey dokey!

LOCATION OF TATTOO: Wherever the artist think it looks best! You don't have a head for these things!


SOPHIA (Estelle Getty): You waltz into the parlor with nary a care in the world. You've seen plenty of sh*t in your life (picture it: San Francisco, 1982...), and a tattoo needle is the last thing to ever shake your first-generation immigrant shield of armor. Of course, the artists inking your arm had better be prepared to do an excellent job, or it's his head! Because if there's anything Sicilians can't tolerate, it's a bad tattoo and crappy pizza!

LOCATION OF TATTOO: Bicep.



BLANCHE (Rue McClanahan): You just want the strong touch of a solidly-built man to penetrate your skin, and you're not about to apologize for it.

LOCATION OF TATTOO: Lower back, no duh.