Just when it seemed that social media has degenerated into a staging ground for salacious scandals and celebrity feuds, along comes Betty White. The 93-year-old actress and comedienne joined Instagram earlier this week and within hours of posting her first picture — a photo of White with her Hot in Cleveland cast mates — the eternal Golden Girl garnered tens of thousands of followers on the site.
A photo posted by Betty White (@bettymwhite) on
White’s arrival on the social media platform coincides with the end of the above-noted sitcom and the caption of her photo gushed with affection for her peers. Bustle recalls that Betty White’s Instagram debut isn’t her first venture into cyberspace. In 2012, she opened a Twitter account. Despite the fact that she’s only sent out 70 tweets in almost three years on the ‘net, White maintains an impressive virtual entourage of over 1.2 followers. She even used Twitter to promote her first Instagram post.
I’ve posted my first Instagram! Do you like it? Check it out – http://t.co/jFB6GE4laK
— Betty White (@BettyMWhite) June 4, 2015
Although Hot in Cleveland has seen its final curtain call, White is still on the go and sharp as ever. Earlier this week, Betty appeared at the Talent Managers Association’s 13th Annual Heller Awards event. Variety reports that the long-time luminary honored her longtime agent Jeff Witjas by presenting him with a special lifetime achievement award.
“When you’re lucky enough to have a fine agent who knows the business and knows what he’s doing, who also happens to be a very dear blessed friend, you’re the luckiest old broad on the planet,” White remarked as she reflected on her relationship with Witjas.
White is a favorite guest of talk show hosts, as she always seems to have interesting tales regarding her time in the entertainment business, as well as her personal life. Appearing on Oprah Winfrey’s daytime talk show earlier this year, she shared a heartwarming story about her 18-year marriage to Allen Ludden. Betty also made a jaw-dropping appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in early May, during which she shocked audiences with a wild joke about losing her virginity.
It’s been said time and again that there’s only one Betty White, and with all of the craziness and mean-spirited stuff that this world offers, the truth of that reality is little more than a darn shame. But although her public appearances and television projects may be a little fewer and farther between these days, fans can be thankful that she continues to embrace new forms of media to stay in touch with her devoted fans. The fact of the matter is, we could all use a little more Betty White in our lives.
