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Betty White's 2nd Annual 90th Birthday ushered in the funny lady's 91st birthday with another star-studded celebration of her long career. Unfortunately, Betty White had the flu at the time of the taping -- but the show must go on.
Betty the Workaholic
Actor Sean Hayes opened the show and explained that the appeal of White is she could be anyone's grandmother's grandmother, and shared some insight on working with her as executive producer of Hot in Cleveland. Sarah Silverman applauded her work ethic and versatility and, well, not dying. Throughout all the clips, it was clear White's facial expressions and comedic timing still set her apart, and her influence on female comedians can clearly be seen.
Betty the Player
White's always had a way with men. Country musician Blake Shelton admitted his longtime crush on White through song, crooning she was still his Golden Girl. Her Hot in Cleveland co-stars also highlighted her variety of partners on-screen and off. Viewers also got to see what went down on Zachary Levi and White's various dates together after he proposed to her at last year's event. Seeing Betty throw down shots of whiskey with Levi surely made the night.
Peer Review
Kate Flannery from The Office explained how White was the first cougar (and some other racy expletives) on television. She allegedly sent Bradley Cooper and a fifth to the legend as her present. A skit featuring Vicki Lawrence suggested White's former high school classmates weren't all her biggest fans, but hey, haters gonna hate.
Notable Shout-Outs
The strongest recommendation came from President Bill Clinton, who suggested White be elected president in 2016 to unify the country. Larry King, on the other hand, tried to reveal the "darker side of White," but did little to change her reputation, at least in a bad way. Amy Poehler appeared to have no sympathies for White's supposed flu and almost conducted a thorough investigation. Overall, a nice mix of celebrity fans, and their speeches were short and sweet.
White not being present certainly changed the dynamic of the show; it was more like a tribute than a roast, although there were plenty of cheap shots. While another special next year may seem too repetitive, America certainly won't run out of reasons to love Betty White.
