Off-Broadway Production
The Golden Girls: Live! began running in 2003, and it was an all-male production of this show. It drew the attention of Susan Harris, the TV show’s original creator, and she demanded they stop production. A few months later, it did.
Racism
Sophia had had a stroke before the show began, so the writers believed it would be safer and easier to give her controversial and racist lines. It could be explained away as a result of her condition. It was immoral but effective at the time. We don’t think they’d be able to get away with that today.