The Meaning Behind The Betty White Tribute Stamp

TV & Film

Apr 2

Stamps are an easy way to spice up a piece of mail you send to somebody. Forever stamps are a particularly special item. First introduced in 2007, these stamps are valid to use no matter what postage price hikes occur in the future; basically, you can buy one now and use it to send mail in the U.S. no matter how the postage price may change later on. Actress Betty White now has a Forever Stamp dedicated to her. White passed away on New Year’s Eve in 2021, just over two weeks before her 100th birthday. The actress was a cultural icon with a several decades-long career in television and film, as well as decades of racial, LGBTQIA+, and animal welfare advocacy. Boston artist Dale Stephanos designed the stamp. In an interview with TODAY.com, Stephanos spoke about his inspiration behind the stamp’s design and its subtle symbolism.

The artist highlighted White’s personality, "She’s one of those people who could get away with things that a lot of people couldn’t because she was an older lady, and she had that sweet smile, and its delivery — it was never mean. It was never mean. It was always good humor, even when she was roasting somebody." The actress had a remarkable wit, which made her stand out even more.

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Betty Whote Forever stamp — Image Source: *USPS*

While the stamp is based on a picture of White, Stephanos put his spin on it. He explained, "It’s just a great photo — a sweet spot in her older years. I just kind of used that as reference and then kind of changed the colors and tried to make it more handmade than a photo would be." In terms of adjusting the clothing color, the choice of purple was intentional. The artist continued, "Purple is the color of protest. She had such a positive personality. She never seemed angry, even though protest is a form of anger.”

The earring was a happy accident; Stephanos drew inspiration from a placeholder design for her earrings, "I was like, 'Oh, wait a minute. We could just do a paw print earring.'" The artist tied her passion for animal welfare in this subtle detail. He tied off his commentary, "She was such a positive, funny, witty, bright light. I think anything that you want to send with a kind of a positive, happy tone [her stamp] would totally be appropriate."

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