So, I Went to Betty White’s 90th Birthday Party. Here’s What Happened!

Amy Poehler, Joel McHale, Carol Burnett and the cast of The Mary Tyler Moore Show all came out to salute Betty White at her 90th Birthday Party last night, and guess who was there? That’s right, your behind-the-scenes entertainment girl, me!

It was truly one of the best nights of my life! This was my actually my fourth time interviewing/meeting Betty, so to get to see her again (and trust me when I say she is the wittiest, nicest lady ever) and interview comedy legends like Burnett and Moore was a dream come true.

Mary Tyler Moore made her first public appearance since having brain surgery to remove a tumor (looking mighty strong and lovely I might add), while Vicki Lawrence (Mama!), Valerie Harper (Rhoda!), Ed Asner (Mr. Grant!), Gavin MacLeod (The Love Boat!), Carl Reiner, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Chevy Chase and more reunited to fete Betty’s 90th.

So how does one get to age 90 and be as youthful as Betty? Simple: 1) Laugh. Every day. 2) Always have a pet in your life. In Betty’s case, she has an entire zoo. 3) Keep your mind sharp (she does crossword puzzles daily). 4) Have sex. Lots of it. Well, she didn’t actually say it, but spend enough time around Betty, and you get the feeling this lady sure knows how to have a good time!

So, without further ado, as Betty gets ready to turn 90, and as her newest show, Betty White’s Off Their Rockers, premieres on NBC, here’s the__ top 10 Golden Moments__ from last night’s birthday extravaganza!

1) She’s Engaged!! Ok, well, kind of. Zachary Levi decided it was time to take the plunge (pre-nup in hand) and proposes to Betty mid-taping. But that’s not the surprise. Nor the answer she gives. No, the real surprise is what happens after she gives him an answer. Classic Betty! (Or was it Sue Ann Nivens?)

2) A Golden Girls Reunion? I posed the question to Betty’s Hot in Cleveland co-stars (Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick) that they should do a Golden Girls themed episode and bring Blanche, Dorothy and Sophia to life. Guess what? They were all for it! But considering that Valerie wants to play Rose, then who does Betty play?

3) Ed Asner has never seen an episode of The Golden Girls! His response? “I’ve got work to do honey! Why would I want to watch four old broads?” My response: “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe so you could sleep with them.” Hey, it was only because he started it! (see #4).

4) Ed Asner’s favorite Betty White episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show: “When I slept with her. Oh, and the one where three of us go to her house to try her vibrating circular bed and Ted adjusts his hat in the mirror above the bed. I loved that.” See, I wasn’t so far off base after all!

5) The Office star Kate Flannery’s Golden Girls connection: My boyfriend was actually the still photographer on The Golden Girls! All my gay friends think it’s pretty fantastic. [laughs]

6) Kissing Betty: According to Carl Reiner, “She not only has all of her teeth, but she has her original tongue! At 89, that’s pretty good!”

7) Carol Burnett is a saint. Why do I know this? Because I literally freaked out when I met her (I mean, it’s Carol Burnett!) that at one point I actually said, Miss Hannigan!’ And guess what? All the way through, she was beyond gracious and totally indulged my Carol obsession. She doesn’t know it yet, but I’m applying to make her my new grandma.

8) St. Olaf-what? For those of us that have seen every episode of The Golden Girls at least five times (What? Don’t lie to me now!), I just had to ask Betty how difficult it was to memorize all those crazy St. Olaf stories with all those made up words. “Well, what was hard was Rue-sie [Rue McClanahan, Blanche] and Estelle [Getty, Sophia] doing everything in their power to break you up! It’s not easy! In fact, you should get a stunt check for doing that!”

9) She’s not really 90?! “My mother always told me, never lie about your age, always brag about it. But my agent advised me to always say I was four years younger.” In that case, fellow journalist Jim Colucci couldn’t help but ask, “so does that mean you’re really 94?!,” which got the biggest laugh from the room. Betty–always so witty–replied, Haha, no, but the way this is going, I think I’m just going to celebrate 90 every year!’

10) Party Plans! So what will Betty be doing on her 90th birthday next week? “I’m going to kick back and relax and hang out with my golden retriever, Pontiac. I may do crossword puzzles, and try to catch up on everything I never catch up on. I’m just going to indulge myself and have a wonderful time.”

Betty White’s 90th Birthday: A Tribute to America’s Golden Girl airs Monday, January 16 on NBC (don’t miss the end, which is going to go down as one of 2012’s best moments), followed by a sneak peak of Betty White’s Off Their Rockers, the hilarious new hidden-camera series.

Ok, Betty fans, let’s hear it: What is your favorite Betty White role, or episode? And if you could meet any of the above comedy legends, who would it be? Let’s hear it for TV nostalgia!

More About Betty White:

Betty White’s Favorite Mistake!

Sex and the City VS The Golden Girls: What Taught You More About Love?

Betty White’s Clothing Line!

Photos: Getty Images