Everybody has one–an elderly relative who has lost all sense of tact and decorum. The peerless Estelle Getty was the archetype of the embarrassing nutty older relative when she played Bea Arthur’s mom on the Golden Girls Getty popped off with whatever happened to be on her mind at the moment. Her excuse was that in old age, the part of her brain that knew to keep certain thoughts to herself no longer functioned. When the talented Getty did it, we found it hilarious. When Helen Thomas does it, we find it horrifying. Thomas, who has a history of criticizing...