Dixie Carter died on April 10, 2010. Her roles as Julie Sugarbaker on "Designing Women" and Orson's mother on "Desperate Housewives were amazing. It was always a delight to see her on television. Like Corey Haim, I may not list her among my favorite actors, but her role as Julie Sugarbaker in "Designing Women" permanently entwined her in my childhood memories.
"Designing Women" and "Murphy Brown" are two of my favorite sitcoms from my childhood. The writers, along with those of "Golden Girls", provided great examples of strong, independent women that were role models for the younger generation, that I wish I saw more of on television today. They were wives, girlfriends, mothers, sisters, and friends, but they were also professional women with individual identities that were separate from those other roles.
Okay, well maybe "Golden Girls" not so much with the professional stuff, but definitely with the strong, independent role models. Yes, the writers perpetuated the myth of "Supermom", women who could balance all of those roles perfectly in their lives without missing a beat, but even though we may not be perfect, at least someone was saying the pursuit of a slightly messier version of "Supermom" was possible and worthy of our time and efforts. I also miss the eloquent and succinct monologues the writers wrote for their characters. They addressed the issues of the day with such a clear, efficient way with words and actions that I still remember some of the monologues decades later, long after those shows were cancelled. Dixie took those beautiful words and breathed life into them, and without that partnership between writers and actor, the world would have been worse off. Rest in Peace, Miss Julia Sugarbaker. You will be missed.
No comments:
Post a Comment