When I read that Dixie Carter, aka Julia Sugarbaker, had died, I was immediately reminded of my mom. No, my mom was not a feisty white woman from Georgia. But she loved Designing Women, and we watched it together. One of my favorite things about the show was always Julia Sugarbaker's uncanny ability to tell somebody about themself. For example:
Ray Don: Allow me to introduce myself - Ray Don Simpson.
Julia: There's no need for introductions, Ray Don, we know who you are.
Ray Don: You do?
Julia: Of course. You're the guy who is always wherever women gather or try to be alone. You want to eat with us when we're dining in hotels. You want to know if the book we're reading is any good or if you can keep us company on the plane. And I want to thank you, Ray Don, on behalf of all the women in the world, for your unfailing attention and concern. But read my lips and remember, as hard as it is to believe, sometimes we like talking just to each other, and sometimes we like just being alone.
My mom laughed extra hard at that one. I'd have been about 10 when Designing Women premiered (and had not yet met my own Ray Dons), and I didn't completely understand why she was so annoyed with Ray Don (except that he'd interrupted her conversation with her friends). What really stuck in my mind, though, was that she said what was on her mind, and that everyone shut up and let her finish. Not surprisingly, I liked that.
I couldn't find a clip of that, but here are a couple of other faves:
I wanted to be Julia Sugarbaker when I grew up...
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