Your Turn: Julia Sugarbaker
From Designing Women, created by Bill Kenny
Nominated by Consuelo Hummons
Julia Sugarbaker is "everywoman." When my father was absent and my mother was every woman and man, it was reassuring to see this character that was so like my mother on television. She had a sharp tongue and an even temper, she was glamorous and brilliant, and NOBODY messed with Julia. It helped me to recognize these traits in my mother and appreciate what she did for us.
When most young girls cringed at being compared to their mothers, I longed to hear, "You're just like your mother." I recall hearing Julia's searing, tactful diatribes. She could reduce you to dust with her eyes and words -- just like my mom. I began to copy her tirades. I repeated Julia's vigorous defense of her sister from The Beauty Contest in the mirror and even now, at 31 and capable of stringing together my own stinging, smartly worded declamation (just ask my husband), "The night the lights went out in Georgia" still brings tears to my eyes.
3:16 PM ET | 02-15-2008 | permalink
