Saturday, October 18, 2008

Designing Women...Dash Goff, the Writer




One of my favorite television shows of all times is Designing Women. There are some FABULOUS lessons on being a southern belle. I like to think that I'm sort of a cross between Julia and Suzanne but more about that some other time.


In my favorite episode of the series, one of Suzanne's former husbands Dash Goff, a writer, finds himself in a bit of a slump and comes for a visit. I won't go into all the details as you might want to watch the episode sometime, but as it ends, Dash has moved along, leaving a letter and MERCIFUL days...it's a letter that any southern belle would treasure forever...

"Yesterday, in my mind's eye, I saw four women standing on a veranda in white, gauzy dresses and straw-colored hats. They were having a conversation. And it was hot. Their hankies tucked in cleavages where eternal trickles of perspiration run from the female breastbone to exotic vacation spots that southern men often dream about. They were sweet-smelling, coy, cunning, voluptuous, voracious, delicious, pernicious, vexing and sexing... these earth sister/rebel mothers... these arousers and carousers. And I was filled with a longing to join them. But like a whim of Scarlett's, they turned suddenly and went inside, shutting me out with a bolt of a latch. And I was left only to pick up an abandoned handkerchief and savor the perfumed shadows of these women... these southern women. This Suzanne. This Julia. This Mary Jo and Charlene. Thanks for the comfort, Dash Goff... the writer.”

19 comments:

  1. oh designing women...whatever happened to amazing shows like this...just yesterday Mr. Mojito and I were discussing The Wonder Years...I miss that show

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  2. lovely!

    i have loved that show since kindergarten. grew up on it! maybe my momma didn't let me watch it at that age, but oh, i watched it anyhow ... :)

    suzanne meets mary jo is my personality. throw julia in there when i'm mad or talking about the law. :) thanks for posting.

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  3. I love Designing Women as well! You are right about the lessons of Southern Belles. I've seen alot of episodes but do not think I've seen this one. I'll have to look for it. thanks for sharing! What an awesome letter for any woman (or women) to receive.
    hugs from NC

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  4. That is a wonderful post!! How I miss Julia's diatribes...

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  5. Belle, I, too, loved Designing Women, and still enjoy the reruns sometimes. In their own way, each of the ladies truly epitomized the traits of a "southern belle."

    I'm sure you know that the character Dash Goff was played by Gerald McRaney (Delta Burke's husband in real life). I've always admired Mr. McRaney as an actor and he was born in Collins, Mississippi, which is not too far from where I live.

    Sincerely,

    Janie

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  6. I STILL miss that show! This was one of my favorite episodes too, since I love Gerald McRaney and the way his character described each of the women. If he was a writer in real life, I bet we'd be hooked on his books, too! So nice to see that someone else has good taste in 'southern show's. :-)

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  7. I always liked that show, too, even though there's not a house in Atlanta that looks like the one that is supposedly theirs. Oh well.

    I always like Annie Potts because she has curly hair and it always gave me inspiration for hairstyles (although looking back, some of them were scary and I actually recreated them.)

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  8. I loved this show...I always laughed and said I wanted to be just like Suzanne. Now I tell people I want to be a cross between Samantha on Sex and the City and Karen on Will and Grace...

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  9. I have been told by several people that I resemble a young Delta Burke... I don't see it what so ever, but I think people see what they want to see!

    Glad I came across your blog - loving it!

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  10. I have been told by several people that I resemble a young Delta Burke... I don't see it what so ever, but I think people see what they want to see!

    Glad I came across your blog - loving it!

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  11. I worship this show and whenever I can catch a re-run (which seem to be few and far between--why?) I am glued to the TV. My bro gave our mom and DVD with four episodes on it and we watch it whenever we get together at her house. I am a Suzanne/Julia mix--my girls, Suzanne all the way--pure DRAMA. Life is not worth living without a crown on your head, isn't that what Suzanne said? Oh well,thanks for the post reminding me of one of my all time favorite shows and episodes.

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  12. LOVE Designing Women - I'm 95% Suzanne, 4% Julia and 1% Charlene. It's on TVLand everyday here at some crazy hour...3:30 am or 4:30 am or something like that. My favorite episode is the episode with Dolly Parton - when Charlene's baby is born. I literally SOB watching that one! One of my favorite Charlene quotes...

    I asked this Northern woman, "Where are ya'll from?" And she said, "I'm from a place where we don't end our sentences with prepositions." So I said, "Okay, where are ya'll from, bitch?"

    :)

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  13. God, I miss that show. Thank goodness for reruns on Lifetime!

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  14. Isn't it great to be a southern belle?? Here's to all the Julia's, Suzanne's, Mary Jo's and Charlene's out there!!

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  15. I could just bawl. what a great post. My favorite show of all time!!!! I looooove that show. Love the one with Ray Don...so funny...and the one where JJulia defends Suzanne and her beuaty pagent ways to some stuck up girls in the ladies room. "the night the lights went out in GA!"

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  16. This should be the official poem of Southern women. Beautiful!

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  17. This should be the official poem of Southern women. Beautiful!

    Bell....

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  18. One of my all time favorite shows! I so related to each of those ladies on a certain level...some more than others! I love your blog!
    Dee (www.GracealaMaison.blogspot.com)

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