Dixie Carter Dies at 70

Image from source, CNN

Sad. I really liked Dixie Carter as an actress, particularly on Designing Women. Here was a conservative lady playing an outspoken liberal with alarming veracity. She was a terrific actress, and very, very funny. I'm also sad for her husband, Hal Holbrook, one of my favorite character actors. RIP, Dixie!

This is from one of my favorite clips from Designing Women, when the AIDS virus was still new. It's a classic Julia Sugarbaker "fired up" rant. Wonderful. Sorry about the quality of the video, it's the only one I could find.

[Excerpt]

Actress Dixie Carter dead at 70

Actress Dixie Carter, best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker on the TV show "Designing Women," has died, her agent said Saturday. She was 70.

No other details were provided. . .

Read more at: CNN

Blast from the Past: Designing Women

Back when I was home in Ohio, I wanted to watch Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters, two of my favorite shows. My mother lamented that I like chick shows. Well, duuuhhh.

It's not all the chick shows, mind you. I don't give a flip about The Bachelor or Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I don't go much for schlocky romance or weepy sentimentality. I like crackling dialog and the occasional display of bitchiness. That's probably why I was such a fan of Designing Women.

Few actresses could pull off the spectacular diatribes that Dixie Carter as Julia Sugarbaker could reel off at someone who done her wrong. Or done her sister wrong, as in this scene. How she never won an Emmy is a mystery. Enjoy.