[Revisit] Designing Women S1E2 – Hot Dogs and Pageants

Only two episodes into the series, “The Beauty Contest” remains a fan favorite. We were recently reminded on Instagram of the lasting endurance of Julia’s epic “the night the lights went out in Georgia” takedown. 

But this one was more than that. It was about coming to terms with your own identity (via Suzanne), sisterly love (via Julia), and facing the both unrealistic and hypocritical beauty standards that live rent free in our heads (Mary Jo). 

This one also kicked off two segments we still do today: the “sidebar” and “extra sugar” The former is about the history of beauty pageants and the latter wraps up some unfinished business from our very first episode.