Saturday, February 13, 2010
Queen For A Day!!!
Hey Folks, my eclectic, random, wandering mind has kicked in again!! Remember watching in the early days of TV and in the afternoon a show would come on called, “Queen for a Day.” The show opened with host Bailey asking the audience that was made up mostly women, "Would YOU like to be Queen for a day?" After this, contestants were introduced and interviewed, one at a time.
Each contestant had to talk publicly about the recent financial and emotional hard times she had been through and of course the more pathetic, the better.
Then the “Applause Meter,” much like Engineer of Knowledge’s “Crap-O-Meter,” would register the audience’s reaction to each contestant’s pity-party story.
Bailey began each interview gently, asking the contestant first about her life and family, and maintaining a positive and upbeat response no matter what she told him. For instance, when a woman said she had a crippled child, he would ask if her second child was "Okay." On learning that the second child was not crippled, he might say, "Well, that's good, you have one healthy child."
The interview would climax with Bailey asking the contestant what she needed most and why she wanted to win the title of “Queen for a Day.” Often the request was for medical care or therapeutic equipment to help a chronically ill child, but sometimes it was as simple as the need for a hearing aid, a new washing machine, or a refrigerator. Many women broke down sobbing as they described their plights, and Bailey was always quick to comfort them and offer a clean white handkerchief to dry their eyes.
The more harsh the circumstances under which the contestant labored, the likelier the studio audience was to ring the applause meter's highest level. The winner, to the musical accompaniment of Pomp and Circumstance, would be draped in a sable-trimmed red velvet robe, given a glittering jeweled crown to wear, placed on a velvet-upholstered throne, and handed a dozen long-stemmed roses to hold as she wept, often uncontrollably, while her list of prizes was announced.
The prizes, many of which were donated by sponsoring companies, began with the necessary help the woman had requested, but built from there. They might include a variety of extras, such as a vacation trip, a fully-paid night on the town with her husband or escort, silver-plated flatware, an array of kitchen appliances, and a selection of fashion clothing.
Bailey's trademark sign-off was "This is Jack Bailey, Wishing we could make every woman a queen, for every single day!"
Now who can we think of currently that has capitalized on her own Pity-Party story making her “Queen For A Day.” Yes, someone who was once Governor of a State but resigned because, “Everyone was picking on her” and her daughter who followed her mother’s, “Abstinence Only” birth control method. Someone whose daughter’s baby’s father was now posing for nude photos or doing, “Porn” to use this person’s own words. Someone herself has a mentally handicapped child that she constantly has to take care of along with her bastard grandchild?!?!?
I think a new kitchen for her home so her constant work load could be made lighter taking care of the rest of her dysfunctional family…..or maybe she could be awarded a prize collecting $100’s of thousands of dollars making speeches to a collection of dumbasses would be a good prize.
Well now let’s check out Engineer of Knowledge’s “Crap-O-Meter” and I see that….Yes!!! Sarah Palin…You Are “Queen For A Day”!!!
Ha! Funny stuff and a great connection between the past and the right-wing media sensation.
ReplyDeleteSome pundit the other day corrected another who wanted to refer to Palin as 'a political star.' Rather, she is nothing but a media sensation hyping her book and rolling in the dough.
Exactly. Yet, there are... [you know the rest]
Queen for a day or maybe 3 months!
I remember Queen For A day when I was very young in Detroit. Would You Like To Be Queen For A Day? and the regal soundtrack...a poor middle aged beaten down woman with a crown and bouquet of roses crying....
ReplyDeletePalin had her 15 minutes and then some, and then she tried to take some more, but in the media vortex of the present, it don't work like that...
HAS BEEN!
Even Joe The Plumber, who is wondering what happened to his 15 minutes (Nobody bought his fucking book, he can't even get a miserable advertising gig)...it seems like it was only 5, has turned on her.
By the way, thanks for the inspiration for a photoshop piece!
ReplyDeleteHello Muddy and Microdot,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the replies and Microdot, you can use anything I put on with my blessings. I will be looking forward to your piece.