Dream Girl, U.S.A.

I watched a few episodes of this show back in the mid-eighties as it was a half hour show that was really a beauty pagent. I don't remember too much of it except that it featured women from all states in the US and they competed for the title of Dream Girl USA. I remember seeing the talent contests where Miss Minnisota was doing some sort of old folk dancing. But the real show stopper was Miss Oklahoma who was doing karate. She stomped barefooted on glass, broke boards, and did kicks and punches; very talented woman. I only caught a few episodes as I as only 11 years old at the time, but now I really miss it. I wish they would show reruns, but the show is very outdated and that is not likely to happen. Good show though, and real entertainer for a half hour.

I was in the audience for a taping of this show, and it was dreadful. This was stooping pretty low for Ken Howard, and it must have been embarrassing for the contestants. I liked seeing Ken Howard, though.

How's this for pathetic? Back during the late Eighties, I read about this show in the local press. Living in a rural area, though, I had no access to the channel broadcasting it. It was on at Saturdays around after 10 PM. There were simulcast dubbed TV shows on the radio though, and I had the bright idea to tune in. To this day, AND NOW YOU ARE ALL GONNA FREAKING LAUGH, I vividly remember one contestant (bless her little heart!) singing "Rocking With The Rhythm Of The Rain" so anybody who has this somewhere would know which episode I am referring to. I have no idea what the show looked like, I'm about to search for the intro on VuClip, hell, it was (and I only realize it now) not exactly brand-new when I saw it, so it's more than 25 years later.

(Later that same morning) I submitted my review, went to VuClip, found the Second Semi-Final, and downloaded. Besides the poor quality VHS recording (that could have been overlooked, seeing that this dates back to an era lost in the mist of time), the show is extremely dated (that could also have been overlooked for the same reason) and everyone looks so old-fashioned, with permed hair, and not a trace of fun. The winner that night, a mother of four???? No, I ruined everything this morning. In my imagination, it was a whole lot better.

Let me tell you, I am from a country that used to be hellishly conservative back then, but damn! we knew about televising beauty contests! For Miss South Africa, the girls came out in strappy high heels, pantyhose, and the BAYWATCH one-piece. We had an emphasis on legs. Long, long legs. With some hindquarter. South African girls, back then, were pure of race, the finest creamy flesh, think Charlize Theron, she was (admittedly, seven years later) a product of a local televised beauty pageant, true story, I kid you not. No, DREAM GIRL USA, what you had there, is so snooze-worthy, I could just have dozed off.

To the other reviewer: No, my guy, you'll never see this on TV again. No chance, not even back in 2001. You have a better chance of viewing the Apocalypse on TV, with the Earth splitting in two, the oceans pouring into space, and the whole she-bang just a vapid memory, than seeing a rebroadcast of DREAM GIRL USA. And with the added hindsight achieved this morning, that's a good thing. :(