Queen for a Day

It's a glimpse into some of the more bizarre development of our culture, with its carnival of advertisements and ominous ( bizarrely sci-fi ) premise. Some of the episodes change up ( it's heavy ) and so the first episode is a must if you want a righteous hit imo

I've heard many people over the years lament about the awful state of American television. Sometimes they complain about all the violence but mostly I hear people complaining about reality television and how exploitive and stupid the shows are. I agree, at least in part, as many TV shows just seem cheap and are apparently meant to appeal to our baser instincts. Programs that celebrate and exploit nasty people have lowered our TV standards to amazingly low depths—such as recent shows that have featured folks eating bugs for bucks or smack-down talk shows. Surely, TV back in the good 'ol days was a lot better….right? Well, maybe…but not always. There were a few tacky and exploitive shows even back when your parents and grandparents were young—so don't believe them when they tell you that EVERYTHING was better way back when! Perhaps these shows lacked the nudity, violence and coarse language we're familiar with today, but in one case, all these would be BETTER than what one show brought audiences. Queen for a Day was perhaps the sickest and tackiest reality game shows of all time. In fact, the program was so successful that it was first on radio in 1945 and moved to TV in 1956. And, despite being so tacky and gross, it stayed on television until 1964! That's almost 20 years of misery inflicted on America!

Why do I think that Queen for a Day was one of the lowest television shows of all time? Well, let me describe a typical program. One by one, various women are brought out on stage and are interviewed by the host, Jack Bailey. The purpose of this is to try to get each woman to describe her life as being the worst of all the women that particular day. So, your story of wretchedness has to be WORSE than the other women also interviewed that day. And, if it was, you would be showered with really nice prizes. And, if your story wasn't the most pathetic, you were given a rather insignificant consolation prize and no one heard from you again on the show!

Unfortunately (or, perhaps FORTUNATELY) very few episodes of Queen for a Day still exist today. I've seen a few and was just shocked. In one show from 1960, three of the women had seriously disabled children—so each had to make sure her child seemed the most needy and sick! Following all their tales of woe, the audience then voted by clapping the loudest for the most pitiful woman and she was crowned Queen for a Day. Some of the prizes they gave out were very nice and quite expensive. However, some of the prizes seemed highly inappropriate for destitute families—such as tickets to a movie premier and a limo ride! I would have preferred groceries and money for rent!

In addition to all this inanity, the show was, oddly, punctuated by a fashion show! And, to make matters worse, Mr. Bailey was probably the dumbest and most annoying host in game show or reality TV history. I noticed many times women would talk about their awful lives and he would ask terrible questions that showed he wasn't even listening to them. For example, one woman talked about her children—and he then asked her if she had any kids!

So, if you think things are horrible now, take a step back and realize that crap isn't new to television. Sure, there might be more crap today, but as far as crap goes, you cannot get much crappy than Queen for a Day!

By the way, if you are brave (or nuts), there is a chance for you to watch the show. While very, very few of the original shows still exist (I think they were trying to destroy the evidence and erased most of the tapes), you can download a few for free from archive.org or rent the three-disc set from Netflix. Don't take my word for it—see it for yourself if you dare! You'll be amazed!

My mother was a contestant in November 1956 (I was 3 years old). She told the story of my Uncle who was legally blind (only see close to his face)from a poor farm family in Kansas with no resources. In fact everybody in the family had serious eye trouble except my mother.

She became Queen for a Day, and my Uncle was given everything my mother asked for and more: A complete piano tuning tool set and a scholarship to a piano tuning school in Seattle. My mom got a full set of living room furniture and an Amana freezer (which lasted until 1983!).

On the show when Jack Bailey introduced my mother he made a big deal about her being a long-lost cousin because her last name is Bailey. Since she was a farm girl he asked her if she milked cows, and she demonstrated on his fingers.

Though some may disparage the show for excessive emotionalism, that is what it was built on. Hundreds of needy families, like mine, received things like appliances and prizes that helped them.Without Queen for a Day, my Uncle might not have had the opportunity to develop a skilled livelyhood. For decades he was the preferred tuner for all the Steinways at Carnegie Hall (Carnegie Mellon University) Pittsburg.

My father was killed in a traffic accident on 3 June 1959, my mother was a winning contestant on the Queen For A Day Show. We were as poor as a church mouse and there were no social assistance programs then as we have now. My mother was 28, my sister was 8, I was 5 and my baby sister was 3. Mama didn't know it at the time of my father's death, that she was pregnant with her 4th child. Just before he died, he had promised my sister that if she got good grades on her report card that he would buy her a pony. She did and he died before he could fulfill his promise. My mother was the winner and crowned Queen For a Day.

What she was presented as Queen was beyond belief. She won 2 complete bedroom sets, a full living room set, a full dining room set complete with a set of dishes for a service for 8, a set of silver ware, a cookset, a built in (the countertop) mixer, a hot water heater, a 7 piece patio set, a complete set of tupperware, twelve complete outfits that include; dress, matching shoes and handbags, 12 pairs of stockings, a complete set of Sarah Coventry jewelry, a complete set of rhinestone jewelry, a diamond encrusted watch, a four piece matching mother/daughters outfit, a swimsuit, a check for $1,000 and a shetland pony.

For all of those who say this was charity, I won't argue for or against that, but for all of you who say these women did not receive much in the way of gifts, I have yet to see a TV show that offers more to it's winning contestants.

The episode featuring my mother aired on 16 July 1959. I'd give my right arm to have a copy of that episode.

I remember this show as a kid. Mostly women from lower class families with lots of kids and little money would give their hard luck story to the audience then one of them via applause would be crowned and they would get their item to improve their lives. Generally the item was a washer or dryer or sewing machine etc. (which was an excellent way to advertise appliances etc.) I guess it was sad in a way and was meant to be very touching. However if they were to show these old episodes now it might be some of the most hysterical stuff on TV. Grace Lee Whitney who went on to become Janice Rand on Star Trek was a regular on the show.