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Misspent Youth: Daisy Duke


Looking back at the pop culture mainstays of this Gen-Xer's gloriously misspent youth.

Ah, Daisy.


You were our Friday Girl, years before we were anywhere near having real Friday night dates.


You were not just a beloved character from the 1980s hit TV show The Dukes of Hazzard. You were a legend. Kids in school talked of you in hushed tones, hearts racing and palms sweating. Your extraordinary ability to rock a pair of short-shorts changed the lexicon forever after your arrival—women didn't wear "short-shorts" anymore; they wore "Daisy Dukes." How many pop culture icons can claim something that eternal?


You inspired legions of young fans to tune in every Friday night to catch a glimpse of the Duke boys' cousin in action. And she was all about the action.


Whether shooting better than men, or driving better than men, or proving how easily rednecks could be distracted by a pair of legs, you were full-on action hero. You were the not-so-secret weapon who saved your cousins' well-toned behinds regularly.


You'd be hard-pressed to find a more worthy sex symbol, circa 1980. It's worth noting you always wore shimmering pantyhose because network censors feared a bare-legged Daisy was simply more than the fragile viewing public could handle. They didn't want to sued for a series of heart-attack induced deaths. Your legs were even insured for $1,000,000. Which, honestly, seems like a low figure. We all know those legs are priceless.


Daisy, in many ways and especially to adolescent kids in the early '80s, you were the absolute zenith. All others paled in comparison. You were everything: a southern belle with a beatific smile, easy-going charm, and fierce determination.


Stuffy detractors (like our parents) said you were nothing more than eye candy, but that's unfair. You were also a cool, self-sufficient problem-solver who kicked butt as well as or better than the guys.


You ruined us, Daisy*. You ruined us in the best ways possible. And we'll always be grateful that you did.


* All praise really goes to Ms. Catherine Bach, who brought Daisy to vibrant, glorious, sassy life every Friday night. Thank you, Catherine.
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  1. Paul SFebruary 28, 2019 at 2:15 AM

    I'm really enjoying this series, you bring back so many fond memories, man I rerally miss the 80s. Now, if ever there was a character who cried out for a spin-off series it was Daisy Duke. There were no limits to what she could have done, run for president, save the whales, win a Nobel prize. Speaking of Dukes of Hazzard spin-offs didn't Baby Pfeiffer appear in an episode of Enos? Such a thought might be a product of my pfeavered Pfeiffer pfixated imagination.

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    1. Words Seem Out of PlaceMarch 5, 2019 at 6:22 AM

      I would've loved a Daisy spin off. Maybe she moved to the big city, went to law school, and became a public defender to help those on the margins. I'd watch the heck out of that! And yes, Michelle was on an episode of Enos!

      Delete

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