Julia’s hilariously unconventional parenting techniques had us cracking open our etiquette books and asking WWAVD? That is, what would the “arbiter of manners” and the “authority on etiquette” Amy Vanderbilt do? 

We’ll talk about it. But look: Ms. Vanderbilt has a fascinating story all her own – so we’re going to talk about her, too. We’ll wrap up with a chat about modern etiquette because someone has got to teach people how to be polite in social media comments. Sheesh.

We learn two major lessons: 1) Designing Women boyfriends don’t often make it (RIP Reese, who IRL was settling in on LBT’s other show Evening Shade) and 2) you will finish the burger Julia made you – come hell, high water, or several broken vases. 

Her unique parenting style inspired this week’s "Extra Sugar" was a perfect excuse to bust out the Amy Vanderbilt etiquette handbook that Nikki bought after she was first referenced in season 3. Yes, yes, we’ll talk etiquette, but also about Mrs. Vanderbilt, AND what would go in our updated guide. 

Why in the world would a 2024 podcast about a late-80s/early-90s TV show have an entire episode about a 1960s movie about the 1930s? Well, if you’ve been around ST&TV for any amount of time, you know we have our reason! This week, we have three of ‘em:

1. It’s a tie-in to this week’s courtroom drama” in “Designing Women”. 

So, if it’s a “Designing Women” favorite and a Southern classic, we felt we owed it to ourselves and to our listeners to watch it and see what we think. 

We’ll talk about the movie generally, the actors in it, and its cultural and historical influence (plus, you know how we do our movie reviews - we’ll throw in some fun facts along the way!) 

In one corner, we have Mary Jo, tiny, agile, and out for justice. In the other corner, her opponent and former mugger, Norman Bates (yes, we said Norman Bates), pizza slinger and plea bargain extraordinaire. Will Mary Jo get her day in court? Sort of. Will there be obligatory Rocky references? Absolutely. Join us to see the inner workings of the justice system through the lens of situational comedy. 

Then come back Thursday for an “Extra Sugar” dedicated to another Southern court movie, only slightly more prestigious, To Kill A Mockingbird. Join us to talk about the ins and outs of this classic film. 

Suzanne’s stand off with female impersonator Lolita DuPage got us thinking – and chatting – about the world of drag: its history–or herstory if you will–the major players, and the legal attempts to restrict it in recent years.

The ladies and Anthony head to NOLA for Design Expo ‘91! Laissez les bons temps rouler! Just kidding – that’s not possible with our favorite stick in the mud, Julia. Meanwhile, Mary Jo’s attempt to sow her one wild oat goes awry. And no shock here: we want to hang with Suzanne and Charlene, who are soaking in the city’s cuisine, cocktails, and culture. (Or at least let us crash with Anthony since no one else will!)

And, inspired by Charlene and Suzanne’s girls’ night on the town, Nikki’s gonna sidebar with us on 10 not-so-obvious things to do when you visit New Orleans. 

Come back on Thursday for an Extra Sugar inspired by Suzanne squaring off with Lolita DuPage. We’re dedicating this one to the world of drag – its significant historical and cultural impact, major players, and its recent appearance in the news cycle. 

Our Designing Women are exposed to the world of contemporary art, so you know what that means: we’re now becoming artists! Nah, but we do need to talk about some things like what was happening in contemporary art at the time that had this on the writers’ minds? And, uh, what is contemporary art? We’ll also talk about some fascinating examples – and who knows? Maybe we’ll all be fans by the end.

Sugarbaker’s is thrust into the world of contemporary art – and things get weird for everyone. Julia is suddenly a hot new artist, Charlene keeps trying to use the artwork, Mary Jo is lugging around a bumper, and Suzanne glued her lips together. Phew! Art is hard work. 

Come back Thursday for an Extra Sugar where we’ll dig into some of the most intriguing contemporary art we could find. 

In this week’s “Designing Women” cold open, we found Charlene toasting up a sandwich atrocity - I mean, masterpiece - in her “As Seen on TV” diamond in the rough: a hot sandwich toasting machine. I don’t know about you, but that very nearly inspired us to dust off the ole George Foreman and toast up a delectable grilled sandwich creation of my own. I mean, we didn’t, of course, but we sure did think about it! 

The other thing we thought about was the magical moment infomercials and the “As Seen on TV” world had back in the 90s/early 2000s and wondered, as always, “What was the deal with that?” And that’s where we find ourselves today - trying to answer the question of “As Seen on TV” products, what was the deal with that?”

So, act now to secure this “Extra Sugar” episode - which we’re calling: “This Extra Sugar Marvel Could Be All Yours For Four Easy Payments of $19.99”. 

J/K. You know we’ll be back next week whether you pay us or not. 

JD’s back! The timing is perfect because Mary Jo wants another baby. Sure they cry, scream, and poop, but it was the best time of her life, so pony up JD! Meanwhile, Suzanne takes up smoking to curb her appetite causing a glorious ruckus in Sugarbaker’s. 

Come back Thursday for a segment we’re calling, This Extra Sugar Marvel Could Be All Yours For Four Easy Payments of $19.99. We can’t tell you much more - you just have to come back Thursday for this exclusive. But, because we like ya, we’ll give you this bonus tip: it’s probably inspired by Charlene’s adventure with the stuffed sandwich maker at the beginning of the episode.