FreeCatFights
General Category => Celebrity Fights => Celebrity Fights- Stories => Topic started by: sinclairfan on August 21, 2022, 01:44:40 AM
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TV Guide; August 20, 1982 edition
[Feast of St Bernard of Clairvaux]
In a crossover episode of ABC'S Dynasty and CBS's Dallas, television fans tonight were treated to an epic prime time catfight between 2 long-time leading ladies of the small screen--Linda Evans as Krystle Carrington versus Linda Gray as Sue Ellen Ewing. The length, progression, intensity, and outcome of the fight are rumored to have been unscripted.
Regular (and even semi-occassional) viewers of either prime time soap of course have a passing familiarity with the storyline--Blake Carrington's Denver, CO-based oil behemoth is in merger talks with J.R.Ewing's Irving, TX-based wildcatter--a merger between the two will be win-win, and will practically corner North American and global energy markets. Both families stand to quintuple their wealth if the deal closes.
The problem? Will Blake or J.R. sit atop the merged enterprise.
Since they are stubborn Reagan-era alpha males, the two Linda's step into rhe breech, decide "sisters before misters", and decide to settle the issue hand-to-hand (after calling each other bitches).
The dresses on the two leading ladies was beyond glamorous--Krystle in her pink flannel shoulder pads, as appropriate for the Aspen apres-ski as the Board Room. Sue Ellen's Texas silk was equally classy, although it now sits in the bottom of a Hollywood dumpster after getting shredded by Krystle's claws.
The two women showed no hestitation in going all-in in their fight. Ms Evans shows mad skills as both a striker and a grappler, while Ms Gray's preference is of the hairpulling inclination, using her leverage to knee her enemy in the face. Bith women fought tooth and claw for the full 17 minutes between commercial breaks, and the loser gave only under severe duress, not to mention threat to her wonderful middle-aged looks.
Viewers wanted to know the outcome will need to tune in tonight. Although we highly doubt they will "last" to the fight finish.
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CBS Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley; August 21, 2022
"Forty Years Later: The Dynasty-Dallas Catfight"
Jane Pauley: Good morning, I'm Jane Pauley. We bring to you this morning a pair of interviews I did earlier this week with two television acting icons, Linda Evans and Linda Gray. The two were co-participants in one of the most famous .... and, to this day, the highest rated .... episodes in prime time television history forty years ago this week. A so-called crossover episode of their respective night-time soaps, Dynasty and Dallas. To this day, there are still hurt feelings over what transpired that evening, that the two actresses refused to sit down with me together, even though they both summer on New England. I sat down, earlier this week, first with Linda Evans in Nantucket, and then with Linda Gray in Newport, Rhode Island.
JANE PAULEY-LINDA EVANS INTERVIEW
JP: Linda Evans, thank you for joining me, I must say you're looking as lovely as you did in 1982, when you were one of prime time's leading ladies.
LE: Jane, thank you, and two quick items I need to mention. First, I watch your show every Sunday morning. And second, I want to remind those watching this .... in 1982, it was actually YOU, Jane Pauley, who more Americans watched on TV than any of us ... myself, Linda Gray, Lynda Carter, Farrah .... the Today Show every morning got ratings ANY os us would have killed for.
JP: Awww... well thank you for the kind words .... and, yes where did those 40 years go? Now, Linda, despite your buttering me up, there's some journalistic items I need to ... clear up, or at least ask you about. Your very long catfight with Linda Gray, 15 minutes long I believe...
LE: 17! For the record, it was 17 minutes long....
JP: I stand corrected, 17 minutes. Was that girlfight [air quotes] 'unscripted'. I mean, were you and Linda actually fighting?
LE: Ok, so there's 2 sources of confusion about that. So, first, .... and this has sort of gotten lost in the chaos .... and, just how there was no internet or social media in 1982 for actresses to speak directly to our fans, .... , the network executives would plant rumors and then remove other stuff ...., anyways ... the whole concept of a crossover episode with an actual competitve catfight started with Heather Locklear, who was Sammy Jo on Dynasty, mentioned that our show was surpassing theirs .... Dallas .... because ours had 'strong women' who didn't take crap from the men. You'll recall, we even had Al Corley at the time, an 'out' gay male, which would have been unthinkable of Dallas. Well, Morgan Fairchild of Dallas ...she played Jenna Wade.... then called out Heather and challenged her to catfight on a live episode, unscripted. She then made comments that in my catfights with Alexis, you could see the camera cuts to male stuntmen. So, the point is, there was an concerted effort by the CBS and ABC directors to make sure the catfight between Linda and myself was 100% us, not stunt men, no stunt women, just the two Linda's the entire fight.
JP: interesting. So many questions. Did Morgan and Heather .... well, first, were thry disappointed they didn't get chosen to fight....
LE: You'll have to ask them that, but I would have been disappointed and not getting chosen [sly wink].
JP: ..... and.. did the two of them ever fight?
LE: No comment.
JP: More in a minute, where we'll focus on the two Linda's.
To be continued....
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JP: This is Jane Pauley, and I'm back with Linda Evans, speaking about her 1982 primetime catfight with Linda Gray. Now, Linda, with we were in commercial break, my prodicers reminded us that your catfight, while it was in primetime, wasn't LIVE ... it had been pre-recorded. WHEN was it recorded.
LE: That's correct, Jane. It had been reorded earlier that day, around 10 in the morninf, which was remarkable turnaround time with 1982 video technology. The reason for the rapid turnaround is that the Dynasty-Dallas episode was being simul-cast on TWO networks....
JP: ABC and CBS.
LE: ..... that's correct, and you have to remember that in 1982, cable TV was in its infancy, so the Big Three networks had 90% of all eyeballs during primetime....well, there was remarkable distrust that the outcome of the fight would be revealed by someone, which would reduce the audience. CBS executives were especially suspicious, since the believed the 1979 'Who shot J.R.?' cliffhanger outcome had been revealed pre-showing, that eveyone already knew it was Kristin, and that some people didn't tune in, which angered the advertisers.
JP: Interesting. Now, a pre-recorded fight also differentiates it from the type of fight Morgan Fairchild had challenged Heather Locklear to, correct?
LE: That's right. Morgan Fairchild gets kudos, street cred, for calling out Heather. But Morgan full well knew that no network will ever air a live catfight, not only because of the risk on injury, but also because of topless nudity, which obviously will never be aired on network TV, even today in 2022.
JP: So Morgan knew that when she challenged Heather?
LE: Damn straight she knew it. She deserves no credit for challenging Heather.
JP: So you respect Linda Gray more than Morgan Fairchild, even with your subsequent issues with Linda.
LE: I do. Linda Gray is a brave woman. Despite our issues.
JP: And we'll be back after a short break to discuss those issues.
To be continued....
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JP: Good morning, ladies and gentleman, and for those just tuning in, I'm in the final segment of my live interview with Linda Evans, after which I'll bd joined by Linda Gray. Our main topic, of course, is the duo's infamous unscripted catfight on prime time televsion forty yeurs ago yesterday. Linda, you mentioned that your professional relationship with Linda Gray has had issues sine that night. Did they start DURING your catfight with her.
LE: No, Jane, quite the opposite. After the fight, and I mean literally seconds after hearing, 'Cut!', I hugged Linda, she hugged me, and we were both saying, 'Oh, Linda! Please tell me you're ok. Please, you're not hurt, right?!? Oh, yes, we're good, I'm sore right here but it's just rugburn, not from anything you did! Good fight, fair fight.' And, like I said, we got up, hugged and kissed. I couldn't have been more relieved at how it had turned out. Now .... what I will say is ..... during the fight itself, and if you go back and watch it, xou can clearly see this, Linda was going after my hair in what seemed at the time, to me, in a particularly destructive fashion.
JP: Well, wait, Linda, ... it WAS a catfight you were in.
LE: It WAS a catfight .... but, remember, in 1982, my bangs were my calling card, looks-wise, and even beyond that, she KNEW we were about to start peak filming season. Jane--she WANTED to give me a battle scar that people would be buzzing about during prime-time tv thst season.
JP: Ok, I hear you. But there was a bigger issue that that, wasn't there .... as to whether she LET you win that fight? And why she did it.
LE: That's right, Jane. I DID win the fight, of course--why did we not mention that until now?? .... [laughter] .... anyways, as the days and weeks went on, her publicity team, and CBS's, thru Entertainment Tonight .... this is what kick-started Mary Hart's career .... started spreading this ..... CRAP .... sxcuse my French .... and Linda getting my pink, shouldered-padded, apres-ski sweater off of me, and me being topless. Which I was. Now, Jane, there's this age-old soap opera bedroom sex scene trick . .. sex scene filming NEVER goes as planned, of course, .... where if the woman loses her top, the male lead is to roll on his back and the topless female is to press her chest into him ..... as a way of hiding her boobs from the camera, so the scene can keep rolling. Not waste film, you know? Well, Linda claimed, thru the grapevine, which is what angered me, that at around the 12 minute mark, when my top came off, that she rolled onto her back so zhat I would mount her and we could keep filiming, so as to avoid the stuntman accusations. But if you watch the film of the fight, it's ssooo obvious that I'm the one forcing her onto her back so that I can slap her face. Because I had better hands than her the whole fight and wanted to make sure I got as many slaps in as I could before the fight ended. I knew we were coming up on time, and were going to be separated.
JP: So, as the years went on, this is the story which was told across Hollywood.
LE: That's right. And it is .... SO .... FALSE.
JP: Did you ever confront her about it.
LE: A couple of times. She said she couldn't control what CBS said about her. Hid behind her people, basically. Although, you will notice she did a couple of Lifetime fights afterwards .... late '90s .... and she made amn dure those fights didn't go to the ground.
JP: Linda, before we run out of time .... when I interview Linda Gray next, what will SHE say about the famous fight?
LE: That it was Krystle fighting Sue Ellen, not Linda fighting Linda. But don't buy it. Linda Evans beat Linda Gray that night. And would beat her again.
JP: Linda Evans, I wish we had more time. Thank you so much.
LE: Thank you, Jane. Thank you, Linda.
JP: Up next ..... the one and only Linda Gray.
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JP: Jane Pauley, back this Sunday morning, now joined by the lovely .... and, if I might say, the still VERY glamorous .... Linda Gray. Linda, good morning.
LG: Good morning, Jane, and I was payibg attention to every minute of your interview with Linda Evans, and I have one very important thing to say about the fight which happened forty years ago.
JP: Please fire away, Ms Gray. The floor is yours.
LG: Well, Jane, as everyone in television ... and show business in general knows .... the fight which aired in 1982 was a catfight between SUE ELLEN EWING and KRYSTLE CARRINGTON. Krystle Carrington won the fight. Linda Evans did not win any fight. WE WERE IN CHARACTER. Krystle was in a second marriage, quite recently, to a loving husband. Sue Ellen was married to a philandering, borderline abusive snake, J.R.Ewing, one of history's greatest television villains. Of course, if Krystle and Sue Ellen fought, and it ended up being a battle of endurance, Krystle would fight harder for her man. She was more in love. Jane, I cannot believe, forty years, Linda Evans cannot grasp the difference. She and I did not fight. Our characters did.
JP: Well, if that was you fighting in character ..... bravo .... it looked authentic. But, .... did you ever confront Linda Evans directly about her perception of the fight.
LG: At first? Candidly, no. I didn't realize what a fantasy world I was living in. But, Jane, let me assure you .... there was a party at Ed McMahon's house in 1998 .... many producers and agents were there .... and I went straight up to her .... stone cold sober, mind you ... many people saw this .... and I said, 'Linda, if you would like for Linda Evans and Linda Gray to fight, we can do this anytime you'd like, and place you'd like. We can have rules, we can have no rules. We can have falls, rounds, or last woman standing. You decide now, you think it over, whatever space you need. Open offer.'
JP: Goodness, Linda. And may I ask, what was her response?
LG: She called me a loser, said I must have banged my head at one of my Lifetime fights. Deflection, avoidance. Not wanting to fight, but not wanting to appear pussy. But that's what she turned out to be. A pussy. She never took up my offer. And she knows it.
JP: I'm guessing you're confident you would win.
LG: I'm happy you ask that. I actually don't know anything about what would happen. Linda can fight. But I was owed .... I'm still owed .... the satisfaction of a real actual chickfight. Not an acted one.
JP: Lots more to cover, obviously. We'll be right back.
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JP: Jane Pauley, back again, and, please note, local stations, for obvious reasons we may go a little overtime this Sunday morning. Linda Gray, you took us ahead in time to the 1990s, so I'm going to pounce on that a bit, because that when the last known Network Prime Time unscripted catfight occurred, correct? I'm wondering if you could share your perspective on that fight.
LG: That's correct, Jane. We're getting into real 'Student of Television' territory here .... but in the mid-1990s, I believe it was, ABC had a pair of popular shows, 'The Wonder Years' and 'Boy Meets World', ..... , and, ok, this got a little Meta because they were crossing over not just geography .... one was downtown Philadelphia, the other a vanilla suburb, I believe generic LA, but I apologize if I'm mis-remembering that, ....., but also time .... one was late 1960s, the other was late 1980s. Anyways, the two catfighters, .... Winnie Cooper from 'The Wonder Years' and Topanga Lawrence from 'Boy Meets Wotld' .... well, they get into this contrived college girl chickfight in thr parking lot of Independence Hall in Philly, ...., I mean, for crying out loud, the signing place of the Declaration of Indrpendence .... Adams, Jefferson, John Hancock, ok. Unscripted .... I mean, the reason for them fighting was scripted .... but the action fight ... it's Danica McKeller and Danielle Fishel actually fighting.
JP: I remember watching that fight.
LG: We all do. All of us in the TV business. And while the girls did a great job .... they both brought their A-game to the fight .... both of their careers were never the same. Both were perceived to be 'good girl' actresses .... sort of like iCarly today .... and, especially Danielle ... Topanga .... she just went ballistic in that fight .... ripping out Danielle's hair, .... well, heck, Danielle became a math professor after that.... they didn't stay in character. They forgot it was their characters fighting, not each other.
JP: ..... and xou're saying you never forgot Sue Ellen's character?
LG: Not for a minute. Sue Ellen would fight for J.R. .... tooth and nail .... but not like Krystle would fight for Blake. That's why fans .... of both shows, I might add ... 'bought' the fight. It went long, and Krystle won. Krystle. NOT Linda Evans.
JP: Linda..... it occurs to me ..... which do you think fans would RATHER watch: Krystle Carrington fighting Sue Ellen Ewing? Or Linda Evans fighting Linda Gray?
LG: Well, that's an interesting question. Jane, to get the clothes we were wearing that fight .... her sweater, my blouse .... you only get that with Sue Ellen versus Krystle, right. If Linda Gray is catfighzing, I'm not wearing a silky blouse and a sexy dress, ok? Too impractical. I mean .... if xou had fought Deborah Norville, would YOU dress like THAT?
JP: [blushes] .... ok, careful Linda, this is about YOUR fights, not mine.
LG: Oh, do you admit there WERE fights between you and Deborah?? By the way, I think she's a bitch to this day.
JP: ok ok, enough, Linda. I think we'll take a final break here, and get somd last thoughts from Linda Gray.
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JP: This will have to be our final segment this Sunday morning. Linda Gray, thank you for being so candid, but especially since my life and my one catfight has been dragged into this, I think we need to acknowledge that we have some young women watching, and we might need to carify for them when fighting is appropriate and when it isn't.
LG: That's right, Jane, and it's a fair point. The Krystle-Sue Ellen fight, I'll point out, had a couple of elements to it which were considered for empowering at the time .... in 1982, this was, keep in mind .... women of course had almost no representation on company boards, or at the negotiating table when billions of dollars of shareholder wealth were at stake .... and of course the fate of the entire merger was in the hands of two women ....
JP: Quite revolutionary, for its time of course .... but what I'm more referring to is your confronting Linda Evans at that 1998 party .....
LG: Ah, yes .... I'd like to point out .... when I confronted her, I did it face to face ... Jane, you'll note that was quite diifferent than how Morgan Fairchild called out Heather Locklear, which was done thru third parties ..... Jane , I grew up in the generation, as I know you did too, where if you had an issue with a girl, you'd get in the car, and you'd call her and say, 'I'm in my car .... driving to your place .... Imma pull up .... You're gonna come out .... And we're gonna fight," and it's just the way it worked, Jane.
JP: Until it didn't, with Linda Evans.
LG: Except it did, Jane. You'll notice around that time is when Linda Evans stopped getting work, her marriage to Yanni fell apart, his music started being seen as a joke. Karma's a bitch, Jane. An even bigger one than Linda Evans is.
JP: i think we'll leave it there. We return now to local programming, already in progress.
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This is "sizzling." Possible steamy exciting catfights from these soaps including Knots Landing, Falcon Crest could go on and on.....Always wanted to see a fight between Morgan Fairchild and Donna Mills....
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PAULEY UNDER FIRE FROM LOCKLEAR, FAIRCHILD, NORVILLE, OTHERS FOR 'OFF-THE-RAILS' SUNDAY MORNING INTERVIEW
New York Times
Monday August 22, 2022
'CBS Sunday Morning' has a venerable reputation as a sleepy throwback to a simpler, less toxic era. But that reputation lies in tatters, CBS executives now fear, after anchor Jane Pauley inexplicably let an already-racy topic go completely 'off-the-rails' on yesterday's show, both by introducing unverifed hearsay about ancillary acquaintances and erstwhile co-stars of two former prime time 'Leading Ladies', and by permitting (some would say, encouraging) language considered off-color ('pussy', 'bitch') even by relaxed 2022 standards.
First, the topic: forty years ago, in a prime-time TV 'cross-network crossover' episode, previously attempted only on live news events such as Presidential debates or certain unique sports events like Super Bowl I, ABC and CBS did a mash-up of each's repective prime time soap, Dynasty and Dallas. As with daytime soaps (and Spanish-language telenovela), a trope of the genre is the hairpulling catfight between attractive actresses. Since neither network's writers wanted to script a loss for their star performer, the two designated pugilists for the evening's Main Event, Linda Evans and Linda Gray, were pitted against each other in an unscripted bonnybrook which lasted 17 minutes. The event has never been precisely duplicated, as advertisers at the time, and subsequently, faced backlash for facilitation 'human cockfighting', and the 2 participating actresses struggled to move beyond the ratings spectacle and land respectable roles.
On Sunday, "the two Linda's" were booked on Pauly's program for what originally supposed to be a light-hearted retrospective on the even from four decades ago. But things quickly went wrong due to the two refusing to appear on screen together, due to festering unresolved differences which emerged in the months and years after their fight.
Both Linda's--Evans first, then Gray--also quickly began making unverifiable statements abot third parties to the event--Morgan Fairchild of Dallas, Heather Locklear of Dynasty, and [most bizarrely of all] Pauley's former rival as Today Show morning hostess, Deborah Norville (Norville still hosts a syndicated weeknight news show). Representative of Fairchild, Locklear, and Norville spent the bulk of Sunday afternoon demanding CBS retract the contents of Pauley's duelling (literally) interviews, which at this writing CBS has refused to do.
Lost amidst the fog of Sunday's high-energy interviews: Ms Gray evidentally STILL harbors unresolved harsh feelings towards, Ms Evans, even 40 years on.
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INSIDE EDITION
Wedbesday August 24, 2022
DN: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I'm Deborah Norville, joined tonight for a special interview with the lovely Morgan Fairchild. Both of our names, as well as Heather Locklear's, who I did invite to be here this evening but who was unable to join us, came up over the weekend on a certain Sunday morning news show. Morgan, thank you for joining us. I know it was short notice, but any theories about why Heather didn't join us?
MF: Thank you, Deborah--love your show, you looking oustanding youself, and .... yes, between you and me, I think Heather understood to contrast in our looks versus hers might not be flattering to her.
DN: MEE-OWW .... and with that, let's dive right in. Were Linda Gray's comments Sunday accurate about your 1982 call-out of Heather.
MF: Close .... and Deborah, I like Linda Gray, even today .... but Linda's recollection was incomplete .... after Heather made a gratuitous, unnecessary comment about 'Dallas', I challenged Heather to TWO types of fights: a UNSCRIPTED fight .... but still pre-recorded .... on prime time TV .... OR a LIVE fight on the weekend, be it ABC Wide World of Sports or Battle of the Network Stars, or however ABC wanted to package it. I left the venue, the programming, the production up to her.
DN: And they never responded.
MF: Well, they would say the crossover episode and the Gray/Evans fight was the response. Because there was no reason for Sammy Jo and Jenna Wade to fight. But clearly Heather was ducking me--she and I could have fought anyways.
DN: So for what reason do you think she ducked you.
MF: Heather Locklear ducked me in 1982, and for the 40 years since then, because she knew she would lose a fight to me. Plain and simple, Deborah.
DN: Morgan, thank you. We'll talk about the Krystle-Sue Ellen fight next.
To be continued.....
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DN: Deborah Norville, back here with our guest all episode tonight, the one and only Morgan Fairchild. Morgan, I think one very important thing which has been lost the past few days:..... SO HOW WAS the Krystle-Sue Ellen fight ANYWAYS?? Do you remember seeing the fight in 1982?? Did you like it then? Do you like it now? Has it stood the test of time.
MF: Deborah, I DO remember the fight--a few of us from Dallas had a watch party--needless to same we were rooting hard for Sue Ellen to kick Krystle's ass. We could tell right away that this was SOMETHING DIFFERENT .... not your stereotypical catfight ... from the way Linda GRAY had Linda EVANS'S bangs--you get tell hair was ACTUALLY GETTING RIPPED OUT--which of course does not happen in staged soap opera catfights--we're trained how to hold hair without pulling it. Now, real quick, before I forget ..... there was so much to pay attention to, so many things to notice .... Deborah, THE CLOTHES they had these poor ladies wear. These thousand dollars tops and dresses and dresses .... and full nylins .... Deborah--it is so hard to bend and roll and twist--never mind fight--in clothes like that. Deborah, people always ask why high class women don't fight ..... the clothes alone [laughter] make catfighting the least of our priorities. So, the two Linda's did a fantastic ..... professional .... convincing job just by overcoming their clothing and putting zhemselves out there and fighting all out.
DN: So there was no doubt that this was real .... an actual chickfight.
MF: No doubt at all, not for a minute.
DN: The other actresses watching with you .... or even just women watching with you .... I won't ask who they were .... any regrets it was Linda Gray invited to fight and not them.
MF: Well everyone reacted a bit differently .... BUT ..... one common theme was--what a great idea--let's pre-record a REAL fight ... and if something unexpected .... unplanned ..... unanticpated happens ....
DN: Unplanned, as in an injury??
MF: An injury .... a boob popping out .....
DN: Ahh, I see.....
MF: Then we'll let the editors work their magic .... or, in the event of a real accident, not air the fight at all.
DN: After a 17 minute long catfight, do you think there was a possibility of it not being aired?
MF: I do think that Linda Evans, in 1982, which such a cultural icon, from 'Dynasty', from 'Big Valley', I don't think that America would have tolerated the image of her breaking a nose, getting poked in the eye, ...., typical hazards of catfights, barfights. I don't think any footage like that would have ever aired.
DN: Do you think Linda G and Linda E were actually trying to hurt each other?
MF: If they needed to do that to win the fight?? .... absolutely.... And good for them .... but absolutely, they were ready to hurt each other.
DN: Is that why you think there's still bad blood today? Why they wouldn't even get together with Jane Pauley.
MF: Yeah, about that ... I zhink that's actually sad .... I mean, I know Linda Gray thought she was entitled to a second fight ..... and sought one out .... but I think when two women fight, and fight to a finish .... I think after that, it's over. Time to move on. Life is short. Men fo that better than women, by the way. They fight, shake hands, and have a drink. Women could learn from that.
DN: More on the famous fight .... and the aftermath .... after this.
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DN: Deborah Norville, back with the always-fascinating Morgan Fairchild. Morgan, I apologize for jumping around topic-wise, but you open up so many paths to pursue when it comes to fighting. You mentioned two women having it out, if you will, and then 'having a drink' ....
MF: I meant that figuratively, by the way, not necessarily literally. I don't think I would [air quotes] 'break bread' with a woman I fought. I just meant .... you each move on, go your separate ways.
DN: Understood. Like a catfight one-night stand .....
MF: ..... Precisely .....
DN .....All of which begs the question.... Have YOU, Morgan Fairchild, ever fought a name we might recognizefrom the big or small screen.
MF: I have.
DN: i knew you wouldn't let us down .... is she still 'with us'.
MF: She is .... and I won't keep you guessing .... in 1978, I went toe to toe with none other than The Bionic Woman herself .....
DN: Lindsay Wagner?!?!?
MF: That's right. I had made a TV movie with Morgan Brittany ... who by the way, sadly, is NOT with us anymore .... anyways, it aired opposite Lindsay's show, and I got word she was bad-mouthing the movie, and the catfighting it had in it, including a shower fight. I confronted her in her trailer at Paramount Studies, I invited her outside, and we threw hands on the hardtop in the mid-day sun. I scored a couple knockdowns, made my point. She knew better than to jeopardize filming or production schedules with a shiner .... and we moved on.
DN: So you think Lindsay's approach would have better served Linda Gray.
MF: Again, .... I like Linda Gray .... but yes, Lindsay kept working for many years .... commercials and what not, ....
DN: Sleep number beds!
MF:..... and I don't know that that .... avenue .... would have been open to her if she was viewed by the public as a sore loser.
DN: Wow. A hardtop fistfight, huh?
MF: Yes, Lindsay doesn't mess around, I'll give her that. But then neither do I.
DN: Maybe Heather Locklear was wise to duck you.
MF: Perhaps.
DN: Back after this break, maybe with some more surprises.
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DN: Ok, now, in this segment, Morgan Fairchild and myself, Deborah Norville, are going to "open up" a bit about some very public catfight mis-adventues, one each, that we each had in, oh dear, where does the time go, in what?, the past thirty years. Mine against....
MF: .....Jane Pauley .... and MINE against ....
DN: ....Bo Dereck.... in a series called Fashion House .... and let's dive right in .... Morgan, your catfights with Bo were criticized as being silly .... camp ....
MF: ....yes, about that.... three things I'd like to clarify about that .... and, first, I enjoyed working with Bo, in real life she and I were friends ....
DN: .... so UNLIKE Jane and myself ....
MF: .... Yes, so you can see... Bo and I were starting with one strike against us,.... which leads to item two .... goodness, she was so much TALLER than me, which was painfully visible everytime we fought .... and, finally, well, my character was meant to provide comic relief in the banter between the two of them .... whereas hers was meant to have a pole up her butt .... so, like Linda Gray said on Sunday .... it's hard to catfight how YOU'd like, when it's your CHARACTERS catfighting.
DN: So what you're saying is that in real life, you would have kicked Bo Derek's ass.
MF: I think .... at the time, especially ... everyone knew it. But enough about me .... what I've always wanted to know is ... did Bryant Gumbel start YOUR issues with you and Jane ... or was that just you two girls.
DN: Jane and I started .... without help, girlfriend .... Bryant just offered to "end it". But, alas, Jane was America's good girl at the time. So I stood no chance. I would have won the battle .... but lost the war.
MF: So sad. And you won both in my book.
DN: You're kind to say that. We'll be back.
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DN: Ok, now, in this segment, Morgan Fairchild and myself, Deborah Norville, are going to "open up" a bit about some very public catfight mis-adventues, one each, that we each had in, oh dear, where does the time go, in what?, the past thirty years. Mine against....
MF: .....Jane Pauley .... and MINE against ....
DN: ....Bo Dereck.... in a series called Fashion House .... and let's dive right in .... Morgan, your catfights with Bo were criticized as being silly .... camp ....
MF: ....yes, about that.... three things I'd like to clarify about that .... and, first, I enjoyed working with Bo, in real life she and I were friends ....
DN: .... so UNLIKE Jane and myself ....
MF: .... Yes, so you can see... Bo and I were starting with one strike against us,.... which leads to item two .... goodness, she was so much TALLER than me, which was painfully visible everytime we fought .... and, finally, well, my character was meant to provide comic relief in the banter between the two of them .... whereas hers was meant to have a pole up her butt .... so, like Linda Gray said on Sunday .... it's hard to catfight how YOU'd like, when it's your CHARACTERS catfighting.
DN: So what you're saying is that in real life, you would have kicked Bo Derek's ass.
MF: I think .... at the time, especially ... everyone knew it. But enough about me .... what I've always wanted to know is ... did Bryant Gumbel start YOUR issues with you and Jane ... or was that just you two girls.
DN: Jane and I started .... without help, girlfriend .... Bryant just offered to "end it". But, alas, Jane was America's good girl at the time. So I stood no chance. I would have won the battle .... but lost the war.
MF: So sad. And you won both in my book.
DN: You're kind to say that. We'll be back.
Bo (5'4"), unlike Linda Evans and Ursula Andress, is actually not much taller than Morgan. But Bo is younger and would benefit from the experiences/coaching of Linda and Ursula. Bo also seems to be the better athlete from her horsewoman experience. So Morgan better be ready with those claws to teach the youngster a lesson.
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DN: We're back with the VERY entertaining Morgan Fairchild. Morgan, speaking of good girls, the era of the unscripted catfight of course ended very abruptly, when the Wonder Years/Boy Meets World catfight between Danica McKeller and Danielle Fishel .....
MF: Ah yes, Winnie and Topanga...
DN: Yes, that's right, Winnie Cooper and Topanga, received terrible backlash. What the the girls do wrong? What did the producers and writers do wrong.
MF: Well, I know .... as a viewer..... I enjoyed the fight the two girls had that night. I thought the writeup in the storyline was WONDERFUL--as well as totally believable....
DN: Winnie was on summer vacation with her family, if I recall correctly ....
MF: That's right ... I see you were watching as well .... And finally, if the point was to stage a fight, Danielle and Danica nailed it--they both knew how to fight, and both went at it. But here's the thing, Deborah. Viewers tuning in .... industry insiders like you and me excepted of course .... did viewers want to see Danielle fighting Danica. Or did they want to see Topanga fighting Winnie????
DN: Aaaahh, now I get it.
MF: Viewers of course want to see Winnie and Topanga fighting. And THAT is NOT what that fight was. It was just too nasty to be a Winnie-Topanga fight. And that's why it generated such HORRIBLE blowback.... and scared away writers from airing any more unscripted catfights. Linda and Linda .... Evans and Gray .... got it. They foght as their characters would have fought.
DN: And if you had fought Sammy Jo....
MF: ....then I'd be fighting as Jenna Wade, not as Morgan Fairchild.
DN: Brilliant analysis, Morgan. I'm definitely speaking to Morgan Fairchild, I can see; not to Jenna Wade.
MF: Thank you. You're too kind.
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Sizzling Hot: This post is.....The back and forth conversation builds up HEAT......(In the back of my mind I can see a bunch of hot catfights....in the past and perhaps a couple of "tantalizing tussles" breaking out during the dialogue....
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Deborah Norville: I'm back with the amazing Morgan Fairchild. And a quick thank you to our producers for extending this very enlightening segment. Morgan, you had mentioned that your 1978 fight with Lindsay Wagner managed to stay out of the headlines. Off camera between segments, you told me of another celebrity fistfight which managed to stay .... discreet .... for all these years .... involving two women some of our viewers might be surprised to hear about in this context.
MF: Well, that's right Deborah. And let me preface my comments by saying I was an eyewitness to this fight, so I know whereof I speak on this. This isn't rumor-mongering. But thru the 1990s and early 2000s, a certain 2 country-western type singers, who both broke thru to the mainstream, were always linked as being a good physical matchup in a scrap .... both very tall, and very fit. Both down to Earth rugged types, despite their physical beauty. Well, both got to wondering themselves .... they're both obviously competitive .... who would win. So, they did it--they fought at a small Nashville party. In a penthouse.
DN: And .... drumroll please ... the two women were none other than ...
MF: Faith .. . Hill ...
and....
Shania .... Twain.
DN: Get out. And how was the fight?
MF: Neither woman has anything to be ashamedof. They can both handle themselves. But Shania was the better woman .. that night at least. But the real winner was the audience--damn good chickfight.
DN: Back in a minute....
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Deborah Norville: I'm back with the amazing Morgan Fairchild. And a quick thank you to our producers for extending this very enlightening segment. Morgan, you had mentioned that your 1978 fight with Lindsay Wagner managed to stay out of the headlines. Off camera between segments, you told me of another celebrity fistfight which managed to stay .... discreet .... for all these years .... involving two women some of our viewers might be surprised to hear about in this context.
MF: Well, that's right Deborah. And let me preface my comments by saying I was an eyewitness to this fight, so I know whereof I speak on this. This isn't rumor-mongering. But thru the 1990s and early 2000s, a certain 2 country-western type singers, who both broke thru to the mainstream, were always linked as being a good physical matchup in a scrap .... both very tall, and very fit. Both down to Earth rugged types, despite their physical beauty. Well, both got to wondering themselves .... they're both obviously competitive .... who would win. So, they did it--they fought at a small Nashville party. In a penthouse.
DN: And .... drumroll please ... the two women were none other than ...
MF: Faith .. . Hill ...
and....
Shania .... Twain.
DN: Get out. And how was the fight?
MF: Neither woman has anything to be ashamedof. They can both handle themselves. But Shania was the better woman .. that night at least. But the real winner was the audience--damn good chickfight.
DN: Back in a minute....
Would have been an interesting confrontation. Shania was giving up a lot of height and reach to Faith. Be interesting to see how Shania overcame Faith. And another question for your guest, any truth to the rumor of Faith Hill also having a Nashville fight with Nicole Kidman?
Inquiring minds would like to know.
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Inside Edition
Monday, November 14, 2022
Deborah Norville: Hello, everyone. Tonight, we bring you a special format of Inside Edition. An exclusive guest, for the entire 30 minutes, reprieving a very popular interview she did with me over the summer .... without further ado .... the lovely Morgan Fairchild. Morgan, how have you been?
MF: I am well. Thank you, Deborah, you look wonderful as well. Ageless, really. But I must say .... you and I ..... mostly me ..... ruffled some feathers in August. So can we clear some things up right at the top?
DN: We can. I assume in particular you're speaking of Faith Hill ... and catfights she may or may not have had over the years?
MF: Faith Hill .... and, yes, already, there's one thing I'd like to get on the record. When you and I chatted in August .... first of all ..... I said .... which was 100% true .... that I had witnessed a FISTfight .... which I meant as a compliment .... not a catfight, a fistfight .... between Faith Hill and Shania Twain. I also specifically said that BOTH women acquitted themselves quite impressively in the fight. Neither woman gave an inch, neither woman gave her back to the other at any point in the fight. Trust me, Deborah, .... and you're quite the tuffy yourself .... but you do NOT want to tangle with either Faith OR Shania. I meant nothing but respect for their bona fide's as fighters .... and, I might add, for their talent as performers as well.
DN: And, I might add, I echo everything you just said .... thank you for the clarification. But there was an extra dimension to some of the chatter I'm hearing .... which I'll invite to address .... so, over the years, industry insiders have raised the connection of Faith Hill and catfighting ....
MF: .... fistfighting ....
DN: ....Thank you, I meant fistfighting ... and that connection has been of a rumored fight .... a fistfight .... between Faith and another member of the country-western community, .... that woman being Keith Urban's long-time wife, Nicole Kidman. To your knowledge .... WAS there ever a fistfight .... planned or spontaneous,.... between Faith Hill and Nicole Kidman.
MF: And, thank you for letting me addresss this topic at length ... in August, when as an afterthought almost .... we closed with witnessing the fight I witnessed ... the Faith-Shania fight .... I was fine doing that because there aas no hearsay .... I was saying what I saw. Have I ever seen Faith fight Nicole? No. Have I heard the rumors you're referencing? Yes. Do I have anything to add beyond that? No. My witnessing the Faith-Shania fight was a right-place-right-time situation. I have no connection to either of the women involved ... or their families ....
DN: Like Faith's husband Tim Mcgraw ... or Nicole's current husband Keith Urban, or her famous ex, Tom Cruise....
MF: none .... althought, be careful there, because you bring up Tom Cruise .... Tom's first wife Mimi Rogers was oglf course a famous .... rumored ... catfighter .... back in the day, the early 1980s .....
DN: .... which has caused some to speculate the Nicole was introduced to catfighting through Tom ....
MF: .... that's right .... introduced to catfighting, introduced to Scientology ..... goodness, I'm going to be REALLY shunned in Hollywood now.
DN: HAVE you been shunned by all of this?
MF: Well, 'shunned' was meant tongue-in-cheek. But have women walked up to me and challenged me to fight? Absolutely!
DN: And your respinse is, what?
MF: If they're in their 20s or 30s. I say, "Sweetheart, I was born in 1950. I'm 72 years old. You do an indignity to yourself to challenge a woman who could be your grandmother to a fight."
DN: That must shut them up.
MF: Sometimes. But Hollywood has a lot of shameless women.
DN: We'll pause here. More from Morgan Fairchild after this break.
To be continued....
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Deborah Norville: We're back with another segment ..... sssoooo generous with your time, Morgan ... with Hollywood icon Morgan Fairchild.
MF: Flattery will get you everywhere.
DN: No, but I mean it. Morgan, earlier you touched on the circumstances on how actresses .... and women in general .... are introduced to catfighting .... either as spectators or participants. America wants to know .... how were YOU, Morgan Fairchild, introduced to chickfighting.
MF: Well, I stand on the shoulders of giants, as the saying goes. I was fortunate to learn how two fight in the 2 best settings I can imagine. The first was .... I was born and raised in small town Texas, by a Texas high school teacher, my Mom. There's nothing quite like .... even today .... like a Texas after-school chickfight. That's, of course, also where Lynda Carter and Farrah Fawcett learned the art and skill of catfighting. The pit in your stomach all school day waiting for the bell to ring. The fear of humiliating yourself. The fear of losing status to the other girl. Let me tell you, if you JUST show up for the fight.... and of course, a lot of girls don't .... you're 90% of the way to where you need to get to as a woman. But watching those fights .... then being in them .... made me into the woman I am today. The other initiation I got was from a wonderful Mentor, Faye Dunaway .....
DN: ..... This was on the set of 'Bonnie and Clyde'.....
MF:.... that's right, in 1967, at the age of 18. I was Faye Dunaway's body double. Well, I was starstruck .... onset by her acting skills .... and offstage by her OBSESSION with chickfights.
DN: Watching? Fighting herself?
MF: Both!!! Watching as foreplay to fight. She loved fighting .... and would get other women on set to fight with her watching. Inclufing me. And we did it willingly .... even the girls not as into it as I was ... just for the tips and tricks she would show us later. So, after that movie, I was quite the fight repertoire .... and I started putting it to use.
DN: When Faye Dunaway would fight, I take it she was .... how to I put this?....
MF: ..... a HELLCAT. Faye was such ... a ... bitch in a fight. She was merciless when she got a girl down.
DN: So her style ... but also her enthusiasm for fighting ... it stays with you to this day?
MF: I like to think so. It brought me here to talk to you today.
DN: Did Faye talk to you about your 'House of Fashion' fights with Bo Derek.
MF: Funny story there .... she gave me tips for fighting Bo ..... and gave Bo tips for fighting ME!!!!....
DN: Behibd your backs?!?
MF: Yes!!!! Can you believe it???
DN: Wow. She IS a bitch. Back after this.
To be continued.....
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DN: We're back .... and without further ado .... Morgan Fairchild ..... America wants to know: what's the story behind your first Texas high school chickfight?? Tell us everything!!
MF: Ok, so it's 1966, rural Texas .... well, semi-rural, we weren't hillbillies or anything .... and it's a typical 1960s Southern high school .... aware of the changes happening up north, but still clinging to tradition .... glag, family, all of that .... so there's a hierarchy of girls .... and girl cliques .... and there's these two sisters, a year apart .... one in my class, one a year younger .... and the older girl, the one in my class, is an instigator .... and she gets in her head one day that I snubbed her younger sister ....
DN: Did you?
MF ....Which, I may have done .... not intentionally and not with any purpose .. . she was jzst not in my class .... why would I interact with her .... well the older sister, the instigator, immediately says the the girl I snubbed wants to chickfight me after school .... the usual place, the stereotypical 'under the bleachers' catfight ...
DN: How did you feel?
MF: ...well .... I got the knot in my feeling stomach .... part from knowing I'd have to fight .... but also, well, is the older girl going to let me and her sister fight fair? .... or is she going to jump in if I start to win the fight?....
DN: Or, hell, if you start losing.
MF: Exactly! I can tell you speak from chickfighting experience!
DN: [Blushing]
MF: ..... but back to my fight .... well, we go out to the bleachers after school .... I don't know, maybe 15 spectators, all girls ... and two girls push me and the girl I'm fighting in the back, push us together before we can wimp out .... and we just pull each other down to the ground by our hair .... she had thick 60s hair, and so did I, pretty inconvenient for a catfight, but neither of us came to school that day knowing we would fight after school.... and my eyes are tearing, and I can't see a thing ... so we just roll and roll, ripping hair as hard as we can .... and then the crowd yells that a janitor is coming .... well, everyone RUNS ....
DN: Including the two of you fighting?
MF: oh, .... hell ya .... faster than anyone .... Deborah, our adrenaline was through the roof, I don't think I ever ran so fast .....
DN: So, did you and her ever finish that fight?
MF: Oh, no .... we had enough of each other .... we scared each other with how hard we could pull hair .... but I was hooked ....
DN: On catfighting?
MF: On ALL types of chickfights!
To be continued....
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MF: We're back, this is Morgan Fairchild, and the producers and I are playing a little trick on Deborah Norville for this segment--we're putting her in the hot seat and making HER tell US about her first catfight,....
DN: [giggling, blushing] ...oh, no, you didn't....
MF: ..... Oh, but I did, honey, .... back a few years ago I talked to your Mom .... back in Dalton, Georgia..... and we're all getting older now, Deborah, I think it's time this story got out ... in YOUR words .... about the day in 1975 that YOUR MOM ..... and another girl's Mom in your class ... ARRANGED a catfight between the 2 of you..... C'mon, darlin', .... spill. It's just you, me, and 20 million viewers.
DN: Well, 20 million .... our rating aren't THAT good....
MF: ....but this will be going viral all over YouTube.... now stop delaying ... these segments are short .... it's 1975 in Dalton, Georgia.... and you're building a high school homecoming float in your garage ... THEN what happens?
DN: .... Oh, goodness, you really did get this straight from my Mom.... well, the girl I fought, Tracy .... she and I were grade school friends who had grown apart .... socially, I mean ....those fights are always the WORST, right Morgan?.....
MF: ....the worst fights ... but the best catfights .... [makes clawing motion]....
DN: Well, anyways.... Tracy had an ex-boyfriend, who was definitely dreamboat material .... and there was electricity between him and me ... we had wanted to kiss for awhile but never got the chance .... well, he shows up at my garage to work on the homecoming float .... and by the way these float building sessions in the 1970s were total make-out sessions .... well Tracy told him not to go, but he did, and he and I sre making out in secomds flat .... well, Tracy busts us, and totally want to fight me right there .... but my mom knows I'm going to University of Georgia next year to study law .... so the rest of the gitls thrre separate us ... mom makes the boy and Tracy leave .... and all the rest of the float building is all the girls buzzing that Tracy and I are obviously gonna fight at school on Monday .... they tell my mom Tracy and I shoulda fought right thrre, now we're gonna get suspended from school.... and I fudged up law future ..... well, my Mom and Tracy's Mom had never liked each other back when Tracy and I were friends .... they were both pretty and had a Southern girl jealousy for each other .... well, on Saturday, my mom gets on the phone with Tracy's mom, and tells her Tracy and I need to fight before Monday, before it's school..... and Tracy's mom is all "fine by me" .... now, all 4 of us are talking tough .... the 2 girls, the 2 moms .... but, trust me Morgan .... all 4 of us were dcared shitless .... chickfights happened in Dalton, Georgia in 1975, but not like this ... not ARANGED ... the 2 girls fighting alone, their moms preventing interference .... I mean, Morgan, this was like a friggin' duel the Mom's had just arranged.... but with fists instead of pistols .... and Tracy and were both fit, strong .... woulda be in sports if that was a thing in the 1970s.... and the top it all of, Tracy is the real deal--the proverbial crazy ex-girlfriend .... so I'm tossing and turning in bed all Saturday, freaked out about the fight .... but knowing I need to get some sleep ... and my Mom musta seen under the door that my light was on... and she comes and lays with me and tells me to kick the shit outta Tracy, that Tracy and her mom are trash, but I'm destined for bigger things than Dalton, Georgia .... and she tells me she was in fights growing up, that she knows I can do it.... shows me how to make a fist, how to grab hair ... how to grab boobs, she says every chickfight has boob twisting, that there's no rules .... that if she and Tracy's mom start fighting, to not pay them any mind, just focus on fighting Tracy....
to be continued.....
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MF: So, you were talking with your Mom late Saturday night .... the fight was Sunday, what time Sunday?
DN: ....So the fight wasn't until 1:00 Sunday .... we knew our Dad would be watching the Falcons game .... we did NOT want him to know a catfight would be happening... and, Morgan, it was mortifying .... Sunday morning.... the three of us are sitting in church .... and it was like a sign from God .... the sermon is about the woman caught in sin, and the townspeople telling Jesus they want to stone her, and him telling them to back off, that if they're without sin, they should throw the first stone ... and our preacher, classical fire and brimstone type .... starts riffing about how men need to be less judgmental of women .... to get their own affairs in order and let women be .... and my Mom and I are smirking at each other, like "Testify!" ... danmit, we're gonna go to this fight, beat up this Tracy bitch and send her and her mom home with their tails between their legs .... so we get home, rip off our church clothes, and put on Daisy Duke shorts and halter tops, put our hair in ponytails...
to be continued
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Morgan Fairchild: So, I'm going to apply my entertainer's intuition here, and interrupt you, Deborah, hopefully briefly. Now, you and I grew up in the same era .... in ROUGHLY the same setting, at least culturally .... both in the, South .... shall we say, the provincial South .... now, in my neck of the Texas woods, we young ladies didn't hesitate to throw down ... when appropriate .... but we knew to not have our Mom's be accessories .... either before or after our catfighting events. Here in your case .... you and this little vixen Tracy ... your Mom's are more than accessories--they seem to be actually enabling the fight you and Tracy are about to have. Do I have the picture right? and if so, can you help us understand the difference between Georgia and Texas.
DN: First question, yes .... you have the story right .... my Mom certainly gave me some backbone to follow through on the tiff Tracy started with me .... to have ME handle MY business .... to not further involve the boy we were fighting over. But, yes, very perceptive, Morgan .... and thank you for asking the question .... the Mom's being involved was, I think, a Dalton, Georgia twist peculiar to the mid-1970's. By an accidental quirk ... an intersection of geography, commerce, advertising ... probably other factors as well .... Dalton, Georgia was the 1970's American capital of carpetry!!
MF: Carpetry?? As in ... rugs?? For houses?
DN: Houses, hotels, ballrooms, restaurants, you name it .... now this is before Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, Virginia, even .... became what the are today--bustling cities not very different than, say, Chicago or Pitfsburgh. No, no, no ... this was the South, changed somewhat, but not radically, from the 1920s .... the South we're all familiar with from The Andy Griffith Show .... Opies, Don Knotts, all of them .... well, Dalton is different, because the carpetry business means you need college educated accountants and corporate HR types and executives and factory foremen .... and in 1975 Dalton, you need to be bringing these folks down from up north .... and replacing those who can't cope with the oppressive humidity and Southern culture, all this .... so you're constantly rotating in and out and in and out all of these young families ... who are bringing thelr kids, sometimes kicking and screaming, down to Dalton from their familiar home up north. Well, the mom's want to make sure their kids have an advocate in the school system .... and on the cul de sac ..... and even though Tracy's mom and my mom were Dalton long-termers, the helicopter Mom culture rubbed off on them, and they didn't hesitate to use their sharp elbows ....
MF: .....or sharp nails!!!, apparently ....
DN: ....touche, or sharp nails .. if they thought their child was getting the short end of the stick.
MF: So the two mom's were really ready to fight, too, at your and Tracy's fight.
DN: Well, in fairness, their primary mission .... mission, we're talking about it like a military operation .... was to let Tracy and me fight without interference. But if that meant an altercation between the two of them, .... so be it, yes my mom was fine with that.
MF: Incredible.
To be continued.....