CALIFORNIA GIRLS (TV)
Summary
A documentary profiling women in California both in accordance with and in opposition to the mythic qualities ascribed to the “California girl” stereotype.
Lorenzo Lamas hosts as the stereotypical “California girl” is described, generally thought of as being blonde-haired, blue-eyed, physically attractive, and intellectually dim. This image was popularized by the 1965 Beach Boys song “California Girls,” and in previous years “surfer girls” fit the stereotype, being women who would sit on the beach to watch their boyfriends surf, but were not permitted to do so themselves. In modern times, women surf as much as men do and have become just as prolific at the pastime. Lamas discusses the state of California’s diverse geography and ecology, which encourages the active lifestyle associated with California girls. An example of one such California woman unassociated with the stereotype of the California girl is Rebecca Foster, a high-powered Los Angeles corporate attorney who in her spare time enjoys rock climbing. She discusses perceptions of Los Angeles legal officials in other parts of the country, and the “conservative” environment in which she works. Paula Abdul, the famous singer and choreographer, talks about her start as the choreographer for the Laker Girls of the Los Angeles Lakers, and her first major work as Janet Jackson’s choreographer. Her celebrity is particularly apparent in California, and she appreciates that.
California is known for the “seductive appeal” of Hollywood, and thousands move there to try to start their careers in show business. One woman who experiences some success in the Hollywood business is Hope Carlton, a stuntwoman who doubles in fight scenes, but in her private life strives for balance and tranquility via regular meditation. She also frequently works out with bodybuilders at Venice Beach to keep in shape. Hope, who originally hails from Florida, does not necessarily believe that the “California girl” archetype is limited to people born in California. Her first major break was posing for Playboy Magazine, and hopes to expand her work to include acting and modeling. Dian Parkinson, co-hostess of the game show “The Price is Right,” is another California woman, recognizable to a number of television fans. She was brought on to the show in a similar capacity to Vanna White on “Wheel of Fortune,” chosen after her stint as Miss U.S.A. World. Her job could be described as “professional gesturing,” and she enjoys the success that the show has brought her.
Another story which defies the typical expectations of women in California is that of Ellen Stohl, an aspiring actress who was paralyzed in a car accident at the age of 20. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, she decided to pursue her goals anyway, returning to college and continuing to pursue an acting career. She discusses the physical challenges she experienced in adjusting to her new lack of mobility and body image. She attends acting classes for handicapped actors, noting that both her handicap and the demands of casting directors present further challenges to her career. In a controversial decision, she submitted a letter to Playboy Magazine and was photographed by them, becoming the first disabled person to appear in the magazine’s pages. Vicki Fishbeck, a navy C-2 pilot and Californian, describes the joy and challenges of taking off from and landing on an aircraft carrier. Her job involves ferrying supplies and manpower between locations, giving her a vital support role for the navy. Another Californian, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, is an Olympian competing in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, along with many other Californian athletes. She is sometimes ascribed with the epithet “world’s greatest athlete,” and is regarded as a master of the long jump and the heptathlon, for which she has already won medals. She was born in a poor section of St. Louis and came to UCLA on an athletic scholarship. Florence Griffith-Joyner, Joyner-Kersee’s sister, also is famous for breaking the world record in the women’s 100-meter dash, and her coach Bob Kersee married Joyner-Kersee.
Rosalyn Keathley shirks stereotypes by working in the male-dominated field of high-rise construction for seven years. She notes that her co-workers and society in general does not seem too bothered by her choice of career. Her specialty is installing overhead water sprinklers in buildings ceilings, a high-paying job which affords her the ability to live in the prestigious Newport Beach area. She also appeared in a series of advertisements for women’s underwear marketed towards blue-collar workers. She enjoyed her stint as an underwear model but prefers to keep her construction job due to its higher pay. Kathleen Egan came to California in 1963 from Connecticut as a graduate of the Yale School of Nursing. She soon switched careers from nursing to neurosurgery, and she discusses the “awe” which she feels accompanies her line of work. Her long years of dedication and work afford her a great deal of happiness for the lives she has been able to improve in the medical profession.
Michelle Spolar, despite looking like the prototypical “California girl,” is an auto mechanic, and is well-respected among the local auto repair professionals. Her first project was building and customizing her personal truck, complete with massive monster truck-esque wheels. She tried a brief stint at modeling but found that it was not to her liking, feeling that her talents lay elsewhere. The documentary shows a day in the life of the stereotypical “California girl” before giving some factoids about the actual societal roles and activities of Californian women, including their prominence in corporations, law, and politics. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: November 30, 1987 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:57:55
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:13565
- GENRE: Public affairs/documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Public affairs/documentaries
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1988
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV – Commercials – Burger King restaurants
- TV – Commercials – Contac cold medicine
- TV – Commercials – Dexatrim diet pills
- TV – Commercials – Extra chewing gum
- TV – Commercials – First Interstate bank
- TV – Commercials – Ford automobiles
- TV – Commercials – Fruit Roll-Ups snacks
- TV – Commercials – Hanes apparel
- TV – Commercials – Listerine mouthwash
- TV – Commercials – Ragu pasta sauce
- TV – Commercials – Tone bar soap
- TV – Commercials – Toyota automobiles
- TV – Commercials – Vaseline lotion
- TV – Promos - “The Man with One Red Shoe”
- TV – Promos – “California Girls”
- TV – Promos – “Growing Pains”
- TV – Promos – “Head of the Class”
- TV – Promos – “MacGyver”
- TV – Promos – “Monday Night Football”
- TV – Promos – “Perfect Strangers”
- TV – Promos – “Roseanne”
- TV – Promos – “The Best of SCTV”
- TV – Promos – “Who’s the Boss?”
CREDITS
- Eric Schotz … Executive Producer
- Carol Sherman … Executive Producer
- Lisa Shaffer … Coordinating Producer
- Jeff Androsky … Producer, Director
- Dan Weyland … Director
- Lou DeCosta … Writer
- Lorenzo Lamas … Host, Narrator
- Bruce Jenner … Interviewee
- Bruce Johnson … Interivewee
- Mike Love … Interviewee
- Steve Pezmen … Interviewee
- Melissa Proud … Interviewee
- Rebecca Foster … Interviewee
- Paula Abdul … Interviewee
- Hugh Hefner … Interviewee
- Hope Carlton … Interviewee
- Dian Parkinson … Interviewee
- Ellen Stohl … Interviewee
- Vicki Fishbeck … Interviewee
- Fort A. Zachary … Interviewee
- Jackie Joyner-Kersee … Interviewee
- Bob Kersee … Interviewee
- Rosalyn Keathley … Interviewee
- Dennis Burch … Interviewee
- Kathleen Egan … Interviewee
- Michelle Spolar … Interviewee
- John Nolind … Interviewee
- Carter Spolar … Interviewee
- Florence Griffith-Joyner
- Janet Jackson
- Vanna White