Xuxa

A leggy, blonde, Brazilian supermodel, who hosted a children's TV show. It became very popular; fathers even liked to join their kids in watching the show. Even men who didn't have kids watched the show. And, of course, the requisite horny teenage boys. Maybe it was those extremely short skirts she wore.

The show's success led quickly to a Spanish-language version, for the rest of the Americas, and, years later, to an English-language version for North America. The in-English show was produced by MTM, shortly after it was purchased by Pat Robertson; the extremely short skirts (etc) were gone, replaced by clothes that were not those of a proper sex kitten. The show flopped.

Xuxa was romantically linked to JFK, Jr. for a day or two, in the post-Daryl era, IIRC.

Born March 27, 1963 - Santa Rosa, Brazil. Her name at birth was Maria da Graça Meneghel. Xuxa is prounounced SHOO-sha. In 1970, she moved with her family to Rio De Janeiro, where she would live until she started modeling at age 16. The prestigious Ford modeling agency in New York City wasted no time in signing her.

By 1982, Xuxa was working in television and modeling, appearing in the December 1982 issue of Playboy (Brazilian edition). Aside from Playboy, she was once photographed semi-nude by paparazzi on a boat with then-boyfriend Pele. Her immensely popular kid's show on the Univision network was the only reason most American males watched any foreign language television at all.

In 1989, she started the Xuxa Meneghel Foundation so she could help the country's impoverished children, a particularly big problem in Brazil. The foundation also launched a wildly successful campaign to immunize Brazil's children against polio.

Xuxa makes a cameo appearance on Krusty's 1995 Christmas Special "It's a Krusty Kinda Khristmas", Simpsons Season 7, episode #3F07 Marge Be Not Proud, original air date, December 17, 1995. Of course Krusty, like a lot of Americanos Nortes, can't wrap his tongue around four simple letters.

Announcer: It's a Krusty Kinda Khristmas, brought to you by ILG: selling
           your body's chemicals after you die.  And by Li'l Sweetheart
           Cupcakes -- a subsidiary of ILG.
   Krusty: [walking in with a turkey] Oh, hi!  I didn't hear you come
           in.  Welcome to my home.
            [outside the "window", Kent Brockman prepares for a newscast]
           Ho, ho.  [closing the blind] Say, did I hear some carolers?
            [walks over to door, opens it]
 Carolers: Come, they told me...
   Krusty: Hey!  It's respected private citizen Tom Landry!  
           And South American sensation Xoxchisha -- Xoxchoshe -- Xox -- oh, boy.
            [walks away]

Episode quote blatantly copy-pasted with intense gratitude from www.snpp.com.