Last Night's #RHONY

Ok, so I'm dusting off this blog to give some "quick hits" on my thoughts on last night's RHONYC "Pop of Crazy" because it's a bit more than I can fit in a Twitter post.

One thing I have seen throughout the season is that it seems like all of the ladies are jostling to get screen time with Bethenny.  Anyone who follows blogs or commentary on reality TV but especially The Real Housewives knows that it all comes down to screen time and storyline.  There's always discussions of ladies manufacturing storylines to stay relevant on the show and who will film with who, etc.. If you ever followed Alex McCord's YouTube recaps of the shows (the names changed, I think it was last called The Real Deal), she talks about how important screentime is and how they set up special lunches or will talk about "fights/issues" to get screentime.  It's why there is a lot of "stirring the pot" on the show and why women set up one on one lunches, walks, shopping, etc...--for screentime!

I think that with Bethenny coming back and how heavily marketed it was, all the ladies knew that Bethenny was going to get a lot of screentime.  (She certainly was paid enough that I'm sure it was practically guaranteed.)  Bethenny doesn't need the show--ok, her brands probably wouldn't do as well without it--but the point is, the other ladies need it more.  Bethenny can likely pick and choose whether she will come back next season whereas the other ladies are eager to secure their spots on the roster.  That is why I think a lot of them want to engage with Bethenny as much as possible.

I see these attempts to get screentime with Bethenny happening in two ways--either forced friendship or fights.  I think with both Heather & Kristen they attempted the forced friendship and when that didn't wok they went for fighting.  I think Heather is a bit more skilled than Kristen and never really wanted the friendship but instead is trying to come across like she's trying to be nice and really pick fights with Bethenny and try to make Bethenny look like the bad guy.  Unfortunately for Heather, Bethenny is more skilled at the reality show game and despite losing a lot of fans, she still has more than Heather (and is regaining her fanbase through the show) and fans are taking Bethenny's side. Heather will keep engaging with Bethenny with either faux friendship or digs/fights in order to keep herself relevant and have a "frenemies" storyline with Bethenny.  I think Bethenny started to see through this and that is why staring at the dinner and further at AOA decided to shut it down, stop any feud and make amends with Heather.  We'll see how long this lasts or if Heather will keep trying to "poke the bear" to get more screentime.

Kristen I think tried to take a different route.  I think she legitimately wanted to be buddy, buddy with Bethenny but when Bethenny didn't click with her, she whined about being "left out" or "boxed out" and tried to play the "whoa is me, why doesn't Bethenny like me" card.  With attempts and friendship and sympathy not getting her time with Bethenny, she went the route of trying to confront her and fight her.  You see that Bethenny doesn't buy into this when she makes the comment "ok, so you're going to attack me for no reason, " she sees that Kristen pulled her aside  (to get screentime) and that she's going to try to pick a fight for screentime.  Bethenny knows she's getting screentime no matter what and doesn't want to play, so she walks away.  Kristen is baffled and doesn't know what to do.  That's why you see her stuttering and chasing after Bethenny.

Similarly, another example of why I think this is true is when LuAnn comes over to Bethenny to further rehash the Berkshires dinner at AOA with Bethenny.  When you hear Bethenny talking about how LuAnn is inserting herself for no reason and rehashing, I think it's partially her code for saying "she's getting into this which has nothing to do with her just to have a storyline."  LuAnn has been accused of not having much of a storyline and was demoted last season in part because of it. While I think that LuAnn has been really enjoyable this year and done a good job this season (although I do think the Adam feud with LuAnn & Carole has been blown out of proportion by both of them for screentime/storyline), I do think this was a clear attempt to get screentime with B.  You notice her a lot this season talking to Bethenny, talking about how the new girls feel "left out", etc...

P.S. Anytime that someone complains about feeling "left out" or that Bethenny doesn't want to "get to know them" it's really code for "doesn't want to film with us." They're not annoyed that Bethenny isn't coming to their events because they want to get to know her, they are annoyed because they're worried that if Bethenny doesn't show up to an event it will end up on the cutting room floor and won't air.  This is a TV show and a business and everyone is out for themselves.  Start inserting "wont' film with me" for "won't get to know me" or "won't make time to come to..." and you'll see what I mean.

This theory is further supported by the fact that there were rumors going around before the season premiered that lots of the ladies were annoyed that Bethenny wouldn't film with them and that she would only film with the established ladies (Ramona, LuAnn, and Sonja) and Carole (who she developed a fast friendship with).  The more I look at the season, the more that seems to be true.

There are two ways of looking at it--maybe Bethenny is this "demanding bitch" who only wants to film with who she wants to film with or maybe she only wants to spend time with the people who she genuinely likes/has a friendship with and doesn't want to get to know new people or have manufactured drama with people she doesn't know with everything else going on.  She does have limited time with her daughter & I see nothing wrong with only wanting to film when she doesn't have parenting time.

I kind of see both sides--on one hand it is a show and there is a cast and everyone should work/film together.  On the other hand, it is a reality show that is supposed to depict some semblance of reality.  The show is supposed to be on the premise that these are people who actually know each other and have real relationships.  The show has never felt more forced that in the first episode where everyone is talking about Bethenny and it is clear they don't know her (except for her fame) and that it's a cast and not a real group of friends.  Bethenny may be of the opinion that the show is better when going to it's routes and focuses on people that have at least some tangential connection/relationship--I know Andy Cohen says that is when the show is at it's best.

What are your thoughts?

Booted NYC Housewives Getting New Reality Shows?

May have referred to the firings of former NYC Housewives: Jill Zarin, Alex McCord, Kelly Bennsimon, and Cindy Barshop as the "Great Housewives Massacre," and it has purportedly lead to many housewives across the country being nervous about their status as housewives.  It has now been reported that some of the housewives that will not be returning for Season 5 of The Real Housewives of New York City will be returning to television in their own reality shows.

Former NYC Queen Bee, Jill Zarin, will be starring in a reality show on Fox titled "The Beverly Jillbillies" which is expected to portray Jill as a "fish out of water" after moving to Los Angeles.  Jill is reportedly currently looking for houses in LA.  Jill is certainly a born and bread New Yorker and there are differences between "New York society" and the upper echelon in LA (mainly the Hollywood crowd), but it's not like Jill is moving to Zimbabwe.  New York and Los Angeles are not that different. I don't know if this concept will be significant enough to spawn an entertaining reality show.  Yes, there will be the question of whether Jill will fit in Los Angeles and be accepted without all of her New York connections.  Of course Jill's BFF and fellow "bravolebrity" Patti Stanger (Millionaire Matchmaker) lives in LA, so I imagine the two will meet up and hang out.  But will Bravo let Patti appear on Jill's reality show?  I doubt it.  Bravo personalities sign strict contracts that provide that they not appear on networks that are not a part of the NBCUniversal family, the parent company that owns Bravo.  Fox is not a part of the NBCUniversal family and is a competitor, so I doubt we'll be seeing Patti anytime soon on Jill's show.  Time will tell how Jill's reality show will do, but I for one will not be turning in.  I used to be a fan of Jill but thought her true colors came through in Season 3 during her feud with Bethenny and showed her to be a phony.  (BTW, isn't it interesting that Season 3 of Bethenny Ever After was supposed to be about Bethenny & Jason's move to LA and now Jill is pursing a reality show about moving to LA?  First, the shapewear, now this.  What's next?  A low calorie cocktail?)  I continued to be disappointed with her during Season 4.  Jill refuses to acknowledge any of her faults or that she was wrong, she instead points the finger at anyone else (Alex, Ramona, etc...) and accuses them of being out of line when she herself is often out of line.  I truly believe that everything Jill does is for the cameras and publicity.  She is constantly trying to manipulate the situation to make herself come out in the best light and I am just not buying it anymore.

The next former NYC housewife who is set to get her own reality show is Kelly Bennsimon.  Kelly's reality show does not sound like the traditional type which will follow her around and capture her life, but instead a competition or self-help type show based upon her upcoming book I Can Make You Hot!: The Supermodel Diet.  More details about Kelly's reality show have not been released nor is it known whether it has been picked up by a network or is just being shopped around.  I have never been a fan of Kelly, so I definitely will not be tuning in for this reality show, but I do wish her well--and that some of the income from her book and show go towards some mental health treatment.

Finally, Alex McCord and her husband, Simon Van Kempen, have been shopping around their own reality show called Based in Brooklyn.  The show would focus on Alex and Simon and similar thirty-something parents in Brownstone Brooklyn as they raise their families.  While shopping the show, Alex and Simon have apparently been bashing The Real Housewives of New York City calling it a "train wreck" and "faux reality show."  The irony being that while biting the hand that used to feed them they are also trying to court said hand.  Alex and Simon purportedly are pitching their new show to Bravo.  It will be interesting to see if Based in Brooklyn is picked up by a network.  I make no secret that I could not stand Alex and Simon during Season 1, but they did grow on me and in later seasons I found them a lot less cringe-worthy.  Alex had a rough season in Season 4, but I think that was much more about her being ganged up on by the "brunettes" than her being out of line.  She would try to be rational and reasonable and talk out conflicts only to be treated like she was crazy and consistently attacked.  When she finally fought back, she was further criticized for being dramatic, starting fights, etc...  If Based in Brooklyn is picked up, I believed I will tune in, mainly because I am a fellow resident of Brownstone Brooklyn and in part because I think Alex didn't get a fair shake on The Real Housewives of New York City.  But if I see Alex and Simon reverting to their pompous, social climbing ways of Season 1 or if Alex gets into fake drama without being provoked, I may be tuning out.  Guess we'll have to wait and watch what happens...

Will you be checking out any of the former NYC Housewives new reality shows?

"The Great Housewives Massacre"--Alex, Jill, Kelly and Cindy Fired from Real Housewives of New York City

After months of rumors circling around regarding who will and who won't be returning for Season 5 of The Real Housewives of New York City, it was finally confirmed that Alex McCord, Jill Zarin, Kelly Bennsimon, and Cindy Barshop were not asked to return for the fifth season of the popular Bravo series in what can only be referred to as "The Great Housewives Massacre."   Below are my thoughts on the departure if each lady who will be leaving the show. It has been said that Bravo has picked three new ladies to join the cast, but information about them has not been released.

Alex McCord

I didn't like Alex the first season. I thought she and Simon came across as pretentious social climbers who were simple wannabes.  I really did not want Alex returning for Season 2. Obviously she did and amazingly she grew on me and I began to like Alex. As the seasons have gone by Alex has increasingly found her voice. Many think that was to her detriment in Season 4 and that she acted crazy. As Kelly threatened she would be "iced out" and some would say she has been. (However, the firing of Kelly and Jill implies that whatever they think clearly does not carry much weight with Bravo.) I also don't think Alex was crazy in Season 4, I think she was fed up with the other wives' drama and simply acted to hold a mirror up with their behavior. The problem? 1. Alex did not always have a strong enough voice and got easily frazzled as the other wives railroaded over her. 2. The other wives refuse to recognize or see their own faults and instead turn it on everyone else. Just once I would love for a housewife to have some self relection and say "You know what? I was out of line and really shouldn't have said/done that, it was wrong." Instead, they constantly turn the table and tell whomever is trying to call them out on their ridiculousness (often Alex) and call her rude, inappopriate or crazy. I personally am disappointed that Alex will not be returning as I've grown to respect her and believe she is actually quite fair, reasonable and mature. She still creates drama but I can respect her actions and intentions. Apparently Bravo did not want to bring Alex back because Simon causes too much trouble. Whatever your opinion of Simon may be, he is still her husband and I respect Alex's choice to stand by her husband and present a unified front with him.

Jill Zarin

Jill was probably one of my favorite NY housewives in the first two seasons.  During that time I believe she was a favorite amongst most of the Real Housewives fans. However, Season 3 and her feud with Bethenny changed all this. I will readily admit I am a huge Bethenny fan so many may think this colors my opinion of Jill. Maybe it does, but I don't believe that a feud between two housewives makes it impossible for a fan to be a fan of both housewives. (For example, Tamra and Gretchen from the OC have had a feud that has spanned seasons and I am a fan of them both.) That being said, the way Jill handled her fight with Bethenny and seemingly blew up a small fight between friends into a huge feud for tv did effect my perception of her.   Season 4 was supposed to be Jill's opportunity for redemption. She was going to show that she was the same person she was in Seasons 1 and 2, but she failed to do that. Instead, she was even worse. Jill was increasingly catty and petty. She continued to make snarky comments and helped to create the strong divide in the cast (brunettes v. blondes).  No one was ever 100% right in those fights but Jill would completely support anything a brunette did even if she was clearly being rude, mean, or inappropriate. It is also discouraging that Jill appears to increasingly modify her behavior for tv. Whether it is causing drama to get more screen time or trying to hurt the other housewives by conspiring with other wives to not film with certain castmates, it is clear that Jill is only out for Jill. Her inauthenticity continues with certain deceptive practices she allegedly engages in on Twitter, blogs, and Amazon reviews.  Despite my distaste for Jill's behavior the past two seasons, I am not happy to see her go. At one point, Jill was the "queen bee" and she has always been an integral part of the show. It also cannot be denied that she makes good tv. I wish Jill was brought back for at least one more season. Ideally, I would love to see Jill recognize some of her own flaws and admit when she's wrong. She seems to think she will have more fans if she convinces the world she is perfect and not mean. We are a society that loves redemption and apologies. All Jill needs to do is apologize for her bad behavior, admit she was trying to rile up drama for the show/get more screen tiime, and make an effort to go back to being the person she once was--the woman who brought people together. She'll get far more fans with honey than vinegar. Even with that the occasional fight and drama will come up and grant screentime. Jill just didn't get that.

Kelly Bennsimon

Kelly, Kelly, Kelly. Kelly is nuts and I never liked her. When she was introduced in Season 2, I just wanted her gone. The show was interesting enough without introducing Kelly and her psycho behavior. However, Bravo must have decided she added much needed drama (her clashing with Bethenny) and kept her on. In Season 3, Kelly showed just how out of touch with reality she really is--Scary Island anyone? After Season 3, I was convinced that both for her own sanity and the sanity of the viewers (I know watching Kelly always made me just a bit crazy as it drove me nuts that she was so out of touch with reality) Bravo would not bring her back. I clearly was wrong and Bravo decided Kelly made good tv and who cares about anything else? (After the suicide of Russel Armstrong, I think Bravo is a lot more concerned regarding the sanity and mental health of its castmembers.) I am happy that Kelly will not be returning for Season 5 and think that the show will be better without her.

Cindy Barshop

Cindy was a new addition to the cast in Season 4. She aligned herself with "Team Brunette" and tried to manufacture ridiculous drama. (Hangergate, the fight re: saving LuAnn's seat, etc...)   I never cared for Cindy and do not think she added anything to the show. Clearly Bravo agreed and didn't ask her to return. Don't think anyone out there (with the exception of maybe Cindy) will care.