Call me elitist, snooty, or just plain uppity, but watching scripted reality shows just seems like the biggest waste of time. If I've got a spare 60 (and I don't often nowadays with 2 kids), I'm usually sneaking in a few matches of Wii Boxing. When I found out how overly orchestrated Flavor of Love was, it was like discovering Santa Claus was actually my Pops. The gig has been up ever since. If I wanted to watch some scripted nonsense under the guise of reality, I'd just turn on WWE. At least there's blood and violence on rasslin'.
Long story short, everyone ended up watching the show at some point and since I'm no killjoy, I joined in. And became instantly addicted. Because seriously, who can turn away from such a trainwreck? Note: these clips do the show no justice.
I haven't seen this detestable a collection of characters since the 96' Cowboys. Or the Bush Jr. administration.
The Real Housewives Of Atlanta is apparently the latest installment of Bravo's ongoing series that chronicles "real" housewives in cities like NYC and LA. How these are "real housewives" when half of them ain't even married is beyond me, but who's counting? The ATL show features five women of various levels of trifledom whom we're supposed to believe are lifelong friends, not merely cobbled together 12 weeks ago to shoot a poorly scripted reality show. Anyways, the "real housewives" are...
NeNe - The show's main attraction, a ghetto bird turned socialite who looks curiously similar to New York from the VH1 Celebreality shows. Married to a spineless man the age of my grandfather. And just for good measure, she's also an ex-stripper. Nice job old man, you clearly know how to pick em'. She loves going bra-less, and as straight a man as I am, I find this pretty disgusting. Ignorant and loudmouthed, it's amazing any of the other women can stomach her, yet alone consider her a friend. I suppose you could consider her the "realest" of the crew, but would you make friends with such a woman? I doubt it. She is the textbook definition of termagant.[2] Then again, that may be scripted too.
Sheree - The best-looking woman on the show (from the neck down at least), but considering the proliferation of weaves and botox, that ain't sayin' much. The ex-wife of an NFL player, she lives in a palatial estate that actually doesn't appear to be rented and spends her days on such vanity projects as a "clothing line" that's clearly concocted for the show only. Her main "job" is sitting around and waiting for her divorce settlement check. Just lovely.
Lisa - The wife of an ex-NFL player, and one of the few (the only?) women on the show with an actual Day Job. In one of the worst displays of marital discord ever aired on TV, Lisa actively roots for her husband's comeback (he was forced into early retirement by injury) to fail. Talk about having your man's back. I haven't been this disappointed in a black woman since Allyson Felix blew it in Beijing.
Kim - The token white chick who's got a married SugarDaddy named "Big Papa" that never appears on the show. Anyone with half a brain can easily surmise that there's no real "Big Papa", just a ruse for woman Bravo needed to include to avoid the show being classified as a "Black program". Kim is a collision of superficiality and bad blonde wigs. She's tone deaf, but fancies herself as a country western singer. The ex-stripper rides around in an obviously leased Porsche drinking white wine and smoking Newports. It's the sort of spectacle that would be amusing if no actual children were involved. Sadly, there are, which makes it simply pathetic.
DeShawn Ex-NBA player Eric Snow's wife, who is pretty sensible in relative terms, but that ain't sayin' much. To fund her "foundation" which serves a dozen or so "at risk, inner city girls", Snow decides to throw a black tie gala at her home to raise a million dollars. Why the ham sammich a dozen kids need a million dollars in funding is beyond me, but it doesn't take Miss Cleo to predict that the party will fail miserably (it does) and end up costing her coochie whipped husband a grip. Seriously Eric, get your house in order, bruh.
As I watched the final 6 episodes (yeah, I did) of this nonsense, part of me wondered exactly what the point of "reality" TV is beyond mindless entertainment. We all know the shows are rigidly scripted, which doesn't technically make them "reality" by even the loosest of definitions. That said, I wonder what effect watching such lecherous women, even under the guise of "reality" is on male viewers. There's nary a Day Job or career (except for Lisa's) to be had amongst the women. They mooch off their husbands and generally look at them as little more than ATM's. When the kids are shown (and thankfully, in a rare display of constraint they aren't much) they're little more than insipid extensions of their mothers. The blatant and repeated flaunting of very fleeting wealth (everyone's an EX-ballplayer) gives you the impression that these women would live very sad and hollow lives if (when?) the money somehow dried up.
Simply put, I loved watching the carnage, but I sure as hell hated what it represented.
This isn't necessarily a "racial" thing. I once caught a few episodes of the Orange County version of this show, and the women there were just as vapid, and probably even more obnoxious because they had "old" money instead of the first generation "blow a knee and it's over" variety seen on the ATL show. Still, I can't help but wonder if these women are the 5 steps back to counteract Michelle Obama's 2 steps forward. And why does it seem that every reality show just rehashes the worst stereotypes (sassy, mouthy, money-grubbing, oversexed) associated with Black women? I'm just sayin'.
Ida B. Wells is cying inside. And asking herself, "Seriously, I died for this sh*t?"
Question: Although they're clearly scripted, do you think reality shows send some potentially dangerous messages to their viewers? Do they reinforce stereotypes about minorities or are they merely mindless entertainment? What's your favorite "reality" show? Are NeNe and New York sistas from another baby daddy, or is it just me?
[1] And by "domain", I mean The Big TV. AverageSis runs errythang else, no need to lie.
[2] $50 word. Go look it up.
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I too was someone that said they wouldn't watch it. Caught espiode 2 and was addicted after it. I think there's just something about watching senseless drama that appeals to the masses.
I gotta show some love and stick up for my girl NeNe though. Her foundation wasn't for children, it was for battered women. The Twisted Hearts Foundation which she came up with from her own personal abuse and from some of her friends experiences. Loud, ignorant, scripted or not, its seems not only myself but majority of women who watched and post comments of Essence.com and blogs love us some NeNe because she came off as the most real and the one that would have ya back.
To the questions...I do at think these shows at times send some dangerous messages to our younger generations, especially shows like Flava of Love and Real Chance of Love where you see black females looking ignorant, whorish and anything else you can think of. These shows shouldn't reinforce stereotypes because TV should be thought of as just what it is, entertainment. Unfortunately, they do. You still have some towns with no minorities and some people who don't deal with minorities on a regular basis, so when the only regular chance to see one on TV is all they have, they think its real.
Fave... Tie between Keyshia Cole and The Hills.
I keep hearing about this show but since I don't watch television (except on DVD) and really dislike reality television I have not seen it. Sounds horrid.
On another note I had to go hunting through the text to figure out the $50 dollar word was. Don't kids read The Taming of the Shrew in middle school? Heck, I'll even update it to the musical Kiss Me Kate. Termagant is in the popular culture lexicon...I'm pretty sure.
But since you offered...may I have my $50 dollars? LOL
Siobhan
It can be cringeful but at the same time I also feel too many Black people want to white wash what is the reality of a very diverse community. We're not all negative and we're not educated PhD's with great savings accounts who sit around the fire reading Moravagine.
It just seems like too often as long as you're educated and not embarrassing the "community" with stereotypes you are a good person. Eh. And truth be told there are a lot of educated "good Black folks" who are a disgrace.
The biggest difference between us and other demographics is that too often what one of us does is used to stereotype us all.
I believe in class but for some insecure people class=cares too much what others think of them.
I'm sorry AB but I just can't agree with you on Sharee being "easily the best looking woman on the show". Dude are you blind? Sheree looks like a friggin' man in drag! Hell, the gay dude looks better than that skank! Hands down, Lisa is the best looking woman on the show, no doubt about it.
Cosigning on anonymous about Sheree looking like a drag queen.
I don't have cable so I had to catch this show on the fly but for real it entertained me only because of how much these women cared about THINGS. Nene seemed the most "real" I guess because in most episodes she's not talking about buying something or spending money on something. If you think about it, all the scenes with her focused on drama with Sheree and Kim, finding out who her father was and the fundraisers.
I think the "success" of reality stars sends a bad message because it makes young people think if I can get on one of those shows and act the fool, I might blow up. But at the end of the day, it's schedenfreud that keeps us watching.
nothing wrong with being uppity, lol.
but this show does nothing for me, as do most reality shows. i have a few that i watch, as you know I watched Baldwin Hills this summer when I could.
For me reality shows send the wrong message. i think they use the hip hop artist excuse: that they are a merely being a mirror reflecting what life is. However i like the Al Sharpton maxim he used at Rosa Parks funeral that a mirror is not used just to reflect, but to correct.
alright, be that as it may, what is the role of art? Does art imitate life, or does life imitate art? Part of the criticism was that The Cosby Show didnt imitate real life....but did The PJs or The Jeffersons--hell, any sitcom black white really imitate life in actuality.
Frankly i think that this is some bull that we got on television.
*flushes*
*washes hands*
Say what, now? Dem Peachy Franchise Hoes of Da ATL?
My wife started watching this mess during an episode marathon two weekends ago. It was seriously getting into my college football time...
However, my hot wifey fried up some chicken that night, so.....
No, I don't really care for this show. I have a hard time tolerating broke-assed stuck up chickens in real life. I'm certainly not going to watch rich pole-less strippers on television. Really, all these girls are missing are the stilettos with clear heels......and goldfish.
The only thing this show has going for it is boobs. Every trick on there has their boobs up, out and about. Even then I could just look at my wifey's....
But to each his/her own.
EG
And may I just add, that "NeNe" I'm thinking..?
She is a poor, poor man's Tiffany "New York".
Think about that. Not a good pattern to follow.
EG
This show is just like racism. Everybody agrees that racism exists but rarely admit that they themselves are racist.
I have been subjected to this mess. But I have found an excellent use for this show. Since it is so stupid you don't have to pay attention to the show. You can do other things like laundry or cooking or cleaning the kitchen, vacuuming. One cannot sit and watch this mess and then complain about not making enough money, or their jobs, or anything like that.
I have to ask those of you who think this might send the wrong message to kids... would you have it on in front of your kids? If so, why?
This sort of nonsense is on the list of Things My Children Do Not Get to Watch.
AB - a few things:
1. You are too hard on the women. Most of the outright foolishness that goes on is just scripted and they are playing roles. I really don't think any of them are all that ignorant, least of all NeNe, who has the most common sense of all.
2. I co-sign with everybody who said that Sheree is far from the cutest. Personally, I think DeShawn is the best looking one.
3. I don't think Big Papa is make believe. I think he is somebody's husband who does not want to be outed.
4. I don't think the show sets us back really, it's just a stupid show, for entertainment purposes only, so just enjoy or don't!
5. Ida B. Wells died of uremia, totally unrelated to her activism or the struggle.
I watched a few episodes. I saw one where Kim and NeNe were friends and then I caught a different one and they weren't friends anymore. That was confusing me.
Spool presented a good point about not putting that show on for your kids to watch. I guess the question should be is this show sending a bad message to the tweens and teen who watch it because they happen to know the code to take off parental control on the TV?
My favorite reality show......hmm......I don't really know. I just catch the ones that look good at the time. I have not been watching Real Chance of Love, too much for me. All the ones on MTV I haven't been watching. I'm not counting the "talent" shows or the shows where you win a chance to work for 50 or Diddy or win some money.
Back to RHWoATL, Kim was a trip. I think "Big Papa" did not want to be seen because he would lose his divorce settlement and be out of all that money.
i am one who has never watched a MINUTE of ANY of those VHI flavor of love shows- sorry that is just bottom of the barrel entertainment in my eyes.
but i AM big fan of this show and of all the "housewives" series. for that reason, i can take this atl series in context. the original housewives of o.c. all pretty much got along and seemed to be pretty good friends with the occassional tiff. but bravo flipped the script with the new york series. those women were brutal to each other, clashed tremendously, back stabbed, dissed, fought and the whole 9. all of them are white. so, that having aired before the atl crew makes me slow to cry racism on this one.
as far as the woman from atl- nene is my girl and i stand behind her 100%. she was the only one who kept it real throughout. all that back biting mess was cooked up by sheree, the snake. nene had already told kim to her face that she can't sing. furthermore, she CAN'T so i dont't see what the big hullabaloo was in the first place surrounding that issue. nene has raised two nice, considerate young men. i think her relationship with her husband was the most solid and she's just not fake. what you see is what you get with nene. i happen to be a prude when it comes to displying cleavage and the like so i wasn't down with that but the woman is real.
sheree, like a said, is a snake. and i 2nd, 3rd, etc the transgendered comments. and she calls herself classy yet she hosted and enthusiastically participated in the pole dancing party/ class taught by atl's finest. man, i saw some stuff in that episode that i didn't know was humanly possible. and if she has so much $, there is no reason her poor should not have had his teeth straightened by now.
deshawn made me mad with the "estate manager", personal designer and chef. and she really made me mad when she "looked down" on lisa for being an nfl wife.
kim- weak, user, petty.
lisa- a little too 2-faced for me.
back to the reinforcing of the stereotypes. one thing that irks me is how we as a people vringe when we see us participating in things like pole dancing. but when oprah has it as a feature on her show and it becomes the latest fitness rage in white suburbia, then it's acceptable.
I only watched this garbage once, but I concur about Sheree. That chick is bad a hell.
Anyone saying she looks like a man is clearly a woman with some serious issues with her own body (cause Sheree's is tight) or a dude who swings the other way.
Would I have it on infront of my children. I would probably say, yes. Stereotypical, yes, but as far as inappropriate, not really (strip party is the only thing I can think of that would make me be a little hesiitant). I tihink we need to get back to talking to children about the things they see on tv and letting them know that this is purely for entertainment. Don't take it seriously or litetally. I think I would use it as a tool for my daughter is I had one and just show her how not to be like these women in many ways, and to point out the some of the good things (and they're were some) that the women did. I think nowadays many kids are just sat infront of a tv to keep them out of trouble and mouth's shut. No conversation about what's going on happens.
So agree with you TD1016. Instead of talking to their kids about the behavior, character and morals they believe in too many people try to shape the world to those morals. We're not all alike.
Some things seen on TV and in the world should be used as a lesson and a teaching tool. You can't hide kids from everything. I often try to do that with my son.
He's seen things while we've been out (mainly other kids behaving badly) and he says to me, "I'm not supposed to act like that."
@ TD1016 (what does that mean, BTW?)
Duly noted about NeNe's "foundation".
And yeah, I'm guilty of watching that Keyshia Cole trainwreck on occasion myself.
@ Hipployta
Just a hint, everything available on cable (even pay cable) is somewhere on the web. You could probably find full episodes of this to watch online. Not that you'd want to.
No, you don't get the $50. I was just calling "termagant" a $50 word. See, my HBCU education is payin' off!!!
@ Symphony
I agree for the most part.
@ Singlike
Sheree is definitely the best looking. We'll just leave it at that.
@ EG
Yeah, NeNe is a welfare version of New York.
@ Spool32
My kids are too young to watch this, but if they were teens, sure, I'd absolutely watch it with them. Such shows are full of teachable moments, why wouldn't you watch with your kids (except for the scripper pole scene)?
@ Nikki Mo
You're right, I prolly am too hard on these women. But I just don't like the superficiality that they represent. I'm sure a lot of this is distorted for entertainment value, but that doesn't excuse the prevailing "style over substance" narrative.
And no, Deshawn and her 30 pound weave are not cute.
Not sure how to read your Ida B. Wells comment. I know she didn't technically and literally die for the ATL Housewives. Maybe you haven't noticed my [insert name] is crying inside punchlines before, they're meant to be tongue in cheek.
@ MissJay
I'll confess, while it's formulaic, 50 Cent's Money And Power is pretty interesting too.
@ deedee
Yeah, it's funny when "gutter culture" reaches the tipping point and falls into the mainstream. The whole scripper pole thing is both amusing and confusing.
I watched "Flava of Love" faithfully; I'm not even 'shame to admit it. Then, I moved on to "I Love New York". Then, sometime after that show ended, I lost most of my fire for reality shows staring ignut folks. (Getting real sick of Keyshia Cole's tired and triffling show and family, too).
I like some good mess just like anyone else who will admit it -- but I couldn't get into "Housewives of ATL" ...and I've tried to watch it on several occasions.
Did "I Love New York" kill my taste for Reality TV or am I just frustrated at the lack of good shows staring black women....? I need some good sitcoms to replace all of these reality shits.
Thank God for "The Game" ...
I dunno... maybe if they were teenagers, it'd be a good "What not to do like", but man I hope they've got it by that point already...
Love the show. It's catty, bitchy, pretentious, ghetto...just the way I like my reality television!
Aside from the Housewives, I've noticed a deepening, re-occuring theme in the afrosphere. It's clear you can't be educated AND loud. You can't have class AND be fat. You certainly can't be educated AND watch reality tv. It's you and others like you, OP who have set black women back 50 years, by not allowing them their individuality. As much as you reject these ladies, I reject you MORE, because anyone who wants to restrict black women into a narrow definition of what it means to be a "good" black woman, is not someone I want to hang with.
Okay, AB--really? Sheree as "the best looking woman on the show"? Are you friggin' blind, bruh? Well, I guess if you find self-centered, horse-faced, tranny-looking "women" attractive...to each his own. Maybe you've been staring at the computer screen too long!
@AB
Can I just say I brought up RHOA back in early November??!! And I remember a certain blogger scoffing at the topic...ahem....:-)
I don't watch much tv at all but happened to "find" RHOA's preview clip online. I watched the season premiere that night...and I was hooked right away.
Yes, I am a fan of NeNe. I like her big boobies staring me in the face. Why?? Because they're real as is the rest of her body. Most of the black cast members have "real" parts as far as I can tell. That's refreshing. As Botox Queen, Kim, says "black doesn't crack". So these women don't need botox and they're fine with their God given measurements. Sure, they're a tad crass and the way Deshawn says "jew-rey" drives me crazy...but they seem very comfortable with themselves.
(well, except for the private make up artists who are always at their houses.)
And, holy hell, I had no idea NeNe was a stripper. That explains a few things...although she probably would have put the other ladies to shame on the pole dancing episode.
Question--is pole dancing a common past time for women--in general? I've never heard of a party where you have pole dancing lessons? Or is that reserved for the rich & bored? I'm not being funny but that seemed a little odd to me.
RHOA were FAR more entertaining than the other reality shows i've seen previews for. I will say I used to watch the "Surreal Life" and that was damned entertaining.
But, anymore, I avoid reality tv like the plague...except my ladies in the ATL.
@ vanilla latte- LMAO @ "jew-rey" but i think "jury" is more accurate. DRIVES ME NUTS, TOOO!!!
to answer the other part of the question- i'm a reality show junkie. perhaps bc i was still a teenager when the real world jumped off. i still can't get enough of the rw/ road rules challenges.
on the whole, i like bravo's lineup. project runway and top chef are great. the network has won me over from the big 3- why? b'c they always have new shows in circulation. the new season of grey's anatomy (which is going down hill fast) took so long to come on that i missed the first 3 episodes. in this instant gratification generation, no one has time to wait for the summer hiatus to end. we want new episodes weekly. at least i do.
Spool I'd say there is still room for a lot of teachable moments when a child becomes a teen. In fact, some things don't present themselves until the pre-teen/teen years.
I watched this show b/c after living in the ATL for most of my adult life, I wanted to see who these women were. Answer:nobodies who want to be somebodies
The fact that they all mention being a part of "elite" Atlanta society pretty much lets you know they are wannabees.....
Me and all my ATL peeps are wondering what the hell "elite" Atlanta society is exactly. Sheree had a cute lil ole store in Buckhead for a minute (as does ever other baller's wife with too much money, too little time, and an affinity for shopping. Kim used to be a waitress @ Hooter's, among other things..... NeNe is the only real one..what you see is definately what you get. The other two..see former comment about baller's wives.
And SMDH @ Dallas' cameos on the show. (Which were just for Tee Vee.)Pure Comedy!
@deedee
Good point...I think "jury" does sound a little more like DeShawn's pronunciation. And she seemed to be a truly sweet person during the show...although she did have me rolling when she was trying to hire the household staff.
The BIG question is "who is Big Poppa"? I heard he was a married real estate mogul in ATL. I wonder if he found Kim while she was waitressing at Hooters??
Ohhh...so many questions...so little time.
Well this was something that people responded to.
1) Lisa is the best looking. I think that she was a little selfish for, not rooting, but just hoping that her husband would have found work somewhere near the ATL. She supported him getting back in the game and she was up front with her wants. Can't fault her for that. Supposedly she is Keith Sweat's baby mama or something.
2) NeNe is real alright, real ghetto. Nuff said.
3) DeShawn even said it, her husband has enough money so that even when she spends $30K on that function and raised only $10K it was alright. She said Eric supported her and he can just afford to lose a little here and there to make his wife happy. Better than just buying a purse. My issue with DeShawn is that she comes on with the 'I knew I was going to be somebody/famous when I grew up'. You married an NBA player, what else have you done?
4) Sheree is terrible. I mean one of her goals in life is to get a 7 figure payout from her husband. What kind of shit is that?
5) Kim is horriawful. I mean Big Papa had some connections to even get her in the studio with Dallas, but she can't sing. We know that and she should know that. You can't smoke Newports all day and think you're going to pull that off. She looks like she 45 and not 30. Big Papa is going through a divorce or something, but he didn't want to be on TV because he knew it would cost him in court.
It's all a hot mess and the wife and I peeped the marathon. The reunion show was just as silly, but I will happen to cross a few episodes of season 2. Just being honest.
I don't watch much TV, at all. And I haven't watched a full episode of a reality show since TRW was on MTV.
And from what I just saw, and read,
I'll be standing outside, barefoot in the rain to miss this one!
@ Average Bro
TD1016 = name initials and DOB :).
Supposedly it's just a rumor that started on the internet that NeNe is a former stripper. She talked about it on the reunion show, which was off the hook.
No matter what y'all say about NeNe's looks, me and Anderson Cooper still love us some NeNe!
I think it does show the minoritites are merely materialistic, money-hungry, show-boaters that will do anything to keep up with the Jones'. I find these sorts of shows entertaining filled with meaningless BS. However, I could have swore Nene and New York was sisters. I would be like damn...she reminds me of New York.
In my opinion producers of this sort of trash walk in with a playbook of characters and find personalities to suit. It appears that negative stereotypes of minorities attract a huge audience and therefore huge bucks.
@stella:
Negative stereotypes attract a huge audience, period. Have a look at the husband / father in any sitcom you like - bumbling, forgetful, callous, petty, and stupid.
AB - I get the "crying inside" tagline, but saying IBW was asking herself, "Seriously, I died..." seemed to imply that she was some sort of martyr for women's rights or died as a result of that struggle, which would make RHOA a slap in the face of what she died for. Hence, saying she is crying inside made sense and was funny, the part about what she died for, not so much.
This show sets black women back. Plain and simple. When we start OWNING tv stations and professional teams ourselves, then we can act a fool on tv and show the "diversity" of the black community that the anonymous poster above speaks of. But when we are trying to make up for centuries of lost time, we need "all hands on deck." For every black woman acting a fool she takes 6 or 7 young black girls with her. This is a shame, and I thank you AB for speaking up. We need black men (and women, but esp. men) to stand up and say enough is enough!!!
I came back here to see the other responses and I gotta say, I've been laughing so hard at some of these responses my husband has asked me three times now, "what's so funny?"
This wasn't quality TV programming, no, but it did entertain because these were some bodaciously fake and foolish azz 4 sistas and a white chick.
And I thought Lisa was the prettiest, though Sheree does look like she put a lot of work into maintaining her figure.
But this show followed the same formula/format as the earlier versions: Women with a lot of time and a lot of money on TV cuttin' the fool.
@singlikesassy
you are absolutely right. It was entertaining. I really didn't catch that much of it myself but I did catch the reunion show....LMAO that was funny!
@AB
I've seen a could of episodes of 50's show. I just like the way he tells them to leave LOL. As far as Keyshia Cole, I thought we saw the last of her family but I guess I was wrong. I can't get into it that much anymore. Damn just kiss and make up already. I'm starting to think they fight just to keep the show on the air.
The major thing about reality shows is that they are all about pitting people against each other in competing for a certain objective. These individuals frequently display a lot of less attractive behavior in order to achieve their objectives - amorality, ruthlessness, deceit.
What ever happened to fair play and doing good for the sake of others? Sets a bad example for the youth of our country.
Reality shows are like televised Pro Wrestling.
1. They are cheap to produce and make (WWE & TNA Wrestling being the exceptions.)
2. Exaggerated sterotypes are a part of both forms of entertainment.
3. Both venues are loaded with innuendoes.
4. Heroes and villians galore in both work out problems by fighting.
5. Controversial storylines puts butts in the seats and eyes on the screen.
6. The producers/writers love to "work" the crowd.
When these points are done well it's a lucrative thing for both PW and reality shows. Just by talking about "Peachy Hoes of ATL" we are giving the producers what they want.
EG
about reality shows:
not only are they scripted but producers pick and choose the bad guys and the good guys. producers pick and choose the clips with the most drama.
but i too am addicted to the House Wives of Atlanta (HWA --- oh no! remember that )
just a few things of note:
Nene was not an ex stripper. On the reunion show she said that.
if you watched the last show, her husband represented.
you really can't figure out the personality of a person by watching a few hours out of several weeks.
I don't think reality shows enforce stereotype. if anything, they are a slice of America. i watch them like an anthropologist. it says so much about our society.
FYI -- parents SHOULD not let children watch reality shows.
I got caught-up in the d*mn drama during the marathon over the holiday also. I was hooked, because I am a "people watcher" and I'm fascinated by the endless manifestations of "human nature."
I'm gonna step out on a limb and say that many people (1) hate such women because the women have money to burn (2) act like they have the money to burn and (3) represent the dream of having enough resources to act any way they want.
Most of us don't live stellar lives. We work. We take care of our families. And we consider ourselves good people. But we're ready to put down others who also don't live stellar lives, but have more than we do.
NeNe has a foundation for abused women. DeShawn has a foundation to instill confidence in young women. Lisa wants to start a "jury" line (hehe). And Kim wants to sing.
They're ordinary people just like us... just with more money (and time) to burn. How would the secret parts of your daily life look if blasted on TV? I'm just sayin'...
Haterade for this non-conventional devil's-advocate opinion coming in 3... 2... 1...
Hawa, author of
Fackin Truth Blog (Personal Blog)
and
Cleanse Master Remix (Health Blog)
How sad!!!
@Hawa Bond
That was a great way of summing that up. I never thought of it like that. We would probably look just a frivolous or stupid if people saw what we do on a daily basis.
I think that many reality shows give people, especially young people, a false sense of reality. They wanna be the next biggest thing and "get paid".
As for the show, I never watched it. Seems like my reasoning behind not watching it has been validated.
NeNe misrepresented herself on the show. The Leakes are not wealthy and they have been evicted from the rental home they showed on the series. She and her husband Greg have past evictions in Georgia and a shady small-time realty company with no office and a disconnected phone. So much for that false "reality". They are on the run from their creditors and living in Florida.
Kim and the infamous married Big Poppa are no longer together and I doubt there will be any album coming out in January '09!
I heard through the blogsphere that Sheree only received a $400,000 divorce settlement and $5G a month for both kids. She has her $2 million home up for sale with no buyers to-date. Guess she can't afford to maintain that home or "lifestyle" anymore since she came up short! If she plans to release that fashion collection in Fall of '09 like she keeps saying it will be in somebodies living room as oppose to Bryant Park!
DeShawn is not coming back for Season 2. Guess her husband shut that down. She is getting her theology degree on-line and my bet is her next move is to be a televangelist - plenty of money in that! Ole girl gotta cut her losses and distant herself from the trainwreck that is the RHWOA if she want to have any chance as a boob tube bible thumper.
Since Lisa's husband NFL career is over, no telling what her next move will be. She will probably be back for Season 2.
I suspect, BRAVO will have to do some recasting for next season.
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