Real Housewives of New Jersey: A Reunion to Remember
I have a confession to make, readers. I really enjoy the Real Housewives of New Jersey. I've been watching the reruns on Bravo and I just love it. I'm not really a fan of the other Real Housewives (especially, DC...that's the most boring) but the New Jersey Housewives really know how to entertain.
I learned from the marathon reruns that the real housewives had not been together for a year until the reunion special which aired recently. The reunion special featured the four main "characters" seated on a stage with an interviewer (I felt pretty sorry for this guy, BTW). The reunion is awkward because there is one clear villain on this show: Danielle. Of course the other three ladies throw verbal punches at Danielle and Danielle throws them back for most of the interview. Suddenly, Danielle says something that Theresa couldn't handle and a crazy fight breaks out! This sudden escalation from civil conversation to an all-out brawl would have shocked me, had I not been watching the series already. One of the things I love most about this show is how quickly things go from calm to total bitchy chaos over what seems like nothing at all. I think I get that adrenaline rush that some people get from riding roller coasters or watching slasher films...
Watching this program has caused some real self examination for me. Why do I like this program? What about their screaming makes me smile? Am I just a creep? Are all American's creeps?
I think the answer to these questions is: yes. Sort of. I think that watching these people makes me feel just a little better about my own life with its minor conflict. I like watching these ladies fight, but I'm always secretly hoping that they'll work out their differences calmly, using their words (though I guess that would be boring...). I actually think that I like these "reality" shows so much because I don't really believe that they're "real." These must be at least somewhat prompted; in real life, if I can't stand someone, that person slowly fades from my circle of friends and it isn't a big deal. In "reality" TV, if I don't like someone, that person is somehow thrown into my life again and again.
I want to leave you, readers, with this clip and this question: is this really real? How staged is this? Completely fake? Not staged at all? I suppose we'll only know the truth when an ex-reality star writes a tell-all book about life behind the cameras (I'm looking at you guys, Tyra Banks and Lauren Conrad!!!).
It's amazing how must subtext there is in the word hello.
BTW, the real housewives all agreed that they didn't like Jersey Shore because of the stereotypes it perpetuates.
I learned from the marathon reruns that the real housewives had not been together for a year until the reunion special which aired recently. The reunion special featured the four main "characters" seated on a stage with an interviewer (I felt pretty sorry for this guy, BTW). The reunion is awkward because there is one clear villain on this show: Danielle. Of course the other three ladies throw verbal punches at Danielle and Danielle throws them back for most of the interview. Suddenly, Danielle says something that Theresa couldn't handle and a crazy fight breaks out! This sudden escalation from civil conversation to an all-out brawl would have shocked me, had I not been watching the series already. One of the things I love most about this show is how quickly things go from calm to total bitchy chaos over what seems like nothing at all. I think I get that adrenaline rush that some people get from riding roller coasters or watching slasher films...
Watching this program has caused some real self examination for me. Why do I like this program? What about their screaming makes me smile? Am I just a creep? Are all American's creeps?
I think the answer to these questions is: yes. Sort of. I think that watching these people makes me feel just a little better about my own life with its minor conflict. I like watching these ladies fight, but I'm always secretly hoping that they'll work out their differences calmly, using their words (though I guess that would be boring...). I actually think that I like these "reality" shows so much because I don't really believe that they're "real." These must be at least somewhat prompted; in real life, if I can't stand someone, that person slowly fades from my circle of friends and it isn't a big deal. In "reality" TV, if I don't like someone, that person is somehow thrown into my life again and again.
I want to leave you, readers, with this clip and this question: is this really real? How staged is this? Completely fake? Not staged at all? I suppose we'll only know the truth when an ex-reality star writes a tell-all book about life behind the cameras (I'm looking at you guys, Tyra Banks and Lauren Conrad!!!).
It's amazing how must subtext there is in the word hello.
BTW, the real housewives all agreed that they didn't like Jersey Shore because of the stereotypes it perpetuates.
This entry was posted by Brigitte, on
Friday, September 10, 2010.
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I came home to Jerksica watching this the other day and I totally agree with you about feeling sorry for the moderator - it must feel so degrading because usually a moderator is used for those reunions to talk about different specific events or challenges and he just had to come up with forty different ways of asking "So why do you all hate Danielle so much?"
Mmmm, this show is hardly edifying. I would rather Tommy watched "Silence of the Lambs" than this.
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