The Unreal Housewives
by Susan Green
Bravo was once a baby boomer’s friend ,offering such quality fare as Hill Street Blues reruns, thirtysomething, and St Elsewhere, however Bravo has become a victim of an era of imbeciles that find entertainment in watching a group of mindless shrews, otherwise known as “The Real Housewives” flaunt their excesses in a repulsive and almost unbearable display.
This series takes place in a variety of locales, from the OC to Atlanta, New York and now New Jersey and despite the changes in location the women all have one thing in common, that is they are all trash. Harsh words yes, but I cannot think of another noun that describes this obnoxious herd, all fighting for their fifteen minutes of fame. After viewing a few episodes of The OC gang, I thought the bottom of the barrel had been well scraped; however after watching my hometown crew, The Real Housewives of New York, I had to rethink that belief.
We have Ramona, the wild eyed aging blonde fighting to keep the fresh glow of long past youth alive. She throws insults like daggers without thought and looks stunned when one of her subjects appears offended. She is the epitome of trailer trash with a platinum card.
Then we have Jill, the unbelievably obnoxious middle aged JAP, (Jewish American princess). Her shrill tone could shatter glass and her taste for the finer things is all consuming. I watched in disbelief as she professed her concern for our economic crisis in stating that she was settling for a 16,000 handbag for her birthday. Not surprisingly, we later watch as she complains about an iPod contained within the Mercedes minivan she receives as a surprise birthday gift from her seemingly whipped spouse. So much for the economy.
Then we have Alex and her questionably gay husband who I will say are a tad less obnoxious. They live in a brownstone in Brooklyn, but of course still consider themselves part of the Manhattan elite. And then there is Bethany, an acidic tongued single and a self proclaimed “skinny girl”, which just happens to be the title of her new book. Bethany appears to be challenged in the man area, and one can only guess that this is due to the fact that her great love for herself is unsurpassed.
And "The Countess", our very own dignitary and humanitarian living in New York City, who states the importance of "giving back". Who can forget the Countesses' wrath when she was referred to by her first name when introduced to the chauffeur of a friend. Oh the humanity! This sad weekly display of cat fighting, backbiting and showcasing does nothing more than show us that money and class does not always go hand in hand. Shame on you Bravo, I thought you were better than this!
