Real Housewives Don’t Exhibit Much “Model Behavior”

Real Housewives seem to have anything BUT Model Behavior. I see them for the most part as an example of “how not to act”.  

What’s up with Kim Z saying “That’s Retarded!” to tell someone she likes their outfit?  When did this become acceptable? 

NeNe and Dwight

Maybe Dwight screwed up and maybe he didn’t. Maybe he overstepped the boundaries of the friendship. But where does she get off confronting him at a public event instead of calling him up on the phone and asking him to sit down with her at her home and talking about the issue? If I have a problem with someone, I don’t meet them in a public restaurant or whatever and talk. Even if I could hear better, I wouldn’t do that because privacy is a requirement for having a real conversation to resolve a dispute. At least in this episode, they got together in a private room at the restaurant owned by Cynthia’s boyfriend.

NeNe and Bryson

As I watched NeNe go off on Bryson about how lenient she’s been with him, I could see myself saying the same thing. I have an 18 year-old daughter who still lives with us. I’m so grateful she at least works a part-time for the moment despite on-going health issues related to the car wreck she was in last October. I’m so thankful the Health Care Reform Act passed because my daughter can stay on my insurance until she’s 26 – and not have to be enrolled in school full-time. As much as she wants to go to school, she may have to do part of her classes online because her back hurts her all the time. The new medication makes her excessively tired. But we had a comparable moment when we asked her to have her guests leave at 2 am. I basically told her, “You’re not my roommate, you’re my daughter.” If she pays 1/3 of the bills and for her car, we’ll consider her a roommate.

Kim Z and Kandi

I was glad to see that someone in this world doesn’t allow business to get in the way of friendship. Kudos to Kandi! She admitted to making a mistake by not having a standard agreement put in writing regarding royalties of Kim’s “Tardy for the Party” song. She’ll know better next time she works with Kim Z. According to her  BravoTV.com blog, Kandi and Kim Z had an agreement that shared a portion of the royalties with the original author of the song as well as one of Kim’s daughters.

Phaedra and NeNe

I feel like I’ve gotten lost somewhere along the way…why does NeNe hate Phaedra so much? Obviously they know each other somehow; but, according to NeNe, not when they were children living in the same town.

Phaedra and Apollo

I honestly don’t know what to think about Phaedra, an attorney, being married to a convicted felon. You’d think she could do better than that, right? Does she have self-esteem issues? Her blog reads like a legal brief and mentions that Malcom X was a felon. Malcom X didn’t marry his attorney, though.

Put Your Big Girl Panties On….RHONY Season 3 Finale

While watching the season finale of Real Housewives of New York tonight, I thought I’d write about how this episode mirrored my life.

Episode 14: Rebuked, Reunited, Renewed

Ruined Friendships…

I know I’ve ruined a few but I can’t remember all the details of every one I ruined.  One incident that stands out for me is a gal I met thru the AOL chat room back in 2002.  We’d try to hang out together and do girl stuff or with the kids and never failed, she HAD to have a man around.  It was like she wasn’t able to function unless she either had a man around or on the phone.  She even invited a guy over to my all girls sleepover for my daughter.  And when she got them on the phone, she’d suddenly start using this sex kitten voice, all breathy and hushed. 

I did a double – take the first time I noticed it.  And when I confronted her about constantly being on the phone when we’re hanging out, she got very agitated insisting that she had to answer her phone in case it was her daughters or her mother. I never could get her to understand it was the insistence that some guy had to be with us or she had to be on the phone with him talking like a slut. 

That was the point of no return for us.  Apparently it was unforgiveable that I asked her not to bring the men around or talk to them on the phone while we were spending time together.  I never saw her again.  She preferred to keep in touch with a loser that cheated on her, rather than keep in touch with a friend.

 “Money Can’t Buy You Class”…it also can’t buy you manners.

Specifically on the show, Countless was completely wrong to listen in on Jill’s phone calls with Bethenny without Bethenny’s knowledge.  And she has NEVER apologized to Bethenny for doing this nor has Jill apologized to Bethenny for letting it happen; at least not to my knowledge.  And she’s seen what happened now that the show is airing.  I wonder whether Andy brought it up during the reunion.

How funny was that watching Jill have to explain the lyrics to Kelly? “Elegance has to be learned.”  And Kelly has a degree in English? 

At the moment, I cannot think of anyone who mirrors this rude woman in my  life.  When the people I know are “rude” in any way, it’s not to be malicious, but because they aren’t sure of themselves or because they are nervous.  Countless is rude because she’s a bitch.

Moving into together for the very first time…

Bethenny and Jason discussing what they want to keep and what they want to use was so familiar!  When I moved in with Charlie five years ago, I had to struggle not to put all his weird stuff away and hide it.  Like the guns.  We finally found some gun racks and stored those on HIS side of the bedroom.  Then I found all this incredible stuff he’d accumulated during his time in Germany.  Wow!  I had to put that out on the living room bookshelf for everyone to see.

Mother and Daughter…

Meagan and Mom Junior Prom 2009

I’ve been blessed to have a beautiful daughter with whom I share a very special relationship, just like Ramona.  We’ve had our ups and downs and at 17, she thinks she knows more than me of course.  But she has her moments when she still needs her mommy.  She graduated from high school this year and is preparing to attend the local junior college this fall so at least I will keep her close for another year.  I treasure every moment with her and she’s the only female I’ve been able to trust my entire life without reservation. 

Wedding Vows…

Mr. and Mrs. June 6, 2005

I was simultaneously laughing and crying during Ramona and Mario’s renewal ceremony.  The vows were so beautiful and touching.  I was a mess during my wedding to Charlie and flubbed the vows because I had a hard time understanding what the minister was saying.  Neither Charlie nor I are the kind of people to make up our own vows like the Singers.  Both of us were very nervous.  We eloped to a B&B in Fort Smith, Arkansas, so it was just us and the preacher.

Forgiveness vs. Grudges

Put Your Big Girl Panties On!

Maybe we can’t forgive and forget, but shouldn’t we at least LISTEN when someone wants to apologize and make amends?  Or put our big girl panties on and be gracious enough to let someone talk?  Why is it that Jill can’t let go of the Alex situation?  I thought she figured out that grudges aren’t good?  Perhaps its just another situation where she has to deal with her own inadequacies. 

Forgiving isn’t easy.  And you don’t always have to bring up the past.  Sometimes, it’s easier to LET IT GO and move on.  I’ve had to do this with my family.  Did my dad ever call and apologize for not being a part of our lives for the past 20 years while he was married to that awful woman?  No, of course he didn’t.  But we let it go and decided to include him in our lives the best we could. 

Men in Dresses…

The only men I’ve ever met wearing a dress were the Queens at the Drag Show.  I missed something…WHY in the world was Simon wearing a skirt?  It wasn’t a kilt and it wasn’t a Scottish wedding.

Babbies, Bubbles and Bubbies

The drama on Real Housewives of New Jersey was slow this week. Teresa had a baby, Caroline’s son tests his car wash / strip club idea, and Danielle hires bodyguards to protect her at a charity event.

Danielle Staub thinks she needs "protection"

 Yes, you read that right. Danielle feels like she needs her “friend” Danny and his buddy John, both ex-felons, to protect her at a charity event because it’s being held at The Brownstone, which is owned by the Manzo family. The owner of the Preakness Diner requested Danielle attend a fundraiser for a relative whose infant daughter has cancer. Two questions popped in my head while I was watching this scene. First, Danielle has FRIENDS? Why in the world does she so desperately want to be friends with the other Housewives then? Second, Why Danielle? Why is she so important? Is this a setup by Danielle? Did Bravo edit something from the footage?

Why can’t I write anything light-hearted about this episode? I mean, other than the Danielle drama, it was a happy, fun episode. But, Danielle hiring ex-felons for bodyguards stands out in my memory.

BABBIES:

 

Teresa's new daughter, Audriana Guidice

Teresa gave birth to Audriana in this week’s episode. I was amazed to watch this woman pack a suitcase full of makeup and jewelry to give birth. Who does that? I wasn’t even allowed to have makeup or nail polish on during the actual labor and birth. And then she cooked French toast for the kids while in labor! I couldn’t believe they were showing the epidural! I guess I should be glad I couldn’t see mine! My friend, Kristina, held my hands and coached me through my epidural with my daughter, Meagan, and she didn’t promise me diamonds! Afterwards, Teresa was dressed in leopard print pajamas and already had hair accessories on baby Audriana and was still in full makeup and hoop earrings. After 10 hours of labor, you couldn’t tell the woman just had a child! Lucky!

BUBBLES:

Last season, Christopher Manzo shared his dream of opening a car wash / strip club business. So his dad, Albert, introduces him to Rick the owner of the Perfect Shine car wash. Rick offers Christopher a chance to manage the car wash “his way” when Christopher states he can bring in more business on the slowest day of the week. While the family was sitting around Albert’s desk with Rick, I felt like I was watching a new version of “The Godfather” movies, with Albert Manzo playing Don Corleone. Things that make you say hmmmm…

BUBBIES:

So off Christopher goes to his one-day internship at Scores, a strip joint in Manhattan. Oh, excuse me, a gentleman’s club, as the manager was quick to point out to Christopher. I’m sure everyone could see what would happen next, and of course, Christopher hires a few pretty, young things to bring in business at the car wash. Rick shows up at the car wash later that day and his eyes are bugging out. He’s not sure if he likes this plan to bring in some hotties to attract customers, until he find out he had more business this one day than he’s had in the history of the car wash.

 

Caroline Manzo

As Caroline says (paraphrased), “Follow your dreams, but two rules can never be broken. Never do anything illegal. And never do anything with the intent to hurt another.”

ZIP IT! The Great Cook or Chef Debate Continues…

Mean girls, Mean girls, whatcha gonna do when SkinnyGirl comes for you?

Bethenney Frankel watches as Kelly Bensimon has a meltdown on RHONY this week

Last week on RHONY, Kelly went on a tirade against Bethenny calling her a ho-bag and telling her she isn’t a chef. This week, it’s the next morning, the women are having breakfast and Bethenny passive-aggressively brings up the subject of Kelly calling her a ‘ho-bag’. The discussion eventually leads to Bethenny asking Kelly why she says she’s not a chef. Kelly says, “Because you don’t work in a restaurant.”

OH! Burn! I didn’t realize in order to be a “chef” you had to work in a restaurant! Apparently, neither did Bethenny. Bethenny cooks professionally and has developed many recipes of her own, specializing in baked goods that contain NO wheat, dairy or eggs and dishes that are low-cal and made from natural foods (foods with minimal processing and additives). She also has a degree from a culinary institute. Typically, people that graduate from a culinary school and cook food professionally are considered CHEFS.

Kelly Bensimon calls her "friend" Jill Zarin during yet another breakdown.

Later that night, Kelly has yet another meltdown in her room after receiving Bethenny’s gift of a personalized SkinnyGirl tote bag filled with stuff to use on this trip. (A little tacky on Bethenny’s part maybe, but not worthy of a crying jag.)  Watching her talk to Jill on the phone, I have to wonder how in the world this woman graduated from Columbia University with a degree in English. She’s simply deteriorating with her speech and vocabulary, rambling about Bethenny having fake boobs and how she dreams Bethenny is trying to kill her.

At the villa, Bethenny decides her gift to Ramona is to prepare dinner for the evening. Just as dinner is served (fresh salsas and martinis for appetizers), Kelly starts falling apart to the point of insisting she not sit anywhere near Bethenny at the dinner table. Ok, I don’t like being around my ex-husband and his girlfriend at times, but because we share children, I don’t have a choice. But, I do my best to just ZIP IT and not start any drama. You’re an adult, Kelly. Are you seriously saying you can’t just sit there and make small talk?

"Zip It"

BTW, Kelly’s favorite saying seems to be “Zip It” if anyone tries to interrupt her monopolizing the conversation or says something she doesn’t want to hear.

Kelly Bensimon is either schizophrenic or on crack! I’m sorry, but something is WRONG with that woman and she seems to get worse at night. Dreaming about Bethenny trying to kill her with a butter knife? Insisting that Bethenny is the one that slandered her and her children in the press? For the record, Kelly Bensimon doesn’t need anyone’s help to get slandered in the press. She can do that all by herself. She’s being sued by a jewelry designer for ripping off her designs and went to jail for assaulting an ex-boyfriend. And what’s this nonsense about Bethenny slandering her friends Gwyneth and Rachel?

GOOGLE…

Oh dear lord – this is about some smartass tweets posted on Bethenny’s twitter account.  Per the NY Daily News websites, back in August 2009, Bethenny blasted Gwenyth Paltrow via Twitter getting her own cooking show, saying, “I’d rather staple my eyelids shut than watch Gwyneth cook” .

That’s just Bethenny’s way of saying B O R I N G!  

Rachel Zoe and husband

Then, in September 2009, Bethenny slammed Rachel Zoe by tweeting, “”Dying over this show. If I stick on a lampshade with a moo moo [muumuu] and a pair of bananas hoop earrings, rz may just D I E. What a bunch of BS!”   I’m sorry, but its funny because its TRUE!  Rachel Zoe says the weirdest things like “That’s Bananas!” and buys thousands of dollars of clothes from “vintage” (translated: used) clothing stores. 

Sonya Morgan

Fortunately, about this time Sonja has figured out that something is seriously wrong with Kelly and convinces the other housewives to let it go and try to defuse the poor woman. Kelly looks insane at this time, completely disheveled and scarfing down jelly beans and washing them down with Pinot Grigio.

I think the best thing Kelly can do is ZIP IT!  No, its not CREEEEPY for Bethenny to get away after her father died.  In fact, if Kelly hadn’t been on the trip, Bethenny probably would have had a very relaxing vacation and had a chance to recuperate with people that seem to be her friends. 

Jill Zarin crashes the girls retreat with her husband next week

Next week…Jill and Bobby really do show up at Ramona’s all-girls retreat. UNANNOUNCED! This ought to be interesting. Actually, more interesting was “Countless LuAnn” telling her BFF Jill that if she goes on Ramona’s retreat, she’s on her own. Watching LuAnn tell Jill after encouraging her to end her friendship with Bethenny that she agrees with Bobby that they need to talk face to face …PRICELESS! Why didn’t she do that ages ago when Bethenny kept reaching out to Jill to try to work things out? Am I the only one that senses Countless LuAnn is determined to control Jill?