Cat

40 minutes ago, GLATWT88 said:

I think she's great for the show. I'm just not sure if these accounts stanning for her are actually condoning her weird/sometimes rude behavior or if they're saying she's great for TV. 

I'm curious as to her age when she moved. I worked abroad for a few years and just moved back and a great number of my colleagues were from South Africa. We were a good mix of accents - the only one that really struck me was a British woman who had worked abroad many years and her accent was Americanized but there was a uniqueness to it that didn't quite fit. Everyone else regardless of time abroad seemed to retain their national accent - I do know that some adults can experience a bit of a change after many years but usually very subtle. 

I think in the first episode she implied it was after university. So she's been in the US around two decades? I'm guessing. 

I've lived in the UK for a longtime and managed a Mid-Atlantic accent bordering on the British side. It's probably watching so many US shows that keeps my US cadences alive! Meanwhile, my mom is French but has lived in the US or UK all her married life, and she still has ze strong Parisian accent.

14 minutes ago, GLATWT88 said:

I'm not a Jessel fan and I'm not getting the hype over on Twitter either. I see the insecurity from a mile away - it's in her weird marriage situation to a guy she definitely feels is beneath her. I think in her mind she should have done better but in reality that was what she could get. She treats him horribly and you can't tell me 2 years of no sex is normal in a relationship and that she has other friends that think that's okay. There is some other problems there. Her reaction to Jenna's gift sucked. Was it ugly? Yes. But it brought out her own insecurities...instead of owning it and playing with it...you can tell from her whole demeanor, her frumpy walk, her attitude and what she was saying that she was so uncomfortable in how she looked. 

Also, did she go to the Dorit school of accents. Her accent is neither here nor there. I can understand that accents evolve over time, but for the most part they're pretty fixed after puberty unless you are forcibly trying to make some drastic changes. 

I think her family came from South Africa, but she grew up in Britain. Then she headed to the US to work in FASHUN. And she's been here ever since so her accent is a mix. Happens to a lot of ex-pats.

Totally agree with you assessment of Jessel on the show. She feels like she married beneath her and she can't stand it. She's looking to parachute out and trade up, but she's probably scared about going it alone with two twin toddlers.

46 minutes ago, I Am A Swede said:

Oh my, what a terrible trauma that must have been for them.... 

I don't mean to be rude or flippant, but that seems like a very childish thing to complain about. If they happened to see such a thing for a moment far to the right on the page then it's really not that difficult to look somewhere else, is it? Or did it physically hurt them? Did they have to seek medical attention?

I really think people are getting too sensitive these days.

I understand putting posters on Ignore and not wanting to deal with their mess, but it's a given that they may still be around SON. If seeing their post pop up on the Latest Posts section induces a meltdown, I don't know what to say. Just because you put them on Ignore doesn't mean the whole board did. Eventually, the truly egregious trolling ones who harass other posters get banned, so there is that.

1 hour ago, BoldRestless said:

I like the headlines. It looks cleaner. I did not like the "latest posts" sidebar because even though the spoiler section had been removed, it often had posts from discussion of that day's show which I had not watched yet.  

It was usually just a snippet. BUt I can understand you don't want to be surprised.

I feel a bit out of the loop because I don't know which threads are hopping at the moment. Even if I don't watch soaps as much anymore, I like to see what's going on and read different posters' thoughts.

That's a pity. Who are these party-poopers? (lol j/k) Seeing the latest discussion encourages me to check out threads I might not even know existed, or see posts from people I don't normally post with. It opens up my bubble and brings life and dynamism to the board.

Also, you get to see when a thread is red-hot and everyone is posting on there -- usually after some explosive soap news. It brings us all together as a community! LOL

Really pleased for him! Dude's a fighter for sure.

14 hours ago, Soaplovers said:

RHONY:

 

Twitter seems cool with Jessel.. calling her the sober Ramona... and with her tendency to insert foot in mouth, I can see why people think that.  She does seem to know a lot of people in the fashion industry.. she had a lot of people at her event.

Erin seems to think she's the expert on all things New York.. but I swear she is a dog with a bone LOL

While I'm an introvert and I do commend Jenna for setting boundaries, I do think that Jenna tends to play up the introvert tendencies in order to get out of trouble (i.e. when she claimed she didn't know why she stirred the pot, saying she had an event when it was just time with her son and god-daughters) and out of filming with the other women.  And she does kind of seem elitist.

I confess I would have preferred seeing Brynn playing chess against that guy instead of another scene rehashing the Jessel/Erin coffee chat.  Chess playing.. rather at parks or in buildings.. is a huge thing in NYC and I would prefer seeing more of the city.

Not much from Ubah in this episode... though I like her way better than her witch of a cousin Aylan.

I liked the segment showing Sai at her job.. and her backstory on how she developed into a pretty successful influencer.  She would have to be pretty successful if she's able to offer her assistants/employees health insurance.

Someone reached out to me yesterday to tell me that Jessel attended my old high school (though a different year). That tracks. Picture competitive students with over-inflated airs of superiority, but also nursing deep (mostly class-related) insecurities. Suddenly Jessel makes sense!

She is nothing if not a good little student: after a shaky start, she's done her research of RHs, picked up some pot-stirring tips, and gone for the HW in search of a feud, Erin. Not sure she's the 'kween' a few voices on Twitter say she is, though.

(And oh the irony when Jessel says she came to this country and worked her way 'from nothing' -- you mean a fancy British prep school + university + the accent gets you nowhere in the US? Come on now!)

I wish id seen more of the Brynn chess game too. We did get more of her story which helped fill in some blanks, but NYC itself remains this elusive, unmoored entity. Like, where was the chess game?

Jenna is 100% using the outs she negotiated for herself to her advantage, and the other women are sick about it. Maybe next season they will try to negotiate similar outs. Pravit seems like he never wants to be on camera again, and the way Jessel sneers at him, I don't blame him. She is deeply ashamed of him for some reason.

3 hours ago, NothinButAttitude said:

 

Kenya talking with Carlos is genuine and warm. I stand by my assessment of her being inauthentic and unsympathetic this season. But Kenya is engaged and engaging here.

Kenya talking about her childhood... the way her mother refused to claim her and what that must have done to her growing up, always gets to me. 

She sounds sparky and happy talking about the old RHOA memories. Honestly, this is the Kenya missing from RHOA. Kenya speaking about the current RHOA sounds like the brand has been tarnished in her eyes. Maybe Kenya is ready to call it a day if some major changes to cast and crew are not made. 

8 hours ago, DaytimeFan said:

It most definitely is a major return to form. Much as Tamra would take the credit for it, a lot of the success lies with Shannon, whose relationship naturally imploded, and Emily, who has somehow became this IDGAF queen. 

ATL

Aside from Drew's marriage imploding, this show is awful and likely deserving of a hard reboot a la RHONY. 

Kenya is just heinous. The fake baby storyline really shows what a hypocrite she is. For years she's been saying Marc Daly is her living nightmare...yet she'd use his embryos and have another child biologically connected to him? She is so hollow and so fake. No wonder production didn't come running to her aid when she wiped out in front of the hotel. She seems just awful to deal with.

RHOC is great and there is hardly a wasted minute. Each episode flies by for me, and it honestly feels like a return to form, helped by, as you point out, the organic implosion of Shannon's relationship.

RHOA: That Kenya wipe-out stood out to me also. It was striking the way the women on the bus glanced out of the window, like "... Is anyone going to see if Kenya needs help?" They weren't prepared to do it, and neither was production. She was writhing around on the ground for five minutes before a Portuguese staff member and Kandi went over. It said a lot about how Kenya has alienated a lot of people in front of and behind the cameras. 

The Marc Daly second baby SL is patently ridiculous. He hates her like Jason Hoppy hates Bethenny. Isn't he also suing her for alimony? No way he's going to hand over his sperm unless there's a hefty price tag over the next 18 years attached. i don't believe it for a moment, and the 'new boyfriend' SL rings false also.

Carlos King has an interview coming out with Kenya today. This follows his smash interview with Nene last week. Now, Nene is grumpy and has got beef with Bravo and others, but I listened to her interview from beginning to end, and she was speaking her truth. There was not a moment i didn't believe she stood by her opinions. One of them was that Kenya is not the star of the show, she could have been at one time, but something is missing. Many may disagree, but in the context of this season, I couldn't deny her point. Now Kenya is getting a chance to clap back and give her Grand Nene-like Interview, but from the short clip I've seen (talking about the second baby/Marc's embryos!), she is indeed missing something: authenticity. 

Meanwhile, in Argentina

https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/dog-loving-central-bank-hating-economist-javier-milei-upends-argentine-polls.phtml

I've been enjoying this,second season, as fairytaleish as it all is. Even Che is more bearable. On the personal front, it's been a tough few months, so having this feather-light escapism has been welcome.

Seema is my favorite character. Also love Charlotte and LTW. And Antony, of course. 

RHOC

I'm rather enjoying this season as Tamra surreptitiously takes down first Shannon's relationship, and then lays the blame at Heather's door. Two birds with one stone! Damn, Tamra is reverting to her old evil self, strategizing every step of the way. But it's not all smooth sailing for her. Jenn is a tougher cookie to crack than Tamra anticipated, while Emily is making sure she doesn't get left holding the bag either. Meanwhile, Heather (who looked weirdly good in that blondish wig) isn't letting Tammy Sue (who also looked weirdly ok in a brunette wig) get away with turning the group against her. Elsewhere, Vicki is all of us, just enjoying the ride.

On 8/11/2023 at 1:03 AM, Cheap21 said:

Shannon's boyfriend beats her and cant no one tell me otherwise. She sounds like an abused woman. "I have arguments that paralyze me". Thats not normal and she needs help

There was a moment I was getting Taylor and Russell Armstrong  S2 BH vibes from them, which is worrisome. But now, instead of physical abuse, I wonder if Shannon isn't emotionally beat down and desperate not to lose him because she doesn't want to be alone. Kind of like Vicki. I don't think he's as nice as he wants to present on camera, but I also don’t think Shannon is terrified for her life, like Taylor was? I could be wrong though. 

21 hours ago, j swift said:

Just based on the trailer, it looks like Heather continues to make all the wrong moves.

We know that Heather and Whitney only found out that they were related shortly before shooting.  Her real history is with Lisa Barlow from their time at BYU (party girl era).  Heather exudes excluded-from-the-cool-crowd energy, which she could use to gain sympathy from the audience, even though her marriage was worth more status than Lisa's.  But, saying anything about Jack going on a mission will definitely backfire.  Despite, Lisa's many unlikable qualities, she is funny and seems to be gaining popularity in the last season.  Heather would be wise to try and align with her, rather than oppose her, to win back the audience support she gained in the first season. 

It feels like Heather let social media go to her head, while Lisa has remained an authentic (if still annoying) presence, and I think the fans are always drawn to authenticity.

21 hours ago, Michael said:

That's how I feel about Heather, too -- which is actually not too far from how I felt about Carole later in her RHONY run. She's high on her own supply and has lost sight of why people liked her in the first place. The whole black eye thing was horrible Housewifery and annoying as hell, and the way she handles confrontation is bizarre (though kind of fascinating from a psychological perspective).

@j swift You make a really good case for digging deep into Mormon society and bringing that world and its social tropes to the fore, letting it drive story. It's a world i know only peripherally, having one SLC-based Mormon friend, but still a fascinating place to witness.

Alas, maybe because of Covid, or maybe fear that it might be too niche, Bravo shied away from that and we've watched the bog-standard petty RH dramas straight out of the playbook. The promise of S1 was not capitalised on, and the show suffered as a result.

Honestly, I find the Heather/Whitney divide to be phony. I think these two are exchanging notes during the off season and scripting this drama. Unlike Carole and Bethenny, though, I'm not sure the audience investment is in this cousinship. (P.S.: I'm on of the few who believe that Carole leaving RHONY was disastrous for that franchise and left it unmoored. But that's a Ted Talk for another day).

I also think that the black eye and Heather's perpetual victimhood status in friendships is also an act for the show. Playing victim wins over some of the audience, but in interviews, Heather strikes me as very self-aware and together and someone who would no longer put themselves through those toxic dynamics wth a friend. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think Heather has had an innate understanding of how she wants to appear on this show, and how she wants her story to progress, from the very beginning. 

1 hour ago, Cheap21 said:

 

BWAHAHAHA! I don't miss her one bit, though.

It already looks better than what little I watched of last season.

It doesn't involve Jen Shah. 

Or a black eye. 

It has a newbie talking (seemingly) honestly about feeling like she has to flaunt labels she cannot actually afford. 

Mary. 

I didn't think I would want to tune in ever again to SLC, but I'm ever so slightly interested in checking out the first episode of the new season. Hopefully it's a clean slate without the toxic Shah drama stinking up the joint. 

1 hour ago, j swift said:

I'm calling for a moratorium on housewives theme parties.  SLC has a blond party and a pirate party?  Who has that many costumes in their closet?  And they humiliate themselves by fighting on TV with a mustache drawn on by an eyeliner pencil.

They should put a moratorium on the fancy dress FOR SURE. Bravo finds it is hilarious and meme-able to show to these HWs screaming at each other in crazy wigs. I'm convinced they went for the bonnets because it would highlight Angie K's obvious plastic surgery in the worst way possible. (I did giggle at Monica's pirate beard drawn on with a magic marker, though).

Cynthia is stunning. Now what else is going on?!

3 hours ago, NothinButAttitude said:

Eva won't return to the show in any capacity. She said she is done with the show. Kenya and Kandi have rallied for her to return, but Eva doesn't want to be on the show anymore. Plus, Eva has a hit Tyler Perry show on BET+ called All the Queen's Men. From what little I've seen of the show, she's actually good. I think Eva is back in the element she wants to be in--scripted TV. 

With Porsha, it is well-known that I am not a Porsha fan; however, I have grown to find her tolerable and realize her importance on this show. I do think that bringing her back would stop some of the bloodshed and whimpering from RHOA fans. While I think the show is in a slump, I still find pleasure in watching RHOA as they are the one show in the franchise that I know I am going to get a good laugh and not feel total icky after watching. I am with @Taoboi that Marlo has to fully accept her villain role in order for to work in future seasons. They cannot pull the same crap of having her be a villain and victim. It is tiresome and not working in her favor.

I do stand firm that Sheree is deadweight. I get she is an "OG," but she is one that does not work. If this show is in dire need of an OG and we can't have Nene back, the next best choice is Lisa Wu. Kim would be logical, but I can't bear to watch her clock in half-time and reap the benefits of the rest. It annoyed me to no ends back then and would do the same now. If Kim is to ever return, she will have to give as much as the rest. Otherwise, she and her wigs can stay gone forever. 

I wasn't enamored of Eva (and Porsha destroyed her with them social-distancing titties line at Zoomunion) but she does have stuff going on in her life and can hold a camera's attention. However, if she's in a happier place right now, that's great for her.

Like you, I was not a Porsha fan and actually thought she should have been fired after S9. But I cannot deny she was needed for the franchise and she really grew on me. Her quips, her chemistry (or hate-chemistry) with others, her burgeoning glamor were also top-tier. At some point around S11, she knew she was a star on the show and she just leaned right into it.

I have to agree with you about Kim Z. I'm good, and don't need her lazy ass back on the show. She also lied to the world about her 'divorce' with Kroy, so I don't want to see her rewarded for that.

Sheree is not an OG Alpha. She is more a reactor who works well when the cast is fire. And the cast is not fire right now.

10 hours ago, NothinButAttitude said:

Cynthia said she doesn't wanna hold a peach again. She'd prefer to be a friend that pops in organically and pops out. 

That's doable. But I think @Gray Bunny has a point about Porsha. I didn't get the Potsha love at first, but now I get it. She brought something sparkly and a little controversial and flawed to the franchise, and I miss it now. I really feel like she's a missing link here. Unfortunately, i think Bravo could offer her millions, but she wouldn't take it unless Simon divorced her without a cent. She's not planning on fumbling that bag, and she doesn't have to work now if she doesn't want to. Nevertheless, if I were Bravo, I would still *try* to get her on. I also wonder if it's worth getting Eva Marcille to return.

I also think Marlo is better suited to FOH than RH. Maybe if she embraced her villainy, as @Taoboisaid? For a reason I can't quite put my finger on, she's not working for me.

12 hours ago, Taoboi said:

RHOA

 

Well, I finally made it through those Portgual episodes it seem. I'll say RHOP's trip there was more intersting to me than this one. All I came away from it with was...

 

1) Drew vs ShebySheree is the gift that keeps giving. I was sure that Drew was starting to feel the Ralph drama coming and feeling it since she has her own brand of delusion that is similar to Sheree's own. However, I actually thought when Drew stormed outside crying that Sheree was trying to make an effort to get through to her. Sad that Drew was too sensitive. 

 

2) DARRRRNNNNN they really don't have anything going on without Kandi or Kenya around, do they? Kenya got hurt and Kandi went with her. Instead of enjoying the country, there was Sanya, Marlo, Sheree, and Courtney Wannabe doing nothing about talking about Kenya and Kandi non-stop. I did like that Sheree did a little pot stirring with Drew re: Kandi, but that was about it.

 

And now we have to bring up BOLO for drama. BOLO FROM TWO YEARS AGO...le sigh.

 

It was sad really. Because I felt like the potential is there. Coming off the trip, there are so many feuds. Looks like Kandi and Drew might get into it. Marlo is always up to get into it with anyone. And Courtney Wannabe coming for Kenya...but this Production for me ain't it. What works for RHOP I am seeing is not at all working for RHOA. 

 

Just a few notes...

 

KENYA. I like seeing her happy with Brooklyn. That said...perhaps a rivalry with Wannabe is the way to go. At this point, Kenya's clearly over Marlo. And not even Marlo knowing Roi got barely a reaction out of Kenya. She is clearly done with her. But Wannabe...with her attempts to be relevant on the show (and now social media)...might be the thing to bring out the Kenya who likes to play.

 

KANDI. I like Activated Kandi. And she's been that way most of the season. It does seem weird to see everyone come for her. But she has decent backup and has been giving it back. And still has a hint of messy to her with this Bolo stuff. So I expect to see more.

 

SANYA. You know what? I kinda wish she would lean into her family drama more. The abruptness of her brother and sister leaving and her sister being shady toward her. Could there be more there than what we are seeing? Hmmm. Definitely a better route to go than her weak attempts to come for anyone...at least until Kandi gets her lickback.

 

SHEREE. Montel who? lol. That's how I felt when he (finally) called her on the trip. I had forgotten all about him. Outside of her shady confessionals toward Kandi and the too-brief flashes of last season's Drew/Sheree rivalry, she really has nothing going on. Thankfully, she started to pot stir between Drew and Kandi, but I just expect more from Sheree.

 

MARLO. Now that scene where Production tried to put Kenya/Kandi in a bad light...NO. I cannot believe how much they are trying to give Marlo the Porsha edit. I didn't like it with Porsha...and Porsha definitely was better than Marlo in that regard. I cannot. BUT...I can't say Marlo isn't giving something. Dating. Trying to feud with Kenya still. And her main target...Kandi.

 

DREW. Drew, Drew, Drew. While drama with Kandi carried the first part of the season, it seems drama with Drew will carry the second half. Her rivalry with ShebySheree. The issues with Marlo. Sanya always trying to be relevant. And now...the Bolo/Latoya stuff. And I've been enjoying seeing the cracks in her marriage with Tampa Ralph being exposed slooooowwwwly. And still giving us real life stuff as well. It's been nice to watch.

 

And speaking of Latoya...look who's back!!!

 

I am ready for the reunion, though I felt they taped it too soon. They should have waited for more of the Drew divorce to hit the sheet IMHO. 

I think you just hit the nail on the head re: RHOA. This is the same production team as RHOP, and the team is being very lazy and falling back on RHOP's usual tropes of gossip about a marriage, with the added twist of girl-on-girl action, reheated three years ago.

Drew's SL by rights should actually have been Porsha's last season, so they have templated it onto her.

I honestly don't think we will see the Drew-Ralph marriage fallout play out on screen. It's going to be behind closed doors. Drew is just too tightly wound about her image to let the cameras in and be authentic and vulnerable. Too bad, because Ralph, for all his faults, makes me laugh. There's just something about him, a twinkle in his eye, which lifts the heaviness of any scene.

ITA that production is a big problem for this show. Production is lazy and doing this by numbers. Whatever you think of him, on RHOA Carlos King ran a tight ship and got access and real content from the women. The cast chemistry ain't there either, but a lot of problems would be fixed by getting a better production crew in. If not CK, than the Peacock people who relaunched Miami. I mean, Alexia's second husband died of a heart attack in bed with his male lover, and we got that from her verbatim!

Kandi is doing what she can with reheated Bolo Time, but it is what it is. 

Kenya is not giving, and when she slipped in Portugal, it took the women on the bus 5 minutes to go see why she wasn't getting up. Which says it all about how beloved she is by her work colleagues.

I am really enjoying nuRHONY despite myself. But I get why @Faulkner you feel it is too slight. This last episode was not strongly anchored, while the past few epis have had sonething of a direction. Also you are right about NYC not being a central character-- yet. I have hope that the season will shift beyond complaints about heating and lingerie and Erin looking for a petty rivalry. The show thus far is a bit stronger than the early episodes of RHODubai were -- my god, if you thought nuRHONY has been slight, S1 Dubai was paper-thin! But it had a very good, but not too toxic, reunion which has nicely segued it for S2. NuRHONY better start building its foundations during this season.

This nuRHONY episode, I liked Brynn talking about growing up biracial, and Erin showing us her work. I also am thinking Jessel is starting to not be afraid of being oblivious and rude. That may not be a bad thing for the show (!), unless she goes too far and becomes toxic or deeply annoying. 

29 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

OMG!!!!

18 hours ago, j swift said:

I listened to an interview with Andy on Isaac Mizrahi's podcast where he mentioned that the Housewives put themselves on display with the expectation of getting feedback, which I am using as an excuse to post the pic of Erica Jayne from tonight's promo of WWHL looking very skinny.  Between her and Kyle, it makes me wonder if the storylines on RHoBH are going to center on all the women being h-angry all season.  Similarly, I just saw RHoNJ's The Marge on TikTok who seems to be a mere shadow of her former self.  Whoever is giving these women weight loss drugs should get their prescription pad revoked!

A couple RHs are looking shrivelled, though I tend to believe that Kyle Richard's weight loss is also due to her new work-out regime, which she's been doing with her 'new BFF,' Morgan Wade. She is getting muscles, unlike some of the other RH skinnies -- I'm looking at you, Marge, who no matter how many Ozempics she swallows and face-lifts/dental-work she has, stays looking her age. And I preferred Erika with her curves. Erika's whole shtick was the Jane Russell showgirl, after all.

Ozempic a RH fad right now, just like the dental-work and that sucked-in-cheekbones look were. I hope nobody harms themselves with this one, though.

14 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

Jessel just seems so... unlikeable to me. She is that classic Ramona of apologizing for behaviour and then immediately repeating it as if the apology did not just happen, but that's also another reason I disliked Ramona.

Brynn annoys the ever-living s**t out of me!

Jessel is unlikeable in many ways, and clearly insecure about her position in the pack. However, I agree with her about the cheapo green lingerie, which was not flattering at all. I think she will continue being unlikeable because she is insecure about showing the real Jessel on TV. I still think it will be watchable, though.

Brynn is going to annoy me soon, and the 'sexy come-on' quips could eventually end in a harassment suit, but right now I'm intrigued to know more about her. I feel like we haven't seen anything about her!

On 8/1/2023 at 4:34 AM, DRW50 said:

@Cat There's a clip here.

https://atlantablackstar.com/2020/09/29/im-done-gizelle-bryants-father-gets-caught-on-a-hot-mic-expressing-his-true-feelings-about-her-ex-husband-turned-boyfriend-jamal-bryant/

Thanks. That scene was literal TRUTH. Mr. Graves thought: 'I've protested racism, segregation and struggled for civil rights. Why should I stay quiet about this vainglorious fool?'

@DaytimeFan Thanks for the nuRHONY Erin Lichy tea. I knew there was something I couldn't warm to about her! Besides her obsessive hyper-competitiveness, LOL.

Seriously though, we know that people of different political stripes appear on the RH shows. This is America now; this is certainly my extended family now, and this is our WORLD now -- deeply polarised. The crazy thing is Erin donating FOUR TIMES to a T*ump/Giuliani Ponzi scheme. I did a Wikipedia read on WinRed and apparently it is facing a bunch of legal cases regarding the organization's 'auto-donate' function where donors kept getting 'automatically' billed again and again. So I'm pretty sure Erin will go the excuse route of 'they got my credit card details and kept billing me without my knowledge.' But my goodness, these NY/Long Island/NJ Trump supporters. They grew up watching him being interviewed on Donahue in the 80s. They will never stop loving him, because he is a Queens boy and they consider him one of them.

On 7/31/2023 at 2:59 PM, Liberty City said:

New York City was messy fun last night. I know I initially said Sai should be demoted to "friend of" for next season, but I'd keep her on full-time and demote Jessel. She is doing little-to-nothing for me.

I was going to disagree with you at first about Sai, because she keeps bringing up the age thing re: Jenna. Like, girl, you are not some spring chicken. But then Sai talked about how she grew up and, my God, another great moment. The other women like Erin and Jessel were like "How could you afford an apartment at 16?" and Sai said "It was super-cheap and I worked at Sears." Like, yeah, she didn't get an allowance from Daddy. 

I like Jessel because she is bringing the relationship drama. That much is clear.

Brynn is still such a mystery to me. Who is she married to? Is she divorced? What does she do? Did she grew up like Sai did? Maybe next episode we will have a deeper dive on Brynn.

1 hour ago, Gray Bunny said:

Ooh that looks good.  OC is doing it for me this season. 

It is doing it for me, too. It is definitely building to Everybody vs Heather. This is, essentially, Tamra's ultimate revenge envisioned. Also, Vicki poking Gina... Vicki is going to come back (near) full-time, right?

10 hours ago, DRW50 said:

I don't watch RHOP regularly (these days I don't watch much of anything regularly) but the hot mic moment with Gizelle's father a few years ago was a reality classic. I'm sorry to hear he has passed, and he was clearly a very accomplished, brave man.

It was indeed one of the best moments of RH I have ever seen. Gizelle's father had no f***s left to give when it came to Jamal and was happy to unload on a producer about it. This is his face just before they sat down for that fake scene with Jamal and Gizelle, and it never fails to crack me up.

I couldn't find the scene anywhere (sob! Did the Bryants have it scrubbed from the interwebs?), but I did find another short clip featuring Curtis Graves, the one where he showed the women around that former plantation in Louisiana. One of RHOP's best episodes ever IMO (on a par with RHOA's episode when they stopped at a school in South Africa).

Oh no! Gizelle's father, Curtis Graves, has passed away.

On 7/28/2023 at 2:59 AM, DemetriKane said:

This confirms the season is a bust for me. Looking at the seating chart and can't think of anyone standing out this season to deserve first seat! Kandi would've been my choice since she seems to have the most drama so far.

18 hours ago, Gray Bunny said:

Agreed. I looked at it and I'm like, "Oh. Okay then..." I mean, Sheree gets the first seat? But then you look at the rest (minus Kandi who excels no matter where) and it's like :::shrug::: okay sure. 

Kandi has been doing a lot to keep drama going this season, and I do not understand why she is on the Siberian end of the couch. In this most recent episode, she even resurrected the ghost of Bolo, with Drew Sidora playing the role of Porsha! Because if Porsha hadn't left,you know she'd be in the hot seat about kissing a girl and liking it, not Drew.

In hindsight, I sometimes wonder if Bolo wasn't Kandi's attempt to expose something Porsha didn't reaally want out there. Also, the irony that a beefcake of masculinity like Bolo actually led to much of the cast dallying with each other instead, lol.

Anyway, Drew is now showcased as Production's new Porsha, as per this seating chart. If I'd been doing this, I would have gone:

Kenya - Kandi - ANDY - Drew - Sheree - Marlo - Sanya. Because the divide between the OGs and the rest of the cast is notable.

4 hours ago, Taoboi said:

RHOA

 

OOPS! Reunion dresses got leaked!!!!!!!!!!

 

A mess of peacockery. 

The hair and makeup collectively looks great, but these outfits are giving me Gizelle Bryant's Closet.

Sanya is pregnant! I didn't know. Congrats to her and her fine husband.

1 hour ago, Gray Bunny said:

Well look at that… a marriage imploding and a secret lesbian lover will put you in the first seat. 

The way that I thought you were talking about Kyle for a second 

44 minutes ago, Gray Bunny said:

I listed to the podcast. I'm glad she's at a place where she can speak frankly on the subject instead of being heated or bitter. I agree with her that the first few seasons were *real*, as in the cameras followed them around in their real life, as opposed to creating storylines for themselves and performing for the cameras. Without specifically naming Kenya, she said things started to change in Season 5 when Kenya and Porsha joined and that's when people started doing things just for the show, like bringing on fake boyfriends. And since then, we've seen castmembers (she pinpoints Atlanta, but we've seen it on all of them) getting random dudes to agree to film a scene of them going out on a date just for the show. 

Also interesting that Bravo had Porsha on the chopping block after her first year, but Nene and Kandi went to bat for her and convinced Bravo to give her another year. Makes sense for Nene to feel burned when Porsha later turns on her. 

Also interesting/disappointing to hear Cynthia was pushing for Nene to get axed from the show at one point. 

Next week, they dive into the Bravo/Andy lawsuit... I'll be listening! 

I really miss Nene from RHOA, and appreciated that she talked openly and at length about a whole range of topics. She's not wrong that she built RHOA into a hit. And she has a point about Kenya bringing on the fake boyfriends and this kickstarting a trend of self-produced SL fakery across the franchise (hello, Gizelle!). I remember the rest of the Atlanta cast dragged Kenya at her first reunion for this very reason, and she never really got over it.

I don't know whether Nene will ever admit this, but while I have no doubt that Bravo wanted the highest-paid HW off the network, Nene's ego played straight into the network's hands. After The Apprentice she thought she was too big for RHOA, and her attitude was apparent. I say this as someone who loved Nene and believe she was the best RH. I still want her back! But her attitude really worsened over time.

And if Cynthia did indeed try to get Nene axed (which I am really surprised by; I don't think Cynthia would do that to Nene, though Nene did that to her on WWHL), do you think she was Bravo's willing lapdog? Maybe we will find out in Part 2.

Definitely agree with her that current Production on RHOA is a big part of the problem.