Cat

YRBB I love how you are discovering vintage RHoNY. Right now I am rewatching Seasons 1 and 2 of RHoBH. Am in the middle of Season 2, in fact. Despite all the darkness and controversy, this series still knocks the spots of most other RH franchises. It is 1000 times more compelling than what NJ and even NY are selling us (I like RHoNY this season but honestly, NJ is horrendous and if it weren't for Milania and Gia, I would have dumped this show about 5 episodes ago). Taylor! OMG, this crazy, duck-lipped woman. I alternate between feeling sorry for the abuse (alleged abuse?) she is undergoing, the poverty she undoubtedly left behind (and is fearful of revisiting again) -- and despising her lies and manipulations. The way she plays one woman against the other! First it's Camille against the other women, then it's Kim against the others, then it's Lisa against the others, now it's Camille again. This woman is getting deeper entrenched in a ball of lies, though, and one of these days, it's going to come back and bite her in the ass. Controversial and hated as she may be, Taylor needs to appear in Season 3, if only for some of the HW to confront her on WTF went on in Season 2. Lisa, as usual, is the awesomeness. As is Brandi. And Kyle, I go back and forth on. Sometimes I love her. Sometimes I hate her.

Probably because they are not (happy, that is -- I'm assuming they are legally hitched). Lawd, that purple pants gummy picture. I could look at it forever.

This should have been an 8-10 episode season getting straight to the catfights and nitty-gritty. I mean, they spent TWO whole episodes fighting about going to London before actually going to London. We didn't need to see two episodes of Ramona Does Miami and Sonja getting chased by Mr. Perma-boner. It's been 10 episodes thus far -- we should be at epi 4 or 5 by now and LuAnn cheating on Jacques with the Johnny Depp lookalike. THAT'S the dirt I want to see. Speaking of LuAnn, LuAnn's mom says she can't have babies because she got her tubes tied after the birth of her son. LOL. I wish the show was taking off though because it really burns seeing that horrid Jill Zarin triumphantly screeching about how the show is a disaster without her in it.

Heather on NY is fast becoming an enjoyable addition -- in small doses. Sonja was the heart of Monday's episide, though. Her advice to LuAnn about having a baby and miscarrying her own child was very heartfelt and smart. And I was stunned when Ramona pulled her head from her own ass and actually made some very astute observations about Sonja's joie de vivre being a cover for her own loneliness.

Adrienne on BH didn't miss Reunion, she chose not to go to the final wrap party. Reunion has yet to be filmed. I think they do that when episodes of the season in question start being broadcast.

Missing the Reunion show once is one thing. But twice in a row just looks careless. She's happy to get a paycheck from Bravo but not show up for legally contracted shows like these? Jacqueline needs to learn how to handle conflict. That said, bith RHoNY and NJ are deathly boring right now. NY has the edge because of one thing, and that is Sonja leaping up and scrambling across the day bed when Aviva's father pushed his erection against her back. I have never seen Sonja move so fast! LuAnn and Heather are seriously superfluous. Ramona is working my last nerve. Remember the days when Jill used to talk about "Ramona Singer" as this NY society maven? LOL.

I'm not surprised to see that Adrienne and Paul on RHoBH are separating/divorcing, but I will be sorry to see him go. Dr. Paul, along with Chris Laurita, Dr. Dubrow and Ken, is one of my fave househusbands. (LOL, I even like Bobby Zarin).

I fell upon the first ever episode of RHoBH yesterday and it was cool watching it again. Lisa was so fab, Adrienne was actually cool, as was Kyle. And Camille was such a bitch diva! Oh Camille. I remember watching this for the first time and getting truly excited about its glamourous possibilities. Also: Kyle's hair is a natural wonder.

Re: Santa Barbara actors, don't forget that Antonio and Ricardo's (Thickardo! As they called him in the UK) mom Carmen was played by a SB veteran. LOVED this show and its appeal has not dimmed to this day. Aaron Spelling was a producing genius. And a lot of the actors (Adrienne Frantz and Randy Spelling aside) were excellent and completely underrated. I'm thinking primarily of Clive Robertson, Sam Behrens, Lesley-Ann Down, Kathleen Noone, Dominique Jennings and particularly the fantabulous Sarah Buxton and Priscilla Garita. IA. You could tell that they had writers who didn't have the time or the will to go back and check up on recent SuBe history. Because, damn, Antonio and Gabi were incendiary. I also think the show should have tried out Annie and Ben some more because SB and CR had a very natural chemistry, too. LOL, I know I am alone in that opinion.

Chris Manzo, Albie and Greg are all looking a little worse-for-wear TBH.

You never liked Bethenny? ...because it took me a whole season to retune my ear to her nasal braying! I did warm to her in Season 3 when Jill turned on her and tried to turn everybody against her. It's so funny to me when people say Carole on S5 fills the Bethenny void because I don't get that vibe from her at all. Carole is cool as a cucumber and laid-back, whereas Bethenny wore her anxieties on her sleeve. Speaking of warming to people, I warmed to Aviva and Reid in last night's episode. And how about that teaser trailer at the end of the show for the rest of the season?! OMG! LuAnn cheats on Jahhhhhcques with a Captain Jack Sparrow impersonator! And tries to hide it from the show! And new BFFs Ramona and Aviva fall out?

LOL, cross-pollination! à la the AMC/OLTL baby switch.

It is getting increasingly hard to like anybody on RHoNJ, and Bravo better watch out because Season 3 (or was it 4?) of RHoNY was the same way and Andy Cohen had to get rid of 75% of the cast. What can we say about Teresa and Sloppy Joe that hasn't already been said? These two can never be happy or supportive of others. They live in a perpetual fantasy in which they are acting-acting-acting in front of the public. When a good 100 people show up to your book signing, it's hard not to believe your own hype and get high off the adulation. Caroline's VT about how Teresa's quest for fame and money broke her husband and how a well-spun split is only a matter of time, a split which will undoubtedly reboot the Teresa narrative and keep her viable for the tabloids, was right on the money. But dissing the Skinnygirl brand, Teresa? Now, I don't know what SG margaritas taste like and I don't have particularly strong feelings about Bethenny Frankel either way, but Andy *LOVES* her. More than any other HW, Bethenny is his BFF. He likely has a stake in her brand, and he prob is not appreciative of Teresa poopooing a Bravo-related franchise. Meanwhile, I can't really warm to Kathy and Richie -- I used to think Richie was hilarious, but the way these two bitch about Teresa and Joe is wearying. Move on, people, move on with your life. They aren't worth it. It all belies Kathy's "hopes" and "wishes" of reconciliation with her cousin. Basically, it was done to create story for Kathy because Rosie "coming out" wasn't gelling. Her pastries really do look delicious, though, and I truly hope she launches a business from all this. Poor Chris Laurita, holding his head in his hands as Juicy, Joey and Richie sling random recriminations at each other pretty much summed up how I feel. This feud may not be done for them, but it is for me.

I remember watching the first ever RHoOC episode... I think Jeana was the first HW featured and her segment felt longer and more in-depth than the others (including Lauri, Jo, Vicki et al). Maybe because she was so direct and no-BS in presenting her life, the good and the bad. It was clear from that first episode that Jeana was the matriarch/tentpole of the show and that other HWs looked to her for friendship or somebody against whom to measure themselves. I'm glad she left on her own terms but I still wish she would return for next season.

Hot... and likely gay. Adrienne is either completely stupid pissing off Bravo and her RH co-stars like that -- or super smart keeping herself viable à la Teresa Giudice. Either way, she's been on my [!@#$%^&*] list since she threw Lisa under the bus at Reunion. IA. In fact, I think Briana is so great, they should add her as a housewife or at least guest housewife to the cast. And if they could get Jeana (and even Kara) back, I would be insane with joy.

I gave up RHoA halfway through this most recent season so... yeah. RHoNJ needs a major revamp. I think Caroline, Jacqueline and Kathy will be the ones to get cut.

LOL I can't deny that I love watching Gia and Milania (and Gabriella who finally spoke!) even though I hate Teresa. I can't warm to the Manzo kids but I love Chris L. Divided loyalties, jp!

Things I learned from Sunday's infomercial for BLK water/Brownstone sauce/"Rock Star"/Richie's Wife's Cookies: -Joey Gorga has a major foot fetish -Gia dances like she is going to physically assault somebody -Milania is amazing. Witness her outing daddy sleeping in a separate bedroom -Chris Laurita is still hot as SIN to me. Questions: How cares about the Manzo kids throwing up and Greg? Why on earth were Melissa's sisters crying at Beatstock?! Was Juicy Joe channeling David Gest at Beatstock?

I did feel a teensy bit sorry for Alexis because they went all out for her at the Reunion. Then I remembered that she put all this mess upon herself with her brainless boasting, so...

Good lord. Probably. This budget trampoline park for kids sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen. Perhaps Alexis is using her boffo lips and boobs as bouncy inflatables.

Ah yes the rhinoplasty which confined her to bed for WEEKS. Because it was so DANGEROUS and a MEDICAL EMERGENCY. She couldn't BREATHE without it. I had forgotten about the trampoline park. Six Flags are shaking in their boots, y'all.

RHoNY: London Baby! My (current) hometown! So perhaps you guys might have found the episode boring, but I was all "OMG! The Mayfair hotel! I walk past it on my way to work!" The Mayfair is where the RH had their insane penthouse suite. Carole continues to be a whirlwind of quiet fabulousness, whether it is showing everyone her former home in London (in Notting Hill, how trendy!) or refusing to stand up and talk about "what Yummie Tummie means" to her. This chick is zero bullshit and I love that. I love even more how much she is showing up LuAnn, and LuAnn is going to work her last nerve very soon. LuAnn is working overtime to try and fit in with this new set, but Ramona is starting to stick out like a sore thumb as the blousy, loud, less sophistiqué housewife. She is turning it to her advantage for now, but I LOL at her having a coughing fit in the middle of Aviva inviting her down to Miami. BTW, Aviva's prosthetic leg truly is a work of art.

This MUST be Alexis. I'm assuming Heather is here to stay, Gretchen has handbags to sell (plus Slave would have zero comedic/radio "career" if she wasn't on the show), Tamra is a RHoOCer for life and Vicki has to keep Brooks in the style in which he has become accustomed. So Jim put his foot down, huh? What a blowfish-faced idiot. RH money was probably the last steady income stream the Bellinos had coming in.

Oh, totally the kids! They are so much more entertaining. I also think Kathy's son is hilarious. It is sad about Lauren -- I was like that about 5 years ago. I didn't even realize that everything coming out of my mouth consisted of putting myself down while at the same time projecting that self-hatred onto others. It has been a real retraining exercise for me to actually listen to what I was saying, ask myself why I was so negative, and fix the underlying issues. I feel a lot happier and more positive now, and I only hope that for Lauren, these are twentysomething growing pains and that she will gain more confidence in herself. Maybe watching the show will be that A-Ha Moment for her where she goes "What am I saying? Why am I so down on myself?" Joey & Chris L were hilarious. And deeply hot! BTW, what is OTP?

Have felt for a while I would much rather watch the kids -- especially Milania who sends her father running in fear, and Gia's search for fame and talent -- then some of the grown-up antics on this show. Lauren Manzo has such a negative attitude. Whining and pissing and moaning and calling her brothers girlfriends whores. I hope in watching the episode, she will realize how immature she is. Joe Gorga putting his hand on Chris Laurita's lap and Chris moving it to his groin was