Cat

@NothinButAttitude @carolinegLOL they really shouldn't keep using LVP as their whipping-boy, 3 years after her departure. Not when she might have receipts which are extremely easy to prove.

It really is. And Naomi succumbing to the lie in her head that she was somehow worthless and/or alone in this world. This is actually something a lot of people, not just those struggling with depression, can relate to. We've all felt this way to differing extents.

It really is. I'm so sorry she lost her battle with depression. Ashley Judd is quoted: "That is the level of catastrophe of what was going on inside of her. Because the barrier between the regard in which they held her couldn't penetrate into her heart and the lie the disease told her was so convincing." That's a pretty accurate representation of the impact of depression on self-esteem.

Yeah, I saw a pic where Dorit (of all people) looked like she had a pregnancy pooch. If Teddi sees that, she's going to make her join her weight loss program!

I mean, the Alexia-Todd-Peter scene was spine-tingling. It was about time someone told Peter that he could no longer behave like a child. Because that is what he is. And this moment stuck in my mind for ages: You hit the nail on the head regarding Julia. Her charm grows on you from episode to episode. I heard about The Rumor re: Lisa & Lenny. Sadly, I don't know who else it could be but them. 😥 The BH Taglines. Dorit's is great! and I admit Rinna's ain't bad. But Erika's tag can go suck eggs. Diana's is from Real Housewife Taglines 101. And SHAME on Bravo for not finagling "I grew up in Beverly Hills, in this town, where I grew up and currently live" into Kyle's tagline. These cast pictures are horrific BTW. I have never seen Garcelle, Sutton, Crystal, Rinna and Erika look this bad, EVER! What is going on with Bravo's marketing department recently? Did they fire everybody? First the eff up Atlanta's cast photo and give it no promo. Plus it took them 3 days to upload the opening episode of RHOA on the streaming sites. Then they mess up BH's launch, and don't even release the taglines properly.

Sneak Peek RHOBH episode. Erika hasn't changed.

Wait.... Gina demoted but not Emily or Dr. Jen? A returning HW that isn't Tamra? WTF? Just give her an orange already! They keep bending over backwards not to hire Tammy Sue or Vicki. This former cast member better not be Megan, Braunwyn or Kelly Dodd. ETA: Apparently its Gretchen?! Even more reason to bring Tamra back. Bravo need to stop teasing the audience with these halfway-house hires, and start giving the show what it needs. Glad Heather, Shannon and Noella look like they are still around. (Sorry @Soaplovers I'm not ranting at you, just at the rumors. BTW Gina denied she was being demoted on her social media. Hmmm).

RHOA opening episode S14: Really enjoyed the opener. I've felt disconnected to the RHOA women for a few seasons, feeling that the production team at that time were focused on surface and scripted shenanigans, and weren't going in deep. Well, this first episode just let them be and let them express themselves and was all the better for it. Sheree showing up at Kenya's dance practice (Kenya looking good with the moves btw) to surprise the other women was a great unscripted moment, as was her talking about Tyrone "it was quick" LOL. There is a longtime comfort level there. Marlo is clearly the self-appointed pot-stirrer and came out of the gate running. Sanya looks like a good new addition who reminds me a little of Lisa Wu and her early-seasons family dynamics. RHOMelbourne S5: Only 10 episodes, and no reunion with my favorite grumpy teddy bear/fashion designer, Alex Perry? I imagine lockdowns and lower ratings conspired to make that happen. Nevertheless, as I said to Antoyne upthread, I personally loved the season. It never flagged. Petty dramas as the cast split into Team OGs vs Team Newbies. Nothing horribly toxic. Covid barely reared its ugly head -- the producers worked hard and FAST to keep the show appearing like it always has. First of all, Anjali. I didn't like her from get, and I was vindicated. This condescending, self-obsessed, deluded snob. She clearly felt above the cast because she'd been a CNN reporter. This b!tch was acting like she was the Christiane Amanpour of CNN's Far East. Gamble let slip that it had been 10 YEARS since Anjali had been let go 👀 from CNN!! And hadn't worked since. Oh, the delusion. And she bolted early from the show because she didn't want to be called out on how bitchily she treated Simone and Gamble at dinner. Fool screwed up her TV comeback. And Kyla in all this? The season's spot-stirring, strategic chess-playing villainess. She doesn't just share a name with Kyle Richards -- she actually looks like her, with long, witchy dark hair and a Dynasty-lite wardrobe. (She also said she was 39 when she easily looked a good few years older). She tried to bring down the Queen, Janet, who played it perfectly all season. She knew blast from the past Kyla was on to take her down, so she bided her tine until Kyla revealed her hand -- and then it was on! Janet demolished her. Cherry, Kyla's wingman, was the true sniper from the side. The self-proclaimed yoga-loving peacemaker, Cherry was actually just as villainous as Kyla, only more cowardly. Glad she was exposed too. I loved Simone, the Greek Chorus, who quite quickly realised (strategised?) that her place was with the OGs. An upbeat, smart presence. Gamble, Janet and Jackie were all in great form. Honestly, I wouldn't mind Kyla, Cherry and Simone back again next season. But Foxtel tends to hire and fire pretty quickly.

Well, well. Isn't this an interesting take -- the polar opposite of the narrative we've been getting the past +5 years. 'KC is so mean! She made Sarah cry. She didn't want to do the third movie -- so selfish thinking only of herself! Oh well, none of us on set liked her anyway!" What's that you say, Darren Star and Candace Bushell? A kind person? Good works for the actors' benevolent fund? Admired both as a person and an actress? Color me shocked. Full disclosure: I've been a fan of Cattrall's since SATC and beyond. The Variety article talks about her speaking voice being a touch Old Hollywood, and it kind of hits on why I like her so much as an actress. She has that Old H charisma. I had the good fortune to see her on stage in Noel Coward's Private Lives (opposite Matthew McFadyen) a decade ago. She played a flighty, charming, Noel-Coward feminine archetype, but she played her with such understanding, layers and a soft comedic touch. I was impressed. This could easily have been a Samanthaesque role but she made it someone else. I've enjoyed her choice of different roles ever since, and her embrace of being a mature, experienced woman, comfortable in her skin. I thought her Variety interview was thoughtful and elegantly put. She was asked questions about SATC (by a journalist who is also clearly a SATC aficionado) which she handled openly but diplomatically, without tearing anyone down per se. She feels a certain sense of ownership over the character of Samantha, and that is understandable. I'm beyond glad we were spared the 'hilarity' of Samantha viewing Brady's dick pics.

Chyka pops in as a FOH in seasons 4 and 5. She, Jackie and Janet remain close friends. I felt that way about S5 for some months. Couldnt bring myself to watch. I tried ep1 and abandoned it after 10 mins. Then I sat down and watched S5 last week. I was finally ready to watch it. And, completely to my surprise, I really, really enjoyed it. I even lowkey stopped missing Gina and Lydia. And I didn't expect that at all -- I was ready to hate it and dump it again. Clearly it is a transitional season, and none of the newbies are Gina's calibre. Her place is safe should she ever choose to return! But... it was a short, 10 episode romp, rather entertaining, with good guys, bitchy villains and gorgeous Australian backdrops. Try it when you're ready to.

Potomac tea! Amid all the ATL/NJ/BH drama, RHOP wants you to know that she is still That Girl: Heheh these rumors about Gizelle and Peter

Given that Burton was living in LA half the time to film GH (until somewhat recently), I imagine he and his wife were at the very least, drifting apart. If not living apart and going through a separation. But the way SB laid it all in some kind of (sequential?) order on Insta, it sounds like they just found out she was pregnant and it's not his and that's why they are separating. Juicy soapiness far exceeding soaps' current output! I love how Soap Twitter is meme-ing the hell out of this. This one is literally *chef's kiss* :

Great interview! I absolutely love her.

Agreed. I thought that we would get Tamra and Brandi in a drunken headlock, Dorinda peeing in Jill Zarin's Nice n Easy in Warm Auburn, and Vicki coming back from hospital in a full-body cast! But it seems calmer than that, and for that, I am grateful. Looking forward to seeing Dorinda being the hostess with the mostess. And Blue Stone Manor's renovation!

Thanks! So this is basically the Vicki & Tamra Show with some notable assists from Dorinda and Brandi. Fine. I'm still watching this trainwreck!

RHONJ reckoning reunion: Some people may feel, as Joe & Melissa do at this reunion, that every time Teresa brings up how they first came on the show, it's like-- move on, that's so long ago, we've already dealt with it. But the point is, Teresa has not dealt with it, and neither has the show. The famb'ly swept it under the rug when Teresa got sentenced. It suited all three of them to look like they 'made amends' (and blame Joe Giudice). Meanwhile, Joe & Melissa's standalone SLs were flopping hard so they would go back to the well marked 'famb'ly conflict with Teresa' for a little two-episode arc per season. Every time Melissa brings up how Teresa never has her back, or hasn't made her a bridesmaid, I truly marvel at how it has not occurred to the Gorga Brain Trust why. Answer: it's because the trust was shattered when the Gorgas got on the show to 'bring Teresa down.' It always struck me how entitled Kathy and Melissa came across in S3. They felt entitled to appear on the show, entitled to fame and fortune, all because they were related to Teresa. But Teresa didn't want them on there. They might cramp her style and reveal some things. Melissa certainly tried every which angle to get on the show, including reaching out to Teresa's then-nemesis, Danielle Staub. So I honestly don't know why now she feels entitled to Teresa's love and trust. What happens to people who love and trust the Gorgas? Teresa need only reach out to Kathy Wakile or Danielle Staub. Both were thrown under the bus by them when they had outlived their usefulness (Marge and Jackie, take note). And speaking of Marge and Jackie, not much of them this episode, but Marge is clearly FUMING at Teresa's existence. Teresa is fuming too. Maybe she heard rumors that Bravo wants to spin RHONJ in other directions, so she gave the network a reminder of who really drives the story? She came ready to play. I have never seen Teresa this focused and calmly furious before. And Andy seems particularly attuned to Teresa, to the detriment of the other women. Jackie laughing at Jen about her sensitivity about Bill's affair. Girl, worry about where Evan is doing his push-ups! Dolores and Jen are OVER. I'm lowkey sad about it.

@Ponds Thank you for posting that. I know it must have been very hard. 😥 @DRW50 posted that link showing "next, Brown v Board" and my stomach flipped upside down. 'Fascism in its legal phase' was how I saw it characterized somewhere a few months back. Codifying the pecking order where *some people* have more rights than others -- and over others. At this point a semi-automatic will have more rights than a black, gay, and/or female body. What a rotted, rubberstamp 'institution' the SC now is. I am furious (at myself mostly, and scared) that we took our eye off the ball and didn't try to think outside the box how we could possibly counter this clearly-telegraphed assault on our constitutional rights.

My streaming service is delayed in uploading RHOA. Ugh I cannot stand the wait! In the meantime... RHONJ reunion sneak peek.

This was the episode where I sat up and thought, OK, Miami isn't playing. We are going to have some serious interpersonal drama here. And Martina putting Adriana in her place was just that moment. Suddenly we have a triangle. Suddenly everyone is aware that there is a flirtation between Julia and Adriana. And Guerdy brought it up as payback for the way Adriana treated her when she and Julia had an unexpected bonding moment. When I knew Guerdy AND Martina Freaking Navratilova were both prepared to get messy, that's when I started to pay attention! And I got nothing but nice to say about Baby Lucy Cohen. If she's anywhere near as cute as Ben, she is going to be adorable. Aww that first episode was so good! Wait til you see more of Andrea, though. The phrase 'Give them enough rope with which to hang themselves' comes to mind! I couldn't believe some of the stuff coming out of her mouth. And yes Chyka's Bruce is foine as [!@#$%^&*]. I love how enthusiastic and positive she is-- they both seem to love what they do. I am watching Season 5 right now and the stunning locations and cinematography are still top-tier. Like seriously, Melbourne is a step above the average RH show. Not that I mind not seeing that on other shows. Potomac, for example, keeps it real and adresses financial precariousness, it doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. It doesn't have to TRY to be entertaining, either. And I appreciate it all the more because of that -- it is one of, if not my favorite, franchise for a reason. Nevertheless, watching some glamorous international locales always adds an element of excitement. And that reminds me.... Dubai will be coming soon. I think the wealth on that show is going to blow most of the other franchises out of the water. Oil/property development wealth is another level.

It also seems to be signalling that the banter between Kenya and Sheree is going to be fun and light-hearted this season!

LOL what is this hunny?

Atlanta taglines!

It shows because everybody looks spectacular! I cannot get over Kenya and her white tux. Still, WTF Bravo not doing a promo for its highest-rated RH franchise? Especially a season where at least 2 cast members left and 3 were added. Is BH getting a new promo? Those HWs always seem like they are filming new openings, promos and VTs. Speaking of BH, Teddi's podcast has reunited the bulk of The Coven -- Rinna, Erika and Kyle. I'm going to hate-listen to see if any tea is spilled. Bracing myself for Terri inserting herself into drama in which she had no involvement and saying "YOU GUYS" every 10 seconds.

As a voter in the US also,what strikes me about France vs the UK vs the US is that all 3 countries are dealing with similar problems (post-industrialisation, etc) -- and have similar, entrenched far-right (and sometimes extreme left) political forces. With US/UK, the centre-right parties responded by going further right and courting those far-right votes (Brexit with the UK Tories, Trump and the Reps). They felt if they didn't, another party or movement would render them obsolete. In France, what Macron did was to wipe out both the centre-left Socialist party and centre-right Gaullists in one blow -- by occupying the centre, point-blank. With policies coming a little bit from the left, a little from the right. This works fine for someone like me who likes balance in politics and doesn't like extremes. But by recouping the moderates, this left a void on either ends which were filled by the hard-left and hard-right. And it bred a hatred of moderation in general. In a democracy, do you acknowledge that extremism exists? That it has a political right to express itself? Do you make room for radical viewpoints? Do you absorb them into your own, initially moderate party, and shift more hard-right or hard-left? The established centre is viewed as having failed people since 9/11 and all the crises thereafter, right up until today. It's hard and complicated, and I don't have an answer to this. With the US, I fear the coming of an ideological fascism which does away with democracy and implements law which will codify once and for all a hierarchy based on race, gender, religion, wealth. And on that cheery note (!)... IMO, Melenchon loves to be praised and feted. He also loves the idea of being kingmaker, with his portion of the votes a swayable force. That means he can dictate some policy without the responsibility of administering it -- or getting backlash for it. Melenchon's party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) has resonated with a lot of young people and poor immigrant communities stuck in public housing estates isolated from everyone. It speaks to their feelings of being disenfranchised, despised (especially if they are Muslim) and forgotten. For that, I tip my hat to the young organisers of La France Insoumise, who went all over the place to talk to members of their own communities in large part, hear their concerns and formulate policies to meet those concerns. Melenchon has been able to take that vital feedback and promise fairness and justice, a level playing field, better public welfare handouts, improved living conditions, etc. He points to these campaign promises as proof that he is the Nice Guy and that his party is the Nice Party. Who wouldn't want to vote for all these things? However, there is always the issue of How Do Make These Things Happen in a democracy? And How Do You Pay For This? The fact is, many working people are crumbling under the weight of an already-significant tax burden -- an issue the gilets jaunes movement raised in 2019 and 2020. So who pays? Can workers and small business owners afford to give up much more of their incomes? This is preventing people from saving for the future or investing in their businesses. And breeding resentment of those who pay less tax or 'choose not to work' by claiming welfare. Melenchon would no doubt raise taxes, he says, on the rich. The problem is, what is his definition of 'rich'? Back in 2017, Melenchon pledged to tax 100% of salaries of E+400K (roughly US$400K too). Most French people don't make this level anyway, but it would effectively cap all wage rises at this amount. Also a 100% tax on salary? Is not feasible in the real world. Consequently, I feel Melenchon works in the sweet spot where he can call for more to be done without actually having to enact his promises himself. Moreover, until very recently, Melenchon was an admirer of Putin, and liked to dabble in dog-whistle anti-semitic conspiracy theories. He also believes in an all-powerful state to the obliteration of anything else. Personally, I don't believe in a one-party state controlling all the economic levers. It breeds egregious corruption, for one thing. So, I cannot vote for him. Sorry for writing such a long-winded post!

All the women look STUNning! Kandi! Kenya!! I'm getting excited about the new season. Photoshop did Sheree dirty, though, by literally cutting her off at the ankles.