I HAVE TO SAY…

Podcast Episode #5! To listen to the full episode, click here, otherwise, happy reading!

Below is an abridged version of the episode.

Welcome

Today, I have to say…I love reality tv! 

I love watching it, I love talking about it, I love analyzing it and analyzing people’s reactions to it and if that’s wrong, then I don’t want to be right. 

I watch a little bit of everything. I enjoy the dating shows, like Love is Blind. Well, not gonna lie, Love is Blind is losing me and has been for a while. I didn’t even finish watching last season, but I might tune in on February 11th. We’ll see.

But, I enjoy the dating shows, like Are You The One, which I’d love for Paramount to bring back, Singles Inferno on Netflix, Love Island, occasionally. 

I enjoy competition shows, whether it’s food based like Top Chef, Wild Card Kitchen, and Pressure Cooker or a social strategy game like The Circle, The Traitors, The Mole, The Challenge, and Big Brother.

I watch and usually enjoy most of the shows on Bravo.

 For whatever reason, I still tune in to Jersey Shore, Family Vacation. 

I don’t know, I just enjoy reality tv in its different forms and every few weeks, I’ll be doing a Reality TV Chat where I’ll yap about the shows I’ve tuned into. This is NOT a recap. More like an overview and discussion. 

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City has just completed its sixth season, finishing off with a three-part reunion.

Though I can see why this one is a fan favorite, I…don’t feel the same way anymore.

I think Bronwyn, Angie, and even Britani at times, have been great additions to the cast and keeping Mary was a great decision.

One thing I actually like about this season is that most of the ladies on the show are relatively open about what they go through with their families. Bronwyn sharing her situation with her parents and having a daughter young has been refreshing in the same way that Mary showing her parenting through addiction has been.

Whitney being honest about having a business that failed and, from what it seems like, falling for a scam was real.

Lisa and Todd arguing on camera, Britani showing her strained relationship with her daughters and her lowkey toxic relationship with that man, and even seeing how Bronwyn’s relationship has tumbled into a separation is human. 

I love it when housewives show parts of their real lives aside from the drama they have with each other, no matter how messy or emotional it is, because they are human experiences and it really can help people feel seen or look at their relationships with people in their own lives.

But outside of everyone being vulnerable, I’ve lowkey lost interest.

I just think I’m growing tired of the cast dynamics and I think they need to either get rid of a few of the OGs, or have them switch up the role they play in the group. I don’t buy Heather as the mediator or as the anchor they are trying to make her out to be. Even as someone who doesn’t like Lisa or Meredith, I don’t like the constant ganging up on them. And one of the biggest plot lines of the season happened off camera, which is ridiculous.

Every time they get together, it feels like they’re fighting, and when they aren’t they are finding ways to roast each other. I mean they had someone put on a play for them while they were in Greece to display how the group views each other, and none of the feedback, that was shown at least, was positive. Like saying Heather, “laughs because crying would make her real,” didn’t feel like a playful jab. 

Salt Lake feels the most produced to me out of all the housewives. They’re always playing these games or doing these events that lead to them tearing each other down in some way, and it may be the nature of housewives, but when I look back at the season, I don’t remember moments of them genuinely connecting, getting along, or having fun together, outside of the occasional support in difficult moments. 

The heaviness of the show is rarely offset by anything light, which is probably why Britani cracks me up, because she is an unserious person and her lightheartedness and inability to read the room is the only thing that brings levity to the show.

I believe for a fact that Meredith and Lisa said some ridiculous and hurtful things to Britani and I do think it’s as damning as they’re making it out to be, but I also think it’s ridiculous that so much time has been spent on this when it happened off camera. I can only care for so long about something that we didn’t get to see. And I wouldn’t be surprised if that is why it happened that way, because Meredith and Lisa wouldn’t act as they’re describing on camera.

The Real Housewives of Potomac

The Real Housewives of Potomac has a similar issue of people acting one way on camera and another way off camera. And I guess it doesn’t have to be a big deal, because we all know “reality” tv isn’t always a true reflection of “reality,” but it is interesting who is allowed to return season after season even though they don’t share big parts of their lives. It’s not just one housewife from one franchise either. They’re all paid to be open and be messy, and while I don’t think they have to share everything, they should be sharing something.

It’s why I think this season Ashley has been annoying to watch. Before, I thought  she was needed on the show to have someone there who is willing to be messy. And maybe it was true then, but this season I was tired of her constant digs at Stacey. It was off-putting to see her conversation with Josh about their relationship. Then she brings in a family member to talk about their strained relationship with, if I remember correctly, it was Ashley’s mother’s boyfriend and the person she brought in was the boyfriend’s daughter. And THEN, she brings up how she kissed, maybe more, Charisse’s son?? And then flirts with Mauricio on camera.

I think Ashley is genuinely this chaotic in real life, but I also think she threw a bunch of things together to create a storyline out of thin air because she doesn’t really have one. I mean I get Mauricio, honestly, but it’s bold and messy as hell.

But Charisse’s son?

 It’s weird and I don’t get how she doesn’t understand it’s weird and I don’t get how Charisse went on a campaign to clean this up but only because people called her out for not thinking it was weird that she was using her son as a way to be on camera for a few minutes. 

But anyway, now that the season is over, I can say that I mostly like the cast and have actually enjoyed the season and I am excited to see what the reunion will bring.

I’m happy to see Monique back on television and her growth is apparent. I think K was tired of the boring allegations and turned it up this season, but for me it fell a little flat and forced. She was fighting Monique’s fight about Monique’s ex-husband, Chris, and I didn’t like that. And while we’re talking about Chris, I get that Stacey’s alleged situation with him is part of the excuse they used to bring Monique back, but we could’ve dropped it after an episode or two. Stacey talking or hooking up with Chris is not that interesting of a storyline and it’s not like Stacey knew Monique before this, so who cares?

Maybe I’m biased because I love Stacey, and I don’t know why they’re all giving her a hard time. Maybe she withholds information and doesn’t tell the whole truth, but I think the way she goes about it is amusing and it feels like she does certain things on purpose to push people’s buttons. Stacey is quick witted, funny, she knows how to get a reaction out of people, and she’s unserious, but intentionally and strategically so.

I love that they kept Stacey and think she can go far in this franchise.

Angel though…I don’t know if she was prepared for what these ladies would throw at her. They have been rough with her though and she doesn’t deserve how hard they’re going in on her. They talked about her body, her finances, and her marriage, knowing she’s still breastfeeding? It was mean, let’s call a spade a spade. They’re being mean. They tried it with Stacey and Stacey wasn’t having it, so they’re now trying it with Angel. I wonder if Tina will get it next season. 

It felt like all season the ladies were wacking Angel and then they proceeded to continue kicking her while she was down. I don’t blame her for being uncomfortable in the group and I won’t be surprised if she doesn’t come back. She has the lifestyle to be a housewife, but I don’t think she has the temperament. 

Wendy was interesting this season, giving great facial expressions that reflected what I was thinking. I think she found her groove this season, though there were times I side eyeing her, it’s unfortunate the fraud allegations and charges that have come out against her and Eddie.

Sunday night was actually the season finale before the reunion for Potomac and this episode was all about Karen. We see her come home from jail and meet with her family and she has a sit down one on one interview with Andy.

What stood out to me was 1) she said she doesn’t know if she should be allowed to come back to Potomac because there hasn’t been time for her actions to match what she is saying. I don’t know if I believe she believes that one hundred percent , but I do think there are other franchises where people with DUI and other offenses have been brought back, so because of that precedent, I don’t understand why Karen wouldn’t be able to since no one got hurt. Of course, she could be the person they choose to start changing this trend, but I don’t see why they would.

And 2) it felt a lot like Karen was prepping us for her and Ray splitting and I won’t be surprised if she comes on next season and we see her talking about her issues with Ray and bringing up the idea of divorce or separation. 

Regardless, I wish her the best. But if she wants to come back to Potomac, I’d love to see her, but I also understand if she needs to take time away too.

Vanderpump Rules

The casting of Vanderpump Rules pleasantly surprised me. We’re eight episodes in and the first few episodes hooked me. 

I think the shake up was needed because the old cast was growing apart and growing out of each other and the show honestly, but it is still wild that they kept it as a “Vanderpump Rules” title and added it as a Season 12 instead of making it a spinoff.

It’s disrespectful to the old cast, who made the show what it was, and it’s doing a disservice to the new cast who now has to live up to the brand and will constantly be compared to the old cast. And to be honest…

I miss the old cast, not gonna lie! It’s no fault to the current cast. The storylines have been interesting for the most part, but the newness of it all has worn off for me and because it’s titled “Vanderpump Rules,” I’m just missing what once was.

This current iteration of Vanderpump Rules is similar to “Southern Hospitality” which also airs on Bravo, and I say that in a good way, because I love that show. So once I get past the fact the cast is different, and I try to look at this season of Vanderpump as a standalone instead of a continuation of the previous series, I do enjoy it and what the cast has brought so far.

Natalie is entertaining, Venus is my favorite, and Audrey seems relatively down to earth. In these eight episodes we’ve gotten relationship drama between Kim and Marcus, which, that relationship gives me whiplash so I can only imagine what it’s like for the  people who see them day after day. 

Venus feels like the voice of reason on the show to me. He’s not afraid to speak his mind, at least from what I’ve seen. Even on Watch What Happens Live, when he’s being shady, he still has a somewhat levelheaded approach to what he says.

This season it feels like Angelica is just doing things for the plot. She knows what the producers want, or at least listens to the one in her ear, and the way she is coming across to me is forced. I get where Chris is coming from when he says that she is fake.  I don’t buy that she’s as messy as she is on the show in her real life.

Also the penis pump storyline doesn’t need to go on or be such a running joke episode after episode because what am I supposed to do with this information as a viewer?

I will be finishing off the season because I am entertained, but I do think Bravo made a mistake by not making this spinoff. I know this is Lisa’s show in title, but I wish they were honest about why the show was successful.

Canada Shore

But my favorite “lifestyle” type of reality tv show right now is Canada Shore on Paramount Plus. There are three episodes out right now and I’m obsessed with this show and the cast and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

It’s the perfect mix of fun, drama, and unseriousness. The cast likes to party and for whatever reason people are catching feelings quickly with the other people inside the house.

Like the first and second episode includes a love triangle, that’s not really a triangle, because one of those feelings is one sided.

We even get involvement from one of the Jersey Shore OGs, which makes it feel like a real spinoff, and not just an unrelated revival. 

I’ve been rewatching the episodes in between waiting for the next and that’s how I know I’m really enjoying it. I want to see how it all plays out before I comment too much on it and the people in the show because it did just start, but I will be revisiting in the next reality tv chat.

Other shows

Other reality tv shows I’m currently watching include Married to Medicine, but I don’t have much to say about that one, at least yet. 

I’m also watching Singles Inferno on Netflix. It’s a dating show set in South Korea. There are commentators for the show, who make it even more entertaining. It’s probably my favorite dating show and I like that the show is slower paced, because it focuses on the genuine connection between the contestants, and it highlights intimacy, and banter, and the small moments of connection that the singles experience someone they want to leave the island with. There’s also no pressure.

A different vibe than what I’ve been talking about , but I’m watching Wild Card Kitchen on the Food Network. It’s a mix of cooking and poker and celebrity chefs on the Food Network channel come and compete with each other with the hottest chef known to man is hosting it and I just love it. 10/10.

I’ve also been watching The Traitors on Peacock, and I have a lot to say about it. It was gonna be included in this episode but this episode is already getting long and I have a lot to say about the Traitors so I will be talking about it next week. It’s going to be getting its own episode and I want to talk about it how people are responding to it online more  in more depth. 

So yeah, look out for that next week.