Jezebel
"[I]t couldn't have been a more ideal laboratory for psychologists in the burgeoning field of social-aggression research." That's this week's New York magazine on Bravo's Real Housewives of New York City, in a short feature titled "Is The Nastiness Of The Real Housewives Contagious?" Says psychologist Mitchell Prinstein, the "expert" brought in to weigh-in on the best-worst show on TV: "Studies suggest that this kind of nasty behavior becomes more prevalent as we age (and grow more cognitively sophisticated) and is especially common among people of high status." Of course, there was plenty of Housewives-directed social aggression to go around on this site as well, easily answering the question posed in New York's own headline. After the jump, some of the funniest/foulest tidbits.
Why does Avery bear no resemblance to her parents? I bet good money that Ramona went out and bought herself a new face ( nose job, cheek implants, chin implant, breast augmentation, veneers...)
Ramona is trash. LuAnn needs to get over herself. She wasn't born a countess, she married into it. I'd be willing to bet that she wasn't "born" into money at all.
I thought it was funny that LuAnn gets uptight about her title. She's the fourth to have it. Her husband gets around. He's like the Count from Sesame Street. One, one wife ah-ah-ah!
I'm trying to think of people I find more repugnant than Alex and Simon and I'm having trouble. I mean, dictators and murderers sure, but pretentious social climbers like them just blow.
Mommy poses for naughty naked photos, kids run around impaling cheeseburgers....Yuppies gone wild!
Latin lessons before the age of 5 + a name like Francois + a bother named Johan + a child psychologist + fancy preschools that cost more than my house + long blonde hair + going to fancy restaurants when you're far too young to be in one = coke addict.
The appropriate thing would have been to take Frank (I'm sorry, but "Francois" is a ridiculous name for a little American boy) outside the dining room. Ask him "What's the matter?" and make it clear that, if nothing's wrong, he is expected to behave. If he doesn't, it's home. Pronto. Instead, in typical Yuppie style, they just gaze lovingly at their spawn, saying "Isn't he adorable?" And we wonder why Civility is on the wane? Ugly kid, even uglier parents.
Look, it doesn't matter where you bring him or how often you try and convince others you have the 'perfect relationship". He's still gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Alex makes me cringe. What did she say, about making the NYT social page and now everyone will see that she is at their level. What the fuck?! She's like a lunatic, and that hair...it kills me every time. And what was with that ramshackle house?
Although it's tacky to haul the husband on a "girls night out", Ramona hugely trumped Simon and Alex's tackiness by acting, well, trashy. She's trashy. I think they showed unusual restraint by not punching Ramona in the throat.
I think Simon would be much more attractive were he to have different ears.Is The Nastiness of 'The Real Housewives' Contagious? [NYMag]
Comments
hey, one of the nasty quotes is mine! (pats self on back, twists muscle, can't afford massage, hates harder)
ok, i know its catty, but the count joke is pretty funny.
The Count/Sesame Street reference was sheer genius. Oh god, I hope I'm not coming down with that disease that only let's me speak in Bravo reality series titles. Then again, that's all I talk about anyway.
@titania1285: right?! Can we get a retroactive COTD?
Underneath it all, we're all still locked in the 15 year old mindset, I fear.
I like the count joke. It made me giggle.
@titania1285: I prefer the "x + y + z = cokehead" joke myself.
@BadenBaden: seriously. i'm home sick for the day, so i can *finally* get back to commenting. and this is how my day begins! it really couldn't have gotten any better, frankly.
there's making fun of people because they're silly, then there's making fun of people because you hate who they are. i'm good with silly. the count joke is silly.
Count joke! How did I miss that? Brilliant.
Eh, The Real Housewives is shot, edited, and marketed to invite criticism and snark. It's campy to the point of farcical, and I imagine that most of the women who participate are in on the joke. I hope so, anyway.
These women are downright friggin scare me. After one of their bloodbath "parties" I would run so far away from any other contact, Bolivia would start to sound good. Frenemies is this weird modern concept I just can't get my mind around. What's the point??
NOKD.
@BeckyIva: yeahhhh probably not so much. i know (work for.) several people who are JUST like these women...
its sad really.
Yeah, omg that count joke was HILARIOUS!
And I cannot wait until the reunion when Jill calls out Ramona!!
I am scarred for life:
I found out this past weekend that the Hampton homes all these wives frequent?
Totes not theirs. Production rents them out to "enhance the storyline."
I was at a kiddie party this weekend kept overhearing conversations like "oh, and when Ramona left the party! Could you believe..." Even the dads were in on it.
@brendastarlet: I read that as NKOB. Can we talk about that reunion on here, please?
When I worked at an unnamed museum, we had a donor who insisted on being called "Mrs. I.M. Hereditary Bigshot III" even though she was wife #2 and he was currently on wife #4. I think she actually fought for the right to keep the title in the divorce.
So some of these don't surprise me at all.
Who are these housewives(?) you speak of?
@dummyfakeroller:
It was genius. There was a lol and some coughing to cover it up
It makes me extremely glad that I don't watch this show.
Haven't read all comments yet, but just have to note that my friend saw Alex, Simon, and their brood eating outside at Bar Tabac in Cobble Hill this weekend as she was coming to meet me for brunch. Apparently Alex is prettier in person...
The next show is going to be Real Housewives of New Jersey! I cannot wait!!!
@TheGintheCity: The last time I went there they were playing very loud Eurotrash-y techno, which seems so apropos for our "we go to St Barth because we are so Euro!" friends.
@Miss Smith Drank Your Vodka: For real! I saw them on Valentine's Day when I was eight, and had all the accessories...sleeping bag, hair scrunchies, earrings, socks, t-shirts, books, Jordan doll. I even had a theme birthday party...we played pin the nose on the New Kid. When I saw that they were reunited and touring, I sent a text to my boyfriend saying that I was totally going to see them. His response? We're through. Ouch.
@hamburgerhotdog: Oh yeah, their pretty much the typical Bar Tabac customer. It's even worse at night.
I *almost* got up from our table to run around the corner and check them out for myself, but I decided restraint was best.
@dummyfakeroller: Don't worry, I'm sure it will all Work Out.
Whatever. These women have (or purport to have) MONEY. All us plebians would love to have 1/10th of their resources and swear up and down that if we did, we would never be that tacky. Or rude. Or status-obsessed. Or whatever. So what? It's human nature, and I'll be the first to admit that I would love to be able to go to the Met, get front row seats at fashion shows, send my (non-existent) children to fat camp, etc., simply by virtue of tax bracket.
The irony of it is, shows like this are the great equalizer. They remind us that the seemingly "fabulous" are not always so.
@Miss Smith Drank Your Vodka: hahahahahah! Five guys dressed in button downs, khakis, Topsiders without socks, and holding gin and tonics.
I will woman up to the first comment. And yes, I am a bitch.
by saying this I might as well point out my crows feet and grey hairs, but...I just can NOT understand the desire people have to be on these reality types of shows. Don't get me wrong, I watch with rapt attention, but who in their right mind feels the need to live on camera so as to validate their idea of themself? no thanks. didn't real society upper crust value privacy, as in appear in the news papers only 3 times in your life...birth, marriage, and death announcements. Rule to live by, I say.
@bananaballs: no, you don't want to. Because what they don't realize is that all they've done is muscled/bought their way in, and in doing so, they've squeezed out the people that they want to rub shoulders with.
@seresy: it wasn't Sharon Bush, was it?
@pantycrickets: I actually hope they do branch out. Some southern cities would be great. The Real Housewvies of Savannah, or The Real Housewives of Houston. Big hair, big money, big accents, big ratings.
Well, I wonder where Marge could be? She's missing her own initiation.
I hope she didn't take my attempt to destroy her too seriously.
@hamburgerhotdog: which one? they were all great. Why else does this show exist but to give us something to hate on?
@brendastarlet: If I had the money, I doubt I'd be aching to rub shoulders with a different set of people. Although I wouldn't be turning down the offers to do things the rich seem to be invited to do. Well, maybe some things. But I've never been to Fashion Week. It could be fun to sit front (or even 2nd) row, without actually being "in" the industry. Also, I like the idea of a personal chef. Can Bethenny come cook for me?
Oh, one of those is mine. Heehee. Not the funniest one, but I'm cool with that.
I still think the best would be "Real Housewives of DC."
"Dahling, I just got back from Rwanda. You should see how much food and water I gave them! All the rice! I'm so jealous of those people, getting to eat all the carbs they want."
"Oh, Sandy, you're absurd, with all your humanitarian work. Oh, did I tell you? Jenny got an interview at Sidwell Friends!"
"Irene was already accepted."
"...."
"...."
"My husband can nuke Iran faster than your husband."
@and Begorrah: I know. I just need to Step it up and Dance it off.
@stoprobbers: Oh, fuck me. I meant "Holten Arms." Sidwell is the boys school.
@missbehave: I'll give you a hint: hamburgers. I am nothing if not self referential.
If Real Housewives was meangirls, Luann would be Regina george, Jill is Gretchin (sp?). I can't remember the other names.
And while I'm on the subject of fictional characters, betheny is the closest real life example of Carrie Bradshaw.
@bananaballs: I'll bet you could figure out a way to make that happen. The smaller shows are easy to see; just reach out to one of the designers and tell them you're a fan and you want to come to Fashion Week someday. A chef is roughly $75,000, or essentially a kitchen.
@gingerkhan: YES that is a brilliant idea. They should go to a smaller city and not somewhere like Atlanta--the smaller city will be guaranteed to have more junior league and church fundraiser drama!
@hamburgerhotdog: Nice. I love that most of these comments are about alex and simon von douchenozzle.
@brendastarlet: The smaller shows seem like more fun anyway. Don't think personal chef will be attainable. I think I'll find a rich friend and eat there, like, every day.
I can't wait for Real Housewives of NJ. I'm an expat for a reason!
@stoprobbers: Holton-Arms. I used to live up the street from there.
I think that being on a show like this invites ridicule. Otherwise, why would we watch? It's different to shit talk real life people this way, and that's why we nice Jezzies don't do that.