Tatum

I think Kendra is still pretty trashy, to be honest. And if you ask me, even 20-21 was too old to be mooning government buildings and flipping off paparazzi. That's something I'd expect a 12 year old to do. Holly wasn't much better in any of the Europe episodes. Francophile much, Holly? I did laugh in the Monaco episode when Kendra said she always wanted to go to Saint Tropez, and I am scratching my head wondering how the French Riveria is even on her radar. Just as I am wondering if Kendra is perhaps slightly more educated than for which I previously gave her credit, she follows it up with her explanation that her gangsta rappers all reference the location.

This is the same girl who claimed, with a straight face, that she didn't "have time" to find a frame for Hef's birthday gift (a picture of herself), and once made the entire tour bus stop by the side of the road while the poor, beleaguered mansion staff searched through her shithole of a room looking for her tacky grill...that she had in her purse the whole time. Kendra did redeem herself somewhat in my eyes during the Europe trip in S2 when she was the only one of the three that seemed remotely interested in the London tour. Holly did not even attempt to hide her boredom which I thought was rude, and Bridget was in literal tears the day they left because packing was "so stressful". Yeah, I get it, Hef gave them like, 24 hour notice that they were going on a two week trip to Europe, but it wasn't like they had jobs or kids to organize and they had the mansion staff helping them. Of course, then Kendra stomped on the goodwill earned by dropping her pants when passing the Parliament building and the London tour guide looked mortified. And Bridget, who I thought had the most class out of the three (which isn't saying much) was completely egging her on.

Rewatching the Vegas episode is interesting after the context of Holly's book. While in the original airing, Holly seems obsessive and sad constantly saying how much she misses Hef and calling him to check in- that was probably 100% necessary to placate him since it likely took everything Holly had just to convince him to "let" the girlfriends go to Vegas for a one day trip, that basically involved laying by the pool and drinking, something they really could have done at home. Also, when Kendra is pouting in the limo over her missing bag, they zoom in on Bridget's face and she looks so annoyed. The revelation that Kendra's bag was stolen still doesn't garner much sympathy for Kendra in my eyes- Kendra, was it that much work to bring the bag up to your room instead of leaving all your shit around the common areas? Also, when I had originally watched it, I thought Kendra was saying the entire bag was Carmella's present (the pushup bra and $200 worth of makeup) but rewatching, I think that was mostly Kendra's stuff for herself and a Victoria's Secret gift card for Carmella. Again, Kendra, bring your shit to your room, don't just leave it laying out. Yeah, it was probably something where Destiny meant to be self deprecating and unintentionally insulted someone else.

Gosh, that house was vicious. Rewatching a few early episodes- that house is freaking decrepit, there were constantly dogs barking, a super strict set of rules over how the women there spent their days and evenings....yuck. Also just rewatched the Vegas episode where they give Carmela her presents, and Carmela mentions that her boob job is very recent. Did she get a boob job after she posed for Playboy?

What happened?

I think the same. Gary was once very much into Amber. I think Gary appreciates Kristina as a partner and as a caregiver to Leah and Emilee but I do not think he loves her romantically. I don't think Gary wishes he was married to Amber- he can see the trainwreck- but I do think he feels something for her. Did they ever get married? Several seasons ago Kristina was crying that she felt like Gary did not truly want to be with her, and preferred Amber. Gary did deny it, but rather lethargically. Hell, at this point I would be impressed if they don't outright call her the C word in front of Bentley. I am sure they badmouth her left and right. Those two don't give a shit about him.

Pam Anderson's son said it best one the Hills Reboot- when you become famous, you are permanently stunted at the age you were when you became famous (or something to that effect). I suppose Maci is just lucky she was somewhat mature for a 17 year old, because she peaked at that point. I guess I can kind of see it- most people have to deal with disappointment and compromise in various ways- you can't tell your boss to fuck off, you can't attract a new posse of enablers every time you alienate your existing friends group, you may rely on your parents for financial help which means doing things their way (which is generally the right way but you can't see it at the time)- all that leads to personal growth and the ability to see things from a different perspective.

I agree with this- in regards to Amber only, I would say he is being very mature and he's doing it for Leah, not to look good for the cameras. THAT SAID- he really should get Leah off this show. Even if he asks her for her blessing in being involved and she gives it- she is 12 years old. She is not mature enough to make that kind of decision. He should have built enough of a nest egg at this point where the financial benefit to Leah cannot outweigh the cost of her whole life being laid bare for public entertainment. His exploitation of his child is no less than any other parent on the show just because in other ways he approaches parenthood with maturity.

Given the people on this show...it truly isn't a ringing endorsement :). Really though, I never thought Gary was that bad. Other than him fucking a 17 year old when he was 20-21 (legal in his state, but squicky in my opinion), he was one of the very few dads in the entire series who seemed to love the mother of his child and also welcomed fatherhood. I suppose he has the advantage of being in a serious relationship with the mother at the time and also being out of high school. Even in the very early days of the series, he was one of the best fathers on the show (now, again, this is relative).

Agree. Gary is one of the most mature, long term thinking parents on this show, but that's a low freaking bar.

I'm not as inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt, but agree he is saying the right things, and that is what matters.

The vets have claimed they get an appearance fee for these challenges...somewhere between $30,000 and $60,000, prior to any show winnings. I am somewhat skeptical of that. The production company is notoriously cheap and The Challenge has never led the way in ratings, but I guess it could be true and Cory has been doing this long enough and brings enough drama that he probably would be one of the ones who got paid. In that case, it's possible he makes enough to get by without getting a traditional job.

I am sure Amber thinks psychologist and psychiatrist are interchangeable. Maybe she should go for an executive MBA instead.

Haha, I posted about that awhile ago. Amber was born in May 1990, so she was probably a young freshman and would turn 18 shortly before 2008 high school graduation. Leah was born Nov 2008, so Amber would have been pregnant from Feb 2008 and in her final semester of high school. When Gary and Amber are at Walmart, they run into a high school classmate and Amber explains she was supposed to graduate, but...and gestures to her stomach. The girl they are talking to looks extremely confused and you can see the wheels turning in her head as she is trying to figure out how being pregnant the final few months of high school would have precluded you from graduating (if you're not on the college track, final semester of high school is usually a cakewalk). She doesn't say anything though because unlike Amber, she is polite.

Yeah, she's totally the type to adopt whatever personality her SO has. And she also seems to immediately jump into a new relationship the minute her most recent one fails. I don't think she's going to be happy until she gets some much needed therapy. She clearly doesn't like to be alone.

I think she's smart in some senses, but she's pretty lacking in judgment. The things she wrote in her first memoir were several years post Mansion life, and she was probably in her early 30s at the time, and she still wasn't seeing Hef for what he really was- a predator who exploited insecure and financially desperate (beautiful) women. Sure, they were all adults, but Hef got way more than he gave. I too wondered why Holly didn't just go home. Sure, I'd rather live in LA than Alaska (I mean Alaska is beautiful, but I personally hate the cold and I say this as a midwesterner), but it's not like I wouldn't rather just get a warm coat than snuggle up to some predatory octogenarian and join his harem full of malicious, emotionally stunted women. Holly on the other hand desperately did not want to go home but she still talks like Hef was doing her a favor letting her live in the mansion.

Holly felt like he "saved" her. Without him she would have had to go home to Alaska because she was nearly broke when he invited her to move in. She also felt a lot of the girls weren't grateful enough to Hef for providing a roof over their heads. I don't know how anyone could be so out of touch with reality. Hef was hardly a benovolent benefactor, looking to save troubled women from life on the streets.

Holly definitely bore the brunt of the labor and emotional blackmail. I don't think Hef had the energy to play mental warfare with three separate women so Holly got the worst of it. He played the most mind games with her and regularly scolded her for not keeping the other two in line- particularly hard when she had no real authority over them or any leverage. And her "reward" for being #1 girl was to have the most sexual duties and share a bedroom with him. Holly had no space to call her own, but it wasn't like she could demote herself.

That, or she's just that spiteful and didn't want to prove @configdotsys right, even if it cost her the chance to use a nicer computer. Come to think of it, yet another thing this woman has in common with Kail...

Hahahahaha. Yes, she really does. She thinks she has leverage. She has producers that kiss her ass because that's simply the easiest way to deal with her, not because she has them over any barrel. Sure, they could tell her what's what, let her throw her hissy fit and stomp off and bitch about them on social media, before waiting for her to come crawling back with her tail between her legs, or they could simply indulge her and enable her delusions so she makes for even more laughable fodder.

That is awesome. Did that disable all the features?

Exactly! Kail thinks because she makes enough money to put her in the 1% (albeit the very lowest tier) that this is somehow a partnership. She is a monkey dancing for dollars, and MTV/whatever production company doesn't have to tap dance around her feelings- they know she's not quitting no matter how much she whines. In fact, they probably intentionally piss her off, knowing that's more likely to cause drama and resurrect ratings. I actually can't believe this and Teen Mom were renewed for another season- although then again, what does MTV really have left besides a series of fledgling reality shows that get trashier every year?

This makes me apoplectic. A lot of these tropical countries are dependent on tourism to float economically, but the workers themselves are often poor and don't have great access to healthcare. If Kail decides she just has to have a tropical vacay in another country in the midst of a global pandemic- she better be taking every precaution possible. But of course she's not, because, hey those local workers can decide for themselves whether or not they want to work, right?

Wow. If Chelsea truly thinks she is such a big celebrity that people will pay at least a 100% markup just to say they bought it from her, she is Jenelle-level delusional. Jennifer Aniston/Reese Witherspoon/some other A lister couldn't get away with bilking their customer at this level, and Chelsea is no Reese Witherspoon.

Yeah, I remember, LC is like, wiping away tears and Jason is straight up giggling the whole time. I mean, insult to injury, this breakup is traumatic for her (even though she instigated it), and Jason is acting like a stoner cheerfully greeting the pizza delivery man.