RHJunkie

I agree with Reo. I'm not a fan of Erika at all but I can't judge her for her decisions regarding motherhood. It was so long ago and it's a heavy situation to make assumptions about so I'd rather not. It's usually easier to say with confidence what the 'right' thing to do is when it's someone else's situation you're talking about. Whatever the reason may be for keeping her child out of her life, we should consider it the best thing for the child that they were taken care of by people were capable and/or wanted to do it.

Well what does her audience think? You are only one of her audience. I'm positive I can find others who would disagree with your sentiments or opinions about her intent or her humour. It's all subjective really and depends on the personality of the person that's doing the 'judging'. I don't think any of the women are inherently bad - they are flawed (as are all of us) but it's Lisa's flaws that are getting the spotlight these past two seasons. In my eyes, Kenya Moore is the poster child for a deceptive bullshit artist who combines her hypocrisy with condescending speech as if no one else in the room is smart enough to understand her or her tactics. By comparison, all of these women have better qualities that outweigh the bad for me. And if we want to go the bullshit route, any one of these women that claim to be manipulated by anyone else did so because it benefitted their own agenda. Whether it was getting in better with one person, causing a rift between others or simply getting more airtime - they are grown enough and I don't doubt they understand the consequences of the things they discuss and what they bring to light on this show. Calling manipulation is just an easy way to do what you wanted but when they get caught with their hands in the cookie jar, they can throw their hands up and say someone else made them do it.

For sure, none of them are angels and I'm sure they're all guilty of what Kristen did but I feel she has victimized herself more than any other person on the show under these circumstances and that's why I can't feel sorry for her. When Tom got mad at her for cheating on him, it was clear that the underlying betrayal was that she did it with his friend. And through all of this, she finds ways to say imply that she was the best thing that's ever happened to them despite the fact that she acted crazy, jealous and was unfaithful. She had an extremely skewered perception of what she's expecting from a man versus what she's willing to give. For all of the crap she's said about James and how he treats you, you shagged him in his car while you were calling someone else our boyfriend. How can you expect better if you're never doing better? And off the topic of Kristen but Scheana is a total basket case. If you love your husband, why would you make him feel bad that his addiction was inconvenient for her because she wants both of them to go out and be able to have fun. And to tell someone who has an addiction that you only drink until you're buzzed...what is wrong with these people?

I'm not really saying that at all. She has flaws but I don't see them as being manipulative. I see it as someone who doesn't follow social cues well. Speaking from experience, I am someone that often asks a lot of questions to people I'm getting to know. I read people well enough to dip my toes in and I take cues from what people are willing to share. I start with a conservative boundary and depending on the reception of that person and what I feel is a mutual comfort between the two of us, those boundaries become wider (this is something that LVP lacks and I think is the basis for her misunderstandings with people). I don't ask questions to be nosy, I ask questions because I think it's one of the ways I truly get to know someone. I don't come from a place of bad intent in the least. On the other hand, I am not someone who willingly will talk about myself or my life or personal experiences (unless someone is confiding in me and I can use my own experience to provide advise, reassurance or lessons learned). I'm not that way because I want to know everything about everyone while remaining a mystery to people. I'm like that because I feel that if people really want to know, they will ask questions just as I ask them questions. I realize that not everyone thinks like that but when a question is asked to you, it is not a foreign concept that you are allowed to reciprocate with the same or similar question. If you forego your option to ask me questions, then I won't take offense to that, but I also wouldn't expect someone to throw that back in my face. LVP has a self-deprecating humour about herself - if she's always referring to herself in a non-serious manner, why would anyone expect her to randomly and willingly offer the most intimate parts of her experiences and feelings without any prodding? And there is absolutely nothing Lisa has said to any other woman that she hasn't said to their face. The only contrary incident I can think of is Brandi's claim that LVP told her to take the tabloid magazine about Maricio's affair with her on their trip yet the person that was with both of them couldn't support Brandi's story.

Eileen is an interesting figure this season. She's more meddlesome but I think that's because she genuinely believes in people confronting issues. She takes accountability for her own words and I love that about her. She didn't seem very upset with Rinna for telling LVP that Eileen thought she was manipulative. In contrast, look at Erika trying to impose certain views to one housewife about the other and she got offended and immediately went for the 'broken confidence' route when the reality is that she said something behind someone's back that she didn't have the guts to say to their face. Eileen's issue with LVP is really what's driving her storyline this season and it's all because both women are offended by each other but neither feel the other should be. Anyone can take any situation and turn it around to appear either good, neutral or bad. Eileen loves closure and she hasn't gotten closure with LVP and I think she's unknowingly assuming the worst because her mind hasn't been put at ease but at the same time it's seems ridiculous that her entire demeanor toward LVP is truly resting upon this single incident. She's using RInna's conversation with LVP as a way to justify her feelings towards LVP, so much so, that she fails to see that Lisa's advice to Rinna and questioning is actually quiet similar to Eileen (who loves to confront issues head on and clear the air). She uses Erika's 'observation' to justify her feelings toward LVP, so much so, that she's crediting Erika for being a smart, observant woman, but really she has had no dealings or privy to any information about LVP (outside of Yolanda) that would lead her to those 'spider web' allegations. As an example of flipping the script to interpret things however you want - Eileen can call Erika an observant woman, I can just as easily call her a convenient pawn that's being fed opinions and information from the common denominator between herself and the other women - which is Yolanda.

I wouldn't be so quick to consider that Bruce suppressed an attraction to men. Cait says she's open to dating men but she has only spoken about it in a sense that it would reinforce her own femininity. That doesn't mean there is a genuine attraction there. Perhaps there's more to it and she's not ready to share that. From what I've gathered so far, Cait is more interested in finding ways to empower her femininity and despite the façade of a bus tour, I think she has glamourized what it means to be a woman and identifies her femininity with mainly that aspect (hair, makeup, clothing). She will never truly understand the challenges that women face or what the transgendered community faces because her fame and money will always provide that cushion that others do not have the luxury of. Being more aware and actually embracing and making a difference are not the same thing. So far, I see Cait doing the former, not the latter.

Does Kristen have a single redeeming quality about her? At all? How can you honestly sit there and complain about Tom and James being unfaithful when 1. You were unfaithful to Tom with one of his best friends no less 2. You cheated on your 'new boyfriend' with James...in his car Kristen needs a mirror held up to her face but I think she's still too dumb and shallow to realize that her failed relationships are not because she deserves better. She attracts exactly the type of men that mirror the type of woman she is. She's delusional, untrustworthy and lacks any type of self awareness for her own actions. Classic case of 'do as I say, not as I do'.

From what I've seen to date, I don't think Lisa is as manipulative as people make her out to be. Her behavior seems pretty consistent. She prods people to discuss their issues (so does Eileen) but it's also something that Lisa does herself. If she hears something through the grapevine that's about her or something of her own curiousity, she asks the question. It does get her in trouble though. When they brought up the example of her constantly asking Rinna if the bipolar comments didn't bother her, Lisa gave an answer right away as to why she did that and it makes total sense. That's exactly Rinna's personality - we see it in action with her issues with Yolanda right now. Lisa asks more personal questions to those she doesn't seem to have an existing relationship with. I guess you can interpret that as her putting the show above friends by trying to expose such personal details (which aren't that personal as they are documented and issues that the girls have seemingly brought up in some capacity in some way or another) or you can see that as her getting to know the others. I think her biggest flaws are that she is doesn't take the time to read people. She has one direct, open approach and when that approach is taken the wrong way she gets offended. I know people criticize how she interacted with Eileen that night - I honestly wouldn't have been offended by that discussion if I were in Eileen's shoes but I completely respect the fact Eileen's right to feel uncomfortable by it. I understand that it can be hurtful if someone is trying to misconstrue what you felt was good intent on your part but what Lisa fails to compute is that it's okay if people don't always embrace her approach. Simply say 'I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable as that wasn't my intent and I'm glad you told me so that I can be more mindful of that in the future'.