RealReality

1. Brittney/Marcelino - something stinks about their story and I think its entirely possible that they have embezzled some or all of those donations and this Robert guy is just a very convenient drug addicted scapegoat for her to hide behind. She directly solicits donations Brittney says that this Robert guy is somehow the only person with access to the 80k, which he, ostensibly, wiped out on some very choice drug binges and low rent furniture. So, all the moneys gone, right? But in the next breath, they are talking about how they need all this furniture so they can open the sober house at another location. But with what money? Didn't Robert steal it all? Isn't he the only one with access to the account? They just bought a new house and she has a Mercedes. Besides Marcelino's army/marine payout, they do not have a steady source of income. So, I imagine they aren't prime borrowers for a house or a car. Brittney and Marcelino need to make that home/car payment every month and they both have shaky business ventures. Marcelino is playing around in cryptocurrency which is super volatile. And you just know Marcelino is the type who imagines he knows more than he does and is getting absolutely hosed. Brittney maybe does tattooing? Real estate agents can make a lot of money, but there is also a TON of competition out there in the suburban market. An ex-felon, even one of TV seems unlikely to be the first choice for anyone. Real estate is great, but its not a steady check. So, I could totally see a situation where they "borrowed" a few bucks from the 80k just to cover some payments and haven't gotten around to paying it back. They saw Robert as a scapegoat and a story line. What he had going on there didn't look like a flophouse. It looked messy. And Robert didn't look high, he wasn't nodding out and HE called the police, so I question Brittney's self serving characterization of him as an active drug addict. The only other person we've seen on camera calling him out is her friend/business associate. Also, why the hell were they taking people's dry cleaning?

"I swear I don't have meth skin, those are the bedbugs!"

I was pretty surprised to hear networks still wanted her to do commentary. I kinda thought that would have detracted from her "image" as an expert. If I could I would have told Wendy to really think about how to use her platform. I would have suggested the cookbook. Which I think would have been a good moneymaker and a good way for people to get to know Wendy.

I think its both, but more the latter. To me, both suggest that Gizelle cares more about public perception and the opinion of the other women than she wants to let on. If Gizelle TRULY didn't care about what people thought of her, she would share her business anywhere and everywhere. Which is what she expects of everyone else, even though they aren't all really a super tight knit group of friends. Gizelle wants to cherry pick who and where she shares her business to avoid negative commentary and opinions and the same ganging up that she likes to encourage when she wants to get at someone else. To that end, Gizelle will curate a sympathetic audience of people who won't ask a lot of critical questions or dig too deep. It reminds me of when politicians or celebrities choose to only do an interview with a station or news personality they think will be sympathetic....and then they demand the questions in advance....and will negotiate the wording of the questions before a camera is even set up. I'll be the first one to say that Gizelle is brilliant for getting away with it this long. but I think thats because only Karen really calls her out on it.

The notion that how Wendy dresses or doesn't dress is in any way responsible or even the reason for Eddie following instagram models makes absolutely no sense to me. There are men who see plenty of boob and butt from their wife and STILL follow instagram models or go to strip clubs. And there are plenty men who have wives who dress conservatively and don't follow instagram models. This idea that men are behaving a certain way because a woman is or isn't doing something is such toxic and nonsensical thinking. At its core, the biggest reason to have it is to forgive men for their behavior. I mean, he wouldn't have had to do "xyz" if you had just done "abc" is what it boils down to. ******************************* But I do find it amusingly ironic that people speculate that Wendy changed her body for Eddie, and then in the same breath say that he is friending instagram models because Wendy won't show him the body, she apparently got solely to keep him. Instead of maybe considering that Wendy got the plastic surgery for herself, not for Eddie and that they are doing okay and probably better than some of the other couples. ********************************* Comparing Monique to Wendy, particularly where their marriages are concerned doesn't make sense to me either. All available evidence suggests that Eddie and Wendy are far more equal partners than Chris and Monique in their respective marriages. Monique and Chris met when he was a football star and she was a failed rapper. He had all the money and power, and she positioned herself to make him the center of her universe. She routinely talked about how she coddled him and made him her ONLY priority. she talked about how she JUST wanted to be a wife and mother. When her mother in law asked her about working she was very clear that as "wifey" she didn't do that. Conversely, Eddie and Wendy met in high school, as financial equals. Even if one of their parents had more money, it didn't belong to the kids, particularly since it seems clear that Eddie would be disowned by his family for being with Wendy. Eddie knew, or should have known that Wendy was going to have a career, and he was with her through every step of building that if they met as teenagers. Through college, and through each of her four degrees, through plotting to get into a professorship and then as she made a bid to become a television commentator. Eddie would have never been under the impression that Wendy JUST wanted to be a wife and mother (and there is nothing wrong with that). And as a professor and as a commentator, and even now as a HW, Wendy contributed and contributes more financially than Monique did and therefore she is not as dependent on Eddie for her lifestyle as Monique was on Chris S. for hers. Wendy can talk about going into Eddie's pockets for the candle line, but I think thats just for show/storyline (as this stupid single wick candle is apparently part of Wendy's storyline for the season). Given those differences, I don't think Eddie would give Wendy a directive to "pack it in" because thats not how I think their marriage works since they are more equals. Whereas with Monique and Chris, he could probably tell her to pack it in, because they aren't and never were equals (which she was fine with).

Ray is bored and not happy, but if there is one thing he said that I believe it is that he has no interest in some young thing to tire him out even more. At this point, even with all her nonsense, Karen knows how Ray likes his tea, what kind of pastries he likes, and how often she can realistically ask him to take his blue pill without killing him. I also suspect that Karen shows him some consideration. I noticed that after he made it clear that he didn't really like the black bill gates moniker, she stopped using it. Could have also been the giant tax bill, but I'll give karen the benefit of the doubt.

I do think the Candace "yo momma" joke had nothing to do with knowing anything about Mia's mom and so you're right, she would have said it regardless. And I wouldn't have found it any worst or more offensive than any other "yo' momma" joke from the 90s. However, if this causes anyone, including Mia to clutch her pearls, then she should consider that the world at large is going to have far worse to say about her mother than what Candace said. Maybe Mia is trying to give her mom a little spending money in appearance fees. But, I wouldn't have thought she would have brought her mother on to bare her soul about what is clearly painful for her. For what is a relatively small amount of money for the potential for public ridicule, I don't think that, if I were in Mia's shoes, it would be worth it. Her mother may really not understand how reality TV works, but Mia should. And she knows people are going to talk shit about a woman who was a drug addict who neglected her child.

Yeah, I feel like maybe Shawn tried to run the numbers and figured prison poon was more cost effective over a lifetime, but none of these women like him because he is awful.

Why would anyone ever put high end furniture in what is essentially a halfway house? They literally rented a moving van? I don't care if you have a lease, the cops can still tell you to GO AWAY and will, very likely, tell you that the matter of the furniture is a civil matter. If you were stupid enough to give him money, let a court figure that out. I really think that Brittney could be involved in something shady and scammy. When she mentioned "fundraising" the money my ears perked right up. Because what better way to convince the suckers donors you "fund-raised" from that you didn't defraud them then by blaming some other guy on national TV.

You are dead wrong for this! I'm cackling! If you're not a professional writer of some comedic variety you really should be.

After seasons of being completely turned off by Chuck......and then annoyed with Axe after that little speech he gave at Gordy's school......the show did something right and gave me someone to root for with Mike Prince. I've had a crush on that actor since he was on law and order, so I could be biased, but goodness!

The drive, as I understood it, was to keep teachers from reaching into their pockets. Which teachers often do to get supplies, like pencils and notebooks for kids that don't have them. And now it's not good enough because it should have been gift cards. Or it's not good enough because kids need more than pencils and paper. Good grief. ********* Okay, so Robyn is mad because she thought Wendy liked her more than she liked Wendy? Robyn is mad because she only considered Wendy a coworker she kinda liked, but is upset because she thought Wendy thought of Robyn as a friend? *********** And no one needs to see gizelles terrible wigs and outfits. Wendy doesn't dress for gizelle and frankly she doesn't really dress for Eddie. She should dress for herself. The same way gizelle should continue wearing her tacky outfits for herself. I wouldn't blame a woman wearing what she pleases when she pleases for what a man is doing or not doing. Him seeing her boobs or not is a) nothing we know and b) wouldn't be responsible for him having a bunch of insta models he is following. This line of reasoning is just as destructive as gizelle implying that if Juan strays its Robyn's fault for being depressed. There are plenty men who see their s/o boobs, butts and others and still cheat or act out. **************** Wendy's point has been that she can be both an educator and a woman who wears low cut tops and trying to box people into a look because of their profession can be counterproductive. And in this day and age of software engineers with purple hair, she has a point. But I'd honestly thought that point had been resolved 10 years ago. I really didn't think people were still into "you're not in a respectable profession if you don't wear this, or look like that" ************ So gizelle shouldn't feel responsible for being so desperate that she let a toad who was a prime candidate for multiple STD get back into her bed, but Wendy should feel some responsibility for who Eddie friends on Instagram because because didn't show him her boobs enough? ************************ As for being combative. Wendy wasn't combative when gizelle brought up how she was dressed to the entire table. She wasn't combative when Robyn ganged up on her and implied that she wasn't substantive because of how she was dressed. Wendy wasn't combative when Ashley, Mia, gizelle and robyn gaslit her for daring to even be hurt and AGAIN coming at her about her clothes. Gizelle was being combative by announcing at lunch that she did nothing wrong and if wendy felt any way it wasn't her fault. When literally Wendy hadn't said anything to gizelle. Wendy wasn't even combative to Robyn. She made a side comment to her (after kinda telling Robyn to buzz off) and robyn lost her damn mind and starting gesturing between her legs (I guess the delicate flowers who can't bear to see wendys breasts were okay with whatever the hell Robyn was doing) ******************** As I said, gizelle is vain and certainly isn't above driving around in a luxury car when a Nissan Sentra would be more cost efficient. The only person who had a non luxury car their first season was Robyn. So, I find it hard to believe that gizelle is tootling around in a fiat because she just did the math and it makes sense.

And trust me when I say that I absolutely sympathize with becoming boxier with age. All the squats and sidebends can do only so much! And, like Wendy, I have plans to do something about it. I'm not so sold about gizelles thick skin, because a) why won't she entertain talking about her life in front of Karen? and b) why is she talking about Karen ruining her family or whatever? That sounded just as bizarre to me as Karen saying gizelle wished death on Ray. But I can't think of anything Karen said that realistically warranted such a charge.

If they were never friends why was Robyn whining about how hurt she was by Wendy calling her and Juan's relationship fake? Robyn came for Wendy first. If they weren't ever friends and that's what Robyn is hanging her hat on for coming at wendy then she shouldn't have been upset when Wendy called her relationship fake and she should have been absolutely fine that Wendy didn't mention Juan coming on the trip. But Robyn's concern trolling wasn't anything that was coming from a friendly place. Particularly since the question had been asked and answered. So for Robyn to suddenly decide that what SHE said was fine between friends and what Wendy said was just unacceptable for a friend is silly to me. You out here calling me all kinds of assholes and flighty and not having substance and THATS okay. But imma tell you that you're in a fake relationship and now it's "crossed a line" And at the end of the day this is all Wendy said to Robyn that I can remember "you don't even have a real relationship for anyone to be worried about" or something along those lines. **************** Why is it wrong for Wendy to have her boobs out on a girl's trip? Because she was shamed for it by four harpies? That doesn't mean she was wrong to dress how she wanted it means that, like a lot of other women, she was shamed into conforming to what others wanted. That doesn't make Robyn or gizelle or Mia right. It makes them haters. Why do any of them give a shit what Wendy is wearing for it to be right or wrong? **********?** I think gizelle is jealous. I dont think she can afford plastic surgery. Or at least that is what her dollar store wig and crumbling house are telling me. She is driving around in Jamal car, does she have one of her own anymore? Maybe. Or maybe she is just dying to show off that high end fiat on TV? Everyone else on the cast is driving a luxury car, even Robyn. And IIRC gizelle used to drive a luxury car so it's not like she was always above it all. Gizelle is vain. This is fine but she doesn't look the same as she did when this series started. She looks great in her talking heads, but in the filmed scenes she is looking boxier and more wrinkled. So I think seeing someone get their glowup is not sitting well with her. Wendy has the barbie doll shape now. Boobs, butt, small waist. You can call the boobs bolt on or whatever, but this is the sought after body shape these days. And I think she also did something to her face. But it's imperceptible. She just looks good. I'd admit that the bus look and the dinner look weren't for me. But I think she looks great.

@drivethrooteachers should be able to distribute those supplies to kids, who often do not have their own. In my opinion, no effort to help should be ridiculed and minimized or "poorly recieved" because it wasn't good enough. Teachers shouldn't have to reach into their pockets for pencils and notebooks for kids. Which is what they often do. But now you can't ask a teacher to bring in their own box of kleenex?

That her efforts are lampooned as "ridiculous" and "ludicrous" because she did not go bigger comes off extremely ungrateful, IMO. Wendy should move her efforts, her money and her platform anywhere else if this is the attitude she gets from educators. I cannot even imagine spending the gas money and getting such an attitude. Some people would appreciate whatever they got, however little And some people apparenly feel that they are entitled to more and so they are well within their rights to ridicule and call the effort ludicrous. Karen spent not a dime of her own money bringing attention to black farmers, Surrey County or the lowly shelled peanut. Her event was tiny, so not good enough right? There isn't anything analogous to taking your time, money, effort and platform to do something nice and have ungrateful people laugh at it, call it ridiculous and ludicrous as to building a business to increase your personal wealth.

Fine. Then gizelle and robyn need to stop insisting they were "concerned" because they were not and are not and never were. And Wendy's point is even more justified in her point that they do not care and are not "concerned" Wendy was not offended that anyone noticed her change in dress, she was offended by the implications made about what that meant. Wendy explaining herself is now an "excuse?" Why bother asking why she did it if anything she says is just an "excuse?" Don't bother asking her the question if you don't want the answer. Which neither gizelle nor Robyn wanted since they continuously talked over Wendy anytime she calmly tried to explain herself. Nor does Wendy need an "excuse" to change her body and her wardrobe. Gizelle should take notes and change every single thing about her personal style with is and remains tacky.

THIS!!!!!!!!!!! Why even tell this story? Surely there have been other disagreements between G and R. Why this one? Candace looked gorgeous in her top and her skin is such a perfect contrast to the color. She has the type of body to take fashion risks.

That does not mean that they were barred from calling Wendy before they ambushed her on national TV. Phones still work, they still could have called if they were truly concerned. If they were both so "concerned" but NEEDED to get it on camera they could have pulled Wendy into their pre dinner conversation where they were talking about wendy. Wendy specifically asked what they were talking about when she came in and both said "nothing" So that reasoning doesn't really pass muster. I disagree, as I believe the malice was high and obvious. And in gizelles case, maybe more than a little from a place of jealousy and insecurity. Gizelle first talked about how Wendy's clothes showed too much skin, before she ever even approached a shift in personality. "We gotta talk about that, I've seem more of your body than I ever have" was gizelles lead in at the dinner table. Not a thing about Wendy's personality. And then Robyn said she lacked substance or was flighty or whatever. Wendy barely got a word in edgewise as the two of them went at her. Neither one of them, after that dinner went to check in on Wendy or explain themselves. Even though the cameras were there. Can we assume Wendy brought up the rumor about Jamal giving gizelle an STD came from a place of concern because she mentioned it was a "rumor" or is it just mean spirited to bring it up on national TV that gizelles hot box is from Jamal? Or if wendy had said with "well, I don't believe the blogs either when they say that Jamal gave you an STD but I'm concerned about you, do you need a referral good gynecologist?" would it have been okay? Could one safely assume it comes from a place of concern because Wendy said she as concerned and didn't believe it? If someone said publicly "listen, I don't believe the rumors that you steal credit cards, but others might" I'd see it for what it was, which isn't concern. And it had nothing to do with being on TV or not.

Wendy, IMO, shut down all argument when she pointed out that if any of them were concerned and not just concern trolling, they could have called her privately...... and not a one of them did before ambushing her on TV. And each and every time she tried to answer about the clothes, gizelle or Robyn would interrupt her or talk over her. The question was asked at dinner that night. To the degree that wendy was allowed to answer the question, she did. If the "concern" is for Wendy then the question was asked, and answered to the degree allowed. So why did it need to come up again and again and again and again if there was some good intention behind it? The only person that Wendy MIGHT be hurting with her new look and attitude is herself. She told you she is fine. Since she isn't hurting anyone else, why keep up with it? Because she dared to be hurt by her friends coming for her? And instead of privately coming to her and explaining herself instead gizelle recruited her crew and ganged up on Wendy at lunch and gaslit her. And Wendy had the special honor of being advised that her feelings were shit because gizelle felt it to be so. But apparent gizelle had every right to be outraged that Wendy talked about her tacky ass house? Robyn and gizelle already sent a stank invitation. And now you're starting off with some stupid ass story about how I wasn't going to be allowed to use the bathroom in the house when I drove myself out to this disaster construction site? I'd have serious concerns about the bathroom period. Is it even working, because it sounds like gizelle and the girls aren't living there. I wouldnt br surprised if there was a portapotty situation.

It shouldn't matter what the optics were when the fact was that Wendy took her time, she took her money and she took her platform to try to bring attention to teachers going out of their own pocket and donate some items Instead of applauding her efforts she is being ridiculed for even trying. What a world. Apparently teachers are too good for what Wendy was offering so she should focus her efforts, her money, her attention and her platform elsewhere. Literally, anywhere else. I hope she goes to a shelter next time. I've never seen shelter staff turn up their nose at brand new school supplies because they weren't enough, they weren't expensive enough or good enough or because it was "too much of a production"

Mia has never once stopped to consider that perhaps her sister really actually NEEDS her mother's help because she wasn't lucky enough to marry a rich man while she was working the pole at the red lobster. And Mia is always so confrontational with her mother "oh, well because I have it together I don't need a mom?" No one said that, most especially not your mother. Like who wants to constantly have conversations like that? Those should be done in counseling, not while you're being filmed for a reality show. Mia's mother was released six years ago, but her recovery may still be fragile, and constantly being confronted on TV may not be helpful. Mia's story humanizes her, but exploiting her mother to be on a reality TV show when she is already a "business boss" or whatever doesn't make her likable to me at all. I suspect her mother is doing this as a favor to Mia. She doesn't appear to be asking Mia and Gordon for money or a place to live. She seems happy to be around her grandchildren and she seems fairly gracious with Mia.

I. WAS. DYING! It was really a moment! What the hell is that frankenhouse even supposed to be? That thing is going to be an absolute disaster. Gizelle couldn't afford a few citronella candles and bug zappers? Is the inside uninhabitable? Why didn't they have the party wherever Gizelle is currently living? I like Candace, but I always root for an underdog and candace really does crack me up. I fundamentally disagree with the notion of pussyfooting around anyone on the cast. Everyone should be treated equally. Mia not only made it a point to be messy with someone else's mother, Mia has exploited her own mother's past by putting it on the show and making it a storyline. If Mia is fine exploiting her own mother, why should she be off limits for anyone else? This is the same reason I disagree that Ashley and her "motherhood journey" have to be treated with kid gloves. No one has ever walked on eggshells around Candiace, even when she has told them outright that her mother is a sore topic for her. Everyone knows that Eddie is a sensitive topic for Wendy, but they still bring him up. If Ashley and Mia cannot handle it, they should go.

Well, Gizelle likes putting Wendy's business on front street and Gizelle was pushing her luck with that last question, so Gizelle got what was coming to her. The hot box comment and now Wendy? I don't see how Gizelle is the baddest bitch walking when she ever let that toad Jamal back into her life and into her bed. And not for one second do I believe that Jamal told her shit about what was in that binder.

I'd normally hate it, but Gizelle is the one who brought up Wendy's marriage and Gizelle is clearly projecting her desperation to keep any man onto Robyn with her "you better fix yourself!" nonsense. You hit where it hurts and this is where it hurts Gizelle.