Midnight Cheese

Thank you for all of this, Film Noire. Rape is grossly underreported. Full stop. False accusations are rare, and no one is obliged to be polite about the opposite proposition because - maybe on Mars that’s a reality-based assertion, but not on this planet. And yes, “I know you wish you were 45!” is IMO incontrovertibly sneering at your bestie that she all mad because she’s a liiiiiittle bit of an old crone. Beth didn’t say “you’re acting younger and brattier than Bryn!,” so I’m not going to post as if that’s what Beth actually said.

I watched this late, after reading most of the comments first. I didn’t expect to feel this way but ultimately felt Bethenny was incredibly smug and awful with talking over Carole and interrupting. Carole is flawed but Bethenny is culpable for her behaviors at this time - she may not have anticipated how affronted Carole would be by any Adam-adjacent criticism but so what? There is no way B would have acted differently had they been in one another’s place. It now seems Bethenny totally lied last season’s reunion when she said she was dating a separated, married man - after Dennis died, his wife outright wrote that they had never legally separated, though both were dating openly (and perhaps she started to do so reluctantly — my point is that Frankel massaged that info like a cow in Kobe.). Bethenny is - to me - at her core remorselessly vicious. The why of it - no emotional grounding in childhood - I’m Team So What. She *does* set every bridge on fire. She *did* say every damned thing Carole noted, and had the nerve to mock the bringing of receipts as she sat with a folder of printouts. She *did* get shown as a liar by the texts with Carole: she did NOT tell the truth. Just as she was truly revealed by that self-important red scarf foolio. It doesn’t matter that her opponents aren’t saints or cool cool cool - she lies. She lies a fuckton and smugly claims she keeps it the realest of all. What the what. Good god, try to be a little less explicit in demonstrating your hypocrisy and congenital dishonesty, Bethenny. Except for types like Jill - anything for fame - when she tries to screw people, they pay her dust after. They are OVER her. Those who once seemed to really care for her. Beth should fix that. Now. Like, now, now. She’s going to have a tween any minute now, and presumably wants a relationship that doesn’t have “it’s complicated! He’s, um, never divorcing!” at the heart of things. That is no way to behave to have a good life, regardless of your wealth. A rich person who is content doesn’t comment to be cruel on someone else’s career or childlessness. It is to laugh that that’s ok. It’s fucking sad. Bethenny is fucking sad. That’s how a successful person behaves in light of a relationship failure? Tsk.

{a couple of snips for length}

What a terrible all-around situation. Just, damn.

Not quite four years ago.

No one is really waxing poetic about geography. They are saying this little girl has living grandparents who love her and are not estranged from her father. Her mother has no right to make moves to make it impossible for an 8-year old to get to enjoy all of her family, and IMO this is what she’s doing. B didn’t adopt as a single parent. She didn’t go the sperm bank and ART route. She made different decisions involving other competent legal adults. My girl has only two living grandparents. I wish she had all four, but we weren’t given that. This entire circumstance is madness.

This is what I was getting at. Deliberately trying to deprive your kid of family is a shitty thing to do. We get one chance at this, at giving each child a childhood with loving adults with whom they share a connection.

Does anyone really, sincerely, believe Beth wants Bryn to have equal time with her father and his family? Or that she fundamentally thinks equal time is fair? I don’t.

They look cute and happy. I love that Heather never got the full HW injectibles and nose job treatment. The option discussion is interesting. I misremembered the conversation- I thought something had been set in stone, or assumed so. Hunter Hunted, really interesting that some “failed” or not-quite books led to big scripted series success in a rare instance or two.

I remember the school confrontation involved Dennis participating in the school run. Contentious relationship and that’s the wannabe sole decision makers decision? I would completely believe Bethenny would try and reduce visitation on whatever basis if she got her sole custody wish. I think Bethenny really should have tried to have a child strictly on her own. It’s not a criticism - I have two friends that did so, and it has worked out well. I also have a friend who split with her child’s dad and she’d kill for the opportunity to have him want to be involved. I know this is pat but we’ve IMO seen much more of Beth and she seemingly prides herself on not compromising. It’s the inverse of how it should be.

I agree and I understand his reasoning. I cannot understand at all why Bethenny is apparently relentless in going for full custody and fighting joint custody so ferociously. Bryn has two parents and the good fortune of two living grandparents she has strong relationships with (since Beth and Bernadette play “she’s dead to me” in the press every two years or so.). It’s deranged to strip minor children of loved ones. I don’t understand this at all. And I cringed when I read about Jason’s move - but what can he do if he has a reasonable fear of losing equal access to HIS child over nothing?

The thing is - and please trust I have worn my fingers out criticizing Bethenny - Dennis signed the RHONY releases, did pap strolls with her, and entered their relationship with eyes open. There is nothing to suggest to me that she controls all relevant, pop culture covering press, so coverage with her as his girlfriend (to a married man) is correct - and Jill is mentioned there too. I don’t see this as B’s “fault” for lack of a better word. I also don’t see where Beth has engaged in a SM pissing war- Jill, though, absolutely. And I can’t believe I’m saying his because I could still today criticize B. for that Bryn’s pj’s post and a ton of other crap. She posted one pic, and not instantly. Jill, nope. I don’t see how this is currently a both-sides thing. I would be wrecked to be, as Alonzo so aptly put it, vaporized in light of the death of a man I was perhaps going to spend my life with - I don’t think Beth is going to deal with it easily or well. I hope I’m wrong. Film Noire, that quote you posted showed a good side of Dennis. A shame he created a good Instagrammable life for himself and his family on the backs of the vulnerable.

I can beat this! Beth’s dress was modest, tasteful, and appropriate in design (Victoria Beckham?) but hot dog is it tight. She’s built like a tween athlete with big implants but...up a size is not an offensive phrase. Separately, I am also open to the idea that Dennis’s wife’s “side” or people could be floating stories. I think the theory that they may not have divorced to keep a forensic accounting permanently at bay is a good one. Law Cash is apparently super great for covering happy family European vacays for 6, and can pay for many Permanently Surprised “procedures” as sported by a $$$ girl of a certain age in parts of the tri-state, to boot...then again, maybe Beth hasn’t learned her lessons from Jason, that tabloid bs can hurt both the leaker and the leakee.

Oh God, if Bethenny’s pushing a “secret engagement” story...the attention, resolution, coverage, isn’t likely to work for her at all. Not smart or good.

Vicki’s face looks like she draped one, Hannibal Lecter’s escape-style, over her own jowly, falling “original” face.

I personally have no problem at all with Beth's picture of Dennis and Cookie. I have every problem with his widow's Instagram snaps and controlled mourning narrative given her decades of enjoyment and co-exploitation of the lifestyle afforded by Dennis's amoral, disgusting business practices. Beth earned her cash without engaging in what we've discovered about the Shields business. To hell with that. And I'll say no more, nor engage.

Cassandra - rightmost- has an amazing haircut. She really carries that Audrey Halle Winona vibe, classic and ultramodern. Ryebread I think posted how Cassandra put her $80 million house on the market recently and LOOK at how perfectly casual she looks! She’s got that Jen Aniston magic going on. Sam Ronson also looks adorable, as is that baby boy. Carole, DUDE. I like experimental, extra fashion. But...damn. How would an option work in publishing? Is Carole getting paid for another party snagging The Widow’s Guide, is that only potential cash, or is it kind of just a fantasy now, best as one can guess? Mondrianyone, would you be able to tell us?

This, the Tinsley comment, many other moments too numerous to bother mentioning, show me that Carole is an insensitive, self-satisfied and stunted person. Cold. And in that vein - I could not care less that we’ve apparently just hit some anniversary of the deaths for her. She’s at Vaucluse, smizing and finding her angles and posing with Cassandra Grey (separate pic obviously) and emanating You Can’t Sit With Us in every post, IMO. She’s not that deep (was she ever?), so I don’t need to be as far as she’s concerned, really.

It was a vicious, vile thing for Carole to say to Tinsley. A coward's sucker punch, and reminiscent of what disturbed me about I Am Heather T: Heather's seemingly out of nowhere aggression with Kristen, who, to be clear, was handling her child's extra needs essentially alone, who also rappeled down a mountainside, and who did a better job on the Spartan race (Heather got scared off by at least two of the challenges). (Um, I also think if she wanted to, she could have completed the marathon more quickly than Heather.) My regard for Carole ain't been much lately but the comment to the Tinz is completely unforgivable IMO, and extremely telling.

I love Carole's hair, style (the necklace thing....love) and original couch upholstery in these gifs. I'm interested in her post-show life. Her Cali set seems viciously superficial, and she's done little as far as what's been shown on RHONY, IMO, to keep her writing, editing, producing and even thinking muscles in good shape. Once you can craft a compelling story, on some level hanging constantly with dopey-mean stylists and obsessing about your wardrobe and little else must be depressing and boring as hell.

I don't know what to think about the implosion of Frankelwill. Bethcarole. Carenny doesn't work; they are both solipsistic AF. Anyway. They were friends 'till the end until they weren't. I do call b.s. (ugh, and now I need to apologize to Emma Gonzalez) on the idea that Carole somehow got a surprise burn from Beth: Carole was right there for the truly repulsive attitudes they had towards Jules, and I'm glad Jules is over it with Carole, but I'm not and won't ever be. That small little moment when Carole had to decline giving blood due to her being underweight due to the marathon training reminded me instantly of the Jules storyline (I'll admit this is random) and I felt all that old revulsion, and my own certainty that gruesome twosome B&C were both unmoored at no longer being the undisputed underweight champ of RHONY. At least Beth's issues are out there on this tip. For me, this breakup is not really like Jill v Beth, with Beth in the red-haired loudmouth role. Jill was the insecure mother hen, like Carmela to Meadow in the middle of The Sopranos, when Tony (Bobby? Nah) was genuinely befuddled as to why Carm wasn't joyous when Meadow finally got her groove at Columbia. Beth thought of Carole as her peer - her only peer. More lustrous social and professional ties than Holla. Skinny. Fashion-obsessed. Some money. Notable and occasionally controversial romantic life. Wit. So I really believe that this fracture really hurt Bethenny even though much of it is her frigging fault! And consequently I also believe Carole's social game-playing and I'm Hurting Too! (<--- Carole is a cowardly liar, please see exhibits 1-99, her TH's and tweets and blogs) total gas lighting ratfucking nonsense truly hurt Beth. Carole can walk away of course. Friendship contracts have been broken often, as Cynthia Bailey knows too well. But I certainly can't see where Carole acted with any valor for lack of a better word. She was like a chickenshit girl version of Andy Cohen. Certainly Carole seems to have stronger social ties. But....eh. I don't know. Her crowd seems like a nasty, user crowd. Adam and his bullshit with respect to Baby, Michaela, coffee. Cassandra Grey and her like, wow, Gertrude, twu wuv with Samantha Ronson, and her Goopier than Goop beauty site for the spoiled and clueless. I just...I don't see her having genuinely complex mutual friendships with people. She and Andy - and their friendship makes much more sense to me now - can cruel-snark their way into the sunset, making comments about people being fat or somesuch.

I never thought I'd feel this way but I like Kelly a little -she's always close to the beach and doesn't need ten thousand square feet to feel like she's important. Smart lady. I legitimately think she likes being Jolie's mom, probably wants her ex to move on, and is not self-pitying. I can't say this of any other woman on this show except, it seems, Gina. Gina's promising! Smart, pretty, and a hands-on SAHM. Don't let me down, Lawn Guyland! I hate Vicki, she's a monster and cruel while also being a baby, and she is the ugliest woman I've ever seen. So nothing's new there. I really don't like Emily and think she's manipulative, entitled and ungrateful. Many - likely most - women getting fertility help don't get near her success and she knows it. She's also tacky, I doubt her legal practice brings in much (her office scene had a whiff of Coto Insurance to it), she's a braggart, and I think her marriage is a sham on her end, possibly his as well. And gee is she hard to look at and it has nothing to do with not being a size two!

I know Beth is an absolute ass-ache but it's startling how seemingly easy it is for Carole to completely not care about Beth. Cold doesn't begin to describe it.

The loser trying to play big daddy games with Sonja was an incel's version of Christian Grey, only older, poorer, greasier, less helicoptered, and even more boring and idiotic. Good gravy! What would you find if you treated him as a CSI project and doused him with Luminol? Would it be gravy, or stains from an earlier "consensual" encounter? On a positive note, thanks for signing the release, Mr. Dumbinant! Now all woman can avoid you. Cheers!

Well, it works for me. Is there like an incredibly narrow Emmy category we can nominate Beth in for those 4 seconds? Because dammit, she’s got me. (Best Snatching of Extensions? Most Truths Told Per Second? Eh.). She distilled the essence, the being, the beliefs, of Ramona and her, uh, sex appeal and methodologies of seduction. Damn you, Frankel! I have a quite young kiddo, and bedtime involves a lot of off-tune singing* of classics. Twinkle twinkle, Rudolph (year-round), Home on the Range. Don’t ask. But on occasion we get hyped on I’m A Little Teapot and I swear watching the episode I thought repeatedly of Ramona’s version: Oim a little teapot, short and stout, Here are my boobies, and here they are again and lets face it, oi have the best body of everyone in Core Fusion especially the thirty year olds. (Unending props to the person who suggested gently that Core Fusion owes the Lady Singer a refund.) *...and Lu slinks in. Chic c’est la vie. Oh MAN the Dorinda-Lu stuff coming up. Dorinda seems a thousand percent out of control. We know Sonja feeds blogs stories, whereas Lu for her many and manifest faults, hasn’t done her dirty that way. This upcoming fight seems horrible.