Sunfield

I’ve just realized Bethenny is a comedian as well as a successful business person. I’d wager that may be how she got so successful. Being able to make jokes and laugh this way is very much the old style of doing business but it’s also the same thing comedians do on stage. See Kathy Griffin for instance. This is a revelation to me. I don’t believe Bethenny is trying to hurt people but that seems to be how it’s taken. Carole was the same, has been since day one on this show and writing her blogs criticizing everyone instead of saying it on camera, which they confronted her about back then. So it seems Bethenny and Carole are not so different in having a gift for entertaining word phrasing and laughing at life and all of our foibles navigating it. Jules was a gentle soul I thought. I wouldn’t mind her coming back, especially as she had a successful drink concoction of her own. I wonder what happened with that? It sounded really good.

This reminded me of the season when they flew to a private island. Luann met the Johnny Depp lookalike pirate guy? Carole was dating a musician and he stopped in one night. When she greeted him at his car below the house, she was referring to the other women in less than kind, derogatory terms. She was saying he had to rescue her. It was clear Carole thought she was better than them. I brushed these things off because of her professional background and i didn’t think Carole was mean. Hindsight and all that regarding Carole has been a bit sad.

Ohhhh this makes a lot of sense. Remembering Bethenny talking from her make up chair right before it started, she seemed to know they were nearly all against her.

Ah ok, I only follow them on the show. Thanks!

I think the Andy vs Carole thing comes down to disrespect perhaps. I was thinking of professional debates or a prominent person giving a speech, or even being in a movie theatre. When that one person in the audience or on the team doesn’t turn their phone off or heckles someone in a professional environment. I wonder if Andy took it from Carole as a sign of disrespect and even sabotage of his show. To top it off, she later told him he’s full of it while filming. That’s two strikes from Carole publicly toward Andy. Now, if she was also difficult behind the scenes or during the season, Andy might have already found her causing too much stress for him to get his product (the season) done and out the door. Maybe that look and his attitude with her had been building behind the scenes. I wonder if we will ever find out. He does look done in terms of this show with her. Maybe they’ll be able to stay friendly after.... ?

Part of it might be her business connections and associated wealth. She’s a great draw maybe for potential new housewives too? I dont know really. Andy doesnt do things out of kindness of his heart. Whatever his reasons I don’t think it’s genuine love or friendship with Bethenny. It’s a jointly lucrative business arrangement for them both. Regarding turning on Carole, same reasons. Everyone is business and fodder for Andy.

“Satchels of gold! ... Al Sharpton!” ? I have fond memories of that episode

Different perspectives make the world go round. I see in Bethenny a woman who took responsibility for her life and dared to strive to support herself and be successful so she was safe and had a healthy happy life without toxic mean people. Everyone she leaves behind is pretty terrible. She has lots of friends but they’re all independent women, even the married ones. Eg. Kyle Richards on RHOBH ... 20-30 years friends. Kyle is also successful. See? B leaves bad people, not decent people who own their actions and genuinely try to be kind and true. So why why all the toxic people in Bethenny’s life? Well, look at all the clips on this episode of her being kind and supportive of each of the women at different times. She had no filter. Bethenny was there for everyone, even toxic people. Problem is when someone is in pain right in front of you, it’s hard to not want to comfort them right? So Bethenny did, and those same people have all gone on to trash her. I’ve never liked this false claim about people having no friends. Women leave abusive relationships often and often lose everyone they knew in the process. Considering everything about B, she’s good in my book. Onward... I’ve finally watched this episode and it’s tiring. So much fighting. To me it looks like everyone except Sonja and Tinsley are unhappy that Bethenny doesn’t let them get close or at least not anymore. The universal exclamation they uttered when Bethenny thanked them for donating to her foundation despite hating B was something to see. They don’t want to be held accountable for their own failings and accusations but they expect Bethenny to be. They call her a name, toss an accusation, Bethenny usually addresses it, takes responsibility, and apologizes if it’s needed. That’s the problem it seems. Bethenny can dish it AND take it but they can only dish it, so it makes them feel bad about themselves. This is why both Sonja and Tinsley aren’t in the fray. They can also dish and take it and now, so does Lu. I hope next season for some cast changes. Got it now. Team B all the way here. She’s not a narcissist as much as they want her to be. This is entertainment tv and she’s keeping it alive right now. If they want their jobs to continue, they have to show they deserve them. I think Carole got fired because she clearly showed she can’t take it. Smart firing. Ramona tends to turn if it seems feasible so it will b interesting to see if she tries, again, to apologize to B. Problem is, Bethenny is wise to Ramona now and she’s not playing. That’s why Ramona is upset. This show is tough to watch... I want to see happy vacations and coffee dates with women who get along and who are emotionally healthy, or at least working to that end.

Fair point and I’d forgotten it! Yeah at the time Bethenny was much like Holla Heather Mama when she first joined the show. When you’re starting from an underdog position, it seems common to go in this way. Kelly made it worse tho. Kelly isn’t better than B, if anything they are more alike than Kelly knew.

I’m speaking to Carole’s possible PTSD and it’s effects. I don’t track Bethenny anywhere, I just watch the show and that’s it. I don’t find either one of them a perfect human and believe they’re both at fault here. Nowhere did I say B was single handedly saving PR. I said she was busy with her efforts in PR. I did say I was posting my “unqualified thesis” .... ie. it’s a message board comment, not testimony in court with exhibits of evidence.

I’m watching this tomorrow but to speak to this... Adam met someone else,then dumped Carole. At the same time Bethenny stopped inviting Carole to her Hamptons house on weekends last summer because she was busy with Puerto Rico and Carole was not supportive. Bethenny thought she was honouring Carole’s need for space but Carole took it as B distancing, then flipped it and started gaslighting Bethenny instead. It was nuts. bottom line - Carole lost her husband and two friends within 2 weeks 19 years ago. This season, Carole lost Adam and Bethenny at the same time nearly. I think Carole may have ptsd and this season triggered it. Eg. She ran a marathon her husband ran and checked his score too. I remember the first season Carole was on. All this time she’s been trying to get past trauma I think. Sadly, trauma just rests, it never goes away. I don’t like her but this is my unqualified thesis on Carole. I genuinely hope she feels better once this is all behind her. I wish the same for Bethenny.

I don’t know anything beyond what we see of Scott. I think he’s immature probably, insecure a bit too, and he doesn’t want to or maybe know how to do a relationship. Tinsley is doing all the heavy lifting, he just pays for it and does whatever else she says until he doesn’t have it in him to fake it anymore. That’s what I’m guessing anyway. If Tinsley is in need of money, that would explain why she jumped on Scott. I feel a bit sorry for him. She’s fine for her speed but I don’t think she’s what he needs ultimately. I don’t know.

I’m surprised by all of this from Jill Shields. Only because I’m recalling Bethenny at a reunion calling one of his daughters ... I’m lost on this. Wow. Also I wish she hadn’t gone to the funeral. Everyone makes good points. This is such a mess wow

I watched back then and agree with this up until Bethenny being framed as far too damaged. They were very different but they didn’t know how different because Jason was way more attached to his parents than anyone knew. She was a freer spirit and he was so not but there wasn’t clear signs of it going in. Once they married, Bethenny started figuring herself out in relation to his family issues and then, he threatened her. I forget what he said but she shared it when their split was in early days. It was lights out on the relationship once he did that because that’s a psychotic unsafe person and she knew it. So she did what most women know now to do - bolt asap. She got rich during the marriage and credited him in early days. B is an independent woman who had horrific parents of her own. From day one she has been someone who holds herself accountable and seeks therapy to work on her issues. She’s got new issues now but given what she’s experienced with Jason, it’s no wonder. Also her career has been hot since it took off. That’s a lot all at once and it’s showing. She wants out, he needs to let her go and let her parent in her way just as he will in his way when he has Bryn. I don’t like him tho and agree with Bethenny. I'm sticking up for her because she tries and never stops trying. She falters, messes up, etc but she always takes responsibility and usually when nobody else does. There are psych diagnoses being thrown around here, with attending cruel statements about people who have them, and it’s blowing my mind so adding my two cents. Bryn is a product of her parents. However she turns out is up to her. Bethenny will not raise a person who isn’t accountable. Bryn will be who she really is, good or bad, because Bethenny will want that for her even if it hurts Bethenny.

I think Bethenny faces her feelings dead on every time. She learned to in therapy it seems. That’s why she’s successful. That’s also what drove Carol around the bend because Carol always runs from her feelings or denies she has any feelings. The apartment renovations are a hobby she enjoys as a creative outlet. She’s got decorating talent but I don’t tend to like the layouts entirely. She’s good at this. Being rich, hobbies tend to be expensive. If she were a man she’d maybe buy cars or a boat.

To which Bethenny might say “Carolyn Bissette was superficial and not strong so it makes sense that Carol misses her” I’d agree with B too. I lost all respect for Carol this season. It was niggling at me for a while but once I see it, as B did, I can’t unsee it. Last bit of this episode, Bethenny says to Carol she came in hot, it was overwhelming for B but she believed it was genuine friend interest and now realizes it wasn’t. ie. Carol is phony and a leech... the reunion is going to be fun.

Anderson Cooper is as well; note his treatment of Kathy Griffin. She thought they were genuinely friends. Anyway, Andy has made a fortune off these shows. I find him to be misogynist and sexist at varying times obviously and the rest of the time trying to cover it using the fact that he’s gay. Dorinda being this drunk on tv is not entertainment. The conversations about it as part of a tv show are pretty cruel and uncaring. All of these shows are based on Andy’s views of women and it disturbs me that none of them are aware of it or if they are, that they don’t care.

Well, I tend to roll my eyes, laugh, walk away without responding, any variation or all of them. Sandra Bullock has a great line -she said people can say whatever they want as long as it’s not true. I felt Carol shouldn’t have given it much time but then she kind of went over the top off about it, responding in kind by telling Aviva’s hubby that Aviva is not a good person. I mean wtf? Very unprofessional and weird. As for Darryl Hannah’s cats, I don’t remember BUT I remember Carol wasn’t doing any heavy caregiving - Anthony had friends and lots of private nursing and doctors. Carol, at best, had to witness it. Which... barely a year I think was he visibly and physically impaired ill enough for her to have to deal. And on one occasion she bailed on him at the hospital to go joy riding with Carolyn. It was terrible to read those parts. I know caregiver burnout, and Carol had not made nearly enough effort to meet that qualification. Ymmv of course. I’m out on this just wanted to say in light of her complaints about Bethenny, I see a pattern is all.

Yeah. She’s a disappointment. I used to like her and respect her a lot but not now. I read her book years ago, What Remains, and had similar questionable discomfort which I ignored as my being over sensitive. Since then, I’ve cared for my parents as they had cancer and both died after some years of decline. Carole’s book was a good insight and my initial instincts about her are now proven correct. She’s a selfish insecure nobody who uses other people to elevate herself. I don’t believe she wrote her book either due to how she flipped out on Aviva. That reaction was not the mark of a war journalist; that was a sign of a poser being exposed. I have the same opinion of her dear departed friend Carolyn B., wife of JK Jr. Seriously, read the book to see the real Carole. She resented and complained about her husband being sick and couldn’t handle taking care of him. I didn’t grasp it fully until I ended up as caregiver for people I loved. I was thinking about this when she remarked about Bethenny crying all the time. It recalled how she spoke of her husband and how she treated him as he was ill.