PhilMarlowe2

He is?? Damn, Kim looks so much older than the guy we saw married to Eileen. I am consistently shocked that Kim is only in her mid-50's.

I am so over Brandi. I only wish I actually liked Lisa Vanderpump so that I could actively root for her against Brandi.

I guess I just don't understand why Kyle and Lisa even want to be friends with each other at this point. They both clearly hold so much resentment towards the other and neither is getting the contrition that she wants. I guess it's worth swallowing all the hurt and anger because they share a few laughs over bad double entendres made at Lisa's terrible restaurants? Okay, have at it, girls! Their definition of friendship is clearly different than mine.

I guess that is the thing for me. I am aware that Lisa "technically" apologized for certain matters - but it was basically because Andy backed her into a corner and pulled it out of her - and, even then, it was basically, "well, I'm sorry if my words were misconstrued" rather than real ownership of her overall shitty behavior. And, on top of it, Lisa has since come out complaining that Andy was "too hard" on her at the reunion (what a joke!). I was re-watching some of the S4 reunion the other day and I had forgotten how much Kyle was reading Lisa the riot act. And she was actually dead on in her assessments: I am thinking in particular here of how Kyle called Lisa out for revising history in her blogs, how Lisa was originally on her side during the Carlton/birthday dinner debacle, but then, once things in PR shook down, Lisa suddenly started implying it was actually all Kyle's fault in her blogs. At the reunion, Lisa tried to pretend that she didn't "remember" blaming Kyle for the fight in her blog, and Kyle did not let her get away with that piece of bullshit. But did Lisa ever actually acknowledge Kyle's point? Apologize for it? No. Again, she may have conceded certain technical points ("Okay, maybe I shouldn't have made that joke in front of Portia"), but she took no overall responsibility for her 1-2 punch of stirring the pot and then playing the victim. And that's why I have now lost so much respect for Kyle. How can she just let all that go? As said in my previous post, it just seems so disingenuous. Kyle knows that Lisa is full of shit - and if she (Kyle) plays along with it, then she is equally full of shit. I actually liked Kyle better when she had a backbone and was standing up to Lisa.

I found myself more or less liking Kyle by the end of last year. She had clearly been humbled by her experiences in Season 2 and was generally giving everyone a fair chance. I even felt a soft spot for her horrible jokes. But I have lost all respect her in the way that she has completely dropped all the issues she had with Lisa last season. Their restaurant "reconciliation" was ridiculous. Kyle had beef with Lisa last year - she was seriously pissed at the reunion - and now, it's just, "Okay, let's move on." Lisa never took responsibility for anything. And yet Kyle is so happy to just sweep it under the rug and go back to laughing like old friends? It just seems really superficial and disingenuous. I can't stand Brandi for the most part, but at least she is not pretending to move on with Lisa.

Speaking only for myself, it's just a low place to go. Using a surrogate is a very personal decision - it is much, much different than, say, "he leaks stuff to the press" or "she uses her chef to do her dirty work." Adrienne's use of a surrogate has zero to do with the show, zero to do with Brandi's relationship with Adrienne, and zero to do with any kind of mean-spirited attempt to deceive on Adrienne's part. To me, this is a personal decision and should be up to Adrienne whether she discloses it or not. It's like the equivalent of someone choosing not to share with the world that they had been the victim of sexual assault and then Brandi decides she has to drop a truth bomb that that person was actually molested as a kid. Why even go there? What does it have to do with Brandi? What is she proving? It's just a nasty arrow to sling for no reason.

I think the Yolanda/higher education discussion also has to do with being in Los Angeles/the entertainment industry. It's funny because I come from the east coast - I went to a classic private prep school and an Ivy-equivalent college - and I had no issue with Yolanda's thoughts about striking while the professional iron is hot. In fact, I thought it was a refreshing, non-controlling change of pace from the neurotic fixation I saw on school, school, school growing up. That said, I live and work in Los Angeles (in the entertainment and healing industries), and let me tell you, a college education means nothing out here! I mean, I have totally forgotten about that entire "higher education" part of myself, and only when I happen to meet someone else who has happened to have gone to a good school and somehow it comes up in conversation, do I recall those days where there was even a consideration of where someone went to college or even if someone went to college. To be honest, I love that about LA - it really is a "come one, come all" type of place where anyone can arrive and work their way up. Success is here for the taking for just about anyone "if you're willing to work for it" (TM Adrienne). I think Yolanda reaped the benefits of a great modeling career and has been in an industry where so many have created amazing lives for themselves off the beaten track of normal day jobs - and she's basically saying, "Hey, if you have a chance to build the foundation for an amazing life for yourself, don't let it pass you by because you think college is the only answer!" I totally agree with her, but, again my mileage, comes from being out here in L.A.

I don't think Brandi is a wallflower and can't say no for herself, but I don't think that makes it any better of Lisa to ask her bff to go socialize with her ex-husband's mistress.

I don't know how much I believe that. At the end of the day, Lisa could refuse. I mean, what are they going to do? Fire her? Lisa puts the "Vanderpump" in "Vanderpump Rules," so it's not likely. Yes, there is obviously producer tomfoolery on these shows, but it's also clear that the cast can ultimately speak and act of its own free will. If it were me, and producers were telling me to do something that I know would be uncomfortable for someone that I claim to love, I'd just say "no." Lisa has always been someone who cares more about the dynamic of the show than the best interests of her cast mates. I remember when paparazzi asked her post-season 1 if Kim Richards should come back to the show given her stint at rehab, Lisa replied, "Yes, she has to come back - the whole cast has to come back - this cast worked!" Or something to that effect. There was not even a pretense of concern of what might be best for Kim's sobriety or mindset. It was all about what works for the show.

I don't mean to defend Brandi, but I don't think she's saying that she's pissed off about the original sit-down with Scheana (or however you spell it). I think she's saying that she willingly took one for the team and then resented the fact that Scheana kept getting shoved in her face at Lisa Vanderpump's various SUR-staffed events. Honestly, I don't blame Brandi for being bothered seeing Lisa V. help Scheana shop for engagement rings or whatever the f happened on VR. But I do blame Brandi for being an overly reactive drama queen who constantly plays the victim card.

If Brandi truly wants to move forward with Lisa, her approach to the phone call was ridiculous and childish. That said, I kind of "respect" (if you can call it that) the fact that she, unlike Kyle and Yolanda, is not completely erasing the issues she had with Lisa last year. I feel like Lisa, Kyle and Yolanda have all pretty much agreed to pretend like last season didn't happen - Brandi at least hast the balls to stand by the fact that Lisa did some stuff to upset her and that she's not going to play some weird collusion game now that a new season has started. Still, a little contrition would go a long way.

Oh God, Lisa can miss me with her latest blog. Now she is trying to claim that she was scandalized by Brandi outing Adrienne's surrogacy at the time: Really, Lisa? That was why you were encouraging Brandi with all sorts of questions of Adrienne's wrongdoings and lies? That was why you adamantly defended Brandi the entire season? Your "realizations" are certainly weak-minded, if that is the case.

The rumblings seem to be that Kim is upset that the women are questioning her sobriety and so she goes on the counter-attack by implying or saying that Harry has been unfaithful or is an absentee husband. It may be a kind of, "Well, if you want to go on suspicions and rumors, I have heard that Harry..."

Seriously. That was so eye roll-worthy. No, Lisa, people were not questioning your horrible double entendres ("You love length!"), they were questioning your "jokes" that were thinly-veiled jabs, i.e. your joke about Mauricio being seen with a younger woman. Make a "joke" about Shiva being Mohammed's high-class prostitute and see how she takes it...

I think everyone was doing their job in the Brandi/Cedric introduction. I think producers set up the photo op to get her (and Cedric) on the show, I think Brandi played along to be on the show, I think producers wanted Adrienne to bring Brandi into the fold and she did, and I think the entire cast probably knew about these machinations and went along with it because that is part of their job (which is why no one ever brings it up as ammunition against Brandi).

Lisa's blog makes no sense and sounds like typical Lisa revisionist history. In the Season 2 reunion, Brandi clearly states that Lisa came to her birthday party. She also talked about a recent meal she had with Lisa where she (Lisa) defended Taylor (as proof that Lisa's friendship with Taylor was genuine). During her debate with Adrienne, Brandi talked about how Lisa was her friend, that she had been hanging out with Lisa since the show wrapped and, by contrast, Brandi had not seen Adrienne since filming stopped and they therefore were not friends. Per the Season 2 reunion, Brandi and Lisa had clearly been spending some amount of time together.

But Porsha was the one who was rude from the get-go. Cynthia mentioned Porsha was late - it was at that point that Porsha should say, "OMG I'm so sorry, here is why I was late, etc." Instead, Porsha was all, "Well, I'm glad you could wait." with a snotty smile. Porsha clearly thought she was being cute/funny and clearly couldn't wait to joke about it with Nene. That was when Cynthia started digging into her for needing to apologize. I just can't with Porsha. I feel genuine hatred for her. Just like with Kelly Bensimon. To me, these two are the worst specimens in Housewives history - because they represent that rare combination of being genuinely mean spirited while also being incredibly dumb while also pretending to be nice people who are the victims of others. It is such a maddening combination.

I had no problem with Cynthia's OTT reaction. Porsha clearly thought she was going to be cutesy Little Ms Bitchy, not caring at all that she was an hour late and steamroll over Cynthia - and Cynthia wasn't letting it drop. Good for her. I think if you have to interact with someone as obnoxious and dumb as Porsha - and Cynthia obviously has to for the show - pretty much the only way to deal with her is show her you are not going to let her get away with her dumb, nasty antics.

Lisa says the slap happens at the very end of the season. I would actually laugh if the producers were ballsy enough to leave it on the cutting room floor a la "You just got checkmated, bitch!"

I agree. I think Lisa is a "ride or die" friend to a fault. To Lisa, friendship means defending your friend's every action even if it is indefensible. That's what she gives and it's what she expects in return. In this way, friendships really are more like alliances in the chess game of life for her. On one hand, it humanizes Lisa for me a bit because I think she was genuinely hurt by Kyle not having her back at the reunion, but then we get to see how Lisa simply will never forgive Kyle for it and bends over backwards to find new allies/punish Kyle. I think so much of Lisa's friendship with Brandi was about putting the screws to Kyle (as well as having the back of someone who had her back). Lisa ultimately gets herself into trouble by having these fake friendships of convenience where they're never supposed to criticize one another. Not that she is a victim - she creates this whole mess for herself with her usury behavior. Yeah, I always thought this off-camera exchange was about production. Especially since Kyle was so adamant about helping Camille to get on the show.

And after Brandi makes the comment about Eddie, Lisa is all, "Right, right" or some other term of agreement. To me, it is without question that the Dream Team brought this up to rub it in Kyle's face and Lisa masqueraded her part by simply "responding" to the others and "dismissing" it all in turn. As for Brandi's "heads up" comment, it's just more bullshit - the Dream Team wanted to look like they were being concerned/supportive when they were really just being bitchy. How Lisa escaped this season with so much viewer sympathy is truly beyond me.

Well, I think also mileage varies on the whole lawsuit thing. Yes, Brandi was obviously being hyperbolic when she said Adrienne was suing her since there was no law suit, but I do personally believe Brandi's explanation at the reunion that the letter said something to the effect of, "If certain demands (for silence) aren't met, we will sue Geneva and Brandi." IIRC, there was talk of Maloofs demanding sit-downs and non-disclosure agreements signed and the the threat of a lawsuit if those terms weren't met. I do believe it is very possible Brandi had to spend money dealing with that. So, I do think Brandi was indeed exaggerating and being dramatic, but I personally wouldn't say she was faking the whole thing per se, and I could imagine Lisa feeling similarly as her friend. I also think Lisa probably sided with Brandi because she likewise knew/believed that Adrienne had been planting stories about Brandi being a bad mother etc prior to the third season. All that said, I think Lisa distanced herself from Brandi, yes, because of the tampon incident, but also because she could see how horrible Brandi was being to Joyce. I think it was a combination of Brandi's real-time media antics and her behavior in the unfolding season. Lisa got a whiff of which way the wind was blowing (didn't Brandi say that Lisa said to her, "You're losing your audience?") and started making her preemptive chess moves. In that regard, I don't blame Brandi for being hurt and angry. But I do blame her for being so juvenile about it and trying to make it into something more with the dumb Schaena/tabloid/Calabassas thing.

Happy as a clam to have such a thick smoke screen for keeping his home address and sexual appetite for men two well-guarded secrets!

Weeeellllll, as much as it pains me to say it, in fairness to Gretchen, I think what the poster meant by that comment was, "Even if she were to hypothetically wear as much make-up as a clown, why should it matter to you?" (not, "So, she's wearing as much make-up as clown, who cares?"). According to perpetual victim Tamra (apparently, all her vile behavior last season was because none of the other women pulled her aside to ask how she was doing during her custody battle), season 10 will start filming in January - which feels like a late start! Looks like we will be getting a long OC gap, which gives me the sadz.

If Brandi could be the woman she was when she took Kyle's side during Carlton's "Don't you dare command me!" tirade all the time, she would be great. But those flickers of being an actual cool person have grown fewer and farther between, unfortunately.