Sun-Bun

I LOVE this post, @HunterHunted!!! Because honestly, you hit the nail on *everything* I loathe about Ericka. And I absolutely adored her during her first season or two because I didn’t yet realize what an uptight frigid bitch she truly is...turns out Ericka is just a big phony and a jaded old stripper who doesn’t even seem to like sex unless she can sell her own bougie fantasy of sex. Whereas you know Luann just effortlessly oozes sex!! The minute she gave us the gift that was that whole “so be cool, don’t be all like, uncool” scene of her rationalizing getting some good random vacay dick was when I truly fell in love with Luann. I’m always going to remember the sexy gal in her swimsuit casually shrugging while purring, “Who cares? Shit happens...” And her arguing that she “could’ve been hanging from the chandelier” and her conquests were no one else’s business! So keep on it, Lu! Bethenny and the gang are just jealous that they’ll never have your game.

He’s also grown rather chummy with Tomi Lahren, which is when the bloom officially fell off Craig’s rose for me. And he sucks ass as the show’s new narrator; dude constantly sounds like he’s just smoked a bowl. Just as I feared, this season is losing me hard and fast; the shark has definitely been jumped in my tank. Between the idea of shlubby divorced dad Pringle being pushed as some hot single commodity and the white privilege poster clown Kathryn still being given any love, I’m over it. Leva should’ve been cast far sooner than this, because her inclusion with this group feels like way too little too late. Doormat Danni just annoys the shit out of me now. Whitney seems embarrassed to be onscreen whenever he rarely slithers onscreen. Even Patricia and Michael’s antics aren’t amusing me anymore; their all too brief scenes come off as way too calculated and precious now. Shep needs to get over his damned self and quit with all his commitment-phobic bullshit already. It’s like dude, you’re over 40 now; that ain’t cute anymore and neither are you. Even George Clooney finally realized how stupid he looked with his Peter Pan fantasies and the endless parade of younger dumb girlfriends. Either be proudly single or be proudly coupled up, but he can just stop with the whole “we’re together but she’s not my girlfriend; and she better be COOL and not mention marriage because that’s SCARES ME AWAY” shtick, which is as tired and lame as his entire wardrobe. My respect for Cameron has somewhat deepened since she was wise enough to protect her family/reputation and jump off this Titanic before it sinks. Although I can’t completely respect her constant Instagram schilling now; she’s further proof that most people only want to be on reality shows nowadays just to become instant Influencers. Speaking of which, Madison is just your typical tired reality show ho; she’d be just as comfortable on the set of “The Bachelor.” She’ll just keep pushing those endless ads on her own Instagram too; at least her son seems cool and well-adjusted despite her ongoing fameho desperation. I’ll watch this show until its bitter end though, just because I love seeing the little bits of Charleston daily life featured that much. But I’ll be damned if it’s sadly dawned on me that I’m 100% over these people.

Sorry @OldButHappy, didn’t mean to personally wound anyone(internalizing the snark isn’t something I usually encounter around here!); I’ve worked in the SPED field for nearly 20 years and don’t consider my armchair analysis of Mary an “ill-informed stereotype” at all. I’ve taught a few Mary types in my day, but it’s true, those on the spectrum are all quite different as well.

How is Mary even the same person as the pretty gal in this photo?! Yikes. Guess the congregation had a hand in not only affording her a closet full of designer goods but also assisting her with changing her entire exterior appearance. Damned shame...she looked sweet and innocent in this pic, not like a walking Snapchat filter.

That’s a very smart and much wiser approach to the use of Facebook than for most of us, @annzeepark914! Facebook can be a very positive and healthy experience if you limit your use and keep it among a trusted few folks, for sure. Wish I’d been smart enough to do just the same...I’ve made the mistake of allowing coworkers to find and friend me there(even though I don’t ever put my actual workplace on there), because I didn’t want the awkwardness of having to explain myself. Should’ve stuck to my guns because now I get to hear their reactions to my pics/posts there around the office, see which coworkers are being petty and excluding some of us from their own little social get-togethers(pre-Covid, of course!), see their occasionally baffling political views. I just pop on Facebook maybe once a day anyway, just to really do a quick family/close friends check-in. Instagram seems to be far more my jam these days: pretty pics and funny stories are so much more immediate and less reactive there.

@PhilMarlowe2 I wondered about this myself, no shade! At first I thought she was your typically smug, garden variety narcissist(who are naturally cast on these shows for good reason), but given her odd disconnect with the reality of her marital situation, her bluntly rude commentary concerning Jen’s aunt along with her complete lack of compassion for Jen, and her oddly stilted speech pattern/coldly self-absorbed demeanor, I’m wondering if she’s actually on the spectrum. She seems to display all the typical behaviors of someone with Aspergers. And you just can’t convince me that a typical young woman in today’s American culture with a typical mindset/morals would agree to marry her step-grandfather just to secure her status as a wealthy “First Lady” of her church, arranged marriage/dying grandmother’s request or not.

Random pet-peeve: So I’m a member of a Facebook celebrity gossip group, and lately some of the newer members on there get super nasty if you dare say anything less than glowing about their favorite celebs. Recently I had one cuckoo randomly post my own pic on there and make fun of my own appearance for daring to question the looks/merits of her own favorite female celebrity before I finally had to report her and get her banned from the group(to which I merely responded to her repeated attacks, “Welcome to my fan club, psycho.”). That was just creepy as Hell and oddly unsettling, which also makes me very grateful that this site is so well-moderated in comparison and that there’s zero tolerance for posters attacking other posters on here. Anyways, it just irks me that some people are so militant about differing opinions and take it so damned personally to the point of reverting to name-calling/personal attacks if you dare question their own preferences, *especially* when it’s on a snarky celeb gossip website! (Same goes for when you dare attempt to calmly discuss politics...which reminds me why I mostly stay away from Facebook otherwise.) And if I happen to snark on a random celeb who annoys me, I CAN ASSURE YOU that I’m not “jealous” or “just a hater.” I can also assure you that if I were a millionaire celebrity, I wouldn’t give two shits about what random strangers were saying about me on random websites. And I guess in comparison, if the rest of us are “losers with nothing going on in your lives” just because we’re not also overpaid/overrated celebrities, then I guess by that rationale 98% of the world’s population must be “losers” too. And why is there always that person who chimes in with “who are YOU to comment on his/her looks?” As if being personally attractive or not has any actual bearing on the natural commentary upon a celebrity’s physical appearance; it doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive, folks! I sometimes have to post this meme when the posters there get a little too butthurt to endure:

I remember seeing that and being totally awestruck by such a classy and kind response...despite her awkward appearance, she seems like a genuinely cool lady otherwise.

She looks like a hot tranny mess, bless her heart.(and no offense to actual trannies)

See, this is why I can’t imagine how people go on reality shows, because viewers often become so emotionally invested in that junk. You can be edited to look like a complete monster and/or a total idiot. And I’ve seen/read where reality show veterans comment on public perception and how some of them get accosted in public by angry viewers for their onscreen antics. Remember socialite Olivia Palermo’s stint on MTV’s “The City”? I read an interview with her not too long ago talking about how she’d never do reality television again because she was deliberately cast as the “villain” of the show and she hated how her scenes were edited to make her look like such a bitch.

Sorry to hear this, @SuprSuprElevated; retirement can be a tough transition for many spouses, especially if one spouse is still steadily working. I have similar fears of this since my husband is 15 years older than me and just several years shy of being eligible for retirement. I keep reminding him that just because he CAN retire, doesn’t mean that he SHOULD, and working longer is proven to be better for one’s brain and routine. He swears to me that he’d find a PT job doing something that he enjoys(pouring craft beer at a brewery or leading tours at the state museum as a guide), so I hope he keeps his word on that. So has your husband mentioned the possibility of maybe working even a PT gig or volunteering somewhere a few hours a week? Because that’s sure better for you both than him sitting around at home annoying you all day. Hang in there!

I definitely think Bethenny is in serious danger of becoming the next NeNe Leakes if she doesn’t play her cards right. NeNe bought into her own hype as well after she got opportunities outside of the show, and ended up alienating most of her former cast mates and Bravo in the process. I’m not sure how well NeNe is doing these days especially since she left the show, but somehow I doubt she’s nearly as economically stable as she’d like everyone to believe she is; her stock is plummeting as fast as her star dims. Hopefully Bethenny has a great deal of that money squirreled away and invested well for if/when Skinnygirl ever goes under, because this ongoing divorce and her bad real estate ventures could easily bankrupt her if she’s not careful.

Seriously, that is one funny-looking bitch whose stank attitude isn’t helping her face appear any better...and to look weirder than obvious plastic surgery victims/addicts like Jen and Heather is quite a feat in itself. Whoever compared her to looking like one of those big-eyed/big-mouthed Snapchat/Instagram filters was dead on!! I’m willing to give this series a chance though, despite how thirsty these bitches are straight out of the gate. They seem to have actual wealth and status and aren’t afraid to flaunt/not front their lives and their families. Meredith bugs me, for some reason...she looks nearly identical to Lisa but I’m not seeing any memorable beauty; they’re both basic/bland brunettes and the fact that I had trouble telling them apart at first was annoying... like change up your hair or something, ladies. She seems a bit pretentious though, which is rich for a woman who’s husband is obviously cheating on her. And her son is an obvious famewhore. I like Jen and found her extra-ness fun and oddly endearing. I just hope she doesn’t fall into the NeNe Leakes trap of buying into her own hype too hard. Was fully expecting to hate on Heather because she looks like a beefy tranny with bad style, but she was surprisingly disarming and likable. And I felt her when she was flummoxed by Lisa trying to ignore her at the party; nothing more annoying than shady acquaintances being rude for no real reason. Was also expecting to hate on Whitney and her renewing her vows with the older guy, but she seemed surprisingly sweet and harmless, almost like a Stephanie from RH of Dallas type. Her dad with the jet-black fright wig cracked me up though; like forget blondie, what’s the story on THAT weirdo?! Speaking of weirdos...wow, Mary is kuckoo. Like uncomfortably unstable a’la RH of NJ’s Danielle Staub; which means she’s reality TV gold!! The grand speech about her sensitivity to “smells”, the refusal to simply be a polite adult and apologize for a bitchy comment, the refusal to understand why marrying her step-peepaw is considered weird, the shameless need to flaunt her ultra-designer wardrobe...homegirl is the treasure this show needed to be interesting. Obviously she sold her soul to the devil(aka her late meemaw) in exchange for her unapologetic need to live in luxury, and it’s kinda sad because she represents everything that is NOT to be associated with someone claiming to be a “person of God.” She and her peepaw hubs are those millionaire megachurch charlatans that make me naturally fear organized religion; dunno how her appearance on this show could possibly be a positive representation of their church, but whatever...maybe she used her show’s earnings to buy some extra Chanel bags to drag to church.

I actually met both Austen & Madison a year ago at his TropHop booth at the 2019 CF&WF. Yes, I also got a shameless selfie with Austen, nerded out over craft beer with him and everything; he was super nice and we even traded some wisecracks about the show. His beer is actually *really* good, not too fruit-forward and has a nice ABV, so I was pleasantly surprised I liked it so much since I’m an admitted craft beer snob. Like Craig, I probably drank way more of it than I should’ve, but it goes down very smoothly! So I got extremely nostalgic during the recent CF&WF episode, because that entire festival is *such* a great time and Austen is very kind to anyone visiting his beer’s booth. Madison was kinda in her own world at that event and just stood in the background of the booth almost posing and/or repeatedly whispering things at him and yelping his name to pay attention to her and/or look at her phone. She’s very pretty and petite in person, like shockingly TINY in every way, but she seemed a bit like a yelping chihuahua behind him and wasn’t talking to anyone or pushing his beer at all though. So it was interesting to see her portrayed as this cool hustler saleswoman type on the show, suddenly standing up front at his booth chatting everyone up and pushing his products. I guess being an actual cast member by then made her wanna grab that quality camera time! After that CF&WF in ‘19 my husband and I were walking down King St and suddenly saw Austen and Craig stumble into a bar ahead of us; no joke, we didn’t even notice it was them until they waved back at us, which was kinda funny because they both were soooo damned LIT. I’d met Craig a year earlier at a local bar there and even got to see Naomi walk into that same bar and quickly walk out as soon as she saw Craig there(she’s also tiny in person), so I’m guessing it’s fairly easy to have random SC cast sightings if you go to enough bars downtown on King St.

I’m willing to give Leva a chance since she’s obviously been brought on to add some necessary diversity to this lily-white cast and appears to work hard as a successful local career woman. So even if she is basically Cameron’s over-sensitive mouthpiece at this point, I can’t hate on her too much because she’s actually willing to challenge the existence of someone as opposite as the vapidly non-ambitious Kathryn. Sure, Cameron had her own faults as well and was rather smugly superior in her public disdain of Kathryn over the years, but she obviously had valid reasons to steer clear of a train wreck like Kathryn; that gal is a loyal friend to no one and Cameron was wise to keep her at a peaceful distance. Kathryn turns on every female friend she’s made on this show, so I’m surprised that she’s managed to stay close to Danni this long(that looks like it might change this season though). Also, I’m super curious how Leva managed to have enough funds to build and develop her bars/restaurants at such a young age. I’m assuming she either came from money and/or had her husband to financially help and assist her with that dream as well.

Hah!! I hear ya, and I’m definitely no Kelly fan whatsoever; she’s a walking Botox addiction and a trainwreck otherwise. I just remember her last season going on and on about that special water drink company or whatever she’d helped buy into and how hard she was pushing it. Is she still pushing that junk?(damn these OC folks and their obsession with producing beverage companies of any kind)

I’ll gladly fat shame Gina because I dunno *why* her suddenly beefy ass is even still on this show looking/acting as dumpy as she does...between the bad extensions, the “sad” little condo, the lack of style and her generally slobbish demeanor/diction, the fact that she’s noticeably packed on what looks like at least 20 extra pounds isn’t even the worst of her many offenses. She also isn’t even any fun to watch, unlike similarly sloppy/hardly wealthy Sonja on NYC. My husband used to have the hots for Gina on her first season, so once he saw her this past episode he yelped in shock, “Holy shit, that gal porked out!” Obviously she’s not remotely ‘fat’ at all and I LOVE the fact that we’re seeing more realistically-sized women on the RH franchise. My point is that I don’t watch “Real Housewives” to watch dumpy-looking broads with dubious bank accounts and bad hair/clothes in sad condos full of kids lumbering around on my screen. Like even back when Shannon gained all that weight a few seasons ago, she still maintained an upscale lifestyle and was her usual oddly endearing self. I have some glam female neighbors who are better-looking/styled and living better than Gina, for chrissakes. There’s still an element of necessary escapism and aspiration with RH series. And while Emily and the new girl are both thicker than the usual size 0-2 RH’s, at least they have a certain amount of obvious wealth and/or career goals to offer and just carry themselves better. Of course, the OC really hasn’t provided much in terms of aspiration since Heather Dubrow left anyway, so I shouldn’t be too surprised to see the less than ideal likes of schluby Gina and hateful hag Kelly still on there. But at least Kelly keeps herself up physically, has some sort of professional drive and is brutally funny now and then. What’s Gina’s excuse?

I feel ya, @RealHousewife; I love the look and vibe of a manicure, but it’s such a boring ongoing procedure that I refuse to get one outside of special occasions(I much prefer pedicures). And I’m so clumsy with my nails that I usually knick them before I even leave the salon; like I’m lucky if I can make a manicure last over two days, and then once my nails start to peel I obsessively pick at and focus on them, hence the reason I don’t even want to consider gel nails(I’ve had friends ruin their nails with the constant gel procedures too). I might have to try out those nail strips too, so thanks for the heads up, @GaT & @TattleTeeny! That reminds me of my ongoing wish for the ability to glam myself up more...I’m okay with general daily makeup, but I sincerely wish I could get the hang of false eyelashes. I’ve tried and failed trying to fit them on soooo many times; they always either curl up or fall off at the ends. I can’t even seem to get the magnetic ones to work for me! I don’t wanna go for lash extensions because of the risks/expense either, so I usually have to pay a makeup artist to get my face extra glam for events. Ditto my hair; it’s naturally curly/long so I mostly just enjoy the wild look of it hanging free and messy/air-drying it, because styling products and heat is so horrible for one’s hair. But when it comes to styling it for events, I’m fairly hopeless overall. So you gals who can easily do your own makeup and hair? I admire you glam souls!

She’s such a consistent mess when it comes to fashion, from her very first moment onscreen. Her “style” is always overdone and drag queenish; but at least she owns that she’s “always overdressed.” Just learning to dress for her size and not the size she was at age 21 would really work wonders for her. Edited to add: is Austen literally the only male featured on this series that hasn’t had some sort of make-out session and/or fling with Kathryn?! Not to slut-shame because I’m just as grossed out by Shep and his ongoing bed-hopping, but good lord...either girlfriend seriously gets around or there’s a serious drought of available rich men in Charleston.

Seriously...I wish I could be happier for them too, but Brandi seemed so overwhelmed and her daughters act so bratty that I genuinely worry for that household’s sanity now. Someone snarkily commented under the Bravo announcement about it on Instagram, “STOP BREEDING.” I feel guilty that I found myself nodding over that sentiment; hope she somehow is able to reign those girls in and parent them appropriately before she loses all grip on them and they become rebellious teens.

Yep. And rumor has it from local social circles in Charleston that Shep is already cheating on her regularly(he’s still often seen out on the bar scene there with different girls).

Makes me wonder how most states have somehow managed to pass the seatbelt law so easily and most folks accepted it so readily. I feel like those laws infringe on our personal freedoms and rights far more than states requiring wearing masks in certain public areas. How does not wearing a seatbelt in one’s own vehicle harm others/infringe on anyone else’s safety or health beyond potential first responders who would likely have to assist with a messier car accident scene otherwise? And why do so many school busses *still* remain seatbelt free, if seatbelts are so essential otherwise??(I’m aware that this is a monetary issue, but still) Guess I get sore about that one in particular because I feel like it just gives the police more false reasons to pull drivers over. Like I’ve been pulled over twice in the past because of seatbelts....the first time I didn’t put one on because I was literally driving two blocks down from the building I’d just left from to re-park my car in a safer downtown parking lot(I’m still bitter over that one; that asshole motorcycle cop cost me $25 despite my explanation). The second time it was after midnight, I was wearing a wild strappy top that blended in with my belt, and the cop claimed he wanted to “make sure” I was wearing my seatbelt; I’m convinced he just wanted to “make sure” I hadn’t been drinking(I hadn’t) since he was probably looking for an easy DUI case that night. And I say all this as a firm seatbelt-supporter who won’t let anyone ride in my car without one. But I do get pissed off that it’s somehow a law that everyone has to “click it or ticket” in their own vehicles; where’s the anti-masker outrage there??

Never *ever* thought I’d say this...but Robyn rose above Monique’s bullshit like a true star. Her carefully measured and thoughtful takedown of Monique’s blubbering mess of non-apologies was a thing of beauty, and the kind of rare intelligence I live for seeing on RH. And I once really liked Monique...still sorta do. But like the once likable Dorinda raging at Tinsley on NYC to the point of canceling her own self, she picked the wrong sword to die on with this fight. And the way she kept snapping back so condescendingly at Gizelle proved just how grossly unapologetic she truly was. Gizelle is gonna be Gizelle, and her bringing a bodyguard was just the kind of messy and extra shenanigans that she’s known for, so I had to shake my head in bemusement as usual. Love her or hate her, that’s all her...but she can miss me with the Jamal image police theatrics. This was the excuse she’d been waiting for to finally conquer her ongoing shade nemesis. I wanted to side with Wendy more, but her big grandiose speech about black female representation and all was just too much. We know that she’s ashamed that Monique acted like trash on a show that is supposed to actually uplift black females. She basically said that she wouldn’t have come on this show had she known they’d be dealing with THAT stupidity. I feel her frustration, but know when to shut up and read the room. Monique has some serious issues though. She truly disappointed me with her cruel lack of remorse. Even if she’s not sorry, a respectable human would’ve at least publicly apologized by now. To sit there and defend her insane behavior to this day is disgusting; I don’t care what Candiace said, you DO NOT HIT. Period. She’s probably one of those moms who will raise her kids by telling them to hit anyone who gets into their faces as well, and that is just so wrong and so dangerous for their futures. Also, Ashley constantly bringing her baby around is annoying AF. That was no place for a baby, and it just looked way too convenient for her to let Mo hold the baby as part of her redemption attempt. Karen should’ve stipulated that there were no babies allowed in that mess no matter what.

Oh I dunno...maybe it was the SEX choker and gloved neon orange Deelite costume in her confessionals...maybe it was the multiple drunken freak outs and naked tiki torch-tossing...maybe it was the dry-hump train she started at Ramona’s party, making out with Tinsley or even their WAP TikTok dance she later orchestrated...maybe it was the angry ravioli toss?! And I say all this as someone who really enjoyed watching Leah. She made me laugh and I found her style refreshing, especially around these tired broads; she brought that HollaHeather-style energy that I’ve missed. But I also fully acknowledge that Leah is thirsty AF. She went above and beyond her rookie call of duty; though in a weird way, I still found her dehydrated antics oddly endearing. Let’s just hope it doesn’t go to her head and she comes back next season being obnoxiously smug and extra for the expectation of being extra. Lest we forget how different Sonja was in her earlier seasons compared to the hot mess she gradually has become; sometimes it’s best to come out of the gate a bit more gracefully.

And I’d pay good money to watch drunkassed Tiffany interact with drunkassed T-Rav!!!