LibertarianSlut

Thank you @biakbiak and @Marley for the quick Beau info. I don't follow them (or anyone) on social media, and I don't listen to Stassi's podcast. Forgive me, and I'm not trying to go down the rabbit hole with this, but is there any evidence that Beau is actually out there working 40 or more hours a week? I did my own little Internet search, and the Internet said that Beau doesn't have a LinkedIn profile, which I find strange, and one story reported that it is difficult to find info on him. He is not listed on his own agency's website (that I could find). I would think someone in that industry would be easily accessible and present on the Internet for their career, not as Stassi's boyfriend, which is all that seems to pop up. I get the impression--and someone feel free to shoot me down if I'm wrong--that Beau works on "projects" (no shade; I just get the feeling he's a 1099 employee), and I get the further impression that he is between projects right now, and it wouldn't surprise me if he was between projects this whole season. I only know what I see, and it seems Beau is everywhere and readily available for filming day and night. Nothing on the show leads me to believe he waking up at 5:15 every day to fight LA traffic or making other career sacrifices. I could be wrong. (This whole train of thought could also be colored by my cousins, two of whom got B.A.'s and sort of ran around LA doing "important-sounding things" when they were really glorified assistants doing very close to nothing). I am just that cynical person who, if a guy tells me he's "in finance," I take that to mean he pays his cable bill online, and "sports marketing" means he hands out Gatorade to minor league baseball players until I see evidence pointing otherwise. So I'm not completely ready to give up the ghost when I hear "commercial casting," but I'd like to be wrong. I hope this is a guy who is making his own money, living in his own place (with no help from mom and dad), who really, truly is there for the right reasons. I mean, it would be nice to see that once on this show in seven seasons...

I feel so torn because I agree with about 50% of what everyone is saying, and I see about 50% completely differently. What I agree about with others: it was nice to invite James, and he was being funny and pretty cool from what we saw. Lala, with the robe, was, I think making a power move, like a Hugh Hefner things "I'm so fabulous that I don't even need to get dressed to go out (sort of like I don't need to drink to go wine tasting), and I didn't hate it, probably because it was so camp and out there and what the fuck. Speaking of what the fuck, what the fuck were all of the women wearing? Katie's outfit, with the 90s sneakers and silk top, was atrocious. Scheana's romper would have bee ok without the thigh-high boots, Ariana looked like she was about to go riding in acid washed, ripped jeans, Brittany was dressed like a street walker that worked on a farm, Kristen's romper wasn't doing it for me (though the girl has some stems), so I guess Stassi's outfit won by default, although I don't know why such a large-bosomed woman wears an off-the-shoulder shirt with otherwise warm clothes. Is that a thing now? I thought it was funny that Scheana was able to stay cool and take Lala's advice for exactly two seconds, and then she burst into tears because Katie didn't want to talk about braiding her hair! At least the women were behaving (for the most part). Yeah, Kristen was freaking out, but there is something unresolved about her and James for which she needs therapy. It's not like she just flipped out apropos of nothing. I think she has control issues.. She is about 10 years too old to fly off the handle when she hears someone's name, or about some specific situation, but I've been in her shoes when I was younger. They did the absolute right thing: just let her go off into the wild blue yonder. There is no use in dealing with crazy at that point. I don't think Carter is the problem. I don't think he was gaslighting Kristen with those texts. I think he was just telling her James was there so that she didn't find out about it later and think Carter was keeping things. If Carter is freeloading off of Kristen, that is a different discussion, but I don't think he's abusing her. I think some of these women (Stassi, Katie) just want to take up a cause, Carter be thy name du jour. Speaking of freeloading, can someone who may be more socially media savvy than I am tell me what Beau actually does? Because I don't think he has a job. I think his job is to be Stassi's Boyfriend, and that was why he had no problem steaming her outfit a few episodes back. I was never enamored by him--I still think she can do a lot better--but when I found out he was 38 years old and seemed to have nothing better to do than to hitch his wagon to Stassi's kinda famous 30 year old star, I realized I am never going to see him in a good light. The guys' stay-cation caused all kinds of problems for me. If Peter wants to get laid, I am positive there are women sliding into his DM's all day, every day, not to mention Tinder. If he thinks he needs to, for some reason, meet a woman at a bar, he can just go to a bar, ask to buy a young lady a drink, happen to mention that he's on a TV show, and the panties will drop with gravity. Peter--as unattractive as I personally may find him to be--can get laid in his sleep. This whole thing was a set-up, and I guess if worked, because this was a really good freaking episode. I saw the Beau/Jax thing differently. I didn't really understand why Beau was there, but ok. But as soon as Jax starting freaking out (and I think Jax and Peter were coked up out of their minds on this episode, and Katie and Kristen had nibbled on several edibles in addition to alcohol), I saw Beau go rigid and I saw a thought bubble go up over his head that said, "please don't call the girls and let them ruin our time." I think Jax, being two years old, didn't have the judgment to call a Lyft and wait in the lobby like a responsible reformed cheater, so he recruited Beau to get him out of what Jax saw as a mess, but I think Beau wanted nothing to do with the situation and he just wanted to hang out. I think the coed hanging out is irresponsible and tasteless in the way they did it. No one needed to go up to a hotel room. No one needed to wait until the wives/girlfriends were out of town. If Peter desperately needed some ass, why couldn't he enlist the help of the guys when everyone was there? It seemed so shady and seedy the way they arranged it. Between Peter being all slimy in his Miami Vice shoes, Jax acting like Scarface, Beau being stiff as a board, Carter being evasive to Katie (and I kinda saw him talking to a woman on-on-one before they called him onto the balcony), Schwartz being shit-faced and also having a penchant for cheating, the only ones who didn't seem like twits to me were Sandoval (probably because he exudes exactly zero sexual energy to me) and James (probably because he was on his best behavior, (although anyone else catch him vaping really quickly?), and normally those are my two least favorite guys. Anyone know where Adam was? I bet he could have gotten there in seven minutes or less. These group dynamics are so fucked up. Everyone is worried about everyone else for the wrong reasons. Kristen is mad at Carter because of James. Katie seems slightly ticked at Schwartz because of how it looks on camera that he's hanging out with other girls, not because he might actually cheat on her again, Stassi and Brittany threatening the women who are with their men, but not asking their men to leave what is in all likelihood inappropriate circumstances...oy yoy yoy. James's brother for the win?

I thought that was a very weak finale, but... Joe Gorga was kind of the culprit here. He kept running game between Joe B and Marty until tihings came to a head. Not everyone has to be best friends. I guess Joe Gorga just needs the money from this franchise and knows which side his bread is buttered when he keeps on insisting (and insisting) that the two guys make it right at Jennifer's anniversary party (weirdo). In my world, you don't push a guy into a pool. It's assault. His phone and watch got ruined. It's bullshit. It's uber disrespectful to the hosts. Marge is a fucking con woman if she is going to complain about the way Jen treated her friend in Oklahoma if this is how she acts at Jennifer's anniversary. I don't think Marge is the devil--I loved her last year--but I do think it is the Marge Way or the Highway, and how awkward is it to ask your ex-stepson to sit down to a meal with the carpentener for whom he left your father when stated purpose of said meal is to ask ex-stepson to have better relations with your ex? You follow? Me neither. Jackie? Jackie who? Let me take a wild guess and say that she is going to put all of her cards out on the table at the reunion in order to get another bite at the apple. Girl friend has had less screen time than Danielle, and I found myself wondering on multiple occacssions last night...who is this, again? I love how Melisss and Joe are having the "values" conversation vis a vis Antonia when Antonia is 13 years old...isn't this a convo you should have had when Antonia was 13 weeks in the womb? Jennifer's kids always seem like they are the problem, but I watched really closely last night, and I realized that at least three of her kids are fine. There are like two brats, Olivia being the main one. The rest of them seem no worse or actually better than Melissa's kids, and I think the fact that there are just so many of them makes us think, as viewers, "they are monsters," when most of them seem to be ok. Unkempt, but ok (and asking why they are unkempt when their parents apparently have more money than God is a different question for a different day). But I don't think they are such horrible kids as much as I think that Jen uses the fact that Dr Evil isn't around much as an excuse not to discipline them, which makes no sense to me. I posted last week that I think that Danielle is very damaged, but they handed her what she was looking for on a silver platter by pushing Marty into the pool. Danielle wasn't even around. I theoretically agree with Teresa (yes, I did just bless myself with Holy Water) as far as bringing Danielle around. I know that if I was attending an event and I didn't want to acknowledge someone, I would have sent out an email or a group text describing what my parameters were (and I may well even include the offensive person in the email/text), and my boundaries are not to be breached. But all the bitches circling the wagons on Teresa at the party and not before, to voice their concerns about Danielle is too much. "Take a stroll," as my buddy Jeff from Princesses: Long Island would say. Also, in season one, Teresa got very angry with Danielle when Danielle criticized Teresa's husband for calling the dance instructor "gay." It was not just a Caroline/Dina whispering on the down low thing. Whether Teresa would have gotten that wound up at Danielle for telling Joe "there'll be no more talk of that," and "I'm not your wife," is anybody's guess, but I'm gonna stop Teresa with the revisionist history that she and Danielle only had a a falling out because of big, bad Caroline. They're all thirsty and grasping for this pay check and it shows.

I think it is ok to defend someone if their actions are righteous at the time, so I think defending Dorit two seasons ago is fine, because things were a lot different back then when Erica was a shark out for Dorit's blood... I thought Dorit was ok on her first season too, just because Erica was worse at times. Now I have a very low opinion of her. Telling LVP at the restaurant that she didn't read all of the fine terms of the contract...get the fuck outta here with that shit. You knew, or should have known, what to do with this "biting, dangerous" dog when you decided it was inconvenient to keep it. You made your bed, now lie in it. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I am uncomfortable with the amount of attention Teddy got this first episode. I liked Teddi as the underdog, NOT as someone who is a force to be reckoned with, someone who gets more screen time than Lisa R, Erica, and Denise (probably combined). She is just not that interesting by a long shot. Does she even live in BH? A three year old child should know to use the restroom if it's available to him. I thought urinating in the bushes was terrible in season two when I hated Kyle and thought Brandi was a breath of fresh air, and I hate it now. Teach your kids some manners, people, please! (Same with Kyle's daughter contemplating whether she should take it to Instagram that Ken was sleeping at a party. Really?) I was glad that they allowed Denise Richards to come on as "Denise Richards," as in, "duh, we all know her", as opposed to billing her as "Kyle's friend" or something. While I do not think she has aged well at all (she and Erica are really both 47? Holy Moses. Denise looks more like Goldie Hawn's contemporary than Erica's, but I digress), she seems alright so far. I do not think she has had a major career, and I know her best from Wild Things, which is not a ringing endorsement. I did think Teddi came off as incredibly disingenuous and extra when she said "winning" and then immediately over-apologized to the unfazed Denise as if she had called Denise's mom a cankerous whore. It's not a big deal. Denise's ex put a word into the cultural lexicon, and Teddi said it. Big deal. Everything has to be such a big deal on this show. Dorit DID NOT look good in that bathing suit. When she was sitting by the pool, there was just too much unflattering stuff going on. She is kind of "skinny fat," and she even admitted that her trainer accused her of that two seasons ago, so I'm not pulling it outta nowhere. I can't believe Harry Hamlin and Aaron (Denise's current husband) were both married to Nicolette Sheridan before. Small world. Too small. Anyway, I wanted to take an opportunity to comment on some of the stuff I haven't seem commented on before (and please excuse me if I am repeating shit; I am only on page 3. Everyone is so prolific and I love it). I dunno, this will probably cause some people not to like my post, but I think Kyle's heart is in a better place than LVP's, so I am going to default to her side in the absence of evidence to the contrary. I think Kyle is not very bright and is very sheltered, but she does things for the right reasons most of the time. I do believe that Erica was right, and that LVP is a sniper from the side, and--to use a word out of Lisa's country of origin--if you are absolutely "gutted" about your brother's suicide, then...maybe take some time off of your two reality shows and, um, grieve privately. Having lost a brother doesn't give you a complete pass. If Lisa took a hiatus from filming and she just stared blankly into the swimming pool, smoking Kools and drinking Maker's Mark from a highball glass day in and day out, I would care more. But if the woman is well enough to engage in petty shit like chastising her friend for not being at her restaurant/bar opening when said friend had gotten off of a plane at 4 am, I am going to kindly and with the greatest respect ask her to go jump in a lake. Anyone else think anything shady is going on in the House of Erica? Suddenly she can film at the Pasadena estate, and there are clips of Tom kissing her ass? Methinks Tom may have found himself a new 27 year old, and he told Erica what Erica told Teddi at last season's reunion: buck up or get out (or something to that nature)? We'll see. But it couldn't have happened to a more down to to earth person...

@Dee, I think Kev, especially, needs to take responsibility for Dominique because I think that all children should have a male and female role model, based on the empirical evidence that children turn out best this way. Kev is the actual father. There is no evidence from the show that Dominique was going to have a male role model, so I think Kev should have stepped up to fill that role. I have said in a past post that I don't think the parents and grandparents should disclose to the kids what their actual relationship is, because it would be too weird, but if Kev wants to throw around a ball or have a man-to-man chat, he has a son with whom to do that, even if he's only "Uncle Kev" to the son or something. I think Vee has a responsibility, because she put a lot of pressure on her mom to get impregnated in the first place. Her mom would never have had the baby if it wasn't for Vee. I don't get the impression that Vee's mom is especially rich, so I am saying that Vee can kick in some money for daycare tuition or a bicycle for the kid that she had a great hand in bringing into this world before she gives charity to additional children. I just think it's such a character flaw that Kev was going to step up and take care of someone's kid whom he didn't even know was his when his wife showed up, and Kev took this big stand against Vee that he was going to take care of "his" kid, regardless of what Vee thought, without even ensuring it was his kid. He was even talking about putting his wife in an apartment. I thought that was a total betrayal of Vee. Now he has a kid that he does know is his, and he pays the kid dust. It's not fair to my mind. That's just how I view it. I think I hate Kev pretty much the most, because he went from being this cool season 2 guy who was nonjudgmental who could give Lip advice on Mandy and move it along, and now he is just a cartoon character. I hate Vee for enabling him. I was never more happy than the season when she left him because he put her on the back burner because he couldn't let a freaking baby cry in a crib for a few moments. Now that they're back together, I guess I hate them together, so I criticize them a lot. I thought Vee was so much better off without him. If Vee's mom comes on the show and says that she wants Kev and Vee to have nothing to do with Dominique, I would revise my opinion, but I haven't seen it yet.

Agree to disagree about Kev and Vee--maybe I'll start giving them an iota of respect when they take an iota of responsibility for Dominique, Kev's other son, but we'll have to see. I was referring to the woman--about whom we know nothing--calling the cops about the lemonade stand, just to clarify. When they first showed the lemonade stand, I said to my husband that I thought there was an unspoken rule that you only operate lemonade stands in front of your own home. This wasn't a racial thing until Fiona, pissed off at the world and completely hammered, made it one. There is no evidence from the show that the woman wouldn't have called the cops if the kids were albino, so I'm really not going to pursue the line of thought of an angry drunk. I also said that Fiona has a sense of entitlement, not that she's entitled. Just right off the top of my head, I can list several examples: her thinking that she didn't belong in jail for Liam ingesting the coke because she didn't do it on purpose (which is so beside the point), her thinking she call yell at people at Patsy's when she's drunk, thinking she's entitled to dictate to Ian how he should handle his criminal defense, thinking she can demand that Deb get an abortion when Deb already told Fiona she wouldn't saddle her with Frannie, her treatment of her husband both with the cheating and the ring, thinking she is entitled to steal Ford's toolbox, et cetera. Just because someone pays a price doesn't mean they don't have a sense of entitlement. It's apples and oranges to me. If I think I'm entitled to someone's car, so I take it, and I get thrown in jail, and then when I get out, I think I'm entitled to live in somone's beach house, so I squat there until I get caught...yeah, I've got whopping sense of entitlement. It almost makes it worse if I pay a price and I still don't learn IMO. I will kindly ask you to direct your comments at the show, not at me, and please refrain from characterizing me as someone who doesn't want to hear about freedom of assembly. Thank you. I am one of the biggest First Amendment proponents I can fathom. However, there are time, place, and manner restrictions on speech and assembly, especially when it is commercial speech and/or assembly. It was probably a violation of a local ordinance to open and operate a commercial venture on a residential street. The children were blocking the woman's ingress and egress. Do I think it is a triable offense? No. I would call the cops so that they could tell the kids to "move it along" just because I don't like to confront people. My dad is a retired NYC cop and he has told me that there are people who will just hit you right in the face and bust out your teeth with no or almost no provocation, so...I'm not standing up to anyone if I can just dial a number and have the situation dealt with. Aside from the physical, I simply don't want to get into words with strangers either. It's not my MO. Before we got married, my husband and I lived in Florida and our neighbors below were being really loud after 1 am. He calmly went down and asked them to be quieter, and the young women started screaming that he better get off their property when he was nowhere near their property. The property manager told us after the fact that we just should have called the police instead of having a confrontation. So...long story short...everyone comes at these things with their own perspective and experience. If we are just projecting onto this woman, maybe she tried to confront people in her past, and people have told her she was wrong, and that she'd better call the police from now on.

I think the problem with Kev and Vee is that they're very ignorant and they chose to bring kids into this world, and they choose to associate with kids and to try to teach them, and they are remarkably bad parents/role models. Kev is at least very stupid. I don't know what Vee's excuse is. All I know is that they missed the boat big time when they let Svetlana out of their lives. She was sharp, and she is missed. I find Fiona as ignorant and odious as Vee, but Fiona didn't really choose kids. She kind of had these kids foisted upon her, so I give her a little bit more leeway. Her sense of entitlement is off the charts though. I'll never forget when Liam overdosed on the cocaine that she allowed in the house, and she kept insisting how she was not guilty, because she didn't let Liam do the coke on purpose. I am not sure I read as much into the lemonade stand/let's go bash some heads in showdown. I think the woman should have called the cops, because there is no telling what a person will do (Exhibit A for the people: Fiona). I know that if I ever saw an altercation outside my house, I would call the cops. That's why I pay tax dollars. So that I don't have to go outside and tell some guy to stop screaming at his girlfriend, only to get my teeth slapped out of my mouth for trying to help. It's easy to say "don't call the cops" since we know Liam. This neighbor didn't know a thing about Liam. I ain't fucking around with strangers. I don't know about y'all. I don't really credit the show with "talking about" what is sometimes viewed as a taboo topic if all they are saying is nonsensical drivel. Sometimes I find "dialogues" to be highly overrated.

Sorry, I snipped your post not cause I didn't think everything you had to say was awesome, but just so that my post wouldn't be a page long lol... I am 100% convinced that this is producer machinations, but just pretending it is real for one second... Whitney has said in the past that she "love being fat." You know what I would love? If I had the income to support payments on a Lamborghini Diablo, or if I could run a six-minute mile. You know what wouldn't bother me (knowing that it would be covered by insurance)? Is if i did achieve those tings, and someone graffitied a poster about me that read, "fit, luxury car driving bitch." I'd be like, "damn straight! And I'd definitely take some selfies with the graffiti, laughing before I made the insurance claim. If people are hating on you for what you love, who gives a shit? It's not something she's supposed to be sensitive about. She "loves" it............... If we were living in a parallel universe and there was a show about a woman who was underweight and loving it, and it was called "My Big Skinny Fabulous Life," I have a feeling that the star of the show wouldn't be crying, unless it was for attention or for ratings. Whitney just does not strike me as the type of person who gets worked up into a lather about property crime for its own sake. She was not crying in a "there goes the neighborhood" or "what have we come to" type of way. It's all self-pity, which, what is there to feel pity about? It's cause she doesn't want to be called fat, or shamed for being fat. So, stop lying about it. Whitney. Honey. I don't know where that "marine friend" of your dad's came from, but hold on for dear life (not literally, as in not letting go of his hands and sort of forcing him to kiss you), but figuratively. This is by far the best guy that has come by in a lonnnnnnngggg time, and work your southern belle charm and don't let him get away. He has a work ethic, he's sweet, respective, he's a family man, and he will even put up with your pussy. He is 10x the man Buddy is, with 100x the future. I had to laugh out loud when Babs asked him if he had mommy issues or daddy issues. Holy inappropriate! Funny from the charming Babs, horrifying if it would have come from Whit. Go figure. @Mahamid Frauded Me, thanks for helping a gal out!!

I don't have a slew to add, as it sounds like Jennifer's "red-themed" anniversary party is being set up as the finale, and at this point I am just letting the women amaze/amuse me, but I do have to say that this episode was so chock-full of excitement that the other franchises need to take note: "Jer-ZEY's back, all right," (sung in the same tune as "Backstreet's Back," but in a slightly higher tenor). As an attorney, legal practitioner, and just as a viewer of life, I will say that Dr Evil is a public figure, and it is not actionable to sue someone like Marge, who was making catty commentary on the situation. Dr Evil would have to prove a bunch of things, and I am not going to go into it further, but sometimes on this board we act as if every untrue/mean-spirited comment is actionable, and it's not. And to that I say thank God, otherwise, I would be sued right and left! (If anyone wants to disagree with me, that is fine, and I agree to disagree off the bat). I just did want to say that "children are off limits" or however Melissa phrased it, may have come from a good place, but I don't know the logic behind the idea that adult ex-step-children should be off limits from discussion. They are offspring, but not children. I think, if anyone said anything abhorrent, it was Caroline in season 2 who said Danielle's children have dead eyes (at the time both were minors). If one wants to argue that is off-limits I will hear them (and then probably resume discussion of said "off-limits" children), as I comment about what is on the show. I am never going to be that ultimate "Danielle defender" that she is probably combing these boards looking for, lol, but I tend to call a spade a spade, and all she said during season 2, when both her and Teresa's girls were modeling, was that she didn't find Gia to be competition for Christine, as Gia is "four foot." Not the most cutting jab I've heard about a 10 year old...I am scared of Danielle, and I would not like to cross her path. I feel that she is so needy and damaged that she finds any expression of independent thought that does not line up with her dogma to be a threat, and she throws away good people (Marge) when she really does not need to. Having said that, I think it is a result of childhood issues, and I would love to see her off this show and in a good course of therapy. To me, she's not Pol Pot. She's just a really fucked-up woman who can use some help. Also, if we're talkin about eating disorders, which seems to be a theme, isn't it a form of anorexia to keep cutting out food groups so that you can eat virtually nothing? I have seen Danielle do that quite regularly this season. Not that I would call her on it...

I can't stand how every time Jax is on WWHL, Andy gushes about Jax's weight loss and tells him he's "back to season one Jax." First of all, has Andy seen Jax in profile? More like season one Pinnochio. In addition, Jax is not as cut or as thin as he was season one by a long shot. I am afraid Jax has fallen into that unfortunate category of men like Alec Baldwin and John Travolta whose head has just grown, and until that shrinks, I'm not seeing any form of the "old Jax." I just can't believe the woman is not even sixty. To me, she resembles a Dianne Feinstein (who is 85) that took slightly better care of her skin and got a few more nips and tucks along the way. I am not age-shaming, I am looks-shaming: Lisa, when the area where your neck meets your clavicle resembles a vagina, and the skin above your elbow is wrinkled as a shar-pei , it's time...to not to dress like you dressed this past episode. It's elitist bullshit mixed up with the fact that her name is on the show. If Lisa were not rich and/or famous, no way would anyone put up with her. I wish Lisa would pull an Akeem from Coming to America and just take one day or one week to present herself as an average Joe. Suddenly the laughter at her jokes might die down, and all of the comments about how hot she is from men 30 years her junior might die away. Why not do an Undercover Boss type thing? Too scared of the results? The outdoor neon sign that only lights up the "T's" and not the rest of it? Whom ever's artistic choice that was needs to be be taken out back and shot. As far as the decor, it looks exactly the same as the rest of Lisa's establishments. When my post-college colleague and I used to discuss our respective wedding plans, she was adamant that "I refuse to make my wedding rustic, as that has been so overdone." She kind of described all of Lisa's restaurants to a T as to something she didn't want. So...some 24 year old from Traverse City, MI knew TomTom was dated back in 2017. Why can't the sophisticates of WeHo see how awful it is? And I don't care if it makes money or not. McDonalds makes a ton of money. it doesn't mean it's tasteful, or artfully planned. And I'd need to see TomTom's balance sheet before I believe it's making money. I find some of the most unpopular characters intriguing. It doesn't mean I like them. I even like some of the most unpopular characters that some people excoriate up and down. So, to each his own. I find something redeeming about James, even if it's only his elvish features, or the fact that I naturally root for the underdog. I am a Kristen fan, so go figure. And I found myself liking Jax and Stassi only upon everyone turning on them. So...that's what makes a horse race I guess! I feel like this show absolutely lost its stride. It reached a pinnacle around seasons four and five, and now there is just too much Lisa, too much production, too much fakery, too much "let's promote Lisa in every form imaginable" bullshit. It has fallen so far from Jax stealing sunglasses in Hawaii in my opinion. The only thing I like about this season is that all the gals that I consider characters--ya know, the ones in the openinig sequence--Stassi, Kristen, Brittany, Katie, Ariana, Lala, and Scheana (hate-love is still love, right?) are on the same side. It will be quite rewarding to see Billie Lee excluded from the girls' trip, but to have no one to whom to "play the trans card," as Lisa has no say in this venture. For anyone who watches Arrested Development, I feel like Michael Bluth to Lucille when I admonish Billy Lee in my head: "just be nicer." Not that I care if Billy Lee is nice. I find some of Billy Lee's machinations to be funny. But I do feel that not being invited on the girls' trip is a fine comeuppance for Billy Lee. When Billie Lee gave Billie Lee's story, Billie Lee said that Billie Lee grew up in Iowa, and it was good and bad. I have a feeling the people of Iowa with whom Billie Lee associated are happy to let WeHo have Billie Lee...

Was I the only one whose episode of VanderPump Rules that was preempted by an informercial for Tom Tom?

@ZaldamoWilder, I agree with your whole post. It's so funny. I just can't quote it because I'm at work, and the gifs could cause a partner or two to misread the fact that I am actually doing important work here lol. But I am totally with you when it comes to girl friends--hell, even strangers--being able to say, "you were wrong" and someone being able to say, "yes, I was wrong" back. Otherwise...how do we get back on good terms when one of us did wrong? I took Kim's read of Marlo to totally be that Kim was implying that Marlo had multiple abortions, which, no judgment on the issue at hand at all, but pretty good as a clap-back to "three babies by three daddies" in my book. I was watching a Madea movie that was produced by Roger Bobb a few weeks ago, and it brought me back to most of season....was it season six? The one with the sleepover. That "sleepover" might have been my favorite event ever recorded on this show, but Nene was dead wrong. It was the wrongest I ever remember her being. Starting by slamming the door in Kenya's face. I had forgotten about Demetria until you brought her up. I got her confused with Mynique and her relationship drama that kind of unfolded right alongside Demetria's. Those were the days. I completely forgot about the Nene-heckler scandal until you reminded me. I think Nene showed remorse in that instance, if not sorrow (but if I'm being completely frank, it's not obvious to me that she did anything so wrong, as I tend to give comedians a lot of leeway, like a ton), but it was more like a remorse for herself, not like a genuine remorse. I guess the question still stands as to whether Nene Leakes has ever issued a genuine apology! (If anyone can remember Lisa Vanderpump offering a genuine apology while we're on the topic, all of my sincerest thanks to you). Also, I was cruising Amazon Prime for something to watch with the husband last night, and I saw a little square for Clockwork Orange, and I almost fell out, because it showed the eyelashes, and now I finally know what a poster upthread was referencing when they asked if Eva was going to stop with the Clockwork Orange eyelashes. Better read than anything I've heard from Marlo thus far!

Ooh, good one. I think Nene was much more conciliatory toward the beginning of the series. She was more good-natured, and she rolled with the Sheree and Kim drama much better. The closest I come to remember her sincerely apologizing or reflecting on her own behavior was probably when Nene got in Peter's face and accused him of getting into women business and she called him the B word. I think Cynthia was genuinely prepared to end the friendship at that juncture, and Nene knew it, and she kind of came back and ate a little crow. Other than that...I got nothin. She's very sweet around her granddaughter...? And she does mend fences. She gets to good places with people with whom she's disagreed (Phaedra, Kandi, Sheree, Kim, Kenya, Porsha, Marlo, Eva) But it's very rare that she will apologize, which I feel a little sorry about. I love the ability to admit when I'm wrong and move on. It feels good. Sometimes it feels good to apologize to someone. If you go through life thinking you're the victim of circumstances, it can get lonely. I think Nene is probably feeling alone right now. I heart Claudia Jordan too. Probably my fav RHOA ever, even though she only had one season, so who knows what would have happened after that? Did she get fired or quit?

When Marlo tried the "three kids with three different baby daddies" thing with Kim on the S4 reunion, Kim shot back with some offshoot of, "I don't make the same choices as you. If we made the same choices, you would have more kids than I do," which I thought was good at the time. I didn't realize what a waste of life Kim was back then. I thought Eva was good on the bus against Marlo, and I definitely could have used more of their arguing than seeing Shamari talk to her kids (as I've stated multiple times this season, I don't tune in to see people talking on the phone)), but I'm not sure if Eva owned Marlo as much as it's been made out by Cynthia and others. Damn editing. The smoking/breastfeeding comment was one for the ages, and I have to give Eva credit that she appeared willing to fight with her earrings on. I didn't really get the make-up with the Eva hotel room/grandpa scene. If you came for my kids and my relationships and my gosh darn breast milk, I really don't need you when the chips are down. Maybe that is my limitation, because I thought it was sweet that they made up, although it didn't last long, given Eva's recent WWHL appearance and the fact that she talked poorly about Marlo the entire time. Nene back with making the stupid faces in her talking heads this week. I don't hate Nene, and she is the face of this franchise, like it or not, but I think she was out of line with Tanya for sure, and I don't know why they got so mad at Tanya for crying--it's her emotions, and there were actual tears, maybe it was jet-lag, maybe it's an emotional situation, probably both, but shit, unless she cries all the time to the point where they think it's manipulative, give the girl a shoulder to cry on instead of making sure Nene knows you're ride or die for her. Also, in that "make-up" scene between Tanya and Nene (which was about 95% "know your place", 5% make-up), I had to wonder if Nene was seeing Kenya's dermatologist. Cause...wow. I miss Claudia Jordan as a foil to Nene. I like Nene when she has a foil. Kandi used to play that role, but that ship has sailed. Nene unchecked is an awful mixture of insecurity and ego.

Vee is guilty of the soft bigotry of low expectations.

I agree that this episode was antiblack in that Vee thought that a law enforcement officer would be unwilling or unable to fulfill his professional responsibilities because of his race, and that was really gross, but I am just curious as to how the entire show is antiblack? Maybe I'm not seeing something that others are... I agree. I thought the younger sister may have been a Mandy, but I thought "Karen" for Tammy as far as "we're just fucking," except, oops, Lip is catching feelings and making something Bigger Than It Is. When the boyfriend/non-boyfriend entered the scene, I thought "Siera," and then I thought Amanda again with the "we're just fucking," but with the female catching feelings. I think this is such an arrested development scenario. Lip--either man up and tell this woman you want to see her exclusively and you'll give her time to sort it out, or just fuck her and attach no strings (which I don't think works nine times out of ten). But don't fuck her sister in order to make her feel bad. Isn't that called manipulation? Isn't your "program" supposed to teach you better? Chicken-legged asshole. Even Mickey found the courage to make Ian his fella. Damn. This is such a recycle job on so many levels. The hobo drink reminded me more of the plot line where Frank became the "Joe the Plumber" of the gay movement. I have a feeling I will enjoy this significantly less. I think I Debbie has a personality quirk that, once she sets her mind on something, she does not give up no matter what. Everything is her hill to die on. She is very serious and different from Fiona in this way. Fiona is more "easy come, easy go" (except with this psycho shit with Ford, which is getting mighty troubling), whereas Debbie has it her way or the highway--she wanted a baby, she got a baby, she wanted equal pay, she got equal pay, she wanted a 20 year old to fuck her when she was 13, so she fucked him. Unless this trait is pointed in a positive direction, it can become destructive. Serously unfunny and ugly. This show's obession with illegal aliens this season is probably going to be the reason I would turn it off before the show ends. Last season I came close with "Gay Jesus" and restricting free speech and assembly in favor of a "noble cause," but I hung in there. Next time they do something for laughs as cheap as having us believe that Americans would pay money to build a wall around a Spanish-speaking minor in handcuffs, I'm done with the show. And what was that shit at the end with the children singing? What was that supposed to do with the show? If someone from the show has a preoccupation with this situation, they can and should take a leave of absence from the show to pursue that. It has nothing to do with anything. Heavy-handed much? Random thoughts: Kev is illiterate in English, but apparently he can read Spanish? Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, as I'm not a doctor, but is there any way on earth that a doctor could lose her license for not performing an abortion that a patient doesn't want? I couldn't imagine that scenario. Now, implanting six embryos into a 65 year old woman might be a different story... Carl's storyline gets the Most Recyled award--is this actually the fourth time that he was in a relationship with a woman who was either crazy and/or had a law and order/military father? I am thinking this is literally the fourth time--Bonnie, Dominique, Kasidi, now Kelly. It's over. Do something else, Carl. If Frank's six embryos are supposed to represent the fact that he already has six kids that he failed, are we forgetting about Sammy? Big shock. I have to admit I laughed when Frank tried to borrow money from the welfare system in order to become a "bitcoin billionaire." At least he's thinking. And I also laughed when he just drank the hobo juice without a second thought while no one else seemed to be able to stomach it. Wow, two laughs in an hour-long comedy. Terrific. Can't wait for Fiona to finally get her comeuppane and hopefully get fired. She was so out of control this episode. Poor boxing instructor! What I don't believe is that she is buying vodka by the half-pint if she is this full-blown. Someone who drinks first thing in the morning and in the freaking shower is buying that stuff by the handle. It also bothered me when Lip was supposedly sliding into alcoholism (after ten years of drinking normally) and he would pour such a small drink while he was working at Pasy's, I've been around this stuff. It's not how it works. Fiona drinking vodka from a water bottle on the El though--that rang true to me. That's about it.

I apologize if this has already been addressed-y'all write much faster than I can read--but unless someone is going to come onto the show and explain why Meri fellated a banana, I am not interested.

I guess my judgment is skewed because I floved Amanda maybe more than any other tangential character that's ever been on the show, and I thought Lip should have married her, but I think the "jabby" girl is more rough around the edges and maybe not too far from South Side herself. I don't see Amanda showing up plastered, yelling obscenities and vomiting on shoes at important family functions--I think Amanda kept her freak more or less to herself--but I agree there's a comparison to be made as far as people in the Shameless universe go. Similar archetypes. Oh man. Where's Liam? Ethyl and Jonah were the foster girl and her baby. I loooved that storyline. Kev and Vee also got guilt-tripped into fostering that group of child veterans from a civil war in Myanmar/Burma, one of whom turned out to be a girl. I loved that storyline too, even though I think Kev and Vee are two of the most despicable people on this show at this point, so go figure. BTW, could they be writing Kevin any dumber if they tried? Is it supposed to make him...endearing? Spare me.

I'm respectfully confused as to where some are basing the standard as to what behavior is appropriate on which to comment. When someone posed a question as to whether there was a correlation between race and behavior on these trips, it was something to immediately be disspelled and corrected--the white women act worse, if anything (which, who knows or cares if this is true anyway). I just think that is a double standard and I don't really care, because I don't scrutinize everything under the lens of race, but there is irony there. I just don't think people should be put in a position to apologize for something that they said that may have made someone feel a certain way in the absence of empirical evidence. Can we go back to discussing the show without fixating on race? I think the day Nene changes her husband's diaper will be a sunny day in hell, so she is not given the caregiver's benefit of the doubt that I'd give someone like @Irritable. Eva--get married already. I'm sick of hearing about it. Kandi seems devoid of being able to sympathize about death, but she was crying like crazy on the S2 reunion, talking about the death of AJ, her ex-fiancé. Maybe something changed between then and now. Tanya sure seems to be easily wound up about "a piece of paper." Who cares what these ladies understand or don't understand as long as you understand? I would not have guessed Porsha was pregnant based on size. She doesn't seem any bigger in the abdomen area. She is still in her first trimester. I guess they got wind of it based on the fact that she wasn't imbibing. So much for coke and apple juice, but a valiant effort nonetheless. I'm thinking/hoping that further discussions of race will be taken to a small talk thread, as they are not germaine to the show at this juncture.

Right? Jax was so coked up at Stassi's Outfit party (I refuse to type the stupid initials). Like, he may as well have been doing lines off the bar, it was so obvious. With these promotions that the staff take upon themselves--Brunch with Billie, Girls Night In--are said promoters getting a piece of the bar? If not, that's fucking crazy.

Is it possible Liam is still on that boat? If this episode picks up where the last one left off, that's probably where he is.

This come back was...not good. I was very bored. I didn't enjoy the scooter storyline because it didn't make any sense. It started off as Carl saying he was going to steal the scooters, because he could make a lot of money re-selling them on the South Side, and he could get the GPS off in about "two seconds." What sense does it make that they would switch to re-charging the batteries for a mere $15 a pop? Is that somehow more lucrative? I also didn't like it as it seemed like a re-tread of the Wyman/Ruiz sign-stealing debacle. There seemed to be so much time spent on the scooter stealing too. It was like damn near half of the episode, and it really was not compelling TV. Plus, Carl is supposed to be trying to get into West Point. It seems like ever since he got out of juvie, Carl has been laser-focused on his project at hand, and not much gets in his way. I'm not trying to start an Original Shameless vs Evolved Shameless discussion, but if he is serious about West Point, I don't think Carl would be committing larceny in broad daylight, or at least I don't think Kelly would endorse it. Fiona's downfall also makes no sense to me. Max gave her $292k for the apartment building so that she could raise the additional $25k for the retirement home and pay the mortgage on the Gallagher home. Then she gets all bent out of shape to see that he listed it for $175k, aka at a huge loss?? Did I read that scene right? Because of the deal Fiona made with Max, she still does have her ownership interest in the retirement home, on which building was delayed a year because of the permit situation, which means it's still going to get built. She also still has the Gallagher home, which was a huge deal for her to keep a few seasons back. She still has her job at Patsy's, so why such a quick, head spinning, faster-than-Lip downfall? I get that things went south with Ford right around this time too, but Fiona usually doesn't let either of those things get her down. In the old days, she could shake it off with a night at the club or a Tinder swipe. The binge drinking doesn't make sense. I was somewhat enjoying the foster child storyline--I thought they were going to get another Esther in how good this kid was--until it became too topical. Hey guess what Shameless, unless you really want to get into it, don't try to tell the story of the caravan. It's way too complicated to be reduced to a bunch of sound bytes by ignorant bar flies. Plus, there is what was said upthread that Kev has that other child, Dominique, for whom he takes no responsibility. No one has to tell the kids that they're half-sisters and half-brother while they are also half-nieces and half-uncle. I think it would fuck them up too much. But Kev should be around for Dominique as a "father figure" before he tries to add additional kids to his family. The jury is still out on whether I am a fan of that "stabby" girl for Lip. At least the show is treading new ground here. I second the question of "where is Liam?" He is a main character. He lives there. I don't think the show can just say, "well, we didn't know what to do with Liam this week, so we didn't tell his story." Shameless has never worked that way with the Gallagher nuclear family that I can recall. Ian even got a shout-out for cripe's sake. I liked Deb this episode, and the revival of the Crisco jar, but a.) who is watching Frannie? I know the one scene that they actually showed her in the play pen, Carl was asleep on the couch, which seemed like enough oversite, but overall it seems as if Deb comes and goes as she pleases these days without having a solid child care plan. She doesn't seem like a bad enough mother to leave the kid alone, so I think it's just lazy writing. Since we know Deb doesn't have a car, how much would it cost the show for the abuela to be seen dipping in and out with the kid and a diaper bag here and there, the way they always seemed to show Liam being watched over by Sheila or Carl staying with Kev and Vee in the early days? Also, b.) why doesn't Deb walk with a slight limp? She lost her three outer toes. I get the feeling that she is not utilizing a well-fitted prosthetic, so why not have the character walk with a very subtle limp for the show's duration? I think she did that for exactly one episode, and I am not crazy about the inconsistency. Frank's storyline? At least it feels like new territory, although someone pointed out that Ian had a similar storyline earlier in the series, which I guess I've just forgotten. I did think it was funny that there was no hesitation on Frank's part to get Carl's sperm and make him a father without his consent, but right now I feel like I'm damning with faint praise. It's definitely time to hang up this show, writers!

Oh, I was under the misapprehension that Margaret was introduced onto the show as Siggy's friend, and a major part of Siggy's unspkone arc for season 8 was that Margaret should be Team Siggy, because Siggy brought Margaret onto the show, but I guess I was wrong and I'll have to reeducate myself. What I say is always just my opinion--sort of just a stream of consciousness from the night before that I write on my lunch hour to distract from the doldrums around me. Half the time I read ya'll's posts and do an about-face, so...please don't take anything I say with more than a grain of salt. By the way, I stand by my opinion. I re-watched the Joe, Joe, Marty clip on WWHL this morning and Joe B totally started in on Marty on what what already a hot topic. If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen, Joe B. You say "high school shit," I say "fair game." That's what makes the world go round. I also stand by what I said last season--that Danielle is absolutely crazy, but she has not been caught in a lie since the show's inception. It has not been proven that Danielle was lying about Dolores last season--there was no evidence either way--it was he said, she said--and Margaret admitted she had some words about trusting Teresa with Danielle, and in addition Marge went BSC, so I also stand by my original assertion that I think Margaret said something maybe not totally above board about Teresa to Danielle in confidence, and Danielle breached that confidence. It's not that deep to me, however, and agree to disagree and namaste.

To use layman's terms, I always took "infer" to mean "what one person is gathering from what was indirectly exhibited" and "imply" to mean "what one person is indirectly saying." But, seeing as how you write your posts well, I was wondering if you were using the word "infer" based on an inference of each character's words/actions? Like, you are inferring that Jennifer inferred and subsequently implied something about American culture? Is that it? I am honsestly interested, because I have never heard the word used that way before--most people just say "implied"--but it makes an odd sort of sense, and if that's a legit way to convey an inference, I think it's cool and I will use it in the future. I have seen other posters wonder about this when you have used the word this way in other episode threads of RHNJ, and I just wanted to see exactly how we are using this word so that I can incorporate it into future posts, if you don't mind me being a little nosy about word usage to enhance my own writing.

What is the story with Ashley and the baby daddy? Women don't just get pregnant and have babies in a vacuum. I only ask because someone posted that he is around all the time, and that is why Ashley is busy. If he's there, then...why doesn't she ever, ever mention him? She doesn't even have to say his first name, in case it's a well-recognized first name in Greensboro, but why doesn't she ever mention that she is spending all of her time working and then being with so-and-so and the baby? Is she afraid to admit that she has a partner, for fear of the wrath of Whit? It's just my personal opinion that when you sign up for a reality show, then you are in for a penny and in for a pound, and I would like to know the status of this guy. Is she going to court for child support? Are they on-again, off-again? You're getting paid and exposure, girl, throw us a bone. Speaking of being in for a pound, it has not gone unnoticed by me either that the only people who have not seemed to have gained a demonstrable amount of weight on this show are Tal and Todd. These people are just expanding. It's kind of fascinating. I love Whitney talking about how she now "feels safe at the gym." What happened, trash box, someone come up and mug you on the treadmill at your last gym? Give me a fucking break with these terms. You were safe with Will--you just didn't like him, because he held you accountable--and you gosh darn better feel safe now, considering the only people in your gym are you and your trainer (and, conveniently, Will, but only when it's time for him to see how well she's doing without him). I don't know why Will allows himself to be filmed anymore. He must really love his daughter (whose journey from borderline overweight to extremely lean and muscular is one I would much rather see than this). I agree that Buddy should get a real job before becoming "like a stepdad" (ugh, what does that even mean? Does it have anything to do with being Like A Virgin?) to another round of kids, but, realistically...what could he do? He doesn't even seem to have the attention span to learn a viable skill, even if he had the time and means. Just, ugh all around. Who is his sponsor? Could we get this person on the show to give his take? He sure as hell better have a sponsor if he claims to be working a 12-step program so seriously. I don't personally agree with 12-step mentality and methodology, and I would be hard-pressed to ever recommend it to anyone, but if you've committed to it, and youre struggling, where is your sponsor? Where is your fellowship? Are they with Ashely's baby daddy? Inquiring minds want to know.