S12.E08: If You Can't Take the Heat, Get Out of the Russian Bath House

[ErikaAlyson]

I’m glad Ramona isn’t scared of Dorinda. Why didn’t Ramona invite the other ladies to her apartment too? Sonja seemed to talk clearly this episode lol. Elyse might be too classy for this group. Luanne seems to love male attention and affection lol. I thought Dorinda’s life coach was adorable lol. But he was telling her what she wants to hear lol like someone else wrote on here,Ramona knows what she’s talking about with Tinsley. 

[Hangin Out]

8 minutes ago, Rahul said:

Because Dorinda is a raging narcissistic alcoholic and a very bitter woman at her core who isn't ready to acknowledge either of those things. I'm ashamed to say I used to really enjoy her antics and memorable one liners but she's gotten so nasty as of late there's almost nothing redeeming about her.

Dorinda was never Richard's intellectual equal. If she was, she'd never be seeking counsel from a chiropractor dressed in an embroidered polo with his name who also doubles as an ineffective "life coach." Her romantic relationships are very transactional. Apparently she has a type--non-lookers who can aggrandize her wealth, status and privilege or benefit her materially (ie. access to unclaimed fancy dresses and illicit drugs).

Lol.  I wonder what she talked about with Hillary?  How to roast two chickens at once and make it nice?  I’d love to read her bio.  I’m looking, but can’t find.

[Pattycake2]

Dorinda is a cold blooded killer.  I saw that last week when she bullied Tinsley to tears and then next thing was petting the goat and laughing.  Not one iota of guilt.

I prefer how Ramona decorated her previous apartment.  This one is all black, white, and gray.  No warmth at all.  I don’t think Leah’s place is that bad but she doesn’t have a headboard for her bed.  To me, that means she can’t be bothered to make it nice.

South of Canal is great if you’re a history buff.  Washington gave his farewell to the troops at Fraunces Tavern.  Hamilton, Angelica, and Eliza are buried there. Loads of cool stuff.

[Lemons]

17 minutes ago, Silver Bells said:

Uptown snobs.  That’s why lots live south of Canal Street.  Countessa should be so lucky.  Jailbird with a mug shot.  Real classy.  I hated the way she talked about Leahs apartment.  They all are so popular.  None even have a boyfriend.

I’ll take a $15 million dollar TriBeCa loft over any of their tiny upper east side apartments any day. 

[Axie]

I assume I’ll keep watching since with the quarantine new shows are getting harder to find, but, between Dorinda’s rage and Leah’s drunkenness, I’m thinking this season is going to be a drag.

[bichonblitz]

1 hour ago, Silver Bells said:

It’s only the pulse of the world .. WALL STREET !  , 911 and Ellis Island.

 

Not to mention the cool neighborhoods like SoHo, Tribeca and Greenwich Village. Or are those neighborhoods not south of Canal?  After all, Bethenny and Carole Radzi lives downtown! And if I remember correctly Luann used to leave her kids with the housekeeper while the Count was away so she could go downtown to party with her niece so once again Luann is a hypocritical liar!

[ichbin]

2 hours ago, 65mickey said:

And once again as the others are crying and hugging here is Sonja stuffing her mouth. When she snapped her purse shut I wondered if she had stuffed a few hors d'oeuvres in there.

The way she has been hitting every spread during the past few seasons makes me think she's living off ramen during hiatus.

[UsernameFatigue]

11 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I love Ramona kind of not making sense, kind of making sense

"I don't see Tinsley as a victim.  I see Dorinda victimizing Tinsley."

It's profound!

That was one of Ramona's best lines, ever. 

Dorinda really is despicable. She actually admitted that it doesn't bother her to fight with Tinsley, because she has no feelings for Tinsley. She reacts when she fights with Ramona because she does care about Ramona. Though it doesn't stop her from going for the jugular. But nope, Tinsley is a verbal punching bag for Dorinda, a sport from which she derives great pleasure. I often wonder what Richard's children think of their former step mother now?

Edited May 22, 2020 by UsernameFatigue

[Sessa]

I have a brilliant solution. Dorinda should vacation with Kyle Richards.  They could drink lots of wine, cry 24/7, and talk about how completely articulate and rational they are, not to mention emotionally stable, and how it’s EVERYONE ELSE WHO IS CONSTANTLY MEAN AND ATTACKING THEM!! God these women are exhausting. I have no idea why I am watching any of the Housewives at this point. 🤬🤯🙄

[film noire]

 

4 hours ago, RedDelicious said:

One of the only reasons people like her is because they hate Dorinda so much. 

I usually agree with you, Red,  but I have to say, I like Tinsley for reasons that have nothing to do with Dorinda being a mean, slobber-jawed drunk.

I like Tinsley's keep-it-proper manners and her pasta bowl at the ready, even as she sleeps one off. I like that the woman who cooed over her dog Bambi also got her ass on a plane to China to rescue two dogs from the dog meat market in China.  I like that Tinsley is beyond ready to throttle her mother (just about every time Dale turns up)  but there's some core deceny in Tinsley that refuses to let loose just for ratings & social media rah-rah "you go, girl" bullshit.

I like her past - the  art history degree from Columbia, her work with Habitat for Humanity in her early twenties, her ability to mock her mugshot -  and I love her all-too-rare play-it-under delivery.  It's why her comment about "sharing" set Dorinda off in two seconds. Just an under-her-breath comment, but Dorinda  - forever she of the corn kernel stuck to her greasy lip, witlessly ranting at Heather (because Dorinda's bullying goes back years, long before Tinsley, Drunk Dorinda's Designated Victim, turned up) Drunk Do knew what it meant: Tinsley had been paying attention to Dorinda's bullshit hypocrisy,  and was serving it back with a pretty little mint sprig. Dorinda lost her shit (again) but ended up the loser, because not all wins involve rage-fueled insults; some wins keep you intact to live the real life that happens when reel life stops filming. 

About the only thing I don't like about Tinsley is she doesn't realize Dorinda is a dismissable, abusive little shit with no redeeming qualities beyond the fleeting entertainment value of a cheap sideshow;  drunken insults and fake tits offered up for random  inspection  - SO SOFT!! HE NEVER KNEW!! I FOOLED MY DEAD ONE-PERCENTER HUSBAND! - the eternal class act every member of the Council on Foreign Relations is searching for. 

 

Edited May 22, 2020 by film noire

[biakbiak]

It might be the first time I am interested in hearing Dorinda’s recap videos given that she actually said she hasn’t seen John and we’re broken up to her fake therapist.

Leah describing her fuck buddy and him casually sharing her sex pics was troubling. 

Edited May 22, 2020 by biakbiak

[ichbin]

4 hours ago, LibertarianSlut said:

Can’t they just agree they both gained weight and they’re not as young as they once were and move on?  Sonja is certainly not “fat” by any means, but she put on a noticeable amount of weight since last season.

Ramona (surely), Sonja, and Dorinda are all probably in the same post-menopausal boat.  Bodies change. Weight goes on a lot easier and is harder to take off.  I doubt any one of them would be willing to admit to that though, particularly Sonja and Ramona.  Still, all three are in pretty good shape for their ages.  That being said, however, Ramona did herself no favor with that terrible orange dress that only served to make her problem area more conspicuous.  Her stomach stuck out so badly that you could make out her navel through the fabric. That was seriously the worst thing I have ever seen her wearing. 

 

Dorinda and Luann reached a new low while snobbing it up in the car on the way to the sauna. Did either of them have any self accomplishments enabling them to reach those upper east side addresses other than marrying into money? 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 22, 2020 by ichbin

[Ms Blue Jay]

4 hours ago, ancslove said:

 I thought it was awful how everyone was calling her annoying, and that she thus deserved Dorinda's abuse - even the ones who were defending Tinsley!  

I completely agree.

It's a big pet peeve of mine when somebody completely unprovoked insults or disrespects an innocent party, others will jump in and say "Well, that innocent party has (random bad quality), so they deserved it."

It reminded me of something that Bethenny did at countless RHONY reunions, which is to say "When did I ever insult Person X?  I never did such a thing" and Person X would throw out 10 examples of when and Bethenny would say "Well, that was because (some random event)" and there's no apology, there's no acknowledgement of the gaslighting, there's no acknowledgement of the lying.

Edited May 22, 2020 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

3 hours ago, Lemons said:

Seriously.  Who lives in one of the greatest cities in the world and never leaves their own neighborhood.   They are so provincial. 

The whole thing horrifies me.

3 hours ago, ancslove said:

It could be John ended the relationship because, with Bluestone Manor under renovation and everything else, Dorinda's been talking about Richard more and more as time goes on. Even Leah said that she's learned more about Richard than John.

She randomly brought up how Richard didn't know her boobs were fake.  She needs help.  Maybe Richard was classy enough not to say "Hey, your tits are fake, right?" and just acted like a person about it.

Edited May 22, 2020 by Ms Blue Jay

[ShawnaLanne]

A question for other "Friend's of Bill." I'm finding the sloppy drunks kind of triggering. How bad are the drunken shenanigans on this one? I skipped last week. I particuarly find Dorinda and Sonja's antics hard to take.

[Alonzo Mosely FBI]

5 hours ago, ivygirl said:

Ah, the banya. it is a big deal in Russian culture. 

 

Thank you for the info, why the hats?

[eleanorofaquitaine]

8 hours ago, RedDelicious said:

But Dorinda was absolutely right about Ramona dishing it out. Does no one remember “The Singer Stinger”?

I think Tinsley is absolutely devoid of character and has no personality whatsoever. If she actually stood up for herself like a grown woman and not a whining caricature I might have some interest in her. One of the only reasons people like her is because they hate Dorinda so much. 

The difference between Ramona and Dorinda is that while she does dish it out, she also can take it. We saw that last night. She stood there and let Dorinda say her usual incredibly vicious things and sure, she responded. But she only became nasty when Dorinda didn't stop.

I know you really want Dorinda's mean behavior to be Tinsley's fault. It's not. I don't particularly like Tins one way or the other, though I mostly think she's inoffensive and harmless. But she hasn't invited Dorinda's abusive behavior towards her and she doesn't deserve it. That's all on Dorinda, as we have been shown repeatedly. 

[eleanorofaquitaine]

8 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

Are people rooting for her? It doesn't seem like Tinsley is getting more popular, or that even the storyline on the show requires anybody to root for Tinsley. She's more just the thing that set the others off. It's stated outright on the show that Tinsley can't stand up for herself--the other women seem to even see it as a sign of their own strength that she gets ganged up on. That's pretty much how it works in junior high too.

The real plot is how Dorinda finishes bullying someone she starts wailing about how she's the victim and everyone apologizes to her. Tinsley's more obviously submitting to her by having to announce how much she respects her, but the other women pay homage to her too in a "strong" way.

Of course, IRL people probably do often deal with situations like the one with Dorinda by just distancing themselves from them. Just as IRL bringing chaos isn't the number one priority you look for in a person. But these shows are not real life.

Yeah, I agree. I personally don't have strong feelings one way or the other about Tinsley. But I also think that even talking about Tinsley's behavior as it relates to Dorinda is basically justify what I believe is truly abusive behavior on Dorinda's part. Like I said with last week, it's Dorinda's version of the abuser's cry, "look what you made me do?"

Dorinda is abusive. She's a narcissist who cannot here any criticism of herself whatsoever. She has targeted Tinsley for whatever reason. Not among those reasons? That Tinsley has somehow invited it because she's "annoying" or "like a little girl."

Furthermore, I would say that Tinsley acts like a victim when it comes to Dorinda because she is in fact a victim of Dorinda's abuse. Ramona is right when she says Dorinda victimizes Tinsley. But regardless, we have also seen Dorinda react viciously to the others.

Anyway, my point is that I am not really rooting for Tinsley. But I am rooting against Dorinda because she has shown time and time again what a destructive personality she has.

[bkathi]

8 hours ago, Pattycake2 said:

I prefer how Ramona decorated her previous apartment.  This one is all black, white, and gray.  No warmth at all.  I don’t think Leah’s place is that bad but she doesn’t have a headboard for her bed.  To me, that means she can’t be bothered to make it nice.

I have a small bedroom and don't use a headboard - it takes up too much space.  Maybe that's why Leah chose not to as well.  Her daughter's bedroom is lovely.

[Vanderboom]

On 5/21/2020 at 10:17 PM, LibertarianSlut said:

I also thought it was funny that Dorinda played “schadenfreude” on her phone, like it was this brand new foreign word that she discovered and it’s not in everyday American parlance.  I’m not sure I agree with Dorinda that Ramona has schadenfreude though.  I think Ramona brought up Dorinda’s behavior at the spa with good intentions, and Dorinda went low first and Ramona retaliated with Cartagena.  

More of their provincialism. I thought all of NYC learned about Schadenfreude when Avenue Q became such a major Broadway hit. There's an entire song about it!

 

On 5/21/2020 at 11:34 PM, Lemons said:

Seriously.  Who lives in one of the greatest cities in the world and never leaves their own neighborhood.   They are so provincial. 

I know, right? Lower Manhattan is such a fascinating place! Then again, what do I know? I'm from an outer borough.  😉

 

On 5/21/2020 at 11:45 PM, ancslove said:

It could be John ended the relationship because, with Bluestone Manor under renovation and everything else, Dorinda's been talking about Richard more and more as time goes on. Even Leah said that she's learned more about Richard than John.

I wonder how annoyed Elyse is that she's not a full cast member.  Between calling Sonja an accessory, deliberately asking Dorinda about John, and now going after Dorinda and Sonja as they storm away, she's incited a fair bit of drama. 

True, but I totally gigglesnorted when Elyse tried to insert herself into the spotlight and make a snarky comment on the fight and was completely ignored by the grouphugging drama queens. Keep trying, darling.

 

On 5/22/2020 at 3:18 AM, Ms Blue Jay said:

I completely agree.

It's a big pet peeve of mine when somebody completely unprovoked insults or disrespects an innocent party, others will jump in and say "Well, that innocent party has (random bad quality), so they deserved it."

Same here. You shouldn't have to be a flawless person to be able to attend a work party and NOT be accosted by a lunatic and/or accused of being a whore with no survival skills. 

Edited May 23, 2020 by Vanderboom

[Chit Chat]

I was glad that Tinsley didn't get into a shouting match with Dorinda at the Spa.  It would've been pointless.  Ramona was right in that you can't argue with Dorinda.  She always has a comeback and has to have the last word.  Having said that though, I'd love for Tinsley to verbally take down Dorinda at some point, but I don't think that's going to happen.  Once Dorinda gets wound up, you really can't get your point across anyway.  She's too busy pointing her finger and yelling at you, so unless you tie her up and gag her, she's not going to listen to you anyway.  

I'd love to see Tinsley whip out her phone and replay the "Clip, Clip" scene right in Dorinda's face when she starts with her drunken tirade.  

[jaybird2]

10 hours ago, njbchlover said:

I was wondering why Ramona would need condoms at all, I mean, it's not like she needs to worry about getting pregnant. 

And then, I realized that she's probably with guys who are sleeping around all thtime, and she should be protecting herself against STD's, so it makes sense.  

i've read there was/is a high rate of std's in fla among the seniors.  also, once a man looses his wife there are 10 women bringing him casseroles.    i guess that's where ickie (oc) gets her casserole fixation.

Edited May 22, 2020 by jaybird2
correct spelling

[Koalagirl]

11 hours ago, esco1822 said:

Is Dr. Daryl wearing a bowling shirt? Who is this guy???

Obviously a person who doesn’t know the difference between “being respectful” and “being respectable.’

[ivygirl]

3 hours ago, Alonzo Mosely FBI said:

Thank you for the info, why the hats?

The hats were new to me!

I think on the show they said to “protect your head” but I don’t know from what...

[ShawnaLanne]

2 hours ago, ChitChat said:

I was glad that Tinsley didn't get into a shouting match with Dorinda at the Spa.  It would've been pointless.  Ramona was right in that you can't argue with Dorinda.  She always has a comeback and has to have the last word.  Having said that though, I'd love for Tinsley to verbally take down Dorinda at some point, but I don't think that's going to happen.  Once Dorinda gets wound up, you really can't get your point across anyway.  She's too busy pointing her finger and yelling at you, so unless you tie her up and gag her, she's not going to listen to you anyway.  

I'd love to see Tinsley whip out her phone and replay the "Clip, Clip" scene right in Dorinda's face when she starts with her drunken tirade.  

I'm generally not a fan of mind games, it comes way too easily to me because of my upbringing (birth dad), but I'd make an exception for Dorinda.

I'd start bringing up her life with Richard and work in what a shame it is that she no longer seems to have much to do with that social set. Ask about her life before and mention that it's such a shame she lost Richard and her friends at the same time.

I'd be a *good* girlfriend and encourage her relationship with John. Sliding in how well suited they appear to be.

I'd be very concerned for her state of mind and suggest that my mom went through the same thing she is, with the emotions everywhere and innocently drop that getting on estrogen helped. Post meltdown, when she's playing the victim.

I'd talk on camera with the other women a lot about how worried I was about her mental health. She's so fragile, and alone, and it's all clearly overwhelming. When confronted by her, I'd start crying and talk about how worried I was for her and how there is help she can get, do some research on both recovery facilities and straight mental health facilitie,  and hand her the brochures on camera. Or I'd stage an intervention to do so.

If Dorinda treated me like she does Tinsley. I'd get in her head.

Edited May 22, 2020 by ShawnaLanne

[njbchlover]

5 hours ago, ichbin said:

Ramona (surely), Sonja, and Dorinda are all probably in the same post-menopausal boat.  Bodies change. Weight goes on a lot easier and is harder to take off.  I doubt any one of them would be willing to admit to that though, particularly Sonja and Ramona.  Still, all three are in pretty good shape for their ages.  That being said, however, Ramona did herself no favor with that terrible orange dress that only served to make her problem area more conspicuous.  Her stomach stuck out so badly that you could make out her navel through the fabric. That was seriously the worst thing I have ever seen her wearing. 

 

Dorinda and Luann reached a new low while snobbing it up in the car on the way to the sauna. Did either of them have any self accomplishments enabling them to reach those upper east side addresses other than marrying into money? 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think Sonja was any better than Luann and Dorinda - she, too, had some pretty low comments - but mostly in her talking heads, since she arrived by herself.  

[Hangin Out]

9 hours ago, Rahul said:

Because Dorinda is a raging narcissistic alcoholic and a very bitter woman at her core who isn't ready to acknowledge either of those things. I'm ashamed to say I used to really enjoy her antics and memorable one liners but she's gotten so nasty as of late there's almost nothing redeeming about her.

Dorinda was never Richard's intellectual equal. If she was, she'd never be seeking counsel from a chiropractor dressed in an embroidered polo with his name who also doubles as an ineffective "life coach." Her romantic relationships are very transactional. Apparently she has a type--non-lookers who can aggrandize her wealth, status and privilege or benefit her materially (ie. access to unclaimed fancy dresses and illicit drugs).

I thought those kind of drugs make you mellow and happy and calm you down?

[Mr. Miner]

Dorinda has had big fights with Luann, Bethany, Sonja, Heather and Ramona. There is usually a tearful apology the next day or like last night, she was hugging it out with Ramona in the hallway a few minutes later. We have yet to see any apology to Tinsley, unless I'm forgetting?

Leah's sister was cute, she looked like a brunette Bridget Fonda with bigger eyes.

[Baltimore Betty]

Dorinda and her fake tear/fighting...she can turn it on and off like a switch. 

Both Sonja and Ramona just cannot deal with the fact that they are not a size two anymore and size shame each other often.

It is funny that the HW's went to a Russian spa, I just saw the same thing on 90 Day Fiance, hats, heat, branch beating, jumping in to a cold lake was all that was missing.

Was I correct in being underwhelmed by Ramona's new apartment?

I understand the women being cloistered in whatever neighborhood they live in, everything they need is within a few blocks of them, they all bitch about having to uptown, downtown, east side or west side for what ever event they have to attend.

I predict that Leah will be on two season's max because she will relapse big time if she keeps hanging out with the HW's.

 

39 minutes ago, ivygirl said:

I think on the show they said to “protect your head” but I don’t know from what...

From the wine throwing dahlink.

[Hangin Out]

8 hours ago, ichbin said:

The way she has been hitting every spread during the past few seasons makes me think she's living off ramen during hiatus.

WTF .. is she poor?

[RedDelicious]

7 hours ago, film noire said:

 

I usually agree with you, Red,  but I have to say, I like Tinsley for reasons that have nothing to do with Dorinda being a mean, slobber-jawed drunk.

I like Tinsley's keep-it-proper manners and her pasta bowl at the ready, even as she sleeps one off. I like that the woman who cooed over her dog Bambi also got her ass on a plane to China to rescue two dogs from the dog meat market in China.  I like that Tinsley is beyond ready to throttle her mother (just about every time Dale turns up)  but there's some core deceny in Tinsley that refuses to let loose just for ratings & social media rah-rah "you go, girl" bullshit.

I like her past - the  art history degree from Columbia, her work with Habitat for Humanity in her early twenties, her ability to mock her mugshot -  and I love her all-too-rare play-it-under delivery.  It's why her comment about "sharing" set Dorinda off in two seconds. Just an under-her-breath comment, but Dorinda  - forever she of the corn kernel stuck to her greasy lip, witlessly ranting at Heather (because Dorinda's bullying goes back years, long before Tinsley, Drunk Dorinda's Designated Victim, turned up) Drunk Do knew what it meant: Tinsley had been paying attention to Dorinda's bullshit hypocrisy,  and was serving it back with a pretty little mint sprig. Dorinda lost her shit (again) but ended up the loser, because not all wins involve rage-fueled insults; some wins keep you intact to live the real life that happens when reel life stops filming. 

About the only thing I don't like about Tinsley is she doesn't realize Dorinda is a dismissable, abusive little shit with no redeeming qualities beyond the fleeting entertainment value of a cheap sideshow;  drunken insults and fake tits offered up for random  inspection  - SO SOFT!! HE NEVER KNEW!! I FOOLED MY DEAD ONE-PERCENTER HUSBAND! - the eternal class act every member of the Council on Foreign Relations is searching for. 

 

I know and I appreciate that @film noire 💞

Those are all admirable things, it’s true. And my heart truly broke for her when her dog died and I did not like how she was treated then. However as @LibertarianSlut (I love a Liberty girl) explained far better than I could (and I’m paraphrasing) she keeps signing contracts season after season. She knows the role producers want her to play. She doesn’t *really seem to be affected by the nonsense otherwise she wouldn’t continue to sign up. Yes she cries a lot but I can count only two scenes where her cheeks were actually wet with real tears. 

That is why I keep saying it’s all for show. Yes Dorinda’s behavior is terrible. Terrible. One of the differences between Bethenny and Dorinda is Bethenny was mostly sober and a monster. No I’m not and never said Tinsley deserves Dorinda’s treatment of her because she’s annoying. I said it’s all part of the script. It’s all about writing, editing, ratings and paychecks. And they take it too far on the side of production and the side of the talent. Production knew that with Bethenny gone they were going to need to bring some next-level nonsense, and this is what we got. 

 

Also I want to go to the Russian bathhouse 😊

Edited May 22, 2020 by RedDelicious

[bichonblitz]

If Richard was so fantastic then what in the hell did he see in Dorinda? Unless she was very different back then I just don't get it. 

Love when Ramonacoaster points out to Dorinda how abrasive her behavior is but she ruins it because she inevitably ends up hugging, crying and apologizing to Dorinda with all the I love you's as soon as Dorinda starts with her crocodile tears poor me you were my good friend schtick. 

[Hangin Out]

7 hours ago, film noire said:

 

I usually agree with you, Red,  but I have to say, I like Tinsley for reasons that have nothing to do with Dorinda being a mean, slobber-jawed drunk.

I like Tinsley's keep-it-proper manners and her pasta bowl at the ready, even as she sleeps one off. I like that the woman who cooed over her dog Bambi also got her ass on a plane to China to rescue two dogs from the dog meat market in China.  I like that Tinsley is beyond ready to throttle her mother (just about every time Dale turns up)  but there's some core deceny in Tinsley that refuses to let loose just for ratings & social media rah-rah "you go, girl" bullshit.

I like her past - the  art history degree from Columbia, her work with Habitat for Humanity in her early twenties, her ability to mock her mugshot -  and I love her all-too-rare play-it-under delivery.  It's why her comment about "sharing" set Dorinda off in two seconds. Just an under-her-breath comment, but Dorinda  - forever she of the corn kernel stuck to her greasy lip, witlessly ranting at Heather (because Dorinda's bullying goes back years, long before Tinsley, Drunk Dorinda's Designated Victim, turned up) Drunk Do knew what it meant: Tinsley had been paying attention to Dorinda's bullshit hypocrisy,  and was serving it back with a pretty little mint sprig. Dorinda lost her shit (again) but ended up the loser, because not all wins involve rage-fueled insults; some wins keep you intact to live the real life that happens when reel life stops filming. 

About the only thing I don't like about Tinsley is she doesn't realize Dorinda is a dismissable, abusive little shit with no redeeming qualities beyond the fleeting entertainment value of a cheap sideshow;  drunken insults and fake tits offered up for random  inspection  - SO SOFT!! HE NEVER KNEW!! I FOOLED MY DEAD ONE-PERCENTER HUSBAND! - the eternal class act every member of the Council on Foreign Relations is searching for. 

 

I loved everything you said about Tinsley.  You have some memory.

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, ChitChat said:

I was glad that Tinsley didn't get into a shouting match with Dorinda at the Spa.  It would've been pointless.  Ramona was right in that you can't argue with Dorinda.  She always has a comeback and has to have the last word. 

And she also goes as low as she can possibly go.  It's like a Scorched-Earth mentality.

I had to look up the phrase because I forgot it:

A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy that aims to destroy anything that might be useful to the enemy when retreating from a position. Any assets that could be used by the enemy may be targeted, which usually includes obvious weapons, transport vehicles, communication sites, and industrial resources.

Scorched earth - Wikipedia

[SunnyBeBe]

13 hours ago, Straycat80 said:

Life Coach=Shrink. Why is Dorinda so obsessed with Tinsley, this is just so weird. 

I don't believe she is.  I don't think it's real.  Maybe, I'm in denial.  I just don't think Dorinda cares that much about Tinsley to exert that much energy, unless she HAD to do it.  Her blow ups over things that are real to her or Ramona......having her house trashed, yes, but, Tinsley stuff.....it's not worth my time.  And, I resent it too.  Dorinda was really the main reason I watch the show, so, ruin her for me and I have little reason to watch. 

[nexxie]

Our society is packed with explosive bullies like Dorinda - people are so confused by them that they actually choose them to be group leaders, team captains, corporate heads, political leaders, etc. These narcissistic sociopaths feel entitled, lack empathy and have little or no conscience.

The real problem is with the enablers - shown so beautifully here by the women making excuses for Dorinda and looking for reasons to make the victim deserving of abuse. These sick fucks go nowhere without enablers.

Most of us probably use these shows as escapes (I sure do), but the true value of them is likely in how we can use what we see here in the real world. We can choose not to enable sick, destructive people anywhere. Period. No excuses.

 

[Sun-Bun]

I’ve had my thoughts in the past on why Dorinda continually picks on Tinsley(jealousy, boredom, bitter reminder of Tins being born into the 1% versus Dor marrying into it, menopause madness, etc), but now I’m starting to wonder if she genuinely believed that all the viewers would side with her and find her takedown of Tinsley funny/engaging...it seems interesting that all of a sudden she, Luann and Ramona are mentioning how “annoying” they find Tinsley and her screeching.
Is this Dorinda’s calculated way of proving what a tough “bad bitch” she is, by trying to start more drunken arguments with a fresh new target while tossing out some more self-patented angry zingers? Because she’s really *reaching* for relevance if she’s left sparring with someone as harmless and well-mannered as Tinsley.

Speaking of reaching, good lord I cringed for Elyse when she desperately tried to toss out that obviously practiced, clunky zinger at the party while Dor/Ramona/Sonja ignored her during their group hug, hah!!! 
Homegirl obviously learned nothing from boringassed Barbara and her previous attempts. Actually, I dare say she’s even more boring/pointless than Barb, so that’s saying something.

That Russian spa looked so charmingly rustic and fun! I love old downtown Manhattan institutions like those...of course some of those bougie bitches would snark on it not being “uptown” enough for them. Whatever. 

Tinsley was strangely subdued and seemed a bit sad this episode; I’m hoping Dorinda hadn’t totally beaten down her spirit by then. To her credit, she didn’t snootily put down the spa like the other gals.

Ramona is such a pro at this; she knows exactly how to approach Dorinda without setting her off. And I’d love to hit one of her random ladies gatherings at her apartment! She still seems so fun, even after all these years. 

[nexxie]

8 minutes ago, Sun-Bun said:

Tinsley was strangely subdued and seemed a bit sad this episode; I’m hoping Dorinda hadn’t totally beaten down her spirit by then. To her credit, she didn’t snootily put down the spa like the other gals.

It made me sad seeing Tinsley like this - collapsing in order to avoid an abuser’s explosion because the enablers won’t stand by her. I can see that Tinsley’s mother is controlling, but I wonder if she goes off like Dorinda behind closed doors - might explain Tinsley’s little girl ways if she was traumatized by a mom like that.

(Interesting that Leah said she’s scared Dorinda will go off on her - maybe that’s why she was kissing up to Dorinda in that fake bonding scene. Often people enable to avoid taking the fire themselves, but that’s not the answer.)

[RedDelicious]

We have to lighten it up in here. The producer driven drama is being taken way too seriously. 

[Mar]

Dorinda talking to her therapist...boo boo,bitch. I’d have some sympathy for you if you weren’t a raging vile cruel bully who is still refusing to take responsibility for your bad behavior.

[Chit Chat]

12 minutes ago, nexxie said:

It made me sad seeing Tinsley like this - collapsing in order to avoid an abuser’s explosion because the enablers won’t stand by her.

After hearing LuAnn and Leah tell her how annoying her "screeching" was, she was probably afraid to say or do anything!  I think it was best that she didn't engage Dorinda, but I couldn't have sat there and told her that I respected her.  No way.  Dorinda would've gotten an eff you from me as I walked off!  It's sad that Tinsley has nobody on her side.  That's a very lonely position to be in.  No matter what happens, Dorinda will start crying and the other ladies will console her.  It's a lose-lose situation for Tinsley. 

 

Edited May 22, 2020 by ChitChat

[Mar]

Dorinda was married to Richard for 9 (?) years and was never honest with him about her breast implants???? Isn’t honesty and important part of a healthy relationship?

[eleanorofaquitaine]

2 hours ago, RedDelicious said:

I know and I appreciate that @film noire 💞

Those are all admirable things, it’s true. And my heart truly broke for her when her dog died and I did not like how she was treated then. However as @LibertarianSlut (I love a Liberty girl) explained far better than I could (and I’m paraphrasing) she keeps signing contracts season after season. She knows the role producers want her to play. She doesn’t *really seem to be affected by the nonsense otherwise she wouldn’t continue to sign up. Yes she cries a lot but I can count only two scenes where her cheeks were actually wet with real tears. 

That is why I keep saying it’s all for show. Yes Dorinda’s behavior is terrible. Terrible. One of the differences between Bethenny and Dorinda is Bethenny was mostly sober and a monster. No I’m not and never said Tinsley deserves Dorinda’s treatment of her because she’s annoying. I said it’s all part of the script. It’s all about writing, editing, ratings and paychecks. And they take it too far on the side of production and the side of the talent. Production knew that with Bethenny gone they were going to need to bring some next-level nonsense, and this is what we got. 

 

Also I want to go to the Russian bathhouse 😊

I know you truly believe this. But I've yet to hear why Dorinda - if she is such the good, nice, kind-hearted person she desperately wants us to believe she is - why would she consent to being presented as such a vulgar, cruel, vicious, narcissistic human being? Just for the paycheck?

Because I have to tell you, whether she is truly like this (and I am inclined to believe she is) OR she's just willing to present herself as such a vicious person for a big paycheck? It doesn't look good for her. 

[eleanorofaquitaine]

3 hours ago, ChitChat said:

I was glad that Tinsley didn't get into a shouting match with Dorinda at the Spa.  It would've been pointless.  Ramona was right in that you can't argue with Dorinda.  She always has a comeback and has to have the last word.  Having said that though, I'd love for Tinsley to verbally take down Dorinda at some point, but I don't think that's going to happen.  Once Dorinda gets wound up, you really can't get your point across anyway.  She's too busy pointing her finger and yelling at you, so unless you tie her up and gag her, she's not going to listen to you anyway.  

I'd love to see Tinsley whip out her phone and replay the "Clip, Clip" scene right in Dorinda's face when she starts with her drunken tirade.  

The problem is that you cannot compete with someone who is willing to go that low - none of these women, with the exception of Ramona, are quite as willing to be as vicious as Dorinda is. And even with Ramona, she often just sort of blurts out these kinds of things without thinking - like the infamous scene with Bethenny on the bridge, she didn't say what she did with the intent to hurt Bethenny (though it was indeed hurtful).  IMO, that's why she actually feels bad about that stuff because unlike Dorinda, she actually isn't TRYING to be hurtful.

I think Tinsley's solution - to remove herself - was probably the best thing she could do. There's no competing with someone who is so willing to be abusive. 

[Mar]

LEAH, I like you, and in that group of women you have more maturity than all of them combined (except when you are drunk) but if I ever sent a nude photo to a man I had started to date and then he tried to send it to a friend, that isn’t just a “mistake”. That’s a goodbye from me. 

[Straycat80]

18 minutes ago, Mar said:

Dorinda was married to Richard for 9 (?) years and was never honest with him about her breast implants???? Isn’t honesty and important part of a healthy relationship?

I looked it up, Dorinda was married to Richard for 6 years, I thought it was more. He died in 2011 so he’s been gone for 9 years. 

Edited May 22, 2020 by Straycat80

[Mar]

Why is Ramona so obsessed with walking around in front of others in lingerie (I don’t know what else to call that nightie) and with flaunting her body and proclaiming her sexuality? Did something inappropriate happen to her in her childhood that caused her to believe that her worth lies in her body? 

[eleanorofaquitaine]

55 minutes ago, Sun-Bun said:

I’ve had my thoughts in the past on why Dorinda continually picks on Tinsley(jealousy, boredom, bitter reminder of Tins being born into the 1% versus Dor marrying into it, menopause madness, etc), but now I’m starting to wonder if she genuinely believed that all the viewers would side with her and find her takedown of Tinsley funny/engaging...it seems interesting that all of a sudden she, Luann and Ramona are mentioning how “annoying” they find Tinsley and her screeching.
Is this Dorinda’s calculated way of proving what a tough “bad bitch” she is, by trying to start more drunken arguments with a fresh new target while tossing out some more self-patented angry zingers? Because she’s really *reaching* for relevance if she’s left sparring with someone as harmless and well-mannered as Tinsley.

Speaking of reaching, good lord I cringed for Elyse when she desperately tried to toss out that obviously practiced, clunky zinger at the party while Dor/Ramona/Sonja ignored her during their group hug, hah!!! 
Homegirl obviously learned nothing from boringassed Barbara and her previous attempts. Actually, I dare say she’s even more boring/pointless than Barb, so that’s saying something.

That Russian spa looked so charmingly rustic and fun! I love old downtown Manhattan institutions like those...of course some of those bougie bitches would snark on it not being “uptown” enough for them. Whatever. 

Tinsley was strangely subdued and seemed a bit sad this episode; I’m hoping Dorinda hadn’t totally beaten down her spirit by then. To her credit, she didn’t snootily put down the spa like the other gals.

Ramona is such a pro at this; she knows exactly how to approach Dorinda without setting her off. And I’d love to hit one of her random ladies gatherings at her apartment! She still seems so fun, even after all these years. 

I've often thought, going back to The Real World, that a lot of times you see this kind of in-group/out-group bullying behavior because the people in the in-group have no idea how badly they look when observed by people who aren't part of whatever in-group/out-group dynamic there is. It's a little different with one-on-one bullying but essentially, I do think Dorinda - narcissist that she is - assumed that all the viewers would just see how annoying Tins is, and therefore automatically side with Dorinda. But of course, as viewers, for the most part, we don't have the same emotional attachments that they do, and can view the behavior more objectively.

I also think that Dorinda is invested in this image of herself as so "tough" and such a "bad bitch." This happened last year, when she behaved so badly at Ramona's charitable event and kept threatening Ramona like she was some sort of mob boss. Of course, all that says to me is that Dorinda isn't mentally tough or resilient at all, and she feels so vulnerable that the only way she knows how to deal with any threat to self-image is to threaten people.

All in all, she's a very unpleasant person, IMO.  

[Hangin Out]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

And she also goes as low as she can possibly go.  It's like a Scorched-Earth mentality.

I had to look up the phrase because I forgot it:

A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy that aims to destroy anything that might be useful to the enemy when retreating from a position. Any assets that could be used by the enemy may be targeted, which usually includes obvious weapons, transport vehicles, communication sites, and industrial resources.

Scorched earth - Wikipedia

Dorinda has these weird ass sayings (don’t know what you would call them), but they’re like an old lady would say,back in the days.  Maybe like ethnic.  Anyhow, they’re all degrading.

 

[jaybird2]

11 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

That was one of Ramona's best lines, ever. 

Dorinda really is despicable. She actually admitted that it doesn't bother her to fight with Tinsley, because she has no feelings for Tinsley. She reacts when she fights with Ramona because she does care about Ramona. Though it doesn't stop her from going for the jugular. But nope, Tinsley is a verbal punching bag for Dorinda, a sport from which she derives great pleasure. I often wonder what Richard's children think of their former step mother now?

i've been thinking that ever since this season started.  if she wants to move 'up' (her reason for breaking up with john)  this certainly isn't the way  to do it.  i cringe with embarassment watching dorinda and sonja.  no way would i include her in anything.  as i've said before, those people were richard's people not hers.  if they were they would have stayed in touch.  she is as rough around the edges as sonja and leah more so.  well, maybe not as sonja.