S14.E03: Two Truths and No Shakshuka

[Baltimore Betty]

56 minutes ago, izabella said:

Her hair distracts me so much, I can't pay any attention to what she's saying.  Those bangs are the worst.  I don't get it.  Is sticky-outy lawnmower-cut bangs a new trend?

Doll hair.  If that hair is really attached to her head by the roots I will eat my hat!

[Baltimore Betty]

On 7/31/2023 at 4:27 PM, bichonblitz said:

Erin has got to be the all time worst rich host ever! Why exactly didn't she make breakfast? She bragged enough about her Shaksuka (sp) but never made it. How about some bagels and fixings, muffins, croissants, fruit, etc? 

She must have read Kenya Moore's Housewives Hosting book, chapters include uncomfortable lodgings, nothing planned and of course how to order a crabcake for yourself or how not to feed your guests.

Years ago my daughter went on her birthright trip to Israel, when she got home she talked about Shakshuka non stop, I think I made it for her every morning for a month!

 

[tranquilidade]

At first I thought that Erin was a horrible hostess but now I think these women make ungrateful guests.  If they skipped lunch they should have stopped to pick up some food to bring in or at least arrive with a marble rye : ).  Honestly, they treated Erin's invite like a Bravo event almost expecting to be fed on arrival with a buffet.  The lingerie was treated like a Bravo  swag instead of a gift from Jenna.  Erin served caviar and champagne at 4 pm which is a lovely idea.  

 

Some of the show comes off as snobbery on steroids and I don't understand it because most of these women came from modest beginnings.  Also, Ubah is a hypocrite  bragging about how she abstains from alcohol because her life is so perfect she cannot dull her senses; she  is seen in the trailer crying about how lonely and friendless she is.   She is so full of it and so full of herself.  

Jenna's life story is incredible.  What she suffered would have crushed most people but she rose above it and  she is the only one on the show who really has substance.   I find her amazing.   Did anyone think maybe she left the house to spend the night with someone she loves?  Can't blame her if she did. 

 

 

[ZettaK]

Jenna is still the most likeable (until proven otherwise), even if she left Erin's house without telling anybody. 

Brynn tries too hard, and she was wearing real fur (a personal peeve).

 

[Baltimore Betty]

6 hours ago, ZettaK said:

Jenna is still the most likeable (until proven otherwise), even if she left Erin's house without telling anybody. 

Brynn tries too hard, and she was wearing real fur (a personal peeve).

 

That bathmat she was wearing was not real fur, a thousand orlons gave their lives to make that ratty coat!

[jinjer]

20 hours ago, Portae said:

Right. It's like the women are sensing that Jenna is getting preferential treatment (doesn't have to stay overnight, doesn't have to show her personal life, etc.) and starting to resent it. 

I think Jenna is the queen bee and the other women all are simultaneously jealous while seeking her approval. She gets special privileges wrt to filming and probably gets paid more. They all want to be the one closest to her, yet resent her special status. It will cause infighting among the lesser HWs as they all jockey to get closer to Jenna.

I agree with whoever wrote that Jenna likely has a project coming out that she wants to promote. This woman was at Solange Knowles wedding. She dressed Michelle Obama. She was the head of J. Crew, she has an eye lash line. She has all sorts of connections. She must be using HWs to promote something. 

I think Jenna has a very carefully curated life - every detail is attended to. Her gorgeous apartment - look at the video of her apartment - the details that have gone into everything including the pull-out shelving. Her wardrobe seems so effortless, and yet at the same time seems so affected.  

And on the show we are getting a carefully curated HW character - awkward, meek, indecisive, shy. Jenna Lyons has a cutthroat reputation in the business. She is not the meek, awkward person we are seeing on Rhony. I think the way she told Jessel to drop the bag is closer to the Jenna in real life. She is likely much more decisive and outspoken.

She grew up with a terrible disease and tells us on the show that she can only show her cleavage, yet this week on instagram is beautifully showing nearly her entire bikini-clad body stunningly photographed while on yacht vacation with a group of friends. 

"I didn't know there were gay women when I was growing up" but "How do these women not know who (the out) Billie Jean King was?" I am older than Jenna and knew back in the 70s that my 60+ year old middle school gym teach was a lesbian in upstate NY. Even people who weren't city slickers knew that women could be gay.  

"Tell me it's Dreamy Coffee!" Ugh! Can't be mad at Sai for being an influencer when Jenna is acting all Gwyneth Goopy on us. 

That said, she is probably going to be the best HW at controlling her story. 

Brynn is half black - she probably has been blowing out and straightening her hair which probably has more texture. I think Brynn will bring a lot more traditional HW nonsense to the show. And I am glad that she highlighted that Erin was more obsequious to Jenna than she was to Brynn. 

Erin is a cross between Bethenny (who she thinks she is) and Jill (who she really is).

Sai I like, I know the luggage was nonsense, but Influencer is a job, whether people think it should be or not, and she likely was changing each morning several times and taking photos. 

Jessel is going to be the Ramona - no filter or self-awareness. Really the green lingerie looked terrible. I mean come on - are we to believe that Jenna could give those hot sexy outfit to Sai and cute little outfit to Erin then that to Jessel and not have expected Jessel to feel a certain way? 

Ubah is gorgeous and light hearted. I hope she settles down with the antics because she doesn't need to be so "crazy fun". She seems like good energy.

 

[Portae]

1 hour ago, jinjer said:

 

And on the show we are getting a carefully curated HW character - awkward, meek, indecisive, shy. Jenna Lyons has a cutthroat reputation in the business. She is not the meek, awkward person we are seeing on Rhony. I think the way she told Jessel to drop the bag is closer to the Jenna in real life. She is likely much more decisive and outspoken.

She grew up with a terrible disease and tells us on the show that she can only show her cleavage, yet this week on instagram is beautifully showing nearly her entire bikini-clad body stunningly photographed while on yacht vacation with a group of friends. 

 

 

ALL OF THIS.

[dovegrey]

16 hours ago, tranquilidade said:

Did anyone think maybe she left the house to spend the night with someone she loves?  Can't blame her if she did. 

On the other hand, the show is a job, and, when Jenna left, production was still at the house with cameras ready, if not actually filming (I mean, they had footage). Everyone else stayed, even though they were arguably hungry, sleeping in rooms without heat, and possibly wanting to spend their night doing something else, too. The legacy HWs had similar issues when Bethenny came back and constantly ducked out on group events because she didn't want to miss time with her daughter; filming is a job and everyone else is on the hook to be there and film. Anyway, I don't know why the producers decided to show the partying/Jenna leaving stuff as a blink-and-miss it flashback; I'd rather see that kind of stuff than endless group counseling girl chat at lunch/dinner.

As a general comment, Jenna gives me Carole vibes, like she's looking in at the rest of the cast from afar without seeing herself as part of them, only Carole seemed aware, relatively genuine (at least consistent through her seasons), and still willing to be part of the ridiculousness. As @jinjer said above, I don’t think this Jenna is anywhere near the real Jenna, although I like the persona. Jenna tried to lampshade the difference in she is on the show vs her business reputation by saying she’s just a different person when she’s at work, but I suspect it’s probably more she wants the exposure without the ridiculousness/embarrassment that will inherently come from being part of group events gone wild.

[kristen111]

19 hours ago, Baltimore Betty said:

She must have read Kenya Moore's Housewives Hosting book, chapters include uncomfortable lodgings, nothing planned and of course how to order a crabcake for yourself or how not to feed your guests.

Years ago my daughter went on her birthright trip to Israel, when she got home she talked about Shakshuka non stop, I think I made it for her every morning for a month!

 

What is that exactly?  We weren’t Jewish, but my Mother made lots of Jewish food.  We ate fresh herring with raw onion on Ryebread, lox and cream cheese, stuffed cabbage, she made honey cake, borscht soup, etc, etc.  So many good things.  Even jelly donuts.  Everything from scratch.  I wrote nothing down.  Big mistake.

[kristen111]

13 hours ago, ZettaK said:

Jenna is still the most likeable (until proven otherwise), even if she left Erin's house without telling anybody. 

Brynn tries too hard, and she was wearing real fur (a personal peeve).

 

I’m happy for Jenna.  She is now in Greece vacationing with her partner.  Good for her I say.

[Baltimore Betty]

2 hours ago, kristen111 said:

What is that exactly?  We weren’t Jewish, but my Mother made lots of Jewish food.  We ate fresh herring with raw onion on Ryebread, lox and cream cheese, stuffed cabbage, she made honey cake, borscht soup, etc, etc.  So many good things.  Even jelly donuts.  Everything from scratch.  I wrote nothing down.  Big mistake.

It is an egg on a base of sauteed tomatoes and onions, garlic, peppers,spices, etc... you can ad avocado to it, it is a savory breakfast.  How nice you got to learn about all the good food when you were young, most non Jewish people don't know from good stuffed cabbage, lol.

L'Chiam!

[Marley]

I like it so far. The cast before was classic in the past seasons but they weren’t amazing in the last few seasons. 

I don’t think they are all influencers. Erin is a real estate agent I think. 

Jenna is weird but I think I like watching her so far.

I don’t mind Erin so far. She reminds me of Jennifer Anniston looks wise.

Jessel is a jerk and seems like she just settled for her husband because he was there and her clock prob ticking plus prob some pressure from family. Her husband either has to be watching a lot of porn or cheating on her. Not having sex with your husband for 2 years seems pretty extreme. He’s not bad looking either. She seems to have frriendzoned her own husband.

I would’ve left for my own bed too if I was Jenna. I wanna see her house.

I may change my opinion in the future but so far I’m enjoying this.

I don’t know about Bryn sometimes she seems fun but then she was annoying with the whole thing with Erin and the restaurant vs Jenna and the house. To me they are totally different situations. Jenna apologized right away and wasn’t being a bitch leaving the house but Bryn was a bitch about the restaurant.

Edited August 4, 2023 by Marley

[kristen111]

Enough.  These women do not look like friends.  Bring the old bags back.  Cannot relate here.  Parading around in designer clothes did not impress.  They are boring.  Or, have two shows so everyone is happy.  Andy cannot relate.  Does he know what women want?  Guess not.

Edited August 4, 2023 by kristen111

[ZettaK]

18 hours ago, dovegrey said:

On the other hand, the show is a job, and, when Jenna left, production was still at the house with cameras ready, if not actually filming (I mean, they had footage). Everyone else stayed, even though they were arguably hungry, sleeping in rooms without heat, and possibly wanting to spend their night doing something else, too. The legacy HWs had similar issues when Bethenny came back and constantly ducked out on group events because she didn't want to miss time with her daughter; filming is a job and everyone else is on the hook to be there and film. Anyway, I don't know why the producers decided to show the partying/Jenna leaving stuff as a blink-and-miss it flashback; I'd rather see that kind of stuff than endless group counseling girl chat at lunch/dinner.

As a general comment, Jenna gives me Carole vibes, like she's looking in at the rest of the cast from afar without seeing herself as part of them, only Carole seemed aware, relatively genuine (at least consistent through her seasons), and still willing to be part of the ridiculousness. As @jinjer said above, I don’t think this Jenna is anywhere near the real Jenna, although I like the persona. Jenna tried to lampshade the difference in she is on the show vs her business reputation by saying she’s just a different person when she’s at work, but I suspect it’s probably more she wants the exposure without the ridiculousness/embarrassment that will inherently come from being part of group events gone wild.

Other HWs left group settings to go to another hotel, or a house alone, or with their kid, or just left to go to their room earlier (Erika Jayne from Beverly Hills, Kenya from Atlanta multiple times), and the other women became upset.

Jessel shaded Erin's house by saying her house was not on the beach like Jenna's. So, she insulted at least a couple of people.

Edited August 5, 2023 by ZettaK

[Chatty Cake]

I’m warming up to this group. I despise sleepovers so I would have left and perhaps snuck out too. 

[ZettaK]

According to the previews, Erin will cook the shakshuka.

About Brynn's hair: she is biracial (her father is African American, her mother is white), and her hair is straightened. Her natural hair looks like this (photo below- it's a screenshot from a reel), and she is really cute.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.yahoo.com/amphtml/entertainment/brynn-whitfield-real-housewives-york-160000800.html

Edited August 7, 2023 by ZettaK

[AnnMarie17]

On 8/4/2023 at 6:49 AM, Baltimore Betty said:

That bathmat she was wearing was not real fur, a thousand orlons gave their lives to make that ratty coat!

My husband walked in the room and asked me who was wearing the "beaver pelt"...I love that man.  

[Baltimore Betty]

On 8/5/2023 at 1:59 PM, ZettaK said:

According to the previews, Erin will cook the shakshuka.

About Brynn's hair: she is biracial (her father is African American, her mother is white), and her hair is straightened. Her natural hair looks like this (photo below- it's a screenshot from a reel), and she is really cute.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.yahoo.com/amphtml/entertainment/brynn-whitfield-real-housewives-york-160000800.html

Adorable! Maybe it is the color she has now, I am not loving it on her.

I stated that if her hair was real that I'd eat my hat...so far not one of you have quoted me and given me a recipe for hat.

[ZettaK]

14 hours ago, Baltimore Betty said:

Adorable! Maybe it is the color she has now, I am not loving it on her.

I stated that if her hair was real that I'd eat my hat...so far not one of you have quoted me and given me a recipe for hat.

It could be the color, and the length, but some women want to have really long hair. 

[SweetieDarling]

17 hours ago, Baltimore Betty said:

Adorable! Maybe it is the color she has now, I am not loving it on her.

I stated that if her hair was real that I'd eat my hat...so far not one of you have quoted me and given me a recipe for hat.

Here, let me help; This one looks tasty:

[Baltimore Betty]

18 minutes ago, SweetieDarling said:

Here, let me help; This one looks tasty:

I am literally laughing out loud at this right now!  I was wondering how to make a Sombrero Souffle or a Pork Pie Hat for dinner this evening!

Edited August 8, 2023 by Baltimore Betty
Funnier thoughts.

[kristen111]

On 8/7/2023 at 3:16 PM, Baltimore Betty said:

Adorable! Maybe it is the color she has now, I am not loving it on her.

I stated that if her hair was real that I'd eat my hat...so far not one of you have quoted me and given me a recipe for hat.

A man’s opinion.  I was watching WWHL with my adult Son.  He went crazy for Brynn.  Thought she was gorgeous and loved her demeanor, figure and hair.

 

 

 

[hoodooznoodooz]

40 minutes ago, kristen111 said:

A man’s opinion.  I was watching WWHL with my adult Son.  He went crazy for Brynn.  Thought she was gorgeous and loved her demeanor, figure and hair.

 

 

 

He even liked her voice? I guess we women are tough on one another. Not in real life, but when we judge reality TV individuals.

[Baltimore Betty]

3 hours ago, kristen111 said:

A man’s opinion.  I was watching WWHL with my adult Son.  He went crazy for Brynn.  Thought she was gorgeous and loved her demeanor, figure and hair.

 

 

 

She is beautiful, I am not saying that she is not but the hair (for me) is distracting. 

I do think she might be the "Sonja" of the group, man crazy, drinks a little too much but in a much younger package.

[kristen111]

17 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

He even liked her voice? I guess we women are tough on one another. Not in real life, but when we judge reality TV individua

Sorry, I pad on the fritz.   Have to get new one.

Edited August 9, 2023 by kristen111

[hottesthw]

17 hours ago, Baltimore Betty said:

She is beautiful, I am not saying that she is not but the hair (for me) is distracting. 

I do think she might be the "Sonja" of the group, man crazy, drinks a little too much but in a much younger package.

It’s the poorly cut and styled bangs. If she’s not going to style them, she shouldn’t have them.

She takes reality tv desperation to an entirely new level. And I’ve only watched bits and pieces here and there. 

[lightninggirl]

On 7/30/2023 at 9:29 PM, Steph J said:

 

• Jessel is such an a-hole (while being completely oblivious that she's acting like an a-hole) that I'm halfway convinced that she's been possessed by the spirit of Ramona

This is the most accurate thing I think I've read in these forums in 2023. 

[lawrbk]

On 7/31/2023 at 3:52 PM, PrincessPurrsALot said:

In the talking heads, I think production keeps asking Jenna about being a lesbian, then chooses to feature those answers.  It risks making her one note.  I think they are seeing that as part of being more inclusive.  I would like to see more of her overall as a person.  For all people, sexuality is one part of who we are.  I am glad they have an out lesbian on the show who is not performative (e.g., Braunwyn from RHOC).  I am hoping that over time it becomes simply an accepted part of who she is that is sometimes important to the discussion.  For now, since they are all getting to know each other, it is often brought up, especially since they push so much sex talk. I doubt she'd mention it so much during the regular interactions if damn near every group chat didn't turn into sex talk. 

Never have I ever played two truths and a lie and told a bunch of people about my sex life. When playing with people I know well, some sex talk has come up, but it has never been 100% the focus of the game.  

I think it’s producer driven and edited too. It’s other facets of her life that add to her interest. The relationship with her mom, her condition and why she has to wear fake hair, lashes and teeth and is covered in scars, her relationship with her child and her ex. (They separated when their son was 4, he’s 15-6 now, but lived together for several years to coparent. 
 

If they talk about being gay, I’d be interested more in how it affected her life since she was already middle aged, married etc. Having to navigate a whole new dating world. The story about being forced to come out under tabloid pressure was interesting and infuriating. But dealing with tabloids is a real housewife staple and Jenna was doing it before being a housewife. I’d like to hear more about her career especially post J Crew.

I really like Jenna and she was the one I thought I’d like least before it started. I thought she’d be ‘I’m too cool and above this’. 

Edited August 12, 2023 by lawrbk

[Baltimore Betty]

3 hours ago, lawrbk said:

If they talk about being gay, I’d be interested more in how it affected her life since she was already middle aged, married etc. Having to navigate a whole new dating world.

Well whatever you do, do not use Miranda Hobbs from And Just Like That as a learning tool for navigating being newly gay in the dating world. 

I personally feel like Jenna would have been pretty good at figuring out that new world, bravely.

Fun fact, my cousin is a privacy lawyer and was general council at J. Crew some years ago and I keep forgetting to ask if it was during the Jenna Lyons era, I really need to find out if he was there and if he met her.

[SweetieDarling]

1 hour ago, Baltimore Betty said:

Fun fact, my cousin is a privacy lawyer and was general council at J. Crew some years ago and I keep forgetting to ask if it was during the Jenna Lyons era, I really need to find out if he was there and if he met her.

Yes, you do.

And, please report back

[BlueHawk]

On 8/3/2023 at 12:33 PM, Baltimore Betty said:

Doll hair.  If that hair is really attached to her head by the roots I will eat my hat!

Ok folks I gotta speak up in defense of Brynn's "unreal" hair! My hair was called unreal my whole life (when I was 17 the new adult neighbors started telling people it was a wig!!). Every hairdresser I ever went to even as a kid immediately approached me with the thinning shears (which while leaving a pile of hair on the floor didn't make an appreciable difference). My hair is dark red gold and wavy curly-- looked a lot like Brynns' in the scene at the beauty shop when she had it wet. And I spent the entire 1960s "reverse perming", ironing, wearing soup cans as rollers and cursing my mirror, nature, and my ancestors because i didnt have the stick straight long hair everyone needed to look acceptable among peers in those days. My hair caused me a lot of angst back then and kids did make fun of it. 

Thankfully I grew up and out of that phase and finally accepted my hair and celebrated it for the entirety of my adult life.

However, life being what it is, my wish for less hair in youth was simply delayed not denied. Once I hit my 60s my hair began thinning -as tends to happen to many women. I admit I panicked the first time I realized I could see my scalp!        Now that I'm closer to my 80s than my 60s I count myself lucky because while I'm no longer accused of wig wearing I still have a full looking head of hair that I don't need to fuss with at all - just wash and let it do its thing.

So I completely reject any theory that Brynn has anything but her own God given enormous pile of hair that she's suffered with and learned to deal with and appreciate. And fear not she won't have it forever and might turn to supplementation  in her late 70s or she might just cut it shorter and feel relieved.

[Baltimore Betty]

1 hour ago, BlueHawk said:

Ok folks I gotta speak up in defense of Brynn's "unreal" hair! My hair was called unreal my whole life (when I was 17 the new adult neighbors started telling people it was a wig!!). Every hairdresser I ever went to even as a kid immediately approached me with the thinning shears (which while leaving a pile of hair on the floor didn't make an appreciable difference). My hair is dark red gold and wavy curly-- looked a lot like Brynns' in the scene at the beauty shop when she had it wet. And I spent the entire 1960s "reverse perming", ironing, wearing soup cans as rollers and cursing my mirror, nature, and my ancestors because i didnt have the stick straight long hair everyone needed to look acceptable among peers in those days. My hair caused me a lot of angst back then and kids did make fun of it. 

Thankfully I grew up and out of that phase and finally accepted my hair and celebrated it for the entirety of my adult life.

However, life being what it is, my wish for less hair in youth was simply delayed not denied. Once I hit my 60s my hair began thinning -as tends to happen to many women. I admit I panicked the first time I realized I could see my scalp!        Now that I'm closer to my 80s than my 60s I count myself lucky because while I'm no longer accused of wig wearing I still have a full looking head of hair that I don't need to fuss with at all - just wash and let it do its thing.

So I completely reject any theory that Brynn has anything but her own God given enormous pile of hair that she's suffered with and learned to deal with and appreciate. And fear not she won't have it forever and might turn to supplementation  in her late 70s or she might just cut it shorter and feel relieved.

In the world of Real Housewives wigs and extensions are a real thing, it was not out of the realm of possibilities that it was the case with Brynn, after seeing her at the hair dresser it proved me wrong and for the record, I have not eaten my hat and have no plans to do so.  Hair is always greener on the other side of the fence, curly tops want straight hair and straight hair want curls, I want wash and wear hair (after washing it would dry straight but NEVER will), I use a big round brush and the blow dryer to straighten my hair, always have struggled with it so I can sympathize with you and Brynn.

[BlueHawk]

24 minutes ago, Baltimore Betty said:

In the world of Real Housewives wigs and extensions are a real thing, it was not out of the realm of possibilities that it was the case with Brynn, after seeing her at the hair dresser it proved me wrong and for the record, I have not eaten my hat and have no plans to do so.  Hair is always greener on the other side of the fence, curly tops want straight hair and straight hair want curls, I want wash and wear hair (after washing it would dry straight but NEVER will), I use a big round brush and the blow dryer to straighten my hair, always have struggled with it so I can sympathize with you and Brynn.

Yes Ma'am! 😊 Human nature is always peering over that fence. Magazines & general media are always full of pics of women shown in casual perfection implying no effort spent on appearance. Young girls miss that behind the pics  are teams of pros and hours of prep. Most finally give up trying to achieve this on our own, thank Heaven!

 I admire your proficiency w brush & dryer. I have only a wide tooth comb (since I eschew dreads) and haven't owned a dryer since my second husband took it with him....😁

I'm also extremely curious about Jenna's hair. Is it permanently implanted,?A science fiction level wig?  Is it heat & swim proof? Synthetic or human strands?Does it ever come off? She's my favorite (along w Erin) & I have many questions.

[RealHousewife]

On 8/8/2023 at 3:22 PM, kristen111 said:

A man’s opinion.  I was watching WWHL with my adult Son.  He went crazy for Brynn.  Thought she was gorgeous and loved her demeanor, figure and hair.

 

 

 

I can see why your son went crazy for Brynn. She is really pretty. She looks a lot like Mandy Moore.