Bethenny Frankel: Skinny Girl

[Otherkate]

I have two friends who have spent quite a lot of time with B - one on a professional level (worked on her show) and the other on a more social level. They both say she's actually quite nice and the one who worked for her said she's a great boss who was always going out of her way to make him feel comfortable. Intense, yup, but the people I know who have run in her circle for a good amount of time have nothing but good things to say about her. 

[Mrs peel]

I have two friends who have spent quite a lot of time with B - one on a professional level (worked on her show) and the other on a more social level. They both say she's actually quite nice and the one who worked for her said she's a great boss who was always going out of her way to make him feel comfortable. Intense, yup, but the people I know who have run in her circle for a good amount of time have nothing but good things to say about her.

But do tell, what do they say about Jason?

Zoeysmom, thanks for the link for the article. Interesting stuff, although again with the lies. She wasn't broke, I recall NO mention in season 1 of her writing a diet book - she was pushing vegan baking back then.

Most annoyingly, she thinks it's funny to quip that her meeting with bloggers is "like an AA meeting, except with drinking"?!? Fuck you Bethenny. Not amusing at all.

So in season 1 she says wanted to "marry Jason (1, not Hoppy, for those new to RHNY) with "one" child." I get she may have been saying she wanted a baby of her own, but Hmmmm, I thought he had custody of his own 3 children. That would have made Bethenny, Jason 1 and "4" children.

And she says she likes just doing the franchising, because she doesn't need to have 200 employees, PR team and "folks stealing office supplies." Really, you immediately assume your employees would be stealing from you? Nice.

She keeps talking about Costco moms buying her products, but her management specializes in selling to Walmart and Target.

Either the apt we saw her working on is now totally different, or the author is delusional, because he called it "girly." NO.

Edited September 16, 2015 by Mrs peel

[racked]

I have two friends who have spent quite a lot of time with B - one on a professional level (worked on her show) and the other on a more social level. They both say she's actually quite nice and the one who worked for her said she's a great boss who was always going out of her way to make him feel comfortable. Intense, yup, but the people I know who have run in her circle for a good amount of time have nothing but good things to say about her.

I'm sure she is wonderful so long as everyone is a yes man. She is clearly only interested in people who kiss her ass all day. Look at how she treats fans - critique her and she makes an example of you and her sycophantic fans attack. She's every bit a beast in her own way.

[ScoobieDoobs]

I have two friends who have spent quite a lot of time with B - one on a professional level (worked on her show) and the other on a more social level. They both say she's actually quite nice and the one who worked for her said she's a great boss who was always going out of her way to make him feel comfortable. Intense, yup, but the people I know who have run in her circle for a good amount of time have nothing but good things to say about her. 

 

But on a long-term basis, I wonder how she is.  Whoever worked with Bethenny on the talk show, didn't work with her very long.  And as far as friends?  She seems to have few, if none.  And pretty much no long-term friends -- which she herself has admitted to many times.  That speaks volumes to me.  I could see her being OK for a short time, but over the long haul?  Oh, I have no doubt the real monstrous Bethenny would come out eventually.  No, I wouldn't wanna be anywhere around her.  And her palsy-walsy, supposedly tighty-tight "friendship" with Satan Andy?  Well, let's just see how long that'll last.

 

I mean seriously, she's still talking about this stuff with Jillzy all these years later?  Who the fuck cares about this shit?  Sheesh, holding onto to grudges much, Bethenny?  Maybe next season she'll make Kelly eat dirt -- um, literally?

Edited September 16, 2015 by ScoobieDoobs

[Otherkate]

But do tell, what do they say about Jason?

 

 

Neither one of them has said anything about Jason.

 

The one who worked on her show is still quite friendly with her and she's been super supportive of his new gig, even sent him flowers after his first day on his new show. 

 

Not trying to start something here, yeesh, just giving some info from some people I know who seem to genuinely like her.

[WireWrap]

 

I mean seriously, she's still talking about this stuff with Jillzy all these years later?  Who the fuck cares about this shit?  Sheesh, holding onto to grudges much, Bethenny?  Maybe next season she'll make Kelly eat dirt -- um, literally?

I think Bethenny and Andy brought up Jill because of the callers comment comparing Bethenny's current behavior to Jill's behavior this year. They had to remind viewers of what happened between J/B to get people back on Bethenny's side. JMO

[shoegal]

Zoeysmom, thanks for the link for the article. Interesting stuff, although again with the lies. She wasn't broke, I recall NO mention in season 1 of her writing a diet book - she was pushing vegan baking back then.

I remember the book, she did a photo shoot for the cover and it was filmed. I believe the book was called Naturally Thin.

And as far as friends? She seems to have few, if none. And pretty much no long-term friends -- which she herself has admitted to many times.

I believe the opposite is true, Bethenny has repeatedly said that her small group of close friends are people she's known for many years, some since boarding school, which would be decades ago. Edited September 15, 2015 by shoegal

[ScoobieDoobs]

I remember the book, she did a photo shoot for the cover and it was filmed. I believe the book was called Naturally Thin.

I believe the opposite is true, Bethenny has repeatedly said that her small group of close friends are people she's known for many years, some since boarding school, which would be decades ago.

 

Nope, not true at all.  If the opposite of what I said is true -- which is that she has few (close to none), close long-term friends -- then she would have many long-term friends.  She does NOT -- and that is by her admission & by what you just said.  

 

No, the opposite of what I said is not true in the least.  Bethenny has few long-term friends & few friends at all.  That is just who she Bethenny is.  My point was she might be nice enough to those she's dealt with for a short time.  I could see that.  Ah, but in time the real monster in her eventually comes out -- and eeeek, run for your lives.  I suspect she has quite a history of people fleeing from her.

Edited September 16, 2015 by ScoobieDoobs

[shoegal]

Nope, not true at all.  If the opposite of what I said is true -- which is that she has few (close to none), close long-term friends -- then she would have many long-term friends.  She does NOT -- and that is by her admission & by what you just said.  

 

No, the opposite of what I said is not true in the least.  Bethenny has few long-term friends & few friends at all.  That is just who she Bethenny is.  My point was she might be nice enough to those she's dealt with for a short time.  i could see that.  Ah, but in time the real monster in her eventually comes out -- and eeeek, run for your lives.  I suspect she has quite a history of people fleeing from her.

What you said is "pretty much no long term friends". Bethenny's close friends are very long term friends. I think the Bethenny has no friends idea is overstated.

[ScoobieDoobs]

What you said is "pretty much no long term friends". Bethenny's close friends are very long term friends. I think the Bethenny has no friends idea is overstated.

 

But again, not the opposite, as you stated.  So your assessment of the quote was incorrect.  Anyway, I still think everything Moaner said to Bethenny on the Brooklyn Bridge was dead on.  Too bad really, cuz I don't think Bethenny will ever allow such a true assessment of herself, now that she's running the show.  Moaner was the one who said on the Brooklyn Bridge how Bethenny had no friends, so I was probably thinking of that.  And yes, it is overstated, but not by much.  Not by much.

[breezy424]

Here is the link:  http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/09/21/perfect-pitching

 

Skinny Girl I think will run its course.  It sounds as if she has zero commitment to quality or any sort of natural ingredients.  I noticed she gave credit to a manager, not the one who sued her and won for an introduction to David Kanbar.  My she does get her digs in.

That was an 'interesting' interview and story.  She keeps talking about Costco Moms.  What's a Costco mom?  And then she talks about the chips in individual bags to sell at Costco.  I'm a long time Costco shopper (guess I'm a Costco mom) and I've never seen any Skinnygirl products in Costco.  Apparently, they do, or use to, sell her liquor products (they don't sell liquor in the ones I've frequented) but I've never seen anything in the two near me.

 

No surprise that her liquor line sales are down.  The market is getting saturated and it seems that there are just as good, if not better, products out there now.  And yeah, she's just slapping Skinnygirl on anything she can get a licensing agreement.  Yep, it will run its course, and IMO, it's getting close to the finish line. 

 

And gosh, I can't remember where I read or heard this, but according to Andy there are no contract agreements on product placement on the shows.  Maybe I read or heard that wrong.  ETA - stupid me,  it was in this article:

 

According to Frankel, Bravo gave in, a concession that, these days, networks rarely make, but Cohen told me that there were not, as rumored, agreements stipulating that Frankel be allowed to promote her products on the show’s recent season: “People are very cynical.”

Edited September 16, 2015 by breezy424

[ScoobieDoobs]

I can see why she'd go on endlessly about Costco.  If you have a product line, to win a distribution contract with Costco is really hitting the lottery,  And if you are a "Costco mom" (someone who shops regularly at Costco), then Bethenny clearly wants to target SG to you.  Maybe her mentions of Costco mean she's trying to expand SG distribution in Costco.  Have no doubt, she had some purposeful intention behind it.

 

I'd luv to see a story on how SG is actually doing.  And I'd really like to know what kind of distribution SG has.  Just going by what I've seen in so many retailers, SG products come & go, very unpredictably & so randomly.  Right now, I see none of it anywhere -- not even in major liquor retailers around here like Stew Leonard's.  But that's only what I've seen, so it's not dependable.  But it makes me wonder what the deal is with SG now.  Oh, I bet she needs this show badly to keep repeating SkinnyGirl every 2 seconds & keep promoting it & keep it alive.

[zoeysmom]

I hope next season production will use some discretion and remove all the Skinny Girl crap so it doesn't seem like such an infomercial.  I know bethenny sees everything as a branding opportunity but I must say-I don't see Martha Stewart or Ina Garten with their products displayed constantly unless it is a commercial.

 

So Bethenny is in the non-alcoholic beverage, salad dressing and snack market?  I guess as long as she gets shelf space she gets $$$$$$.  Supposedly Bethenny pays herself $4 million a year.  10% of $40,000,000.00 would pay her salary-anybody think she is selling that much salad dressing, no alcoholic beverages and snacks?  I honestly don't know.

Costco is trending towards a lot of natural and organic snacks - don't see where Bethenny fits in the mix.  It is almost an oxy-moron to buy a three pack of giant Skinny Girl salad dressing-I think she touched upon size regarding her no calorie imitation flavored beverages produced by Arizona ice tea-whose claim to fame was the 16 ounce beverage for 99 cents.  I don't see her brand being big in Costco now or ever.

[jinjer]

SKG liquors are being served at the Gilt warehouse event in NYC in Oct.  

 

She did her book signings at Costco a few years ago I remember.  With her first book.  Or maybe it was the liquor when it first came out.  

[Freckledbruh]

SKG liquors are being served at the Gilt warehouse event in NYC in Oct.  

 

She did her book signings at Costco a few years ago I remember.  With her first book.  Or maybe it was the liquor when it first came out.

She definitely did a book signing at Costco which was not well attended so she basically spent the day shopping.

[Mrs peel]

I hope next season production will use some discretion and remove all the Skinny Girl crap so it doesn't seem like such an infomercial.  I know bethenny sees everything as a branding opportunity but I must say-I don't see Martha Stewart or Ina Garten with their products displayed constantly unless it is a commercial.

 

So Bethenny is in the non-alcoholic beverage, salad dressing and snack market?  I guess as long as she gets shelf space she gets $$$$$$.  Supposedly Bethenny pays herself $4 million a year.  10% of $40,000,000.00 would pay her salary-anybody think she is selling that much salad dressing, no alcoholic beverages and snacks?  I honestly don't know.

Costco is trending towards a lot of natural and organic snacks - don't see where Bethenny fits in the mix.  It is almost an oxy-moron to buy a three pack of giant Skinny Girl salad dressing-I think she touched upon size regarding her no calorie imitation flavored beverages produced by Arizona ice tea-whose claim to fame was the 16 ounce beverage for 99 cents.  I don't see her brand being big in Costco now or ever.

The article says she typically signs agreements where she effectively leases the name and gets 8-10% of the who.esale price. I think the typical supermarket markup isn't huge, so she might get $0,16 to $0.20 for every package sold wholesale at $2.00. Takes a lot of sales to get to $4mm. Of corse, the liquor deal is different.

I think she wants into Costco because Walmart isn't how she sees herself, even though Walmart sells a ton of stuff. A lot of Costco's do have liquor, but I have never seen her products there.

[ScoobieDoobs]

The article only mentions Walmart picking up her protein supplements.  Walmart is very no-nonsense.  If a product line in Walmart doesn't sell well & right away, they'll boot it quick.  And this particular arena (of protein supplements) is very, very heavily male-driven.  Can a totally female-driven line survive?  Me doubts it.  But I give Bethenny credit for continuously trying to hook up with whatever product which might possibly have a fit with the SkinnyGirl name & see if it will have any success.

 

Over all, I found the piece on Bethenny in The New Yorker interesting.  It highlights that Bethenny's business is purely a brand licensing one & she is absolutely NOT a manufacturer herself -- very, very different from Heather, who is definitely a manufacturer of products.  This may seem obvious to many, but not everyone realizes this important fact.  

 

And the article notes all the young people in their 20's who worship Bethenny & see her as someone they want to emulate.  Oh, good luck with that one, young people.  No, Bethenny's success is unique to Bethenny & ONLY Bethenny.  I mostly doubt (for oh-so-many reasons) anyone could duplicate Bethenny's successful path.  It's a big reason I think Bethenny is pretty much useless as a mentor.

 

What Bethenny has is extreme ambition to succeed & really great natural instincts about people.  And that's internal & really can't be passed onto anyone.  Still, I can see her giving good advice -- when she wants to.  But she doesn't strike me as having much interest in doing that.  Does she have great instincts about business?  Not sure.  Her greatest business decision was insisting that Bravo not take a piece of SG.  Did she make that insistence because she's a smart businesswoman or because she hates people & doesn't want to work with anyone?  Again, not sure.

 

The description in the article of Jason as "hollow-eyed" gave me a giggle.

[breezy424]

SKG liquors are being served at the Gilt warehouse event in NYC in Oct.  

 

She did her book signings at Costco a few years ago I remember.  With her first book.  Or maybe it was the liquor when it first came out.  

Haha.  I remember that book signing at Costco.  No one showed up and she went shopping.

[ryebread]

What Bethenny has is extreme ambition to succeed & really great natural instincts about people.

 

Except when it comes to boyfriends and husbands.  But the same could be said for them.

[ScoobieDoobs]

Well, the writer of the New Yorker piece sorta implied that, I think.  Eh, I guess Bethenny ain't exactly difficult to read.  Her frenetic "air" is always palpable.  You know, the tone of the piece sorta bothered me a bit.  It seemed to take on the assumption readers have never heard of Bethenny or the show.  Um, what the what?  While I find this hard to believe, since I've seen every ep & find this notion somewhat insulting, could that be true?

 

I've often wondered about the popularity of the show here in NYC.  The article mentions Bethenny going to various places in the NYC area to plug SG products & passionate fans absolutely come up to her.  But are there an overwhelming number of these Bethenny fans?  Maybe, Idk.  I can only relate my experience here -- which is that very few peeps I know watch this show, let alone are passionate about it or any of the cast (Bethenny or any of 'em).  Despite Brian Moylan's awesome weekly recaps in NY Mag, this show doesn't seem (at least to me) to have a must-see vibe for NYC'ers in general.  If any NYC'ers have a different point of view, please share.  Does Bethenny overwhelmingly resonate to peeps in the NYC area?  Hmmmm.

 

I only mention all of this because I saw Bethenny last month at a large house party out in the Hamptons.  She was with 2 very young blonde gals, who I assumed were her assistants, & she seemed to just stay with them & talk with them.  And nobody (except me) noticed her or could care less.  Now, this could be a New York thing -- to be indifferent to celebs.  Or maybe she's just mostly not considered such a big deal here.  Honestly, I'm not sure which.  I just thought it was kinda interesting.  And yeah, I was vaguely tempted to go up to her, but I was skeered shitless she'd scream STFU at me or start bawling & yell, "walls up".  Even watching her a bit was making me tense.  She still strikes me as someone I don't even wanna be in the same room with.  Her bundle of nervous energy just ain't for me.  Brrrr.

[talula]

I think NYers in general don't make much fuss over anyone. Bethenny is especially the kind of person to give a wide berth. You don't know...she may give the finger, curse or stick her tongue out at you.

Edited September 17, 2015 by talula

[micaela]

Yeah, I saw Bethenny several years ago at a restaurant in East Hampton. On the scale of celebrities I've seen out there, she ranks minus-100 on a scale of 1 to 10, and I've never seen anyone pay attention to any name out there. She was chatting up the maitre'd and standing in the middle of the entry area, posing, while poor Jason was standing a few feet away in the shadows, left out of the conversation. That marriage is in trouble, I thought to myself. It was the next year that everything went bad in public. 

 

I enjoyed the New Yorker article, though I agree that the writer clearly did not watch the show. She didn't seem to have a clue. Here is her description of the Housewives franchise: "...each one delivering a regional variation on the themes of friendship, intrigue, and occasional hair-pulling among a group of sometimes tipsy ladies of leisure. Frankel is something like the show’s screwball heroine."  Intrigue? Occasional hair-pulling?

 

The article does a good job of explaining what Bethenny's business really is and what she does, which, as someone said above, isn't obvious if you watch the show or read her media material. "In the past five years, she has rolled out more than a hundred new products, or SKUs (pronounced “skews”)—mostly low-calorie foods, such as popcorn, chips, and salad dressing—in partnership with national food conglomerates." That's a lot of products. 

[izabella]

Well, the writer of the New Yorker piece sorta implied that, I think.  Eh, I guess Bethenny ain't exactly difficult to read.  Her frenetic "air" is always palpable.  You know, the tone of the piece sorta bothered me a bit.  It seemed to take on the assumption readers have never heard of Bethenny or the show.  Um, what the what?  While I find this hard to believe, since I've seen every ep & find this notion somewhat insulting, could that be true?

 

Yes, that can be absolutely true.  I know it's hard to believe, but reality shows like the RH franchise, mean nothing to a lot of people and they have no idea who anyone is.  My SO, for one, has no idea and has never heard of these shows.

[OhGromit]

Well, the writer of the New Yorker piece sorta implied that, I think.  Eh, I guess Bethenny ain't exactly difficult to read.  Her frenetic "air" is always palpable.  You know, the tone of the piece sorta bothered me a bit.  It seemed to take on the assumption readers have never heard of Bethenny or the show.  Um, what the what?  While I find this hard to believe, since I've seen every ep & find this notion somewhat insulting, could that be true?

 

I've often wondered about the popularity of the show here in NYC.  The article mentions Bethenny going to various places in the NYC area to plug SG products & passionate fans absolutely come up to her.  But are there an overwhelming number of these Bethenny fans?  Maybe, Idk.  I can only relate my experience here -- which is that very few peeps I know watch this show, let alone are passionate about it or any of the cast (Bethenny or any of 'em).  Despite Brian Moylan's awesome weekly recaps in NY Mag, this show doesn't seem (at least to me) to have a must-see vibe for NYC'ers in general.  If any NYC'ers have a different point of view, please share.  Does Bethenny overwhelmingly resonate to peeps in the NYC area?  Hmmmm.

 

I only mention all of this because I saw Bethenny last month at a large house party out in the Hamptons.  She was with 2 very young blonde gals, who I assumed were her assistants, & she seemed to just stay with them & talk with them.  And nobody (except me) noticed her or could care less.  Now, this could be a New York thing -- to be indifferent to celebs.  

 

Interesting... she wasn't with Marcus what's his name? 

[ScoobieDoobs]

OK, so is this article saying Bethenny has won the battle between her & Jillzy?

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/andy-cohen-drops-jill-zarin-housewives-salute-article-1.2363339

 

The article is sorta putting the blame on Satan Andy for keeping Jillzy off the special.  No, I don't think so.  I think he's been leaning toward having Jillzy back & I believed him when he said he was very close to bringing her back this season.  I think we now have the reason why he didn't.  It's because of Bethenny & ONLY Bethenny.  She's making it pretty darn clear with these statements about Jillzy -- which seem quite vengeful to me.  Guess Satan Andy found himself in the position that he had to pick sides (either Bethenny's or Jillzy's) because Bethenny demanded him to do so.  Why he's letting Bethenny boss him around is a mystery to me, but this does seem to be happening.

 

I think it's a big a mistake for Satan Andy to hand the show over to Bethenny & let it become either a SkinnyGirl infomercial or a Bethenny vanity project.  Letting Jillzy come back could inject a ton of life into this show & really invigorate it.  Whether you like Jillzy or hate her guts, this article is absolutely correct that she is the one (NOT Satan Andy) who is responsible for casting most of the peeps on the show.  Jillzy knows a ton of people who might be interesting to bring on the show.  Bethenny OTOH seems to be in her own little SG world, with her revolving blonde fembot 20 year old assistants, & that's about it.  Oh yeah, and the guys she's dating that she'll NEVER share about.  So what's that mean for what she can offer to the show?  Not much, not much.

 

And given how the Daily News article above seems kinda sympathetic to Jillzy, I'd say Jillzy still has some friends over there.  Hmmm, does this indicate a battle of Bethenny's PR hacks vs. Jillzy's PR hacks?  Yikes, everyone better duck!

[ScoobieDoobs]

Interesting... she wasn't with Marcus what's his name? 

 

Nope, just 2 perky-looking 20-ish blonde girls.  I assumed they were PR gals, but no, PR gals are easy to spot cuz they're usually really loud, way too effusive & circulate -- a lot.  She was huddled with those 2 girls & them alone & the poor things looked "hollow-eyed" (yeah, the same look the NY'er article described Jason as having) & maybe somewhat terrified.  Honestly, I couldn't glance at her for long cuz it was making me too nervous.

[zoeysmom]

OK, so is this article saying Bethenny has won the battle between her & Jillzy?

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/andy-cohen-drops-jill-zarin-housewives-salute-article-1.2363339

 

The article is sorta putting the blame on Satan Andy for keeping Jillzy off the special.  No, I don't think so.  I think he's been leaning toward having Jillzy back & I believed him when he said he was very close to bringing her back this season.  I think we now have the reason why he didn't.  It's because of Bethenny & ONLY Bethenny.  She's making it pretty darn clear with these statements about Jillzy -- which seem quite vengeful to me.  Guess Satan Andy found himself in the position that he had to pick sides (either Bethenny's or Jillzy's) because Bethenny demanded him to do so.  Why he's letting Bethenny boss him around is a mystery to me, but this does seem to be happening.

 

I think it's a big a mistake for Satan Andy to hand the show over to Bethenny & let it become either a SkinnyGirl infomercial or a Bethenny vanity project.  Letting Jillzy come back could inject a ton of life into this show & really invigorate it.  Whether you like Jillzy or hate her guts, this article is absolutely correct that she is the one (NOT Satan Andy) who is responsible for casting most of the peeps on the show.  Jillzy knows a ton of people who might be interesting to bring on the show.  Bethenny OTOH seems to be in her own little SG world, with her revolving blonde fembot 20 year old assistants, & that's about it.  Oh yeah, and the guys she's dating that she'll NEVER share about.  So what's that mean for what she can offer to the show?  Not much, not much.

 

And given how the Daily News article above seems kinda sympathetic to Jillzy, I'd say Jillzy still has some friends over there.  Hmmm, does this indicate a battle of Bethenny's PR hacks vs. Jillzy's PR hacks?  Yikes, everyone better duck!

I am going to throw this out there-Bobby has had a helluva a battle with thyroid cancer.  It apparently was found in his lungs and Jill moved heaven and earth to get him the latest and greatest treatment.  Maybe Jill was uncomfortable recounting her battle with Bethenny.  I am just throwing it out there.

[breezy424]

I am going to throw this out there-Bobby has had a helluva a battle with thyroid cancer.  It apparently was found in his lungs and Jill moved heaven and earth to get him the latest and greatest treatment.  Maybe Jill was uncomfortable recounting her battle with Bethenny.  I am just throwing it out there.

Didn't know that.  But did Jill actually tell Beth he was being treated for thyroid cancer.  God, it was so many years ago, I can't even remember.  And Jill admitted that she created the riff with Beth for a story line for ratings?

[AuntieDiane6]

 

I am going to throw this out there-Bobby has had a helluva a battle with thyroid cancer.  It apparently was found in his lungs and Jill moved heaven and earth to get him the latest and greatest treatment.  Maybe Jill was uncomfortable recounting her battle with Bethenny.  I am just throwing it out there.

 

Jill would have LOVED to throw that in Beth's face!  "BAW-BEE was DYING and you, you … just sent FLOWERS.  Like my mailman did!"

[zoeysmom]

Didn't know that.  But did Jill actually tell Beth he was being treated for thyroid cancer.  God, it was so many years ago, I can't even remember.  And Jill admitted that she created the riff with Beth for a story line for ratings?

Here is a story from People it is a reoccurrence.  Jill worked hard for her husband. http://www.people.com/article/jill-zarin-bobby-zarin-cancer-battle

 

Jill was certainly try and pull the strings on the show and the others weren't having any of it.  Probably the dumbest thing I have ever heard creating a rift and doing it without telling the other person.

Edited September 18, 2015 by zoeysmom

[racked]

Jill definitely chose wrong in trying to create that drama, and I completely believe she felt wronged because Bethenny was getting these great opportunities and was leaving Jill behind. But how disingenuous of B to say she would have taken Jill along for the ride had she not caused that drama. Also to call herself the most successful and beloved Housewife ever is a little gag worthy. That's Vanderpump in my opinion.

[Almost 3000]

Nice B article from the NYer:

Perfect Pitching

Bethenny Frankel and the new breed of celebrity entrepreneur.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/09/21/perfect-pitching

Edited September 22, 2015 by Almost 3000

[sasha206]

It's true, she's incredibly petty and holds a grudge like nobody's business. She's also not nearly as witty as she thinks she is. Seeing the way she interacts with fans on Twitter is really eye opening. Say anything remotely negative and she will sick her fans on you. I sometimes enjoy her as a character in RHONY but in real life I don't think I could be around her for five minutes.

 

It's funny b/c it seems like she becamse Jill Zarin.  And it's sad because the Bethenney that people loved is the one who was the underdog and her dreams came true. She was really funny, smart, acerbic.  She wasn't This Bethenney Goes to 11.

[Rhetorica]

Bethenny may not be back...

http://www.people.com/article/bethenny-frankel-may-not-return-real-housewives

[Pollock]

Yeah right.

[AnnaMayWong]

 

"Over all, I found the piece on Bethenny in The New Yorker interesting.  It highlights that Bethenny's business is purely a brand licensing one & she is absolutely NOT a manufacturer herself -- very, very different from Heather, who is definitely a manufacturer of products.  This may seem obvious to many, but not everyone realizes this important fact.  

 

And the article notes all the young people in their 20's who worship Bethenny & see her as someone they want to emulate.  Oh, good luck with that one, young people.  No, Bethenny's success is unique to Bethenny & ONLY Bethenny.  I mostly doubt (for oh-so-many reasons) anyone could duplicate Bethenny's successful path."  

*QUOTE by ScoobieDoobs*

The ABOVE is a fantastic light analysis of Bethenny in relation to her business(es).

Especially as it differs from Heather's businesses.

[ScoobieDoobs]

So here's finally confirmation of what many of us suspected & what seemed so obvious -- that Satan Andy has indeed handed the show over to Bethenny-

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/bethenny-frankel-producer-role-real-housewives-article-1.2390609

[NewDigs]

So here's finally confirmation of what many of us suspected & what seemed so obvious -- that Satan Andy has indeed handed the show over to Bethenny-

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/bethenny-frankel-producer-role-real-housewives-article-1.2390609

Oh barf.

Can't believe she thought her therapy sessions would help how she was perceived by the audience.

And I won't miss any of their wanton public displays.

[ryebread]

Hear that smooching sound?  That's Carole kissing Bethenny's butt.  I heard it last season, but it's really loud now.

 

Sigh. I wouldn't care if Beth was producing as long as she wasn't a castmember.  Or vice versa.  Doing both muddies the water.  Dammit.  This is the only franchise I watch.  If you're reading this, Beth, don't mess it up.

 

And now that she's got more control, I hope it doesn't mean Jenny McCarthy is joining the cast.  Because I'd be out for sure and I know I wouldn't be alone.  Still reading Beth?

[beaker73]

So here's finally confirmation of what many of us suspected & what seemed so obvious -- that Satan Andy has indeed handed the show over to Bethenny-

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/bethenny-frankel-producer-role-real-housewives-article-1.2390609

Gross.

 

Well, I guess I should thank Satan Andy and Bravo for freeing up yet another of hour of my week.  Stick a fork in me - I'm done. 

 

I will have to come back here to get Sonja sighting updates from ScoobieDoobs, however.  

[PhilMarlowe2]

Wait. So Bethenny is allegedly an uncredited producer, but Bravo is also waiting until the last minute to renew her contract? The whole article sounds like bullshit to me. MMV.

[ScoobieDoobs]

I will have to come back here to get Sonja sighting updates from ScoobieDoobs, however.

 

Speaking of which . . . I just passed by Sonja's townhouse, so I'll have to go over to the Sonja thread & report what I saw.

 

I'm still in for the time being.  But I think making Bethenny a producer is a big mistake.  My hunch is her instincts (about what will work on the show) suck.  She thinks the therapy sessions are a good thing.  Um, no.  Jillzy should be brought back.  Could be fun.  But Bethenny would never go for it.  Eh, this show is now gonna be Bethenny's therapy sessions, SkinnyGirl promos & the rest of 'em with their heads up Bethenny's butthole.  Oh yeah, sounds real awesome.

 

One thing I'll give Jillzy.  She wouldn't put her head all the way up Bethenny's butthole the way everyone (including Satan Andy) is doing.  Oh, she might pretend to.  But no, she really wouldn't.  That's why I think she might bring some life to the show.  But Bethenny & her now ridiculously over-sized ego would never allow it.

 

Wait. So Bethenny is allegedly an uncredited producer, but Bravo is also waiting until the last minute to renew her contract? The whole article sounds like bullshit to me. MMV.

 

I think they got a lot right.  It says she's gonna make 1.5 mil.  I believe that.

Edited October 12, 2015 by ScoobieDoobs

[Deputy Deputy CoS]

Uh, so Kristen is gone?

 

The show couldn't be Bethenny centric anymore than it was last season. I won't be here for it. Fool me once ....

[izabella]

Eh, this show is now gonna be Bethenny's therapy sessions, SkinnyGirl promos & the rest of 'em with their heads up Bethenny's butthole.  Oh yeah, sounds real awesome.

 

That's exactly what we got this season, so yeah, expect more of the same.  We even got a shot of Ramona actually, literally kissing Beth's ass.

 

Boring.

Edited October 10, 2015 by izabella

[AnnaMayWong]

So, in blunt language, Bethenny♎ and Andy are saying:

"Bow Down, Bitches"

[racked]

Speaking of which . . . I just passed by Sonja's townhouse, so I'll have to go over to the Sonja thread & report what I saw.

 

I'm still in for the time being.  But I think making Bethenny a producer is a big mistake.  My hunch is her instincts (about what will work on the show) suck.  She thinks the therapy sessions are a good thing.  Um, no.  Jillzy should be brought back.  Could be fun.  But Bethenny would never go for it.  Eh, this show is now gonna be Bethenny's therapy sessions, SkinnyGirl promos & the rest of 'em with their heads up Bethenny's butthole.  Oh yeah, sounds real awesome.

 

One thing I'll give Jillzy.  She wouldn't put her head all the way up Bethenny's butthole the way everyone (including Satan Andy) is doing.  Oh, she might pretend to.  But no, she really wouldn't.  That's why I think she might bring some life to the show.  But Bethenny & her now ridiculously over-sized ego would never allow it.

 .

Bethenny having to deal with Jill again would be hilarious! Too bad she'll never let it happen.

I agree with your thoughts. It's basically going to be her awful spinoff. I hate her therapist so much I don't think I could watch a season of him again.

[jinjer]

Ok I hated Jill and was happy to see her leave, and I did side with Bethenny in their little tiff.  But, I would love to see her come back and Ramona, Luann and Sonja welcome her back.    But by getting rid of Heather and Carole, there are now no married HWs in NYC.  It's single cougars in the city.  Blech.

[izabella]

But by getting rid of Heather and Carole, there are now no married HWs in NYC.  It's single cougars in the city.  Blech.

 

 

I think you meant Kristin instead of Carole, but otherwise, YES.  Hate the single cougar thing, and now that's all we've got.

[link417]

Ok I hated Jill and was happy to see her leave, and I did side with Bethenny in their little tiff. But, I would love to see her come back and Ramona, Luann and Sonja welcome her back. But by getting rid of Heather and Carole, there are now no married HWs in NYC. It's single cougars in the city. Blech.

I cosign the first couple sentences, but Single Cougars in the City sounds like a good time. Not sure how watching married women would be more fun/interesting than watching these women (who I think are all formerly-married widows and divorcees, kinda harsh to fire them for no longer having a husband) but that may be my lack of enthusiasm re: marriage showing.

The show is called "Real Housewives" but I love that we have seen these women's lives before (with BF, anyway), during, and after the "housewife" chapter of their lives.

[ryebread]

I don't mind the single woman part. It's the 'cougar' and those cougars chasing greasy young men through the streets of NYC. Don't wanna see that any more than I want to see men pushing 60 going after bosomy 20 somethings.