Bethenny Frankel: Skinny Girl

[jinjer]

I don't know her branding/marketing expertise, but she did give Ramona good advice with the True Faith and the TrU rEnEwAl nonsense.  Spell it the same and have the same type of logo. Same goes with her advice to Sonja. Dopes.  But in general, her advice to Heather and Erika was unwelcome and unwarranted IMO.  

[WireWrap]

I don't know her branding/marketing expertise, but she did give Ramona good advice with the True Faith and the TrU rEnEwAl nonsense.  Spell it the same and have the same type of logo. Same goes with her advice to Sonja. Dopes.  But in general, her advice to Heather and Erika was unwelcome and unwarranted IMO.  

The advice she gave Sonja was basically the same advice Heather gave Sonja 2 years before and keeping the logo consistent (name/spelling) the same throughout your product line is common sense (something I admit Ramona has none of) and not some earth shattering news to most people. LOL  Both Heather and Erika are already established in their respective fields and did so without Bravo, unlike Bethenny who would not be as wealthy or as successful business wise had she not been a HW first. IMO, Bethenny's whole business empire is based on her role as a HW and it's future is dependent on her keeping her existing HW fan base intact.  

[NewDigs]

But let's not forget that rather unfortunate logo Bethy used. The one with her ass in that martini glass. Unappealing, imho.

I forgot her Ramona advice and did not know about the Heather/Sonja helpmeet.

Certainly agree with jinjer's "Dopes" assessment and also agree with WireWrap that really all Bethy did was apply common sense. I guess with this bunch that really is a low bar.

[tenativelyyours]

I think that the "rumor" that Beth was made a producer came from the attached article that was posted on Bravo. Someone read the title, but not the actual article.

 

http://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/bethenny-frankel-reveals-new-role-as-executive-producer

 

Also it might be that someone confused Director with Producer going by the edit of this last season.

[WireWrap]

But let's not forget that rather unfortunate logo Bethy used. The one with her ass in that martini glass. Unappealing, imho.

I forgot her Ramona advice and did not know about the Heather/Sonja helpmeet.

Certainly agree with jinjer's "Dopes" assessment and also agree with WireWrap that really all Bethy did was apply common sense. I guess with this bunch that really is a low bar.

Heather and Josh (Kristen's husband) both tried to help Sonja their respective first seasons on the show, to no avail I might add. It was all in conjunction with Sonja's toaster oven, she never mentioned a "clothing line" back then and I really doubt that Sonja did much in the way of "designing" her clothing line, other than helping to pick out the materials used to make the clothes.  JMO

[jinjer]

ITA with Island Girl about the power base being disproportionate even without the producer label.  These HWs all know that Andy loves Bethenny.  They are kissing her ass every which way.  Heather was the only one ballsy enough to call her out.  And a lot of good that did her.  I guess you could add Kristen to the list.  Poor sweet Kristen.  Bethenny went after her like a rabid dog for no reason.

 

Bethenny just seemed so manic and negative compared to the BH ladies.  I mean Kyle is a vyle wench in my book - the look of glee on her face when Bethenny was rat-a-tat-tatting after Erika told the story- but Bethenny is so manic and mean spirited. She is all, "c'mon, c'mon, c'mon" like, "check, we've talked about that, and check, we've talked about this, now on to the next thing, branding, branding, branding, tits, ass, rim job, blow job, balls."  They are more laid back, stealth in their bitchiness and pearl clutchy.  

[chick binewski]

I guess I need my memory refreshed. What exactly has Betthhenny done to qualify as a "branding" expert?

***

She is certainly a master of self-promotion but, big deal! Many people are and many are able to promote w/o being so aggressively unpleasant.

***

Is it that she decided to market anything she could slap her name on that makes her a branding expert? That she had the funds to scatter-shoot her products?

I don't get it. Maybe people agreed with her ideas just to get her out of their face!

This. I do believe Bethenny wanted to be rich & famous for quite some time (something many people desire). She became involved in jobs/businesses that didn't get her the popularity and riches she wanted. She dated a lot of rich men (by her own admission) and used her father's connections (while having no other use for her father) to get the liquor line going. I don't think Bethenny knows anything about "branding" (I hate the overuse of that word) or marketing. I think she got extremely lucky with the timing of her spin-off and pregnancy and Jim Beam acquisition and sat in enough boardrooms at JB and ConAgra to learn a few buzzwords. I don't believe her to be shrewd - I think she is just cold. And has the kind of self-preservation that leaves everyone who disagrees with her in the dust.

 

I haven't had much of anything nice to say about any of the RH's here lately, and mostly just look forward to recaps and board comments when none of us get cruel. But I think Bethenny may get under my skin a bit because she's just become another success story simply by acting arrogant as hell and hit the motherlode simply for being famous. I also think a 40 year old woman who gets pregnant, marries, then publicly blames everyone else (including Andy Cohen) for it not working out is someone I'm no longer interested in knowing.

 

Also, this doesn't make her any more endearing:

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/bethenny-frankel-rants-about-kmart-workers-they-speak-no-english-w162364

[KFC]

Did @IAmHeatherT pen that "What a bitch" tweet?

[Sun-Bun]

Did @IAmHeatherT pen that "What a bitch" tweet?

That would be so awesome and well done if she did.

Heather has more "branding" and marketing savvy in her right pinky finger than Bethenny, and she sure as Hell didn't need a reality show or a rich daddy to get where she is today---much like Ramona, she is a self-made successful businesswoman who made it all on her own. I respect her hustle.

That's the thing that irks me about Bethenny---sure, she hustled and worked her ass off to make her business such a success, but most of hers was indeed simply due to luck and timing and national television promotion.

Going on and on about how she's such a "branding" expert and acting like she's somehow this supreme business guru is so laughable. Especially when her own "brand" appears to be "malnourished and shrill Manhattan bitch."

I guess she can officially add "bigot" to her pristine brand now.

[imjagain]

The woman is an asshole! If the 5 employees were just standing around, and I'm assuming not helping this beast of a woman. How did she know 2 did not speak English!?! If the 3 that did speak English didn't help her, what was their issue? Or was she just frustrated that she wasn't being helped and decided to show us all her bigoted side?

[Celia Rubenstein]

From the article:

 

“Wow @Kmart has 2 registers open w 5 other employees standing around & two speak no English whatsoever. Shoes are sapatos right?” the Real Housewives of New York City star tweeted. (She misspelled the Spanish word “zapatos,” which means “shoes.”) “Not even attempting kids' snow boots in spanish,” the mom to Bryn, 5, added.

 

 

It sounds to me more like a general complaint about poor service at Kmart than it does a racist or bigoted tirade like people on the twitter are suggesting it is.  Seems like none of the people who spoke English were helping her, so she was having to try to get what she needed from the employees who spoke Spanish.  That to me does not sound to me like she was criticizing them for speaking Spanish, per se.  Just bothered by the fact that no one could tell her where the shoes were which is really pathetic, and sounds just like Kmart to me.  There is a reason they are the bottom of the big-box store barrel.  

 

Her follow-up tweet seems to confirm that.  From Page Six http://pagesix.com/2016/01/23/bethenny-frankel-lashes-out-at-non-english-speaking-kmart-employees-on-twitter/

 

 Frankel later clarified her statements, saying that it wasn’t about what language they spoke, but that store employees were unable to assist her.

“No excuse for being at a retailer & not able to be directed to what u need. 0 to do w race. I’ll explain but can’t understand it for you.”

 

 

 

 

 

People on the blogs are making such a big deal about this.  When did someone making one statement on twitter start being considered "a rant?"  Other blogs/sites are characterizing her as "lashing out."  LOL.  Must be a lot of snow-bound people out there with nothing better to do than make mountains out of whole mills today. 

 

I would hazard a guess that many of those posters having a go on Bethenny on twitter would be the first to raise hell about having their call to whatever company answered by someone with an Indian accent, though.  Plank in the eye and all that.  Whatever.

[imjagain]

I understand being frustrated when you're not getting the help you need at a store. The problem I have, is it's so damn easy to mention "they didn't speak English" as a dis, then you or should I say I have to listen to idiots go on and on or rant about immigration and English should be spoken in 'merica.

English is not my first language. I'm Latin and Bethenny isn't the first to make a big deal about non English speaking workers. It does get old as a Hispanic person to be at the other side of someone's frustration and have your Ethnicity be brought up, just for the hell of it.

Beth, can now say it has nothing to do with race but she made a pretty big deal about Spanish. And how she wasn't going to try to say this or that in Spanish.

[jinjer]

I understand being frustrated when you're not getting the help you need at a store. The problem I have, is it's so damn easy to mention "they didn't speak English" as a dis, then you or should I say I have to listen to idiots go on and on or rant about immigration and English should be spoken in 'merica.

English is not my first language. I'm Latin and Bethenny isn't the first to make a big deal about non English speaking workers. It does get old as a Hispanic person to be at the other side of someone's frustration and have your Ethnicity be brought up, just for the hell of it.

Beth, can now say it has nothing to do with race but she made a pretty big deal about Spanish. And how she wasn't going to try to say this or that in Spanish.

For a branding expert, she's an idiot who is willing to die on this hill if you look at her twitter. It's a hotbed political topic that she shouldn't be tying her brand to. Already there are people posting that they won't be buying SKG anymore.  Plus didn't she just sign a big deal with Walmart?  Why is she even shopping at Kmart? And please, she makes millions, these are minimum wage workers at a self-service store where there are big signs overhead that shout "SHOES." Is she trying to get them fired? They aren't working there for kicks. Plus there were three other workers who apparently spoke english - why didn't she ask them?

 

Plus she posted a photo on twitter today of her wearing a fur trimmed parka.  Already people are giving her grief for wearing fur. I guess her photo shoot with PETA back in her pre SKG days is long forgotten.  

[Celia Rubenstein]

I understand being frustrated when you're not getting the help you need at a store. The problem I have, is it's so damn easy to mention "they didn't speak English" as a dis, then you or should I say I have to listen to idiots go on and on or rant about immigration and English should be spoken in 'merica.

English is not my first language. I'm Latin and Bethenny isn't the first to make a big deal about non English speaking workers. It does get old as a Hispanic person to be at the other side of someone's frustration and have your Ethnicity be brought up, just for the hell of it.

Beth, can now say it has nothing to do with race but she made a pretty big deal about Spanish. And how she wasn't going to try to say this or that in Spanish.

 

 

I get what you are saying.  And it sucks how many people are "defending" Bethenny's (via her twitter) with comments about how people need to learn English blah blah blah.  But she didn't say any of that, so I can't hold that against her.  It's just the nature of twitter, I guess.  People can't wait to show their ass.  Or their insensitivity.  I myself don't "tweet" and I don't know how it works, but if I were her I would delete comments like that from people.  Nobody needs to hear that crap.

 

 

But I honestly don't think she was being shitty when she said she wasn't going to attempt to say "children's snow boots" in Spanish.  She couldn't even get the word  "zapatos" right.  It seemed more like she was joking about her own limitations with that remark, imo. 

 

 

For a branding expert, she's an idiot who is willing to die on this hill if you look at her twitter. It's a hotbed political topic that she shouldn't be tying her brand to. Already there are people posting that they won't be buying SKG anymore.  

 

I only saw where she responded once, the thing I posted above about explaining, but not being able to force people to understand.  I would not characterize that as being willing to die on this particular hill.   It's not like she is going to war about it.  And I only saw one person say they were going to dump out their Skinnygirl wine.  I wouldn't make too much of it.  It barely amounts to a tempest in a teapot if you ask me.  

[ChristmasJones]

My question was why even make such a tweet in the first place?? I would think that someone trying to be a big, fabulous, rich celebrity would have better things to do than complain about cashiers in Kmart.

[LIMOM]

My question was why even make such a tweet in the first place?? I would think that someone trying to be a big, fabulous, rich celebrity would have better things to do than complain about cashiers in Kmart.

Because she needs attention like I need Nutella on a bad day!

Plus she needs to "brand" herself like a regular mom.

[chick binewski]

 

“No excuse for being at a retailer & not able to be directed to what u need. 0 to do w race. I’ll explain but can’t understand it for you.”

Nice (poorly written) backtrack. The original tweet was criticizing store employees who have very little say in what they can do and how they are trained in a low-paying job where they are usually kept at part-time status in order to avoid receiving those pesky benefits like health insurance. There's also absolutely nothing to do during a mandated 15-minute break other than use the bathroom or stand around. If Frankel knew anything about crappy jobs (other than her talk show) this wouldn't be news to her.

[jinjer]

I get what you are saying.  And it sucks how many people are "defending" Bethenny's (via her twitter) with comments about how people need to learn English blah blah blah.  But she didn't say any of that, so I can't hold that against her.  It's just the nature of twitter, I guess.  People can't wait to show their ass.  Or their insensitivity.  I myself don't "tweet" and I don't know how it works, but if I were her I would delete comments like that from people.  Nobody needs to hear that crap.

 

 

But I honestly don't think she was being shitty when she said she wasn't going to attempt to say "children's snow boots" in Spanish.  She couldn't even get the word  "zapatos" right.  It seemed more like she was joking about her own limitations with that remark, imo. 

 

 

 

I only saw where she responded once, the thing I posted above about explaining, but not being able to force people to understand.  I would not characterize that as being willing to die on this particular hill.   It's not like she is going to war about it.  And I only saw one person say they were going to dump out their Skinnygirl wine.  I wouldn't make too much of it.  It barely amounts to a tempest in a teapot if you ask me.  

 Here is a later tweet in response to people telling her they hoped she wouldn't back down or apologize:

 

 

Bravo Housewives ‏@LuvHousewives  20h20 hours ago

Are people kidding me attacking @Bethenny with her tweet people REALLY need to lighten up

1 retweet 10 likes

Reply   Retweet  1  

Like 10 

Louisa ‏@louisamurray7  19h19 hours ago

@LuvHousewives @Bethenny Agree...I hope she wont back down or apologize.  Too many people apologizing lately

1 retweet 7 likes

Reply   Retweet  1  

Like 7 

Bravo Housewives ‏@LuvHousewives  19h19 hours ago

@louisamurray7 @Bethenny yes I freakin agree it's ridiculous!

0 retweets 4 likes

Bethenny Frankel ‏@Bethenny  19h19 hours ago

Not me sunshine & not a chance. @louisamurray7 @LuvHousewives

Edited January 24, 2016 by jinjer

[Celia Rubenstein]

The original tweet was criticizing store employees who have very little say in what they can do and how they are trained in a low-paying job where they are usually kept at part-time status in order to avoid receiving those pesky benefits like health insurance. 

 

But using this rationale, no one could ever complain about any kind of bad service they receive, then.  Highly trained and well-paid professionals would be fair game, but anyone below a certain pay grade could never be criticized.  Nah.  I can't quite get on board with that.  

 

I know too many people who work at low paying jobs where they didn't receive that much training, and they are good at their jobs and take pride in what they do.  They don't expect special consideration or tolerance because their jobs are not high-paying (I think they might even resent the suggestion they needed it), and I doubt they would have any sympathy if someone criticized a person they worked with for sucking at their job if that person deserved it.  And you suck at your job when can't be bothered to point out the shoe freakin' department to a customer.  You don't need training for that.  You just need to give a damn.  I think that was the problem here.  I don't blame Bethenny for being annoyed and saying so. 

Edited January 24, 2016 by Celia Rubenstein

[chick binewski]

But using this rationale, no one could ever complain about any kind of bad service they receive, then.  Highly trained and well-paid professionals would be fair game, but anyone below a certain pay grade could never be criticized.  Nah.  I can't quite get on board with that.  

 

I know too many people who work at low paying jobs where they didn't receive that much training, and they are good at their jobs and take pride in what they do.  They don't expect special consideration or tolerance because their jobs are not high-paying, and I doubt they would have any sympathy if someone criticized someone they worked with for sucking at their job.  And you suck at your job when can't be bothered to point out the shoe freakin' department to a customer.  You don't need training for that.  You just need to give a damn.  I think that was the problem here.  I don't blame Bethenny for being annoyed and saying so. 

I agree that a great many people in low-paying positions do their jobs well with a sense of pride. But workers in this position are usually micromanaged to the nth degree. Employees who aren't trained to use the registers cannot cash you out. Not everyone present on the floor of a big-box store is there to work with customers (possibly like the "two (who) speak no English whatsoever"). I didn't say these employees expected special consideration, however tolerance is usually nice.

 

I'm not saying bad service doesn't deserve a reaction, but Bethenny's got a pretty damn big stage on which to protest in comparison to that of the K-mart employees. She's certainly not the first to use it, and it bothers me every time rich and/or famous people use a public platform to criticize employees in a customer service position. The company's customer service standards? Fine. But telling a million "followers" about feeling rebuffed by 5 people who won't make in their lives the kind of money Bethenny sees in a year seems...mean. That's all it comes down to for me. And the non-English speaking matter just sounds intolerant in a Twitter bark.  

 

I hope I made my points understood. I've been stuck in the house for quite some time and I think using my words is becoming challenging.

[Celia Rubenstein]

...  I'm not saying bad service doesn't deserve a reaction, but Bethenny's got a pretty damn big stage on which to protest in comparison to that of the K-mart employees. She's certainly not the first to use it, and it bothers me every time rich and/or famous people use a public platform to criticize employees in a customer service position.  ....

 

I hope I made my points understood. I've been stuck in the house for quite some time and I think using my words is becoming challenging.

 

You made yourself very clear, chick  and you have a good point.

 

In honor of all the employees out there who have been burned by a celeb with a much higher profile, I offer this for your amusement http://www.stainedapron.com/celebs.htm

 

The whole site is full of amusing insights and stories. Be sure to hit "home" at the bottom of the page and check them out.

[chick binewski]

You made yourself very clear, chick  and you have a good point.

 

In honor of all the employees out there who have been burned by a celeb with a much higher profile, I offer this for your amusement http://www.stainedapron.com/celebs.htm

 

The whole site is full of amusing insights and stories. Be sure to hit "home" at the bottom of the page and check them out.

Thank you, Celia! And I love the good stories on those sites, especially when there's feedback on the old-school stars: Walter Cronkite, Florence Henderson, Hal Holbrook.

 

And who in heck can seriously get into the face of waitstaff for the number of peas in the soup?  I have an almost pathological issue with peas and beans yet the only time I threw a tantrum over them was when I was three. It only took one incident to learn napkins and my dog were perfectly serviceable to hide any unwanted legumes.

[jimene79]

There's no way for me not to take this as racist.  She didn't go straight for the act - and by the way, why isn't she holding Kmart responsible for what is essentially bad MANAGEMENT decisions - she went straight for stereotypes and labeling the ethnicity of the employees.  That shouldn't matter.  She deserves to be eviscerated on the internet.  I really hope this hurts her bottom line.

[Midnight Cheese]

From the article:

 

 

 

It sounds to me more like a general complaint about poor service at Kmart than it does a racist or bigoted tirade like people on the twitter are suggesting it is.  Seems like none of the people who spoke English were helping her, so she was having to try to get what she needed from the employees who spoke Spanish.  That to me does not sound to me like she was criticizing them for speaking Spanish, per se.  Just bothered by the fact that no one could tell her where the shoes were which is really pathetic, and sounds just like Kmart to me.  There is a reason they are the bottom of the big-box store barrel.  

 

Her follow-up tweet seems to confirm that.  From Page Six http://pagesix.com/2016/01/23/bethenny-frankel-lashes-out-at-non-english-speaking-kmart-employees-on-twitter/

 

 

 

 

People on the blogs are making such a big deal about this.  When did someone making one statement on twitter start being considered "a rant?"  Other blogs/sites are characterizing her as "lashing out."  LOL.  Must be a lot of snow-bound people out there with nothing better to do than make mountains out of whole mills today. 

 

I would hazard a guess that many of those posters having a go on Bethenny on twitter would be the first to raise hell about having their call to whatever company answered by someone with an Indian accent, though.  Plank in the eye and all that.  Whatever.

Doubt the bolded very much but YMMV.

 

Oh, Quagmire.  I have been to both of the Manhattan K-Marts and the odds of people employed there not being able to help poor little no hablo espanol Frankel are zero -- especially since there was a travel ban in the city, so the majority of employees who were around to staff the stores in these locations would have to live closer in, and not in the enclaves where some people really don't learn English and do just fine.  It's just laughably beyond freaking improbable.  This did not happen and IMO there isn't a way to construe it to make her right about this.  What may have happened is she overheard two employees talking over whatever in their native tongue between themselves, as they've every right to do, and this is not a service-quality question, and Miss Entitled Melty Face 2016 was irritated by that, and didn't try to get help, especially when she wasn't accosted by breathless employees saying (in English with an Etonian accent, or elegant-sounding French - let's keep it 100), 'Oh my god, I love Bryn and your 100 calorie snak-paks!'  

 

There is nothing more entitled than being irritated because you can't understand what you overhear but are not actually privy to, and morph it into an issue of being failed by service industry employees.  She did not clarify that she actually asked these specific people, 'shoes???'  No one expects her to say, 'permiso, donde estan los zapatos?'  If she had, I'm guessing they would've responded, 'over there, miss.'  In English.

 

This did not happen.  And yeah, she has to double-down to sate the stans on the Twitter.  Slow clap, Quagmire.

[Almost 3000]

For a branding expert, she's an idiot who is willing to die on this hill if you look at her twitter. It's a hotbed political topic that she shouldn't be tying her brand to. Already there are people posting that they won't be buying SKG anymore.  Plus didn't she just sign a big deal with Walmart?  Why is she even shopping at Kmart? And please, she makes millions, these are minimum wage workers at a self-service store where there are big signs overhead that shout "SHOES." Is she trying to get them fired? They aren't working there for kicks. Plus there were three other workers who apparently spoke english - why didn't she ask them?

 

Plus she posted a photo on twitter today of her wearing a fur trimmed parka.  Already people are giving her grief for wearing fur. I guess her photo shoot with PETA back in her pre SKG days is long forgotten.

Oh, it is so how you handle the situation let alone post it on social media for the world to see. B is a jerk. Wally carries over 30 of her items and it would benefit her brand to only speak well of them. Yeah, that B is a real marketing genius. And really how hard would it have been to point to her shoes and hold up her hand at waist level to show it was for a small person. I'm sure even without any English most people can figure out a bit of pantomime and direct her to the kid's shoe department.

I was in Walmart last week. Never go there but needed vacuum cleaner bags for my mom's house and none of my usual stops that used to carry that sort of thing currently stock them. So it was Wally or Target and Wally was on my route. I would have been happy to find 5 employees anywhere but did finally find an employee who I spoke to but he didn't look up from his job stocking. So I got closer and asked again and again no response. Got closer and he looked up and smiled and I asked again. He promptly pulled out a notebook and pen. I got as far as the "V" and he laughed and pointed down the aisle and there were the vacuums. We both laughed because I was at that point almost on top of them...

They didn't have the right size and this is why I almost always purchase on line.

[Celia Rubenstein]

  This did not happen and IMO there isn't a way to construe it to make her right about this.  

 

I don't see why anyone would make-up such a dumb story.  I realize B. Frankel is widely considered to be a fame-ho extraordinaire (and I don't disagree) but what a random bit of nonsense to go to the trouble of fabricating.  

 

It's not like she comes across as cute, witty, or sympathetic.  Nor does she manage to promoted her line of foul-tasting beverages to the masses with her little tweet. Those are her usual motivations for opening her yap.   It seems unlikely to me to be a work of fiction. I just don't see the point.

 

Far from serving some kind of purpose, to me all Beth accomplished with her tweet was creating the image of an impatient person rushing into the store and expecting the world to grind to a halt to help her because her time is so valuable.  When that didn't happen, she immediately became frustrated and did what she usually does ... complain loudly to anyone who will listen.  Strictly standard operating procedure.  

 

It occurred to me that maybe if she had just opened her eyes and looked around and maybe read some of the giant signs that surely were posted prominently, she probably could have found the shoe department in less time than it took to tweet about being frustrated.  You know, like a normal person would do, lol

[jimene79]

I don't see why anyone would make-up such a dumb story.  I realize B. Frankel is widely considered to be a fame-ho extraordinaire (and I don't disagree) but what a random bit of nonsense to go to the trouble of fabricating.  

 

It's not like she comes across as cute, witty, or sympathetic.  Nor does she manage to promoted her line of foul-tasting beverages to the masses with her little tweet. Those are her usual motivations for opening her yap.   It seems unlikely to me to be a work of fiction. I just don't see the point.

 

Far from serving some kind of purpose, to me all Beth accomplished with her tweet was creating the image of an impatient person rushing into the store and expecting the world to grind to a halt to help her because her time is so valuable.  When that didn't happen, she immediately became frustrated and did what she usually does ... complain loudly to anyone who will listen.  Strictly standard operating procedure.  

 

It occurred to me that maybe if she had just opened her eyes and looked around and maybe read some of the giant signs that surely were posted prominently, she probably could have found the shoe department in less time than it took to tweet about being frustrated.  You know, like a normal person would do, lol

She would make it up for the same reasons she included the info in the story to begin with - she harbors or has internalized some racist or at the very least stereotypical ideas.  If it was just about the fact that she wasn't being waiting upon properly, the fact that 2 of the people didn't speak English isn't important.  Again, how would she even know that really?  She could have been speaking in that manic way she does that MANY English speakers can't understand- I mean, does Bethenny even really speak normal English lol.

[Petunia13]

Everyone knows there's gonna be bad customer service or language barriers at Walmart or mcDonalds you just sound like an asshole when you bitch about it. Especially if you're a multimillionaire who has grown up with myriad advantages.

[Midnight Cheese]

I don't see why anyone would make-up such a dumb story.  I realize B. Frankel is widely considered to be a fame-ho extraordinaire (and I don't disagree) but what a random bit of nonsense to go to the trouble of fabricating.  

 

It's not like she comes across as cute, witty, or sympathetic.  Nor does she manage to promoted her line of foul-tasting beverages to the masses with her little tweet. Those are her usual motivations for opening her yap.   It seems unlikely to me to be a work of fiction. I just don't see the point.

 

Far from serving some kind of purpose, to me all Beth accomplished with her tweet was creating the image of an impatient person rushing into the store and expecting the world to grind to a halt to help her because her time is so valuable.  When that didn't happen, she immediately became frustrated and did what she usually does ... complain loudly to anyone who will listen.  Strictly standard operating procedure.  

 

It occurred to me that maybe if she had just opened her eyes and looked around and maybe read some of the giant signs that surely were posted prominently, she probably could have found the shoe department in less time than it took to tweet about being frustrated.  You know, like a normal person would do, lol

What I wrote included how I think she exaggerated nothing into her obnoxious f'ing comment, and I would bet anything I have that I am right.  These are stores by NYU and Penn Station.  I think it was chaotic, she overheard a couple brown folk speaking Spanish, she was frustrated, and then made up her mind that they couldn't help her without affirmatively trying to communicate her question.  I have lived in NYC for many years, and the idea that those particular stores weren't staffed with people proficient in English is literally not possible. 

 

It's not like she has an unquestioned history about how she packages her experiences.  Even those who like her a lot, not saying you're in that number BTW, acknowledge BF is a lightning rod for people who think she fluffs her childhood deprivations and experiences and the expertise side of her moguldom when it suits.

 

Here's my say something nice: I tip my hat to her seeming lack of blocking/editing people on Insta who don't fall over themselves to tell her that her body is spectacular - although she does have her rabid-assed defenders doing that, so where was I?  Oh, here:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BAKsAoxtPDt/?taken-by=bethennyfrankel

Edited January 26, 2016 by Midnight Cheese

[Celia Rubenstein]

What I wrote included how I think she exaggerated nothing into her obnoxious f'ing comment, and I would bet anything I have that I am right.  These are stores by NYU and Penn Station.  I think it was chaotic, she overheard a couple brown folk speaking Spanish, she was frustrated, and then made up her mind that they couldn't help her without affirmatively trying to communicate her question. 

 

I intentionally didn't respond to this part of your post because I felt like we were starting to go down the rabbit hole with this kind of detailed speculation.  But because it has been re-iterated, I will address it.  

 

I feel that making assumptions about the employees Bethenny may have encountered in a store you are familiar with is one thing, given that you have personal experience in that store.  But dreaming up scenarios of what those employees were possibly doing and surmising how Bethenny might have responded to them is taking speculation too far.  It borders on fanfic, imo.

 

It seems like there should at least be some kind of basis for making such an assumption about her.  But to my knowledge Bethenny has never exhibited any signs of the kind of bigotry being attributed to her.   In fact, if her eye-rolling at LuAnn's insistence on being introduced to the lowly chauffeur as "Mrs. DesLesseps" and her visible discomfort with the man at the horse track being called "Black Joe" is any indication, Bethenny doesn't think about her "lessers" the way that is being suggested about her at all.  JMHO YMMV

[islandgal140]

Didn't anyone see this shit?!!? B dyed her hair and debuted it at a Skinnygirl event.

 

 

 

I don't even know what to say or how to feel about this. I kinda hope its a wig. The texture looks off. 

Edited January 26, 2016 by islandgal140

[Midnight Cheese]

I intentionally didn't respond to this part of your post because I felt like we were starting to go down the rabbit hole with this kind of detailed speculation.  But because it has been re-iterated, I will address it.  

 

I feel that making assumptions about the employees Bethenny may have encountered in a store you are familiar with is one thing, given that you have personal experience in that store.  But dreaming up scenarios of what those employees were possibly doing and surmising how Bethenny might have responded to them is taking speculation too far.  It borders on fanfic, imo.

 

It seems like there should at least be some kind of basis for making such an assumption about her.  But to my knowledge Bethenny has never exhibited any signs of the kind of bigotry being attributed to her.   In fact, if her eye-rolling at LuAnn's insistence on being introduced to the lowly chauffeur as "Mrs. DesLesseps" and her visible discomfort with the man at the horse track being called "Black Joe" is any indication, Bethenny doesn't think about her "lessers" the way that is being suggested about her at all.  JMHO YMMV

 

It isn't all that speculative, any more than anything else posted.  Bethenny has gone all Bethenny mouth-foaming in her defense after not getting the headpats she seems to have anticipated, yet has not simply written that she asked people who spoke no English for help in finding shoes.  She intimates it but wrote, 'Wow @Kmart has 2 registers open w 5 other employees standing around & two speak no English whatsoever.  Shoes are sapatos [sic but whatevs], right?'  She never said she asked people directly, let alone those 2 people, and has no madrescrewing way of knowing the English proficiency of those people, anyway.

 

Frankel is very fond of her blaccent and was right upon the edge of a very nasty kind of parody mocking the Atlanta housewives (and a famewhore is a famewhore, so I don't know where she gets off).  I think she's got issues there.  YMMV.

[Celia Rubenstein]

Bethenny has gone all Bethenny mouth-foaming in her defense after not getting the headpats she seems to have anticipated,

 

I have not kept up with her twitter posts since this story came out this weekend, but a quick google search turned up only one comment she made to the press since this kerfuffle erupted.  From Page Six today:

 

My Twitter and Instagram speaks for itself,” she told Page Six on Tuesday. “I’m not a celebrity that tries to please everybody and I don’t need everybody to like me. I just need them to know that I’m telling them the truth and my perspective. I definitely start fires in my own fireplace.”

 

 

http://pagesix.com/2016/01/26/bethenny-not-apologizing-for-kmart-rant/

 

I wouldn't really call that "mouth-foaming."  Actually for her, I think it is rather mild, lol. 

 

 

.... yet has not simply written that she asked people who spoke no English for help in finding shoes.  She intimates it but wrote, 'Wow @Kmart has 2 registers open w 5 other employees standing around & two speak no English whatsoever.  Shoes are sapatos [sic but whatevs], right?'  She never said she asked people directly, let alone those 2 people, and has no madrescrewing way of knowing the English proficiency of those people, anyway.

 

Bolding mine.

 

I agree with you, she did intimate that she had asked the Spanish speaking people for help.  That is how I read it, too.  And I thought it was sufficient.  We are talking about twitter,  which has a140 character limit.  People don't write long detailed posts there.  As it is the blogs and gossip sites are already describing her three short posts as being a maniacal "rant" ... I can imagine what they would be calling it if she had taken the time to really flesh out her statement. Girl can't win for losin'

 

Didn't anyone see this shit?!!? B dyed her hair and debuted it at a Skinnygirl event.

 

 

I don't even know what to say or how to feel about this. I kinda hope its a wig. The texture looks off. 

 

 

She mentions that it is a wig in that Page Six article I linked.  And if I might add, one ugly ass wig. 

Edited January 26, 2016 by Celia Rubenstein

[jinjer]

Her eyes look different and the nose.  Is it makeup and contouring or did she do something else.  

[chick binewski]

This is kind of moving away from K-martgate (and I'm having quoting & linking issues this morning), but pulled from the link Celia Rubenstein posted above from Page Six :

 

My Twitter and Instagram speaks for itself,” she told Page Six on Tuesday. “I’m not a celebrity that tries to please everybody and I don’t need everybody to like me. I just need them to know that I’m telling them the truth and my perspective. I definitely start fires in my own fireplace.”

 

I think this quote inadvertently reminded me of the moment I grew cold towards Bethenny: towards the end of Alex & Simon's run, a reporter mentioned to Frankel that many viewers seemed to be warming considerably to the couple. Bethenny replied (excuse the paraphrase - I cannot find the original article) that 'viewers were liking Alex & Simon now simply because Jill and I started to be nice to them'.

 

First, not a fan of eighth-grade mean girl logic. Second, I can't recall Zarin or Frankel being genuinely nice to anyone. Third (coming back to that quote), I think Bethenny truly believes the truth AND her perspective are always the same thing. I think this disorder is spreading amongst many RH cast members and it makes them less and less interesting to watch.




Edited January 27, 2016 by chick binewski

[Grneyedldy]

I thought TJMaxx just took excess inventory that didn't sell. I don't think there can be an "it" girl.

[Petunia13]

Recently, I was reminded of and annoyed by her comments about being at K-Mart and the 2 employees speaking Spanish to each other while she waited for help. In many retail or customer service jobs speaking Spanish is considered an asset. I was at a Target 3 days ago and no one offered to help me and I approached 2 employees speaking Spanish to ask a question. They replied in English.

I also sometimes go to Mexican grocery stores or yard sales and have had my own Mexican customers who speak limited English . I don't speak Spanish. Guess what? Everything goes fine. She shouldn't be so closed minded and if she does want perfect service catering to her needs don't go to K-Mart. Order online or have one her 10 assistants fetch the items. Jeez what a whiner. How would she feel if she were in France or Germany hawking Skinnygirl and she was ridiculed for speaking English with a colleague?

Again I was reminded of her situation because I experienced the same thing and it was a non issue.

[izabella]

Beth expects WalMart to be like the other stores she shops in, where the merchandise is more expensive and they pay their staff on sales commission.  No, WalMart floor employees don't rush up to you as soon as you step foot in their department to ask if they can sell you something, er, help you.   They don't hover while you walk around and offer to help you find things.  You have to ask them for assistance.  That's a consequence of their low-cost brand, Beth.  You ought to understand that.  No need to be mean to people who have to work there.

[Petunia13]

She's so fucking entitled. Does she not realize employees of Walmart and K-Mart make often minimum wage and are scheduled just enough hours they don't qualify for benefits and due to wonky scheduling can't find other jobs to subsidize that income. That's part of the reason prices those stores are so low. Ugh that rubbed me the wrong way how she acts especially how she carries on about her rough life and upbringing. Girl you are being nasty and you don't know their life.

[Juliegirlj]

It seems obvious that she has had recent work done on her face- she is starting to get that iconic "joker's smile" look about her, and her eyes look more upturned. She is very thin,and should be very careful about overworking her face. I think her unhappiness oozes out of her pores. She has become vapid.

[NewDigs]

I agree, juliegirlj, except I think she has always been vapid.

She covers it up with her special brand of confrontation in the guise of helping the poor unfortunates.

With a side of déclassé smut she attempts to present as wit.

Edited February 18, 2016 by NewDigs

[OhGromit]

How is it that Bethenny's Skinnygirl company is in competition with the "Kardashians and the Kennedys, for god's sakes" as she said to her employees?  

[chick binewski]

How is it that Bethenny's Skinnygirl company is in competition with the "Kardashians and the Kennedys, for god's sakes" as she said to her employees?  

You mean during the Miranda Priestly entrance when she swanned into her rad new office, complained to her staff that her diamond shoes were too tight, then barked a few remarks regarding imagined sexual positions of the employees? I think she said the Kardashians are the Kennedys now. Or something. Then B summed up her visit with a 'think out of the box' order.

 

The woman just sets my hair on fire.

[prettybird]

It seems like they started filming at the end of the summer. I thought she was dating Marcus Lemonis then. Anyone know if they are still together?

[Satchels of gold]

^ yes she said we live in a new world where the Kardashian are the new Kennedys.

[Medicine Crow]

I thought her R2D2 comment on RHONY was hilarious.  I couldn't stop laughing.  How mean can you get, I mean, really?

[NewDigs]

You mean during the Miranda Priestly entrance when she swanned into her rad new office, complained to her staff that her diamond shoes were too tight, then barked a few remarks regarding imagined sexual positions of the employees? I think she said the Kardashians are the Kennedys now. Or something. Then B summed up her visit with a 'think out of the box' order.

The woman just sets my hair on fire.

I've not ever heard that expression, and this?

^ yes she said we live in a new world where the Kardashian are the new Kennedys.

Perfect for Betthhenny.

Honey, do we have a fire extinguisher?

Edited April 9, 2016 by NewDigs

[TaxNerd]

It seems like they started filming at the end of the summer. I thought she was dating Marcus Lemonis then. Anyone know if they are still together?

She said on WWHL she was now single.

[racked]

For someone who gets pissed every time people tweet her "eat a sandwich" she sure was quick to diagnose Jules with an eating disorder. 

 

B also thinks men who order sorbet at restaurants have vaginas. She has a lot of really stupid thoughts that she feels the need to share constantly. 

[OhGromit]

It seems like they started filming at the end of the summer. I thought she was dating Marcus Lemonis then. Anyone know if they are still together?

 

I think she and Marcus Lemonis showed up at a party together, and that was about it.  I never got the sense it turned into a relationship.