RHoBH in the Media

[msblossom]

Okay, so basically this is a middle school spat? Honestly, I hope this doesn't get dragged out beyond 1 or 2 episodes. Obviously it's an acted-up fake drama between 2 soap actresses. This is exactly what I was afraid of when they announced that Eileen was joining the cast along with LR. #FAIL

[msblossom]

If they wanted real drama, why not cast Camille's friend Allison or pay LeAnn Rimes to appear in 3 or 4 episodes? How about finding someone, ANYONE, who has a real life checkered history with a HW to come on board for a few episodes instead of manufacturing fake petty little girl fights?

[PhilMarlowe2]

The article is saying that Eileen pretends to be nice but that the women all know she is a stealth bitch.

 

So, here is a rundown of the rumors we have about Season 5 so far:

 

* Brandi and Adrienne get into it at Kyle's white party, Brandi accuses Adrienne of using her for fame, then they make up.

* Kyle and Kim get into a heated fight at a party, Brandi tries to come to Kim's side, Kyle physically pushes/scratches her.

* Brandi is insanely jealous of Lisa Rinna and they get into conflict.

* Eileen is rude/dismissive of Kim, they have an antagonism.

* Eileen/Yolanda/others? suspect Kim of not being sober on group trip to Amsterdam (Paris, part 2) - Kim gets pissed about it.

* Lisa Rinna and Eileen have blow-up at a party over Eileen's nasty looks.

 

Interesting that Lisa V. is nowhere to be found in any of this.

 

The stuff I have trouble believing: that Kyle would get physical (though it was never denied by anyone on social media) and that Brandi goes after Lisa Rinna for being happily married. Brandi had Lisa on her podcast and I think she's being more careful after her horrible treatment of Joyce did not go over well with viewers. The rest all seems feasible to me. Am I missing anything?

[vrocotamy]

I've always wondered if Kim is extremely shy, almost awkwardly so.. perhaps even on the autism spectrum a bit?  It could explain why she seems very awkward socially and turned to alcohol amongst other recreational drugs to cope and be social?  Just a theory.

 

That said, I'm anxious to see when season 5 premieres.. certainly they have filmed enough to edit together some episodes even if they were getting along well the first weeks of filming.

 

Kim has admitted she suffers from a severe anxiety/panic disorder. I also think Kim suffered lots of trauma from her childhood through her twenties, the sources of which she hasn't disclosed to the audience specifically, and which I would also suspect she hasn't dealt with in psychotherapy. I don't think there's any evidence she's on the autism spectrum. I think she's just terribly uncomfortable with public self-presentation unless she's enacting a script (and she probably has some traumatic associations with the latter as a child star.) 

 

Although she and Kyle beatify their mother's memory, "Big Kathy" was described at best as a "pushy stage mother" and at worst as a sociopath. She was controlling on several levels, first using her daughters as income sources and then pushing them to marry very young and very wealthy. I've missed a few episodes, but as far as I remember, Kim has never discussed her former husbands or long-term partners (there were four), and I think traumas incurred in her past relationships really cemented her mental health problems.  I know she's on good terms with the first one, G. Monty Brinson, who was extremely eccentric; the second husband, Gregg Davis, scion of the Davis Oil family fictionalized on Dynasty, and father of Whitney and Chad, was apparently rumored in tabloids years back to have been emotionally and verbally abusive to Kim and also unfaithful. I would suspect her alcoholism began during her marriage to Gregg Davis (she was sent to rehab as part of their joint custody agreement, apparently, or so it is rumored.) She was then involved with John Collett, a white-collar criminal, who was murdered during their engagement. I don't know anything about Kimberly's father, an aircraft part supplier, with whom she was involved later in the 1990s. I agree that Kim can seem like an "overgrown child" and can't take full responsibility for her actions. Having concealed her problems her whole life, she often effectively places the blame for her problems on those who disclose or describe them. That said, I think Kim was dealt a bad hand in life, in spite of her brushes with celebrity and wealth. Her existence circumscribed by her controlling mother and Disney, she never learned to handle life on its own terms. Since adult stardom evaded her and she never went to college, Kim and her mother likely perceived her only recourse as her ability to marry wealthy. Although she's responsible for her actions now, she's not entirely responsible for the circumstances that produced her dysfunction.

Edited October 19, 2014 by vrocotamy

[Lura]

It amazes me how hard these stars and their publicity machines work in order to get them into the columns every week.  Then the show takes a hiatus, and you can't find their names written in any column on the web!   It strikes me that nobody knows this better than Brandi does.  She'll do anything during the season to get her name mentioned, then hide out like a scared little bunny when the moment the season is over. I also realized what a pleasure it's been not typing her name for the past few months!!!

[lunastartron]

The article is saying that Eileen pretends to be nice but that the women all know she is a stealth bitch.

 

The stuff I have trouble believing: that Kyle would get physical (though it was never denied by anyone on social media) and that Brandi goes after Lisa Rinna for being happily married. Brandi had Lisa on her podcast and I think she's being more careful after her horrible treatment of Joyce did not go over well with viewers. The rest all seems feasible to me. Am I missing anything?

 

I caught this article, too. So I guess all of the other women are upset that Eileen is . . . exactly like them?

 

It's been years since the limo incident, so I don't recall it with high-def clarity but I do remember Kyle lunging across the side banquette to get in Kim's face. Didn't Adrienne then position herself between them or at least turn so as to block Kyle? The sequence suggested to me at the time the general possibility of physical violence, or at least that Adrienne considered it within that realm. Regardless, Kyle does like to stick a pointed finger in people's faces, so a scratch doesn't seem like that big of a progression.

 

Then again, Yolanda insisted Ken grabbed her when the footage very clearly shows her striking him.

[KnotsLanding]

I'm getting sick of waiting for this. I feel like as long as they've taken to release the trailer, we can probably look forward to a December premiere. In retrospect, Vanderpump Rules started filming first and due to crossover events, we should've expected that show to start airing first. I just want glorious cast photos and a supertrailer. This is going to be the big make it or break it season for Beverly Hills. 

[motorcitymom65]

I'm getting sick of waiting for this. I feel like as long as they've taken to release the trailer, we can probably look forward to a December premiere. In retrospect, Vanderpump Rules started filming first and due to crossover events, we should've expected that show to start airing first. I just want glorious cast photos and a supertrailer. This is going to be the big make it or break it season for Beverly Hills. 

I am sick of waiting as well.  I count on this show starting in November, and I am bummed this won't be the case this year.  They were still filming a couple of weeks ago, and someone else posted that the show won't be back on until January.

[jinjer]

I think Atlanta is starting in November.

 

So the latest dustup is over dirty looks?  Lol.

 

They took Kim to Amsterdam???  And then think about her sobriety?  Sure it was only alcohol all these years....

Edited October 22, 2014 by jinjer

[Lura]

If BRAVO doesn't hurry up and get this show on the air, I'm honestly going to lose interest and may never watch again.  It seems so foolish that the viewers have to keep reading about what all the characters are doing, yet not have the show to watch.  We've been tapping our feet for a considerably long time now, reading about Amsterdam and who's fighting with whom, but they fail to put the show on the air.  Stop telling us -- show us!  Sorry to post a downer, but that's the way I feel about it.  Somebody get a cattle prod, and we'll use it on Andy and a few other people.  Maybe that will do the trick!

[PhilMarlowe2]

Sorry Veronica Mars & Mad Men fans, looks like Harry Hamlin won't be appearing much on the show (if at all) - further details about the alleged animosity between Lisa R. and Eileen.

[lunastartron]

If BRAVO doesn't hurry up and get this show on the air, I'm honestly going to lose interest and may never watch again.  It seems so foolish that the viewers have to keep reading about what all the characters are doing, yet not have the show to watch.  We've been tapping our feet for a considerably long time now, reading about Amsterdam and who's fighting with whom, but they fail to put the show on the air.  Stop telling us -- show us!  Sorry to post a downer, but that's the way I feel about it.  Somebody get a cattle prod, and we'll use it on Andy and a few other people.  Maybe that will do the trick!

 

The current stagger was not executed very adroitly; after the OC wrapped season 9, wasn't it the first time in ages that only one Housewife show was on the air without others on different nights? Throwing together a fourth season of Miami wouldn't have been too difficult or costly, I imagine. And I doubt it could have been more lackluster and anticlimactic than what New Jersey delivered.

 

 

 

Sorry Veronica Mars & Mad Men fans, looks like Harry Hamlin won't be appearing much on the show (if at all) - further details about the alleged animosity between Lisa R. and Eileen.

 

This is a tragedy. Harry is foxier now than he was in his youth. The silver hair and thick-frame glasses he sports on Mad Men: dreamy.

 

Lisa R. sounds ill equipped to handle the mind games on this franchise. Erupting about ambiguous 'dirty looks' will likely paranoia and mental instability because Eileen will likely always have plausible deniability.

 

So, since Eileen broached the subject of Kim's (lack of) sobriety, I wonder if she will be branded this year's "slut pig"? I hope the Richards sisters and/or Yolanda try to engage her because I think she'll be a much more formidable adversary than Brandi.

[DeeplyShallow]

They better be careful because the wait is one of the reasons why NYC didn't do well in the first place. Not a smart move on Bravo's part. Though, no matter how long the wait, I don't need to ever see Miami on my screen ever again. What a painfully awful show. And, why does it seem like Atlanta is never off the air? Didn't they just do a reunion a few months ago? What's with the wait on BH?

[motorcitymom65]

They better be careful because the wait is one of the reasons why NYC didn't do well in the first place. Not a smart move on Bravo's part. Though, no matter how long the wait, I don't need to ever see Miami on my screen ever again. What a painfully awful show. And, why does it seem like Atlanta is never off the air? Didn't they just do a reunion a few months ago? What's with the wait on BH?

But I haven't heard about any issues that are preventing them from premiering in November, per usual. We always knew it would be coming on later because they started filming later this year than normal.  They usually start filming in May or June, but this year not until July.  I always wondered if the late start had to do with Brandi being on CA, since that show started filming in March.  The NY show was fraught with all kinds of issues that required them (in their minds) to re-edit like crazy and they made us wait a crazy amount of time. I think this show is only going to be 6 weeks behind last year, which fits with the delay in beginning the process. 

[vrocotamy]

The article is saying that Eileen pretends to be nice but that the women all know she is a stealth bitch.

So, here is a rundown of the rumors we have about Season 5 so far:

* Brandi and Adrienne get into it at Kyle's white party, Brandi accuses Adrienne of using her for fame, then they make up.

* Kyle and Kim get into a heated fight at a party, Brandi tries to come to Kim's side, Kyle physically pushes/scratches her.

* Brandi is insanely jealous of Lisa Rinna and they get into conflict.

* Eileen is rude/dismissive of Kim, they have an antagonism.

* Eileen/Yolanda/others? suspect Kim of not being sober on group trip to Amsterdam (Paris, part 2) - Kim gets pissed about it.

* Lisa Rinna and Eileen have blow-up at a party over Eileen's nasty looks.

Interesting that Lisa V. is nowhere to be found in any of this.

The stuff I have trouble believing: that Kyle would get physical (though it was never denied by anyone on social media) and that Brandi goes after Lisa Rinna for being happily married. Brandi had Lisa on her podcast and I think she's being more careful after her horrible treatment of Joyce did not go over well with viewers. The rest all seems feasible to me. Am I missing anything?

I think that Eileen and Lisa Rinna, as soap actresses, are being hired to stir the pot. The drama between the 5 returning cast members has mostly run its course, and I think all these women are too image conscious at this point to dig up old dirt or unresolved matters from the past. I don't believe Kim, Kyle, and Brandi had a physical altercation, unless it was a scheme amongst them to get camera time; the three were sighted out in West Hollywood with Camille - with cameras off - not too long after that story hit. I think Lisa V. will try to extricate herself from the drama with Brandi and the Richards sisters and play the hurt victim in talking heads; she'll try to make herself look good to her all important viewers in this way.

[PhilMarlowe2]

From an article about Kyle's dry eye syndrome:

 

Speaking of the new season of the show, she said rumours that she gets into a fight with fellow housewife Brandi Glanville at a cast party are ‘inaccurate’.

She is diplomatic, avoiding questions about allegations the two new members of the show, Lisa Rinna and Eileen Davidson, are already creating drama.

‘It’s a very intense season,' she said.

'It’s going to be the best season ever. I’m not allowed to say a lot about, but it’s been very interesting to say the least.'

Edited October 28, 2014 by PhilMarlowe2

[phoenix780]

They should just air this shit semi-live, sort of like they seemed to do with that dating show.  Film, cobble it together, air it.  Don't wait months and edit all kinds of stuff together and have us digest most of it before it airs.  Just frickin' bring it, then use Andy's show (or something) as a way to get them talking about stuff while they're still pissed about it instead of waiting forever (heck, the rehash at reunions is often the best part of these things, imho- why delay?).  

 

Or maybe I just don't like waiting to find out what Kristen Dimera (Davidson) is like on a reality show so I want it on now.

[cooksdelight]

They follow scripts so it would go against the grain to show us anything "live" or "real" on the Housewives franchise. I know this going in and watch it with a big ol' grain of salt because I enjoy seeing what crazy thing they will come up with next. I can never look at a tossed chicken salad with a straight face again. :)

[ryebread]

But I haven't heard about any issues that are preventing them from premiering in November, per usual. We always knew it would be coming on later because they started filming later this year than normal.

I just hope they don't air BH and NYC concurrently. The only 2 franchises I watch and love to snark on, if aired together, would make me have to choose. One or the other. I'm not prepared to make that choice.

[phoenix780]

BH and NY are my favorites also but as a latecomer to ATL, it is right up there for me also. I was just thinking will these three be simulcast? I am a power watcher so it won't bother me to have them air at the same time. I tried to get into OC but it is a take or leave with me. I know they don't have the same zip code so it wouldn't work I guess but would anyone besides me love to have Heather and Shannon become BH'ers? They seem to have more in common with that zip code than with the OC group. I would be cool to have Lisa, Lisa, Eileen, Kyle, Adrienne, Shannon and Heather. Let Brandi and Kim move over to the OC zip code.

No way.  If Brandi's to be relocated I think she should be sent to Atlanta.  I think she'd be alternately hyper-aggressive and flat-out terrified, and that would be awesome.

[cooksdelight]

Atlanta has enough problems without adding Brandi into the mix. No thanks! :)

[motorcitymom65]

BH and NY are my favorites also but as a latecomer to ATL, it is right up there for me also. I was just thinking will these three be simulcast? I am a power watcher so it won't bother me to have them air at the same time. 

I think they will absolutely be overlapping at some point (they have had 3 on at the same time before).  I actually prefer it this way - to space the new seasons out a bit. I never understood last year why they started Atlanta and BH in the same week (although Atlanta seems to go on forever since they have more episodes).  I would think Atlanta will end in April and BH will go through May.  NY should be ready to go by March or April since they have already started filming. 

[PhilMarlowe2]

It's downright weird to hear talk of NYC already returning - I had grown so used to its interminable absence between seasons!

[Pollock]

BH and NY are my favorites also but as a latecomer to ATL, it is right up there for me also. I was just thinking will these three be simulcast? I am a power watcher so it won't bother me to have them air at the same time. 

The problem to me it's not that they air jointly (I'm crazy about trash tv so they could film them 365 days a year and put it on every day, I would watch) but it's that I can't invest reading this forum and snarking for two or three franchises at the same time. In April, having OC, Atlanta and New-York on, all of which I really love to mock, it's a nightmare. Imagine that, I had to make a choice ! How dare Bravo force me to chose ! HOW DARE THEY !

 

 

(Yeah, my life is super awful when my main problem is not having enough time to read a forum about a RH show.... American Horror Story watchers, you can play on Ma Petite's world's tiniest violon reading this post, I'll understand.)

Edited October 29, 2014 by Pollock

[ryebread]

The problem to me it's not that they air jointly (I'm crazy about trash tv so they could film them 365 days a year and put it on every day, I would watch) but it's that I can't invest reading this forum and snarking for two or three franchises at the same time.

I feel your pain. Sitting down with a cup of coffee to mess around on these forums for a few minutes can turn into 2 hours lost and "Mom, are we HAVING any dinner tonight??"

I can't do 2 shows at once.

[quinn]

AllAboutTRH is reporting the new season of RHoBH will premiere on Tuesday, November 25 in Canada.  I am guessing that wires got crossed and the Canadians made the announcement before the Bravo did and that the the show will premiere in the US on Monday, November 24 since BH has aired on Mondays for the past few seasons.

[Rhetorica]

AllAboutTRH is reporting the new season of RHoBH will premiere on Tuesday, November 25 in Canada. I am guessing that wires got crossed and the Canadians made the announcement before the Bravo did and that the the show will premiere in the US on Monday, November 24 since BH has aired on Mondays for the past few seasons.

This year? Have they finished taping? I wasn't expecting it so soon. yeah

[quinn]

^ The wrap up party was a week or so ago.  I am perplexed too, the trailers for RHoA and Vanderpump Rules have been out for a few weeks and I saw a commercial for another show, the millionaire matchmaker one I think, announcing that its new season starts in December.

 

My assumption was that if they did not have the premiere in early November, the beginning of sweeps month that they would wait until January, after the holiday slump, but now I am thinking that the new season will start in late November.

 

Here is the tweet from the Canadian network that airs the show,

 

@slice_tv

@VickiGFans @RHousewives101 We don't share the same schedule as the US. #RHOBH will premiere here on @slice_tv Nov 25th at 10pm ET!

3:34 PM - 27 Oct 2014

 

and a Twitter exchange with Andy Cohen

@housewivesglam Oct 27

At this point I'd be satisfied if @Andy would just tell us WHEN the season is going to be announced! #ReleaseRHOBHtrailer #RHOBH

2:25 PM - 27 Oct 2014

 

@Andy

@housewivesglam SOOOOON!!!! i promise. you will be out of your misery soon and there will be a river of rose' and a forest of diamonds.

Edited October 30, 2014 by quinn

[sunflowers83823]

I feel your pain. Sitting down with a cup of coffee to mess around on these forums for a few minutes can turn into 2 hours lost and "Mom, are we HAVING any dinner tonight??"

You need a crockpot, put dinner on in the morning, it cooks itself and then you have ample snark time!

You need a crockpot, put dinner on in the morning, it cooks itself and then you have ample snark time...

I can't do 2 shows at once.

For some reason my reply isn't attached to my quote...so here goes. You should get a crockpot, then you can put dinner on in the morning, it cooks itself and then you are free to snark at will!

Edited October 30, 2014 by sunflowers83823

[cooksdelight]

I've been hearing January for this franchise. Atlanta starts up next weekend.

[AKA...CJ86]

AllAboutTRH is reporting the new season of RHoBH will premiere on Tuesday, November 25 in Canada.  I am guessing that wires got crossed and the Canadians made the announcement before the Bravo did and that the the show will premiere in the US on Monday, November 24 since BH has aired on Mondays for the past few seasons.

...I'm not sure how they air seasons but maybe it's the previous Season (4).  Seems a little soon.  Or is it really Season 5.

[quinn]

^ Yeah that was my initial thought too but Canadian viewers had comments in the comments section, and if that were the case surely they would have mentioned that they were a season behind. I scanned tweets from the Canadian network and there were also tweets about the current season of NJ, so it does not seem like they are a season behind.

In the past day or two Brandi tweeted that the show is returning in November, and I've seen it mentioned that Kyle tweeted November too. It's quite strange, but I am coming around to believing that the new season may actually premiere in late November.

Edited October 30, 2014 by quinn

[Almost 3000]

I'm wondering if they're busy editing and someone may come back as a "friend of" or maybe almost disappear or someone is threatening legal action so tptb aren't going to announce a firm date until their cast and stories are in better shape from the production side of things. Just a thought.

[motorcitymom65]

...I'm not sure how they air seasons but maybe it's the previous Season (4).  Seems a little soon.  Or is it really Season 5.

I am beyond perplexed.  I spend time in Canada for work and have always found all the shows to be about 3 weeks behind when they are running in the US.  On the Slice TV webpage they announce that the Atlanta Show will premiere on November 30th, which sounds like business as usual (that would be three weeks after we get it in the US).  They do also say that S5 of the BH show will air on Nov. 25th, but I am seriously doubting that. As others have pointed out, Bravo would be airing clips like crazy, not to mention running old episodes if we were only 4 weeks away from the new season. They have been talking about Atlanta non-stop for over a month and it doesn't premiere until November 9th. 

[PhilMarlowe2]

Ruh-roh, looks like Kyle and Kim will be doing a Season 1 finale encore presentation.

 

(Also, have to LOL at Adrienne not wasting any time in ONCE AGAIN shilling a Maloof family product).

Edited October 30, 2014 by PhilMarlowe2

[motorcitymom65]

Ruh-roh, looks like Kyle and Kim will be doing a Season 1 finale encore presentation.

 

(Also, have to LOL at Adrienne not wasting any time in ONCE AGAIN shilling a Maloof family product).

The Kyle/Kim saga doesn't particularly surprise me - what else is Kim's storyline ever going to be?  It could be  more, but Bravo is never going to let the addiction deal die. 

 

The surprising part is that Adrienne is hosting the Season Finale party? Others will have to help my memory, but I cannot remember a Finale which was not hosted by one of the HW's.  The way it was portrayed in the media was that Adrienne wasn't even a "friend of", but that she would be in attendance at a few events. I wonder if she will be more involved than originally planned? I was a fan of Adrienne's, so it is all fine by me, except for the whole product endorsement deal. Like most others, I got sick of all the stuff she was hocking on the show. 

[Lura]

I'm confused.  It was my understanding that Andy and BRAVO in general were upset with Adrienne and that, therefore, she would probably not be welcome on the set or even in the halls of BRAVO.  By the same token, I read an interview with Adrienne in which she said that joining the cast of RHOBH was the biggest mistake of her life.  Yet, now she's returning to the cast as a "friend" or even more???   Is anyone else confused? 

 

Oh, I hope that Kyle gets physical!  What a stitch that would be!  I'd love to see her go up against Brandi.  We'd have short, squat Kyle against Long Tall Sally (Brandi)!  What a mismatch, but oh, what fun!  I'd like to see Kyle do a number by stomping on Brandi's feet.  Brandi could grab Kyle by the hair and spin her round and round over her head!  I'd pay a steep price for a ticket to see that one!

Edited October 30, 2014 by Lura

[bosawks]

I'm confused. It was my understanding that Andy and BRAVO in general were upset with Adrienne and that, therefore, she would probably not be welcome on the set or even in the halls of BRAVO. By the same token, I read an interview with Adrienne in which she said that joining the cast of RHOBH was the biggest mistake of her life. Yet, now she's returning to the cast as a "friend" or even more??? Is anyone else confused?

Oh, I hope that Kyle gets physical! What a stitch that would be! I'd love to see her go up against Brandi. We'd have short, squat Kyle against Long Tall Sally (Brandi)! What a mismatch, but oh, what fun! I'd like to see Kyle do a number by stomping on Brandi's feet. Brandi could grab Kyle by the hair and spin her round and round over her head! I'd pay a steep price for a ticket to see that one!

With Kyle's center of gravity and those heels they wear I think I might bet on Kyle. Edited October 30, 2014 by bosawks

[PhilMarlowe2]

Kyle has said the rumors of her fight with Brandi are inaccurate.

 

Re: Adrienne and Bravo, as the saying goes - time heals all wounds. Well, that, and the fact that a need for a ratings spike and an insatiable desire for fame make unlikely bedfellows.

[KFC]

I'm just surprised that Bravo thinks Adrienne's gonna be the one to help improve ratings.

 

Maybe whomever took over for Andy at the network confused "Adrienne" with "Allison."

[motorcitymom65]

I'm confused.  It was my understanding that Andy and BRAVO in general were upset with Adrienne and that, therefore, she would probably not be welcome on the set or even in the halls of BRAVO.  By the same token, I read an interview with Adrienne in which she said that joining the cast of RHOBH was the biggest mistake of her life.  Yet, now she's returning to the cast as a "friend" or even more???   Is anyone else confused? 

 

Oh, I hope that Kyle gets physical!  What a stitch that would be!  I'd love to see her go up against Brandi.  We'd have short, squat Kyle against Long Tall Sally (Brandi)!  What a mismatch, but oh, what fun!  I'd like to see Kyle do a number by stomping on Brandi's feet.  Brandi could grab Kyle by the hair and spin her round and round over her head!  I'd pay a steep price for a ticket to see that one!

This is just the way it works in the reality TV world. It is all about spinning the story. I think Adrienne did say it was a mistake to come on the show, but that was just because she didn't like the way things had turned out for  her.  As others have said, time heals all wounds. It reminds me of the PR job Lisa did for months last spring about whether or not she would return.  She had her fans in a tizzy over on social media, afraid that she wouldn't be back. Then she says she decided to come back after "the most horrible year of her life". It was of course pretty much all spin, as then it was learned that she was under contract and she never had a choice in coming back or not, but ramping up her fans and having them flood Bravo with threats they would quit watching was probably ego-boosting.  This is what all parties are going to do.

 

I think that having Adrienne back will be energizing, although I don't know that it will do anything for ratings (ratings are already pretty good). I always felt like the Adrienne story felt very unresolved because of the way it all went down. I am biased because I liked Adrienne and couldn't stand Brandi nor figure out why in the world anyone would be rooting for Brandi over Adrienne. Now that whole deal would go down differently because so many folks now know the truth about who Brandi really is. 

 

I am not a fan of violence, but say "hell yes" to the idea of things getting heated between Kyle and Brandi. I liked Kyle more when she was snarking on Brandi than when she was getting along with her. Kyle saw Brandi for who she was pretty much from the start, and I would like to see her go back to that place again. 

[vrocotamy]

This is just the way it works in the reality TV world. It is all about spinning the story. I think Adrienne did say it was a mistake to come on the show, but that was just because she didn't like the way things had turned out for  her.  As others have said, time heals all wounds. It reminds me of the PR job Lisa did for months last spring about whether or not she would return.  She had her fans in a tizzy over on social media, afraid that she wouldn't be back. Then she says she decided to come back after "the most horrible year of her life". It was of course pretty much all spin, as then it was learned that she was under contract and she never had a choice in coming back or not, but ramping up her fans and having them flood Bravo with threats they would quit watching was probably ego-boosting.  This is what all parties are going to do.

 

I think that having Adrienne back will be energizing, although I don't know that it will do anything for ratings (ratings are already pretty good). I always felt like the Adrienne story felt very unresolved because of the way it all went down. I am biased because I liked Adrienne and couldn't stand Brandi nor figure out why in the world anyone would be rooting for Brandi over Adrienne. Now that whole deal would go down differently because so many folks now know the truth about who Brandi really is. 

 

I am not a fan of violence, but say "hell yes" to the idea of things getting heated between Kyle and Brandi. I liked Kyle more when she was snarking on Brandi than when she was getting along with her. Kyle saw Brandi for who she was pretty much from the start, and I would like to see her go back to that place again. 

 

I think Lisa's ego was probably hurting after Season 4 boiled down to "Everyone Hates Lisa." I doubt Lisa was personally hurt by all the venom she was shown by Yolanda, Kim, Kyle, and Brandi; I think she was, however, personally hurt by production turning on her. Lisa was a dutiful servant to production for all four seasons, and probably thought that she was ensured of a good portrayal by collaborating with production in building story arcs. Lisa was valuable for the producer's ends because of her ability to be manipulative without showing she's being manipulative; see Lisa's instigation of the fight between Kim and Taylor (and Kim and Kyle) for one of the first noticeable examples of her abilities. In my opinion, this was a strategic decision on Lisa's part; she thought it would guarantee a favored status with production. After three seasons of being rewarded by a good edit, I think Lisa became both overconfident and a bit sloppy in Season 4. I would suppose that in Seasons 1-3, her conveyances of instructions (provocations) from production - e.g. telling Brandi to talk to Scheana about her engagement - were edited out, as were moments that painted her in an unflattering light (saying Kim "busted" her to Brandi for returning early from Missouri.) This left her in a prone position for production to turn on her.

 

My theory of Season 4 is that it was supposed to center on Joyce and Carlton reigniting fading resentments among the returning cast members, with Brandi's demise as the ultimate result; when the other ladies failed to take sides in Joyce's fight with Brandi and Carlton's fight with Kyle, production's hopes were dashed, and they inserted their hand heavily to create resentment between Yolanda, Kyle, Kim, Brandi, and Lisa and ensure that the season had a climax. Lisa probably particularly resented production because a lot of what she was shown to have done or was accused of doing - pushing Scheana on Brandi or even asking Brandi to take the tabloids about Mauricio to Palm Springs, if it is true - were almost certainly orders from production. The other sticking points - her crossed wires with Yolanda about the painting party and Kim's revelation that Lisa returned early from Missouri - were likely production machinations. One would hope that Lisa has learned a valuable lesson in humility, for her own sake, in Season 5. As a cast member on the Real Housewives, especially if you last long enough, production will always, invariably, make you look bad eventually, however "good" of an employee you are - and will even cultivate your trust to make you vulnerable. I think Kyle, (drunk) Kim, and Lisa (and ex-wives Camille, Taylor, and Adrienne) have already served their turn roasting at the spit, so Season 5 will be Brandi's belated turn or Yolanda's, unless one of the new women gives production enough material.

 

I'd be skeptical of Radar; I don't think they have a great track record if you check their old stories against what actually happened. I suspect the rise and fall of Brandi and Kyle's friendship will be a (and maybe the) primary story arc this season, and that Kim - who I think started treating her role on Real Housewives more like an acting job this season  - will take a more active role in the drama than she has prior. An older and wiser Lisa V. will probably also be the subject of a redemption arc this season, unless Bravo goes against her wishes and highlights her substantial legal and financial problems, which really came to a head during filming.

Edited November 1, 2014 by vrocotamy

[thewhiteowl]

Production was just doing their job, to create and facilitate drama. I'm quite sure Lisa V. knows this and was just playing along, which is her job. YMMV

[vrocotamy]

Production was just doing their job, to create and facilitate drama. I'm quite sure Lisa V. knows this and was just playing along, which is her job. YMMV

 

I'm sure Lisa V. knows this and is playing along to a degree; it doesn't mean she'll like it under every circumstance. I think she's been very active - more than most of the other cast members - in trying to protect her image (by creating her own narrative, which effectively means helping production to create narratives for other cast members.) This leads me to think she may have been pissed at the powers that be post Season 4, particularly since she's an Executive Producer on another Bravo show. My ultimate point is that virtually all of Lisa's animus, if there is genuine animus, at sitting in the hot seat would be not directed towards her cast-mates, but production. Just my opinion.

Edited November 1, 2014 by vrocotamy

[ryebread]

 I doubt Lisa was personally hurt by all the venom she was shown by Yolanda, Kim, Kyle, and Brandi; I think she was, however, personally hurt by production turning on her.

Agreed.  I've always believed that Lisa didn't care one whit about any of these women - that she was 'above' them all.  In real life, I can't see her  choosing any of them as friends.  I don't believe she was ever hurt by Kyle or the others.  Because, imo, she just doesn't care about any of them to be bothered.  Now, production, yes.  Like you said, she was a dutiful employee and brought the drama while being stealthily bitchy and clever about it.  She was a fan favorite (I loved her and I'm a tough nut when it comes to the hos.  I generally don't like any of them.)  But in the last season, she either got lazy or production just felt it was her time. Or both.  And she was gobsmacked.

 

'Vanderpump Rules' ended my love affair with Lisa.  The cloak of coolness came off with that red hot mess.

[cooksdelight]

They each film tons of THs, some of them bitchy, some of them kind, some of them funny. When production decides which way the story is going to go, they edit them in accordingly. The ladies know going into the season what's going to go down, just not exactly when or where. That's where the weekly script emails come into play.

[vrocotamy]

They each film tons of THs, some of them bitchy, some of them kind, some of them funny. When production decides which way the story is going to go, they edit them in accordingly. The ladies know going into the season what's going to go down, just not exactly when or where. That's where the weekly script emails come into play.

 

As said, I'm sure this is true. I just also think that production additionally uses more covert facilitation and aggravation tactics to get TV-worthy results, in addition to overt scripting/instructions. Most of these women are not trained (or especially good) actors, so they need to rile up them up (and deceive and misinform them in the process) to get "genuine"-seeming emotion. I would assume production's skills are evolved enough enough to use different tactics on different cast members to get material to work with, fitting their attitude, personality, intelligence, etc. There are those like Lisa on RHOBH who treat it like a job (and are smarter for that), and those like Jacqueline on RHONJ who have a thinner life/work division (and hence, greater mental instability); most of the Housewives are probably somewhere in between the two extremes. Often, if there is real substance to the conflict between the women, it's not for a reason we are privy to as viewers.I generally think Housewives get axed not only when viewers cease being interested in them, but when they start trying to resist production or create "fake" drama without the skills to conceal its created status (e.g. Tamra on RHOOC, if she really was fired, or even Adrienne on RHOBH.) This amounts to the women trying to do production's job for them, which I would imagine results in a pink slip unless the results are compelling enough to merit inclusion alongside the outlined drama.

 

I don't think anything you're saying - in terms of production's scripting - necessarily invalidates anything I'm saying. From what we see, I'd imagine production goes in with a plan, sees if it gels as watchable TV, and then reformulates the storyline as they go along, using any means necessary. Even if the ladies know it is scripted - even if production gives them an outline of what they believe will happen - they aren't different than any other employees, in that they will have feelings about their bosses and their co-workers. I think it's unlikely that Bravo doesn't, on occasion, exploit these feelings for dramatic purposes. Lisa (and her publicists) are more concerned about cultivating fan favorite status than her RHOBH co-stars, so I'd imagine Lisa would be pissed that Bravo would paint her in a bad light. The Housewives cast members generally have huge egos (and you have to, in order to tolerate and encourage the kind of invasive attention reality TV necessitates), and Lisa V. in particular - look at her recent court docs for proof of that - has a huge ego. I don't think it's a stretch to say she could feel betrayed by Bravo, even if she signed up for a heavily staged show knowing it was heavily staged. As said, just because they know it's scripted doesn't mean they always like where the script goes, particularly if they think it could hit them in the bank; Lisa's cash flow probably comes largely from her Bravo-related ventures and she wouldn't want to take a hit in her fan favorite status.

 

I also would conjecture that production has to try less hard on RHOBH (and maybe on RHOA, which also has a lot of performers on cast) to get the same results they have to try hard for on, say, RHONJ, where none of the cast members have prior acting/performance experience. If you send Kyle or Lisa or Joyce or (relatively sober) Kim a loose script, they can work with it in a way that most of the RHONJ cast can't without production going an extra mile.

Edited November 1, 2014 by vrocotamy

[CatMomma]

Looks like some shit is finally hitting the fan.

From the link:

 "Lisa went up to Eileen and said, ‘I don’t know what you have against me, but I’m tired of your evil eye dirty looks. You need to stop it!'”

Davidson: "Who do you think you are? I barely know you!'”

 

That's some witty repartee right there.

[ryebread]

-I just also think that production additionally uses more covert facilitation and aggravation tactics to get TV-worthy results, in addition to overt scripting/instructions.

-There are those like Lisa on RHOBH who treat it like a job (and are smarter for that), and those like Jacqueline on RHONJ who have a thinner life/work division (and hence, greater mental instability); most of the Housewives are probably somewhere in between the two extremes.

Love it all but especially those two bits. 

 

The housewives might film all season and believe the end result will be what they had perceived had been happening all along.  Only to find, when viewing in entirety, that the 'scripts' have been manipulated by production in order to get those TV-worthy results.  But they keep coming back for more. Just when they think they have the game down, that's when production decides it's their turn to get the bad edit. 

[vrocotamy]

 

Just when they think they have the game down, that's when production decides it's their turn to get the bad edit.

 

I think this is often true (from my limited experience of Real Housewives, which is mostly Jersey and BH with a smattering of Atlanta and OC). As was said before, production films a wide variety of different talking heads, which can be deployed in different ways to serve different story lines. When production sees how a story crystallizes over the course of a season, they edit in THs to serve those story lines. For instance, on RHONJ, when Melissa and Kathy came on, I would guess Bravo didn't entirely know whether they or Teresa would come off as more appealing in the footage; ultimately, they inadvertently made Teresa look better, and Bravo's edit (mostly) redeemed Teresa from Seasons 3-5. Teresa's humbling "moment of truth" came when Bravo refused the Giudice's requests not to air Juicy talking to his cumare at the vineyard in Napa. That said, the wives don't normally have a choice as to whether to come back for more; I've read that for most of them, their contracts are for 3 seasons with Bravo's option to drop them. Lisa V. was contractually obligated to stay, however bad production made her out to be. Dina Manzo has been able to walk in and out of her contract, though; perhaps it involved forfeiting her salary or she has negotiated different contractual terms than the other cast members?

 

Getting back to RHOBH in the media...it seems Yolanda is absent from most of the rumors about the upcoming season, save not liking Lisa Rinna and renewing her friendship with Lisa V. I find Yolanda deadly boring and would have fired her (or at least reduced her role to part-time) if I were calling the shots; she doesn't have a compelling personality and mainly has her wealth (and an occasional ability to be snarky) going for her as a television performer. Since she's selling her beautiful Malibu property and Gigi went to college, I'm not sure what there's left to do with her character. Kim holds her own more as a character than Yolanda, so I personally think she merits continued full-time status; I probably would have renewed her contract with the understanding that she would be doing something other training her dog and arguing with her sister (e.g. get back into acting in a serious way or start dating or taking night classes, even if it was just for RHOBH.) IMO, Kim started treating the show as an acting job in Season 4, and cooked up the "kooky" comic relief character of last season's Kim in concert with production, building on her natural personality attributes. She probably was advised this was necessary to keep her job post-addiction and post-recovery (whether or not the recovery actually happened), and had the wherewithal to display her acting talents for the first time. She tried before (see the plane ride with Adrienne in Season 2), but she was so screwed up that it came off incredibly weirdly. I'm hoping the rumors that she and Kyle have another huge argument over her sobriety aren't true; I like Kim and want to see a storyline for her besides addiction and family arguments.