S14.E04: I Wish I Had A Project Manager

[Talented Tenth]

I don't understand why it's considered such a hideous slight for Brandi to have brought up this attack during the "play fight" on the street.  Yes, it was an ugly thing that happened, but it sounds like Kenya doesn't have anything to be ashamed of regarding it, and it certainly doesn't, to me, sound nearly ugly/humiliating enough to justify Kenya's boardroom remark as a retaliation.

 

If Brandi's husband had abused her, would it have been okay for Kenya to say that she was going to beat her like Eddie used to?  It's a hideous slight because it's wrong to mock a victim's victimization.

 

Provocation is a possible defense in criminal law. I'm not sure where you can draw a line to "handle it." Everyone has a different breaking point. If someone is being relentlessly bullied, they may stand up for themselves at some point.

 

Porsha wasn't being bullied, though.  She started the insults and hurled just as many as Kenya.  Porsha wasn't charged until the episode aired, I believe, because prosecutors wanted to see how everything played out.  Porsha wasn't new to reality tv.  She had already completed one season.  She knew the nature of the show and the nature of a reunion.  They were there to hash things out.  She chose to be vulgar and crass in her insults.  She could dish it, but couldn't take it.    

[SnarkKitty]

 

I don't understand why it's considered such a hideous slight for Brandi to have brought up this attack during the "play fight" on the street.  Yes, it was an ugly thing that happened, but it sounds like Kenya doesn't have anything to be ashamed of regarding it, and it certainly doesn't, to me, sound nearly ugly/humiliating enough to justify Kenya's boardroom remark as a retaliation.

 

And I don't understand why it's such a low and horrible thing to reference Brandi's husband leaving her, when Brandi has made her entire living off of it (and off of talking about it.) TV show, Twitter, a book (first). Seriously, who even KNEW Brandi Glanville until Eddie took off with Lee Ann?

 

 

If Brandi's husband had abused her, would it have been okay for Kenya to say that she was going to beat her like Eddie used to?  It's a hideous slight because it's wrong to mock a victim's victimization.

 

Excellent question.

Edited January 23, 2015 by SnarkKitty

[Trooper York]

I like the ideal of a viral video but they didn't push the envelope enough.

 

They should have Kenya strangle Brandi with her own tampon string.

 

Now that's Viral!

[Kromm]

I like the ideal of a viral video but they didn't push the envelope enough.

 

They should have Kenya strangle Brandi with her own tampon string.

 

Now that's Viral!

More Bacterial than Viral, but I get your point...

[sasha206]

Eh, maybe.  Kenya has to keep the feud and drama going...thats how she got on this show.  I think she should have stopped her comments after she said that she would do what she needed to do as a professional, but she knows this game better than I do.  We'll see if it comes back to bite her.  I don't see her making it to the finals so her best play is to be memorable.

 

Real Housewives of Atlanta is the highest rated Bravo show, so I really don't think Kenya needs a Brandi feud to get on it.  Kenya at least has more going for her in terms of accomplishments than Brandi who is only known for us because of her victimization that she herself mentions EVERY EPISODE of RHOB.  

 

I wish Kenya hadn't gone there because I think she is very smart, funny and talented.  She's better than Brandi who is repulsive.  This is a woman who takes great pride in talking about how another woman smells down there (Krupa) and writes a book to announce she believes the father of her children gave her HPV.  I'm sure Donald is giving her a better edit because she's just obnoxious at every turn.

[cooksdelight]

I'm sure Donald is giving her a better edit because she's just obnoxious at every turn.

And....well.....he left his wife for a younger, prettier one, so there's that thing in common as well. :)

[jinjer]

 

He's seeing way more than we do, I believe. I'm still on the side of "creative" editing because something else had to have happened in this episode to warrant that outburst.

I don't think so.  The way everyone immediately gasped and sided with Brandi makes me think no.

 

In the boardroom it has nothing to do with whether Brandi is a "horrible trashy person" IRL.  Kenya framed her criticism of Brandi in a way that immediately brought criticism to Kenya and made others in the room sympathize with Brandi.  Kenya is judged on the judge's site visit, what she says in that boardroom and what her teammates say about her.  Nothing else. She knew the judge's didn't witness Brandi's comments (heck I even missed them, watch both shows, know their history, and had to have someone here tell me what Brandi said). So she had to come to the board room ready to tell why Brandi wasn't a team player - how Brandi hit below the belt.  Instead she just came and hit below the belt without giving any context.

 

By just insulting Brandi without giving context, Kenya just opened herself up to criticism. It doesn't matter whether Kenya provoked/didn't provoke, bullied/didn't bully Porsha etc on Atlanta. It didn't matter that Brandi referred to that reunion fight.  No one in the boardroom even cared at that point what Brandi said because Kenya jumped right into the gutter.  

 

Imagine if Kenya just came in and said, "I am a team player, but Brandi again got personal and referenced the beating that Porsha gave me during our faux fight which was really below the belt and made me relive a really awful event," and left it at that.  No one would have shown Brandi any sympathy.

[Ducky]

Trump has only fired project managers this season, yes?

 

 

No. Shawn. Terrell. Two I can remember of this forgetful season right off the top of my head.

 

   And Gilbert.

[selhars]

With some of the issue surrounding which video was best -- and why choc full o nuts picked a video that didn't even push the brands I'm wondering .....

 

I think that even CFON's management knows its brand is so old and dead that a commercial (Lorenzo's video) isn't enough to save and promote it...and that CFON management is grabbing at the only straw it thinks it has to appeal to today's younger coffer drinkers....a frigging viral video ....even one that doesn't even promote the brand. They think, "Oh, a viral video!. It will get hits and that will get CFON all kinds of free publicity....Talk about a brand that is on NO one's radar.....that's one. (no one under 60 that is)

 

ETA: I've only just this past week even realized the show was on. But I could never see a promo about what night. It's on Monday's this season. Didn't it used to be on Sunday nights? I think this show is on the way to choc full o nuts territory....getting old. I di like the show. I just can' believe how few promos I've seen for it and how little other media attention it's gotten. Unless I'm just missing it.

Edited January 25, 2015 by selhars

[cooksdelight]

You can catch episodes you've mised on CNBC.

[MarkHB]

Honestly, my mom used to drink CFON because it was the cheapest brand on the shelf.... and I can't stand the stuff.  Maybe it's better now.

 

Not only was Geraldo's commercial lame, but the idea of CFON as a cafe is pretty much limited to the NYC area; the rest of the country (theoretically targets for the K-cups) probably just thinks of the brand the way I do: cheap coffee.  But I don't remember now: did Ian's commercial do a better job of highlighting the K-cups, even though they didn't emphasize the CFON brand as much as Lorenzo's team did?  I remember Ian making Johnny' coffee using the Keurig, but I'm not sure how much the Kcup was shown in the 50's/90's (certainly not modern) video, as opposed to the Big Giant Cans they were waving around.

 

Deep Dark Secret: for those who don't know, Keurig is actually owned (at least in the USA) by Green Mountain.  Hence, Starbucks charging a premium for K-cup packaging and trying to push their own single-serve options instead.

[Thumper82003]

Honestly, my mom used to drink CFON because it was the cheapest brand on the shelf.... and I can't stand the stuff.  Maybe it's better now.

 

Not only was Geraldo's commercial lame, but the idea of CFON as a cafe is pretty much limited to the NYC area; the rest of the country (theoretically targets for the K-cups) probably just thinks of the brand the way I do: cheap coffee.  But I don't remember now: did Ian's commercial do a better job of highlighting the K-cups, even though they didn't emphasize the CFON brand as much as Lorenzo's team did?  I remember Ian making Johnny' coffee using the Keurig, but I'm not sure how much the Kcup was shown in the 50's/90's (certainly not modern) video, as opposed to the Big Giant Cans they were waving around.

 

Deep Dark Secret: for those who don't know, Keurig is actually owned (at least in the USA) by Green Mountain.  Hence, Starbucks charging a premium for K-cup packaging and trying to push their own single-serve options instead.

I grew up in NY. I remember CFON, the jingle etc. I don't remember my parents drinking it though, they may have at times, but it is not something I remember.

My husband grew up in the South. He never heard of CFON. Yet when we went to the store yesterday, there were at least 3 shelves of CFON in a variety of packages, k-cups to cans to bricks. That was here in the South. I don't remember seeing that before yesterday. So CA did do something for the brand... Now whether it sells or keeps selling is another story.

[cooksdelight]

CFON has been around my neck of the woods in NC for a long time. But Eight O'Clock is still the go-to brand down here due to A&P making it so popular years ago.

[WireWrap]

Honestly, my mom used to drink CFON because it was the cheapest brand on the shelf.... and I can't stand the stuff.  Maybe it's better now.

 

Not only was Geraldo's commercial lame, but the idea of CFON as a cafe is pretty much limited to the NYC area; the rest of the country (theoretically targets for the K-cups) probably just thinks of the brand the way I do: cheap coffee.  But I don't remember now: did Ian's commercial do a better job of highlighting the K-cups, even though they didn't emphasize the CFON brand as much as Lorenzo's team did?  I remember Ian making Johnny' coffee using the Keurig, but I'm not sure how much the Kcup was shown in the 50's/90's (certainly not modern) video, as opposed to the Big Giant Cans they were waving around.

 

Deep Dark Secret: for those who don't know, Keurig is actually owned (at least in the USA) by Green Mountain.  Hence, Starbucks charging a premium for K-cup packaging and trying to push their own single-serve options instead.

No, they did not highlight CFON use in the Keurig, they never showed the K-cup itself/label, just Ian quickly loading into the coffee machine. Surprisingly enough, Brandi caught that and pointed it out but Ian ignored her.

[HappyDancex2]

I've never heard of CFON. But nothing like taking a relic of a brand and trying to force a viral video that pushed product or was informational. Viral videos don't have boundaries. And it's annoying that each season at least one team decides that viral means sex or raunch.

The boardroom editing was odd. Kenya seemed unprovoked but the whole conversation was oddly spliced. Not that I need this 2 hour show to be longer but a little more context would be nice.

[walnutqueen]

CFON has been around my neck of the woods in NC for a long time. But Eight O'Clock is still the go-to brand down here due to A&P making it so popular years ago.

 

I've never heard of either brand (I am SO West Coast!).   But I'd really like to try Sig's Northwestern Grind, if only I didn't have to buy 2 lbs of the stuff.  :-)

[auntlada]

Viral videos don't have boundaries. And it's annoying that each season at least one team decides that viral means sex or raunch.

 

I'm always surprised no one ever does a video with dogs or cats.

[cooksdelight]

That would be cute and certainly entertaining, but trying to find trained dogs and cats within the tight time frame they are given could be a problem. Now, they could certainly get some cute kid actors to do one. That would have been a hit, to see a mini-me of Geraldo and Kate doing the actual video work.

[auntlada]

I thought it would have been fun to see a kid re-enacting the opening of Al Capone's vault, but it would require Geraldo being able to laugh at himself. They don't necessarily need trained dogs and cats, especially cats. Just give the cats string, boxes and shine a laser light (what we call red dot) and start taping.

[MarkHB]

I thought of an actor in a lame squirrel costume, spazzing out because he's hyper-caffeinated and pissed because there were no actual nuts in the coffee.

[cooksdelight]

Oh, that's a good one! Maybe the nuts are in Capone's vault!  They need our creative minds helping them, apparently, since everyone here's ideas are much funnier.

[Ottis]

I don't understand CFON. Is it coffee with nuts in it? Is that even a thing?I don't drink coffee, but I know it comes from beans. So why nuts?

 

Real Housewives of Atlanta is the highest rated Bravo show

 

 

That just made me sad.

[Wings]

I don't understand CFON. Is it coffee with nuts in it? Is that even a thing?I don't drink coffee, but I know it comes from beans. So why nuts?

 

 

 

 

 

It is just regular coffee.  I guess they wanted to make people think it had a nutty flavor meaning rich.  

 

The CFON sandwich shops in NYC were good.  They served small, simple sandwiches on thinly sliced bread.  I think of that from time to time when looking for a quick lunch that isn't huge.  

[MarkHB]

I don't understand CFON. Is it coffee with nuts in it? Is that even a thing?I don't drink coffee, but I know it comes from beans. So why nuts?

 

According to WP, they started as a chain of shelled nut shops, then evolved into coffee shops/cafes, then started selling the coffee at retail.  Some of the cafe sandwiches also featured nuts (e.g., cream cheese and chopped walnuts on raisin bread).

 

There is some alt-text on their website that spells out that there are no nuts in the coffee, not even in this day and age of hazelnut and macadamia.

[CaughtOnTape]

Not to mention, isn't this supposed to be like an actual working environment? Some of my coworkers are dipshits and I'd love to sit in a meeting room and go off about cheating on their wives and how little their dicks are but I'm pretty sure that would turn every executive in the room against me.  People don't wanna hear that shit.....regardless of whether she was justified or not.  Since Kenya likes to constantly rant about how she's a businesswoman, she should know that.

 

And I fucking hate Brandi....so fuck you Kenya for making me defend her.

[Mischievious]

Lorenzo and Shawn were on Access Hollywood Live on Tuesday. I loved Lorenzo's take regarding Geraldo. "I decided to treat Geraldo like the child that he is and make him the center of attention because kids are really happy when you're paying attention to them." Hahaha! :)

http://bcove.me/y0f9axe7

[Calamity Jane]

I've never heard of either brand (I am SO West Coast!).   But I'd really like to try Sig's Northwestern Grind, if only I didn't have to buy 2 lbs of the stuff.  :-)

We've had Chock Full o' Nuts in LA area stores for decades.  My husband, raised in Brooklyn, used to sing that awful jingle over and over in his so not tuneful voice.  That and the Chiquita Banana song.

According to WP, they started as a chain of shelled nut shops, then evolved into coffee shops/cafes, then started selling the coffee at retail.  Some of the cafe sandwiches also featured nuts (e.g., cream cheese and chopped walnuts on raisin bread).

 

There is some alt-text on their website that spells out that there are no nuts in the coffee, not even in this day and age of hazelnut and macadamia.

So, kind of like Dunkin Donuts coffee has no donuts in it.  ;-)

[MarkHB]

Now you're making me miss the days when Dunkin' Donuts shops were all open 24 hours, had counter service with real china, and made the donuts (including the actual Dunkin' Donut with the handle) in-house.  But that's wildly off-topic and depressing.

[backformore]

Agree about dunkin donuts - their donuts USED to be fantastic.  

 

Back to the show - until this episode I had assumed that chock full O'nuts coffee was chicory coffee.  I've never tried it.  It's not widely available in the Chicago area anyway, so I have only seen it occasionally, but I always thought it was that coffee-like stuff. 

[leisawoo]

Wow. LOTS of backlash on CFON's Facebook page in comments on their posts about the CA episode. Don't think that's what they had in mind. If any publicity is good publicity, then maybe.

[Wings]

Now you're making me miss the days when Dunkin' Donuts shops were all open 24 hours, had counter service with real china, and made the donuts (including the actual Dunkin' Donut with the handle) in-house.  But that's wildly off-topic and depressing.

 

 

Their donuts were so good!  I had one of their cups that I borrowed for years until I broke it.  That was a sad day.  

[Lola16]

Shawn's passive aggressiveness and little smirk on her face throughout her talking heads and within the boardroom made me happy she went home. The woman has had an underdog complex since her competitive days - going on about how being the youngest member of the Olympic Team was the reason her teammates bullied her. From what I've heard of some of her teammates, I don't question nastiness but Shawn wasn't even the youngest member of that team. She constructs narratives for herself - the judges are biased against my body type - that's why I won silver. I totally would have made the 2012 Olympic team but I had a tragic injury. Her little scoff of "let her" when Kate brought up Vivcia wanting to sabotage them. Heck, she's probably pleased now that she can go on about how being the youngest in the competition put her at a disadvantage against all those big ole mean bitter women. That stops being cute and applicable once you hit 25.

 

The observation that she's VERY self aware and savvy is more in line than the wide eyed lil' girl thing she pulls. This is a woman who's very protective of her sponsorships and her good cornfed girl image. I don't think Shawn is "too nice" for the competition at all. She's just out of her depth and honestly didn't seem motivated to participate beyond what was necessary. Vivica noted it. Ivanka noted it. Even Shawn mentioned she has a tendency to shut down sometimes. She can brag about seeing mind games all she wants but if she can't be bothered to show any enthusiasm or even fake it that's on her. She got her paycheck, got her screentime.  Maybe she can join another reality show more suited for her particular skills. Maybe a network will resurrect Splash! or Skating with Celebrities.

 

I've noticed if Leeza has an issue with the PM's concept she calmly brings it up or goes around quietly and does her own thing to help the project. She's the perfect example of flying under the radar while still being an asset to her team.

Shawn didn't impress me in any episode and she seemed more unmotivated than anything else.  My mom kept asking me what was wrong with her and all I could think of was maybe she smokes with Phelps.

 

The shoe vans... yawn.  Why no posters on the outside of the van?  Especially at the lame cafe?  I'm all for caffeine and shoes but they could have done more ottomans like they have in Nordstrom's.  And no shoes to buy or try on?  Fail. 

 

I think Lorenzo's team reacted to the feedback they got on the Neat commercial which is why this 'viral video' looked more like a TV commercial.  I didn't mind it but it wasn't really executed well based on what they said they wanted to do.   Ian's missed the mark.  Between his weird voice to Kenya & Brandi fighting over a cab... yea no.  If they wanted Kenya and Brandi to fight, why weren't they fighting over the coffee?  Cutting each other in line?  Grabbing the last box of k-cups?  And in the dream sequence, why do we see Brandi's mic pack?  They could have lifted that in editing.