S05.E13: Sister Act

[runforcover]

Ooh, I want to play!

 

LisaV to Kim: I happen to know that you were high at the opening of SUR. You were talking nonstop for twenty minutes nothing but gibberish. 

*Andy Cohen shakes his head*

Andy: Even at the opening of SUR...

 

Kim: I told you, I had the flu.

Kyle: I said my peace, Kimmy.

Brandi: Look, it doesn't change anything...but I can verify that Kim was sick for a little while.

Kim: Thank you. *looks appreciatively at Brandi*

Brandi: Still, Kim, this thing with the dog, you knew he'd bitten people before!

Andy: You're getting emotional, Brandi.

Brandi: That's because I know what it's like to be bitten by a dog!

 

...later

 

Kim: Andy, the way you drink you're going to have heart attack by the time you're fifty.

LisaV: Kim, you're talking to the boss of this Real Housewives family!

Kyle: Good maybe somebody can slap some goddamn sense into her!

Kim: Great, my own sister. Fuck you, you fucking whore!

*LisaV slaps Kim*

Ok, THIS is WHAT we should be doing; Soprano/RH mash-ups. This makes my heart swell!

[zoeysmom]

I'm not on the fence about whether or not Brandi is an alcoholic. All of the signs are there.

 

The blog...I know, I know I shouldn't let this shit bother me but I find it too frustrating that she thinks she can away with selling her twisted version of events. I can't stand the way she twists the things her critics say so that she makes it seem like everyone else is being unreasonable or offensive.

 

All quotes are from Brandi's blog:

So she's not even going to address the times where she herself has very much used addiction as an insult? Furthermore, who on the show is using addiction as a negative label? The person who was talking about it most, LisaR, was talking about it because she wanted to help Kim and felt sympathy for her. 

 

 

She's gone on all day long about most of the women at one time or another. Meanwhile the women were perfectly fine having a day without the presence of Brandi and Kim (or Yolanda for that matter.)

 

This season Brandi keeps trying to sell to the audience that she's integral to the show but I think it's becoming increasingly apparent that she's not. She's grasping at straws to stay relevant and is projecting many of her issues on to the other women.

 

Lyme disease be damned, I really want Yolanda to update her blog because I want her to sound the fuck off on Brandi. Saying that Yolanda has now seen the truth so Brandi is all but saying that Yolanda should back her. 

 

Yet viewers are just supposed to believe whatever Brandi says according to Brandi because she's the self-proclaimed "truth cannon"? How often does this woman talk out of both sides of her mouth?

 

Gah, she is such a lying liar who lies. She's had several different versions as to why she attended that night yet she'd have us believe that she didn't go looking for a fight or that she was ready to play nice when on the way over in the car she was calling Kyle names and saying things like how she wouldn't hug her? What happened to her excuse of going to the mixer because her hairdresser was "lonely and depressed"? She can't even keep her stupid lies straight.

 

Doesn't Brandi sound like such a hater here? I get that the Burbank Film Festival is what it is but I can't stand the vibe that Brandi thinks that she has more going on than Eileen because of things like her boring Podcast. Also, why is it okay for Brandi to talk about what's going on on the show with the women and not Eileen? As usual Brandi is showing herself to be a hypocrite.

 

I have to question whether or not Brandi understands what words like addiction and enabling mean. Then Brandi is going to go and call LisaR irresponsible? At no point was LisaR pretending to be a psychiatrist, a sober coach or anything like that. Meanwhile it's okay for Brandi to put Kim's issues on blast for all of the viewers to see. 

 

Oh and is it me or does Brandi again sound like a total hater here? I don't know how to explain it exactly but she's throwing out the Melrose Place comment out there like LisaR is trying to act she has the right to say these things because she was on a TV show or something and I don't that's what LisaR was trying to do at all.

 

This reunion can't come fast enough. I wonder if Brandi will have the nerve to criticize LisaR for throwing the wine?

Brandi thinks that clever references such as Melrose Place and Burbank Film Festival but her closer to a stint like Chelsea Handler's former gig.  Devoid of humor and ringing of bitterness she sits on her laptop rewriting the scenes we have just seen.  Contrary to Brandi's suggestion she was the bastion of calm at Kyle's party-she wasn't.  The very idea well hanging out with Yolanda that she would suggest a disease on Kyle just tacky.  And here we go again, Brandi labeling, being judgmental and labeling people-how does she look herself in the mirror?

 

I can't  get hard or hot over Brandi except as a condiment.  She does nothing for me except in relation to the other gals.  I wish I could partake because it makes me feel bad about myself but I just don't and can't have real steaming feeling about her.  She's like gray. Except I like gray better. 

 

And I feel bad really when I see the tampon string mentioned.  Her real fault in that was being so damn drunk that she didn't know or care that she had no underwear on and was on her period.  Not great to see a photo of yourself like that even if you're not on the rag but the fact that she was and had her stuff in place, I dunno.  Why do we hate ourselves so much?  Wasn't it enough that she was flat out fucking wasted?

I think the string mention provides the reader with a visual of "I saw London , I saw France, I saw Brandi's underpants," and more.  Since they covered up the photos of her bare boobs, I am always left wondering-how does one get that drunk, and ever pick up another drink?

[njbchlover]

How has this season turned into the Kim Richards show? The one I am the least interested in has taken over the entire show.

I agree!!!  I don't like her, didn't like her when she was a child actress (I thought she was a precocious brat...), and unfortunately, this is what we are probably going to see again, for the remainder of the season...Kim's intervention, Kim's denial, Kim's everything...blah, blah, blah.

I am sorry, I really think that for Kim's own good, she should not be on the show anymore, but I think it would need to be HER decision. 

But, is this the conundrum that Bravo and the producers are now in?  I'm sure the producers know that Kim is not sober, and basically has nothing else in her life right now.

They put her back in the "spotlight" (even a little spotlight), and she is enjoying it, for whatever it is worth.  Without this show, what does Kim have?  Is it possible for her to go back to living life under the radar and out of the public eye without totally spiraling out of control and perhaps doing something serious?

They are between a rock and a hard place here - they created the monster, so to speak, and now they have to deal with it.

I honestly think that without this show to cling to, Kim could become suicidal - and, if she were to do something tragic, would the show producers/Bravo be to blame?  They've already gone through this once with Russell Armstrong - they really need to tread lightly here. 

I will say, though that I am afraid for her.

[ghoulina]

That doesn't mean they are sober.

 

Are you suggesting that Lisa V or Kyle have a problem with alcohol? Depending on how you define "sober", no, I doubt either of them are always 100% sober. But I've never seen Lisa drunk, slurring, throwing things at people, confused, etc. Kyle, as I've said, I've seen a bit tipsy, as girls can get when we're together and having fun. I mean, we're all entitled to our opinions, but I think the level at which Brandi and Kim use alcohol, the why's and the how's of it, is light years beyond Lisa and Kyle.....and really anyone else on this show at the moment. 

[WireWrap]

I disagree to an extend

 

Kyle just didn't believe :Lisa about Mauricio out of thin air, she didn't believe Brandi just because she said so. Lisa was the one who first talked about it on screen, Lisa is also the one who kept harping about it to anybody who would listen, it has been said that production confirmed to Kyle thatLisa was involved with  the magazines so I donot blame Kyle for believing that Lisa's agenda was tp keeptalking about the issue.

 

Lisa is playing dumb this season but I do remember how she brought time and time again the issue of Mauricio and Kyle only befriending others for finanical gain, and it was Lisa who constantly talked about the rumors, from there to believe that these two could have been in cohoods about using the magazines was not a huge strech. Lisa was very nasty and mean in her comments towards Kyle even if she now she ispretending that none of this happened.

 

Even then Kyle didn't become Brandi's BFF like Lisa, she was nice to her and she socialize with her but to pretend that the relationship between Lisa and Brandi was equal to the relationship between Kyle and Brandi. Kyle has always kept Brandi at arms' lenght and I doubt she shared any relevant information about her family or marriage with her . That is why Brandi had to befriend Kim, she was the weakest link who could provide her with all the juicy information she needed and that is now using against Kim.

 

Kyle might have been stupid enough to think that if she was polite with Brandi she would not behave like an a$$hole towards her and she was dead wrong on that one but in every step where Brandi has been wrong Kyle is the one who has let her know and has gone to battle with her for that, surrogacy, the bullying of Joyce, while Lisa laughed and protect Kyle confronted Brandi, Brandi is now making her pay for it,

Actually the only one that has ever said producers saw/heard Lisa say anything about the tabloids to Brandi was, well Brandi! Kyle has never confirmed she was ever told anything by any producers. Both Yolanda and Carlton, both very good friends of Brandi's denied hearing/seeing anything about tabloids from/with Lisa that day at Brandi's house. They back up Lisa, not Brandi. Also, Lisa only brought up the tabloids/cheating rumors 1 time and that occurred in the first episode and she did so to Kyle's face, Brandi kept bring up the tabloids/cheating rumors throughout the season, much like she keeps pointing out that Kyle drinks a lot and or was drunk despite what we saw on the show. That is what Brandi does, make accusations about 1 of the other HWs, keep repeating it and hope the viewers will start buying into her lies. She is extremely calculating in what she does to whoever she is mad at and does everything she can, include lying, to destroy that person.

[runforcover]

Are you suggesting that Lisa V or Kyle have a problem with alcohol? Depending on how you define "sober", no, I doubt either of them are always 100% sober. But I've never seen Lisa drunk, slurring, throwing things at people, confused, etc. Kyle, as I've said, I've seen a bit tipsy, as girls can get when we're together and having fun. I mean, we're all entitled to our opinions, but I think the level at which Brandi and Kim use alcohol, the why's and the how's of it, is light years beyond Lisa and Kyle.....and really anyone else on this show at the moment. 

Does anyone actually think Kyle and Lisa have drinking problems? I mean, maybe. But I'm not entirely convinced anyone does other than Kim.  Brandi strikes me as a bit of a loser with adolescent coping strategies.  I may have a weird Brandi blindspot, though.  I tend to like lanky clever own-worst-enemy sorts that misapply all their strengths until they are a cavalcade of weaknesses.  Yeah, GOD I KEEP FORGETTING, they are all pieces of crap! Fuuuck.

Edited February 11, 2015 by runforcover

[Higgins]

Are you suggesting that Lisa V or Kyle have a problem with alcohol? Depending on how you define "sober", no, I doubt either of them are always 100% sober. But I've never seen Lisa drunk, slurring, throwing things at people, confused, etc. Kyle, as I've said, I've seen a bit tipsy, as girls can get when we're together and having fun. I mean, we're all entitled to our opinions, but I think the level at which Brandi and Kim use alcohol, the why's and the how's of it, is light years beyond Lisa and Kyle.....and really anyone else on this show at the moment. 

I'm saying that none of them are sober. They all drink alcohol. I don't drink so, I am always sober. There are degrees but they all alter their consciousness and it probably makes the change their behavior and perception. They may be smart enough to not do it on camera but I have heard stories about each of them, besides Yolanda and Eileen, and drugs.

[haydensterling]

Okay, this is another version of the .gif, a bit longer than the last one.  Second one I've seen.  

 

Who's running out the door?  Kyle?

 

Also, just look at the grin on Kim's face after she worked Lisa R. up to throw the glass.  Loving every minute of it.  Please get rid of Kim.  Please.

Edited February 11, 2015 by haydensterling

[The Mighty Peanut]

As much as I don't like Brandi, I think she could cure cancer right now and be sneered at by the other women for purposely contributing to overpopulation. Brandi sucks. She has spent all of the good will towards her on having one enemy and one BFF for every season that she's been on and it came back to bite her, as it should. But. These pull quotes from the other ladies' blogs -- "Is there any line Brandi won't cross?", for example -- are ridiculous, IMO. They are trying to control the narrative and are purposely ignoring nuance and that's Mean Girl 101.

[LotusFlower]

Kim and Kyle were hired for the show not only because of their pedigree, but because of all the drama that exists in a sister relationship. That's why even after Kim slurred her way through season 1 and finally went to rehab to save her job, they still hired her back. It has nothing to do with Kyle insisting they're a two-for-one team (that's laughable), but Bravo's desire to keep the sister drama going. Kim's addiction has brought drama to the show, and that usually keeps you on a show, not gets you fired.

The only reason that Kim might not get asked back might be this business with her dog. Apparently, a friend of Kim's who was bitten by the dog is suing Bravo for their so-called complicity. I don't think they want HW's on their roster who bring them lawsuits.

[haydensterling]

Where was the nuance on Poker Night that we missed?  I'm not calling you out, I'm just curious to see where you find nuance in Brandi's behavior from that episode onwards.

[copacabana]

 

 

I think the string mention provides the reader with a visual of "I saw London , I saw France, I saw Brandi's underpants," and more.  Since they covered up the photos of her bare boobs, I am always left wondering-how does one get that drunk, and ever pick up another drink?

 

Doesn't matter ever and I know for sure you didn't invent it.  It's at To Sir with Love levels to ever have gone there.  She got totally wasted and it happened.  I'm don't like her or dislike her but just not cool.  Doesn't matter what I think because this has been the way of the world forever but I'm glad I grew up and made my epic errors  before any of that and I've always been a zero.  What would Sidney Poitier do is still my thing and Joyce should have not gone there at the Reunion.

 

And l love zoeysmom.  Shoot me and watch Birdman. 

Edited February 11, 2015 by copacabana

[copacabana]

How does one get that drunk and ever pick up another drink?

 

Please, ladies, all too easily for some of us and don't make us feel bad.  

 

Since the beginning of time and forever and always. 

 

I was blessed with not gambling, being able to smoke a cig or two a year and not get hooked, my Michael Douglas bang em in the alley days were over decades ago, and I thank God I never had the supreme illness having to do with eating but, really, how does one get that drunk or high etc .... come on now.   You can fall in the gutter or in someone's high end bedroom, throw up all over yourself and not know it til the next morning.  

 

She's not my cup of tea but I feel for her that she got that fucked up and was on her period and the whole thing got captured.  I still think it's too bad for her but find it hard for any other chick to keep on going on about it.

[The Mighty Peanut]

Where was the nuance on Poker Night that we missed? I'm not calling you out, I'm just curious to see where you find nuance in Brandi's behavior from that episode onwards.

She was terrible on Poker Night. No excuse for that. However, I think it's fundamentally dishonest for Kyle, Eileen, and Lisa to act as though she was maliciously trying to stain Bella's reputation while simultaneously conducting an elaborate conspiracy to break up Kim and Kyle. That's reaching. I think they are willfully ignoring Kyle's non-apology and her unnecessarily confrontational attitude at the mixer. It's weird because I don't want to come across like I'm defending Brandi. She can't go around expecting public sympathy when her response to any type of threat is immediately regressing into calling people cunts and threatening to fucking knock out their teeth. At the same time, she is not wrong that there is selective pearl clutching happening.

Edited February 11, 2015 by The Mighty Peanut

[Sincerely Yours]

 but if Kim relapsed and is fully back into the cycle of addiction then she needs to focus on her health, not who is owed an explanation. If she doesn't want to address it on TV or concede failure to a person who herself admitted she had never seen Kim be anything but sweet before that incident, well, I don't blame her. People act like taking a pill when she should have known better automatically means she's giving $2 blowjobs and robbing banks. Relapses happen. It's not good but it's not an automatic ticket back to rock bottom.

I looooooovvveeee this!!! First, yes I get that it's awkward and she is rude to the people around her when she is inebriated and it brings up all sorts of pearl clutching and questions but holy smokes. That one incident and now there's this whirlwind of discussions, analyzing, accusations, doubts, demands for accountability, apologies, explanations, etc. etc. etc. My God!!!! If that's what it takes to be a recovered addict then shit I'd stay off the wagon too! I really wonder how recovering addicts do it if for the rest of their lives they are supposed to live with it being okay for people to completely throw shade at them for every actual or even just assumed slip up. That everyone around them goes into panic, over analyzing, overbearing, extra side eye, loop de lu dance with so much pressure being applied to the addict to disprove, or admit, or check into rehab or just ACT upon said real or imagined slip up. I've noticed this after Kyle outed her and Kim was sober season 3 was it? I get that Kim makes a spectacle but Geez louise the constant checking up checking in checking her story wondering about her story criticizing the story making up stories.

 

I sympathize with Kim because I do believe IT IS hard to work on something as draining and difficult as an addiction when the only way to avoid all the negative reactions from people is to stay sober and not exhibit the typical behavior of an addict. And even sober her recovery revolves around making amends, apologizing taking accountability blah blah blah. I think these guidelines/steps get taken waaaaaaayyyyyy out of proportion and people start expecting recovering alcoholics to go around admitting every wrong down to eating those 3 grapes before getting to the cashier. It's fucking exhausting the amount of "reflection, remorse, regret" is expected from an addict while sober by those around them. Now wonder addicts slip. Just keeping up with all the requirements of recovering would have me popping speed just to keep up and remember you're always a recovering alcoholic so damn that's a never ending list of demands to manage and the kicker is ya have to do it sober. I mean everyone knows how hard it is to beat addiction so I don't get the whole "over it" attitude. At the end of the day, an addict that can't beat an addiction will always be a sad thing. I feel bad because Kim has a disease and while some people with this disease fight it and fight it well others don't. For all the havoc Kim brings to those around her she will be the one to pay the ultimate price so I can totally understand the "over it" attitude but I don't get the "over it" but I wanna rain havoc down on you because I'm so mad I have this emotional drain in my life and you were unable to handle the pressure of me reminding you of what you are required to do (like apologize a thousand and one times) in order to continue on the path of sobriety.

 

I'm not surprised that this process cause addicts to start rejecting the idea of being accountable because like I said before these steps get taken waaaaayyy out of proportion and some non addicts use that as a way to have addicts cop to EVERYTHING that's gone wrong during their addiction. I'd be hesistate too, to always have to blanketly admit to being the reason for all that's been wrong with XYZ.  When Kim doesn't readily accept responsibility I see it as her thinking "yeah I was drunk, and yeah it caused that unfortunate situation but do you remember the conversation we had before I got drunk? The accusations and hurtful things you hurled at me right before I got drunk?" I feel that in Kim's mind Kyle and the rest of the family played a big part in the reasons why she even became an addict so that what I get when I see Kim not completely taking accountability for the situations that arise due to her being and addict.

 

Kim will always get my sympathy because is alcoholism is a disease and it affects how she behaves with those around her. That's like being mad at someone with Terrets. There are some people with Terrets that handle it better than others. Some are really unpleasant because of how draining and emotional living with Terrets can be while others are able to cope and not let it affect their ability to control their frustrations. For both scenarios there is still sympathy to be had because the underlying reality is both are battling difficult diseases they cannot fully control. Everyone's different and having to battle something like that doesn't give people a pass to act any old way but I don't think Kim has completely gone ballistic in her basic behavior around others.   I think Kim's behavior is well in proportion to Kyle's behavior. The addiction part doesn't help her cause but even with all those factors I don't see Kim as some huge monster. I see her being a product of her situation and considering the ingredients I am not surprised at the results or fault Kim too much for her reactions to these matters.

 

And yes it's infuriating to watch these women behave as if one slip up, one bad night is the equivalent of Kim beating up old ladies for crack money. Slip ups happen and even if she isn't announcing it to the world doesn't mean she isn't trying to dust herself off and keep working on her sobriety. Just because her recovery doesn't follow AA's textboard 12, 13, 45, 55 steps ver batim and not during filming doesn't mean that she's not making an effort. Who's to say exactly how she should be treating this latest slip up? As for us having to hear about her going to rehab by now. Why? She doesn't HAVE to check in to rehab for every slip up to PROVE she's working on it. And if it comes out that she has relapsed big then I'm sorry for her but fingers crossed that she hasn't. Either way Kim has a lot of obstacles in front of her and Kyle is a big one. History or no history Kyle's one big trigger for Ms Kim Richards and seems more concerned with holding her sister accountable about any and all things that she can find. The anger and frustration is warranted but how does that do anything but create even more of a temptation to bend the elbow?? I get it Kyle shouldn't have to blah blah blah but shit Kyle doesn't have to push her in front of the bus either.

Edited February 11, 2015 by Sincerely Yours

[Avaleigh]

Kyle and Moricio are the least successful people on the show, besides Kim and Brandi.

I don't know about that. Kyle and Mauricio seem to be doing very well for themselves. I don't see that they're less successful than the Hamlins or the Van Pattens.

Why would Kim be jealous of Kyle?

 

As for why Kim would be jealous of Kyle, I think it's like what Zoeysmom was saying. Kyle isn't an addict, she has a strong marriage, she's still has the occasional acting gig, she has her store, she has a lot of friends, she's close with all of the nieces and nephews, she has more money, she's taken better care of herself so she, frankly, looks better than Kim even if it isn't nice to say so, Kyle also seems to have had their mother's approval towards the end so I'm sure there are resentment issues there as well, etc. There are a lot of reasons for Kim to be jealous in my opinion.

[charming]

Kim didn't just have one slip up. Everyone around her should be frightened at her continuing downward spiral. Treating it as no big deal is not what she needs.

 

She's been on drugs/alcohol most of her adult life. By her own admission she missed "huge chunks of her children's lives" because of it. Does she need to make amends?  There's no blah, blah, blah about it. Should she take a step outside of herself and realize the impact her addiction has had on others? Abso-fucking-lutely. The fact that she refuses to do it, even during her so-called sober moments, just shows how selfish she is.

 

Joyce shouldn't have gone there about the tampon string, eh? Yep, just like always. Sit back and take it. If Brandi wants to mock you, make racist statements, insult your marriage, so what?

Edited February 11, 2015 by charming

[LotusFlower]

That one incident and now there's this whirlwind of discussions, analyzing, accusations, doubts, demands for accountability, apologies, explanations, etc. etc. etc. My God!!!! If that's what it takes to be a recovered addict then shit I'd stay off the wagon too!

If you think Poker Night was the sole incident of Kim relapsing, then you haven't been watching.

Kim's addiction is the clusterfuck of crap that is producing all these fights and friction. If Kim doesn't recognize that her behavior due to her addiction is anything she has to apologize for, then that's her prerogative. But everyone else should tell her to fuck off.

[haydensterling]

I can agree with some of that but not all of it.  I do think that Brandi was trying, not to stain Bella's reputation directly, but to say to Yo "Don't mess with me.  I will bring up your daughter to shame you and I will do it on camera if you try to discuss my behavior on camera."  I may also be projecting, but I think this is what the group pearl-clutch is about. They will all sit there and go on about how awful Brandi is, but they won't call her exact behavior out for what it is.  So they pearl-clutch instead. 

I'm not sure if I consider either Lisa R. or Eileen to be pearl-clutchers, though.  I think they have been dropped into the crazy and are dealing with it as graciously as they know how.  Some may not agree w/r/t Lisa R. but I'll hold off until I see her go Oklahoma.

I think that what confuses me is that initially Lisa brought up Kim's behavior at Poker Night.  This somehow got sidelined into her talking about Brandi's 'addiction' in order to talk about Kim's addiction at an angle, so as not to alienate Kyle, who I think also turns on those who turn on her sister very quickly.  I think I said as much in one of my posts here, and if I didn't, I should clarify that this is what I was seeing.  

I'm still not sure that I'm interpreting what you are in terms of the other HW's reactions to Brandi, but thanks for trying to clarify.  I have a massive headcold and am on about ten different forms of NyQuil, none of which are helping.  

[Sincerely Yours]

Maybe you missed the scene when Brandi threw a glass of wine at Eileen's face. That wasn't just boorish behavior, that was the alcohol talking. The editors were not so subtle in telling us this, as they showed gulp after gulp of Brandi pre-throw!

That's being an asshole while drunk and since she can pretty much hit asshole status while sober I don't associate that behavior with automatic alcoholic. She was drinking and she does act stupid but her drinking problem isn't alcoholism it's not being a responsible drinker. Now is it possible that she is an alcoholic. Absolutely but so far from what I've seen and what the women are using to throw the label out doesn't come close to justifying throwing out such a label.

[haydensterling]

I'm sorry that my use of the phrase Walking Tampon String is upsetting, but Brandi is a big girl who likes to mess with other people intensely, I'm sure she can handle hearing that she had an 'oopsie' moment that some of us will always remember. After all, she was responsible for Shit!Pillow!Gate! and a host of other clusterfucks, if she didn't want to make an ass out of herself then maybe she shouldn't have gone out and gotten blasted so that someday her kids could look up pictures of mommy stumbling home half naked on Google.  

And if she wasn't thinking about the long term ramifications of that, then maybe she really is an alcoholic.

[Higgins]

I looooooovvveeee this!!! First, yes I get that it's awkward and she is rude to the people around her when she is inebriated and it brings up all sorts of pearl clutching and questions but holy smokes. That one incident and now there's this whirlwind of discussions, analyzing, accusations, doubts, demands for accountability, apologies, explanations, etc. etc. etc. My God!!!! If that's what it takes to be a recovered addict then shit I'd stay off the wagon too! I really wonder how recovering addicts do it if for the rest of their lives they are supposed to live with it being okay for people to completely throw shade at them for every actual or even just assumed slip up. That everyone around them goes into panic, over analyzing, overbearing, extra side eye, loop de lu dance with so much pressure being applied to the addict to disprove, or admit, or check into rehab or just ACT upon said real or imagined slip up. I've noticed this after Kyle outed her and Kim was sober season 3 was it? I get that Kim makes a spectacle but Geez louise the constant checking up checking in checking her story wondering about her story criticizing the story making up stories.

 

I sympathize with Kim because I do believe IT IS hard to work on something as draining and difficult as an addiction when the only way to avoid all the negative reactions from people is to stay sober and not exhibit the typical behavior of an addict. And even sober her recovery revolves around making amends, apologizing taking accountability blah blah blah. I think these guidelines/steps get taken waaaaaaayyyyyy out of proportion and people start expecting recovering alcoholics to go around admitting every wrong down to eating those 3 grapes before getting to the cashier. It's fucking exhausting the amount of "reflection, remorse, regret" is expected from an addict while sober by those around them. Now wonder addicts slip. Just keeping up with all the requirements of recovering would have me popping speed just to keep up and remember you're always a recovering alcoholic so damn that's a never ending list of demands to manage and the kicker is ya have to do it sober. I mean everyone knows how hard it is to beat addiction so I don't get the whole "over it" attitude. At the end of the day, an addict that can't beat an addiction will always be a sad thing. I feel bad because Kim has a disease and while some people with this disease fight it and fight it well others don't. For all the havoc Kim brings to those around her she will be the one to pay the ultimate price so I can totally understand the "over it" attitude but I don't get the "over it" but I wanna rain havoc down on you because I'm so mad I have this emotional drain in my life and you were unable to handle the pressure of me reminding you of what you are required to do (like apologize a thousand and one times) in order to continue on the path of sobriety.

 

I'm not surprised that this process cause addicts to start rejecting the idea of being accountable because like I said before these steps get taken waaaaayyy out of proportion and some non addicts use that as a way to have addicts cop to EVERYTHING that's gone wrong during their addiction. I'd be hesistate too, to always have to blanketly admit to being the reason for all that's been wrong with XYZ.  When Kim doesn't readily accept responsibility I see it as her thinking "yeah I was drunk, and yeah it caused that unfortunate situation but do you remember the conversation we had before I got drunk? The accusations and hurtful things you hurled at me right before I got drunk?" I feel that in Kim's mind Kyle and the rest of the family played a big part in the reasons why she even became an addict so that what I get when I see Kim not completely taking accountability for the situations that arise due to her being and addict.

 

Kim will always get my sympathy because is alcoholism is a disease and it affects how she behaves with those around her. That's like being mad at someone with Terrets. There are some people with Terrets that handle it better than others. Some are really unpleasant because of how draining and emotional living with Terrets can be while others are able to cope and not let it affect their ability to control their frustrations. For both scenarios there is still sympathy to be had because the underlying reality is both are battling difficult diseases they cannot fully control. Everyone's different and having to battle something like that doesn't give people a pass to act any old way but I don't think Kim has completely gone ballistic in her basic behavior around others.   I think Kim's behavior is well in proportion to Kyle's behavior. The addiction part doesn't help her cause but even with all those factors I don't see Kim as some huge monster. I see her being a product of her situation and considering the ingredients I am not surprised at the results or fault Kim too much for her reactions to these matters.

 

And yes it's infuriating to watch these women behave as if one slip up, one bad night is the equivalent of Kim beating up old ladies for crack money. Slip ups happen and even if she isn't announcing it to the world doesn't mean she isn't trying to dust herself off and keep working on her sobriety. Just because her recovery doesn't follow AA's textboard 12, 13, 45, 55 steps ver batim and not during filming doesn't mean that she's not making an effort. Who's to say exactly how she should be treating this latest slip up? As for us having to hear about her going to rehab by now. Why? She doesn't HAVE to check in to rehab for every slip up to PROVE she's working on it. And if it comes out that she has relapsed big then I'm sorry for her but fingers crossed that she hasn't. Either way Kim has a lot of obstacles in front of her and Kyle is a big one. History or no history Kyle's one big trigger for Ms Kim Richards and seems more concerned with holding her sister accountable about any and all things that she can find. The anger and frustration is warranted but how does that do anything but create even more of a temptation to bend the elbow?? I get it Kyle shouldn't have to blah blah blah but shit Kyle doesn't have to push her in front of the bus either.

Thank you.

[copacabana]

Kim didn't just have one slip up. Everyone around her should be frightened at her continuing downward spiral. Treating it as no big deal is not what she needs.

 

She's been on drugs/alcohol most of her adult life. By her own admission she missed "huge chunks of her children's lives" because of it. Does she need to make amends?  There's no blah, blah, blah about it. Should she take a step outside of herself and realize the impact her addiction has had on others? Abso-fucking-lutely. The fact that she refuses to do it, even during her so-called sober moments, just shows how selfish she is.

 

Joyce shouldn't have gone there about the tampon string, eh? Yep, just like always. Sit back and take it. If Brandi wants to mock you, make racist statements, insult your marriage, so what?

I thought Brandi was a proper c*** in dealing with Joyce all the way through.  

 

Also thought old Joyce lost some points in putting any of that out there.  Tenha vergonha, as we used to say in my neck of the woods.  Have some shame.

 

The only cure for this stuff is really Netflix and being married to Mr Joyce, who is lost and gone forever. 

[Giselle]

Of COURSE Kim has threatened suicide.  It's the last tool in the manipulative asshole arsenal to get people to feel sorry for you.  

 

Fuck her.

Get off my TV.  

 

YES!

[copacabana]

I'm sorry that my use of the phrase Walking Tampon String is upsetting, but Brandi is a big girl who likes to mess with other people intensely, I'm sure she can handle hearing that she had an 'oopsie' moment that some of us will always remember. After all, she was responsible for Shit!Pillow!Gate! and a host of other clusterfucks, if she didn't want to make an ass out of herself then maybe she shouldn't have gone out and gotten blasted so that someday her kids could look up pictures of mommy stumbling home half naked on Google.  

And if she wasn't thinking about the long term ramifications of that, then maybe she really is an alcoholic.

Don't be sorry!  You are terrific.  Be glad you get the blood flowing.  And we all get to laugh.  Don't be sorry.  You are awesome.  Bloody awesome -- heh. 

Edited February 11, 2015 by copacabana

[motorcitymom65]

And yes it's infuriating to watch these women behave as if one slip up, one bad night is the equivalent of Kim beating up old ladies for crack money. Slip ups happen and even if she isn't announcing it to the world doesn't mean she isn't trying to dust herself off and keep working on her sobriety. Just because her recovery doesn't follow AA's textboard 12, 13, 45, 55 steps ver batim and not during filming doesn't mean that she's not making an effort. Who's to say exactly how she should be treating this latest slip up? As for us having to hear about her going to rehab by now. Why? She doesn't HAVE to check in to rehab for every slip up to PROVE she's working on it. And if it comes out that she has relapsed big then I'm sorry for her but fingers crossed that she hasn't. Either way Kim has a lot of obstacles in front of her and Kyle is a big one. History or no history Kyle's one big trigger for Ms Kim Richards and seems more concerned with holding her sister accountable about any and all things that she can find. The anger and frustration is warranted but how does that do anything but create even more of a temptation to bend the elbow?? I get it Kyle shouldn't have to blah blah blah but shit Kyle doesn't have to push her in front of the bus either.

To me it sounds like Kyle is the only person behaving in the manner you advocate. She wasn't freaking out about Kim slipping up one night. She hated that she took a pill but didn't get judgy and all freaked out. She actually said that the important thing was that Kim had admitted to doing it and to knowing it was wrong. She seemed proud of Kim for her honesty and all was fine. To my knowledge Kyle has never said anything to anyone about Kim potentially relapsing. She seems to be more concerned with the fact that Brandi is isolating Kim from her and might reveal private information a vulnerable Kim might have let slip. Lisar is the main one to be calling Kim out, and I think this is based on what seemed to be a very bizarre limo ride that we saw only a part off.

For the most part, the person outside of Lisar ringing alarm bells would be Brandi. I have no idea if Kim is sober or not. I do know that the main person talking about being concerned about this is Brandi. If there was anyone acting like a one night slip up on Poker Night might be the end of the world, it was Brandi.

Edited February 11, 2015 by motorcitymom65

[zoeysmom]

I agree!!!  I don't like her, didn't like her when she was a child actress (I thought she was a precocious brat...), and unfortunately, this is what we are probably going to see again, for the remainder of the season...Kim's intervention, Kim's denial, Kim's everything...blah, blah, blah.

I am sorry, I really think that for Kim's own good, she should not be on the show anymore, but I think it would need to be HER decision. 

But, is this the conundrum that Bravo and the producers are now in?  I'm sure the producers know that Kim is not sober, and basically has nothing else in her life right now.

They put her back in the "spotlight" (even a little spotlight), and she is enjoying it, for whatever it is worth.  Without this show, what does Kim have?  Is it possible for her to go back to living life under the radar and out of the public eye without totally spiraling out of control and perhaps doing something serious?

They are between a rock and a hard place here - they created the monster, so to speak, and now they have to deal with it.

I honestly think that without this show to cling to, Kim could become suicidal - and, if she were to do something tragic, would the show producers/Bravo be to blame?  They've already gone through this once with Russell Armstrong - they really need to tread lightly here. 

I will say, though that I am afraid for her.

Kim's continuing employment to ensure she doesn't commit suicide is not Bravo's responsibility.  Russell's death had far more to do with his personal financial demons than the show.  He and Taylor were divorcing.  I only say this because the Russell's business partner committed suicide before Russell's body was found.  For all of Russell's family's chest pounding zero came of the talk of suing Bravo.

[Avaleigh]

That one incident and now there's this whirlwind of discussions, analyzing, accusations, doubts, demands for accountability, apologies, explanations, etc. etc. etc. My God!!!! If that's what it takes to be a recovered addict then shit I'd stay off the wagon too!

And yes it's infuriating to watch these women behave as if one slip up, one bad night is the equivalent of Kim beating up old ladies for crack money.

 

 

I see it as being about a lot more than one slip up on one night. Kim didn't seem sober at the gay mixer either. She didn't even know what day it was. She's been lying about what's going on so that makes it all extra concerning because it seems like she's covering up behavior that is worse than what she's admitting to. She isn't even really admitting anything because she's still claiming to have been sober for three years when everyone has seen for themselves that this isn't the case. She even confirms the relapse but tries to bullshit her sister and the audience that this doesn't count as a slip up. Everyone else on the show is acknowledging what is going on so this isn't a case of Kim being picked on or of her being treated unfairly. 

 

As for the comparisons to Kim going down a dark path, I don't think that anyone was saying that Kim is in Phillip Seymour Hoffman territory exactly but I don't think it's a stretch at all to see her as having some Judy Garland tendencies when it comes to pills. Kim strikes me as the kind of person who could forget how much she's taken of what and when. The patch revelation is troubling and I don't think it's an exaggeration that something terrible could end up happening to Kim if she doesn't start taking her sobriety seriously and this includes facing up to hard truths like the fact that she has indeed relapsed. 

 

Then there's the whole issue of where exactly Kim is getting her drugs. Whether or not she has Monty's consent there's something very troubling about her dipping into his medication. It might not be on the level of robbing old ladies for crack money but I still think it's pretty damn disturbing not to mention flat out unsafe and reckless health wise. 

 

I don't think it's a good idea for the people in Kim's life to downplay her behavior anymore. It isn't doing Kim or anyone else any good.

Edited February 11, 2015 by Avaleigh

[haydensterling]

You too, copa.  I love that we can agree and disagree on this board and it never gets crazy heated.  There's always some point in someone's post that I totally agree with and then five sentences later I'm like 'huh'? but I thumbs it up anyhow, because there was something in there that resonated with me.

 

And I agree that the loss of Mr. Joyce is a pain keenly felt to this day.

Edited February 11, 2015 by haydensterling

[Sincerely Yours]

Kim didn't just have one slip up. Everyone around her should be frightened at her continuing downward spiral. Treating it as no big deal is not what she needs.

 

So far the only slip up on the show is her taking that pill. The pain patch isn't a slip up because obviously Kim has decided that drinking is her vice (hey other people's opinion doesn't matter.  To Kim taking prescribed meds doesn't count against her sobriety) That's how some addicts deal with their addiction. Some do it complete without prescribed meds and some allow themselves to receive medications on a situation by situation basis. Do I think that approach is a good idea for Kim Richards not really but so far from what we've seen she's slipped up in her most recent stint of sobriety with that pill. As it stands now I can only wait and see if she's speeding down that path again but with everyone making such a fucking to do with her and all this hub bub I believe all that speculation, and demanding to know, the questioning etc. etc. will shoot her straight to the other side in a heartbeat.

 

 

Kim's addiction is the clusterfuck of crap that is producing all these fights and friction. If Kim doesn't recognize that her behavior due to her addiction is anything she has to apologize for, then that's her prerogative. But everyone else should tell her to fuck off.

Exactly! short and sweet but all this extended dragging out of this womens addiction.. Unnecessary and not helpful at all. The only person that has to really deal with it for the long haul is Kyle and fam and even her goings on about in needs to have a limit. Not saying Kim's saint but her situation is old news. She either is or isn't gonna XYZ. Going in circles with her is just stupid.

Edited February 11, 2015 by Sincerely Yours

[rho]

"Everything i do is for my children. I don't care what anyone thinks." Can Brandi not see that craziness in that statement to Yolonda? Still harping about her son being an asshole and saying what he did was a dick move. He's a freakin' kid!!!

 

I think the comment about Brandi's kid being an a-hole is more of a reflection of her as a parent than the kid. Remember when he peed on the lawn at Adrienne's? Yes, she was in a boot, but she did nothing to reprimand him. I know we never see her on screen with the kids, but I have a hunch Lisa takes better care of Giggy than Brandi does of her own kids.

 

I am actually beginning to get a little uncomfortable with Lisa R and her interest in Kim's issues. She is 100% correct, yet I cannot get past a strange feeling I got when she was going on and on about it. Am I crazy?

 

Yeah, I don't know how much longer I can handle this franchise. I thought Kim as great for laughs in S3 and 4. She does have her moments but the slip ups are just really sad, and not in an entertaining way. I think initially Kyle hoped the show would offer her a stable income and some sort responsibility to deter her from cooping herself up and falling further into addiction but obviously it's not helping. At this point, I don't care if Kyle or Brandi or Lisa or whomever is only vying for camera time at Kim's expense. Get the girl help asap. Don't exploit addiction for ratings. This is not Celebrity Rehab. 

 

Eileen's movie looked pretty bad, but then again it was probably a very small indie type production - so I will give it a pass. I still think she's a good actress.

 

I have a feeling she was doing the movie as a favour to a friend. Plus it was a short. They probably filmed the whole thing in a day. But I have been to that theater in Burbank and even for a lowly peasant like me, it's not remarkable. I'm surprised LisaV didn't have anything to say since the carpet is basically 50% bubblegum. It was a good reprieve from all the heavy stuff in this episode though. These are the moments the show should return to.

 

Did anyone else think that Brandi was trying to intimate that the other housewives were calling Bella an alcoholic?  I don't think Yolanda believed that for one second....and, neither do I!! 

 

I get the feeling Brandi was trying to elude to that but I think the only people calling Bella an alcoholic are the rags. As it stands now, Brandi and Bella have the same number of DUIs on their record. I don't condone drinking and driving whatsoever, but I also don't think Brandi had any right to bring that up, especially as her defense.

 

I remember reading that Ken is the father of Max but not Lisa.  I can't remember where I read this. Did I dream this or did I read it?  Could Max be a love child of Ken's? I have never gotten a warm fuzzy feeling from Lisa about Max.  She almost seems to resent him.  When she questioned his motives and feelings the past episode I thought it was sad that she had to add in there that he is NOT related to her, Pandora or Ken. Nice way to make your adopted child feel so welcomed Lisa.

 

Really? I know Ken has a son from another marriage. He's like Lisa's age though. I think if anyone has been cold to Max it's Ken. Lisa seems to adore him in a tough love kind of way.

[haydensterling]

One other thing I wanted to mention, and that is even Brandi says she is not the right kind of companion for Kim because she is not a sober companion.  This is, I think, one of the most truthful things she's said lately, and while it may mean that she is a heavy drinker or an alcoholic or really, who the hell cares, we have her on camera saying that she gets that she is not the one for Kim to be hanging out with--advice it would behoove her to follow. 

Edited February 11, 2015 by haydensterling

[Higgins]

I see it as being about a lot more than one slip up on one night. Kim didn't seem sober at the gay mixer either. She didn't even know what day it was. She's been lying about what's going on so that makes it all extra concerning because it seems like she's covering up behavior that is worse than what she's admitting to. She isn't even really admitting anything because she's still claiming to have been sober for three years when everyone has seen for themselves that this isn't the case. She even confirms the relapse but tries to bullshit her sister and the audience that this doesn't count as a slip up. Everyone else on the show is acknowledging what is going on so this isn't a case of Kim being picked on or of her being treated unfairly. 

 

As for the comparisons to Kim going down a dark path, I don't think that anyone was saying that Kim is in Phillip Seymour Hoffman territory exactly but I don't think it's a stretch at all to see her as having some Judy Garland tendencies when it comes to pills. Kim strikes me as the kind of person who could forget how much she's taken of what and when. The patch revelation is troubling and I don't think it's an exaggeration that something terrible could end up happening to Kim if she doesn't start taking her sobriety seriously and this includes facing up to hard truths like the fact that she has indeed relapsed. 

 

Then there's the whole issue of where exactly Kim is getting her drugs. Whether or not she has Monty's consent there's something very troubling about her dipping into his medication. It might not be on the level of robbing old ladies for crack money but I still think it's pretty damn disturbing not to mention flat out unsafe and reckless health wise. 

 

I don't think it's a good idea for the people in Kim's life to downplay her behavior anymore. It isn't doing Kim or anyone else any good.

That's the point though. She forgets what day it is and has to be because she is off the wagon so to speak. I do that all the time. She is 50 years old. Menopause can do that and so can the Topamax she is prescribed. Hell sometimes I forget where my key are and I look for 10 minutes and they are in my hand. She may be high as a kite but  who wants that kind of scrutiny about everything they do and there is almost a glee about it. I don't think Kyle did that this time but, Lisa R won't let it  go and she doesn't even know her very well and it's really none of her business. Maybe they should be discussing Lisa Rinna's eating habits and scrutinize her nutritional composition and caloric intake.

Edited February 11, 2015 by Higgins

[cooksdelight]

I think the comment about Brandi's kid being an a-hole is more of a reflection of her as a parent than the kid. Remember when he peed on the lawn at Adrienne's? Yes, she was in a boot, but she did nothing to reprimand him. I know we never see her on screen with the kids, but I have a hunch Lisa takes better care of Giggy than Brandi does of her own kids.

Yes, I agree, that's what I meant. She's a shitty parent and it shows when she talks about her kids the way she does. My mother or father would never dream of saying such things about any of us!

[charming]

As it stands now I can only wait and see if she's speeding down that path again but with everyone making such a fucking to do with her and all this hub bub I believe all that speculation, and demanding to know, the questioning etc. etc. will shoot her straight to the other side in a heartbeat.

 

They're driving her to drugs/alcohol because they had the nerve to question her behavior just sounds like addict justification. It's "okay" Kim slipped because her daughter moved out or her dog was taken away or her first husband is dying or she's being called out about her glassy eyes. So what about all the other times she's slipped? I think that's a burden that doesn't need to be placed on the other women. If Kim has decided to keep using and not seek help, then that's on her and her alone.

 

That's the point though. She forgets what day it is and has to be because she is off the wagon so to speak. I do that all the time. She is 50 years old. Menopause can do that and so can the Topamax she is prescribed. Hell sometimes I forget where my key are and I look for 10 minutes and they are in my hand. She may be high as a kite but  who wants that kind of scrutiny about everything they do and there is almost a glee about it. I don't think Kyle did that this time but, Lisa R won't let it  go and she doesn't even know her very well and it's really none of her business. Maybe they should be discussing Lisa Rinna's eating habits and scrutinize her nutritional composition and caloric intake.

 

Nah, Kim and Brandi will scrutinize her husband's faithfulness to their marriage.

 

Menopause!!! I bet Kim never thought about that excuse. That would be perfect for her except she was trying to act like she thought she was pregnant 2 seasons ago. So she might need to stick with the hernia thing.

[Avaleigh]

She forgets what day it is and has to be because she is off the wagon so to speak. I do that all the time.

I'll sometimes ask myself "Wait, what's the date again?" or something like that and I definitely misplace my keys from time to time. Obviously people should be forgiven for making these sorts of mistakes. With Kim and this example though we see that she's adamant that she's right. She's insistent that she saw Kyle that day and wants to argue with Kyle about it and then actually has to go and check because she also apparently doesn't trust her sister to remember what day it is. To me that's different than forgetting your glasses are on your head. She seems out of it as opposed to someone who has simply made a mistake or has just forgotten.

 

She may be high as a kite but  who wants that kind of scrutiny about everything they do and there is almost a glee about it. I don't think Kyle did that this time but, Lisa R won't let it  go and she doesn't even know her very well and it's really none of her business.

 

 

I also disagree that it isn't any of LisaR's business. The entire reason that LisaR started talking about it in the first place is because she had to deal first hand with a Kim who was under the influence of drugs and it wasn't a fun time. Kim involved her the second she decided to be high around her. Not only that they're on a show together and are paid to give their opinions on the other. If Kim doesn't want people to talk about her behavior when she's on drugs then she needs to take her sobriety seriously.

 

As for the comparison of scrutinizing something like LisaR's diet in turn--the difference is that LisaR's diet isn't having a negative effect on the show and other cast members. That's what makes it the business of the other women. When they have to deal with the behavior of a person who isn't sober and is at the same time claiming to be.

 

there is almost a glee about it.

 

I don't think it's glee, I think it's frustration. I think the other women are feeling frustration with the situation, all of them with the possible exception of Brandi who seems to feel that Kim's problems put her in a flattering light.

[LotusFlower]

Not saying Kim's saint but her situation is old news.

It's not old news. It's very much in the present. If I had to film with a high-as-a-kite co-star all the time, I think I'd find it difficult. And then there's the whole "see no evil, talk no evil..." aspect that is a difficult thing to ignore since most of these ladies have known Kim for years now. If it were me, I'd tell her I wasn't going to lie or cover for her, so she should film with me at her own risk. But maybe that's easier said than done.

[copacabana]

You too, copa.  I love that we can agree and disagree on this board and it never gets crazy heated.  There's always some point in someone's post that I totally agree with and then five sentences later I'm like 'huh'? but I thumbs it up anyhow, because there was something in there that resonated with me.

 

And I agree that the loss of Mr. Joyce is a pain keenly felt to this day.

 

Thanks, haydensterling.  I hope I live long enough to see all this crash and burn except we would miss one another other. Mr Joyce -- how nice, right?, to have him back

 

These ladies always make me think of being super young and motherless in Rio in the mid-60s.  I was in love with an American boy whose initials were JR and I carved those into my bedroom floor while listening to a transistor radio, playing Braz. and international pop. I dreamed of being a star and was pretty enough to be something while all other lights were off in my bedroom.  For a bit. 

 

I get the Richards wanting to be who they were, have admiration of a sort for Lisa V and Yolanda, and Lisa R and Eileen who don't really need any pat on the back from me.  I get or think I do Brandi too.

 

What I'm also getting is that if I'm getting over it many many others are too because I'm not unique.

[TomGirl]

Brandi is looking more and more like Joan Rivers. Joan looked pretty good for someone over 80. Brandi, not so much.

[beaker73]

I'm watching the episode now, and Jesus H. Christ Brandi looks TERRIBLE during her podcast.

[zoeysmom]

Sincerely yours, it is ultimately up to Kim to become comfortable with her sobriety.  Since her sister had this pain medication thing it is her first slip since her last rehab I don't really think it is fair for Kyle to be singled out and held to some kind of non-standard when her sister is showing signs of impaired behavior. Nor should her co-workers be made to feel uncomfortable or scorned for pointing out the obvious.  I don't want to work with someone who is inebriated because they judgment is impaired.   Let's just say instead of Kyle asking her she said screw it, none of my business and sent her home.  The following day it turns out Kim had a true medical condition that was overlooked and she was left incapacitated or dead. 

 

From a medical/legal point of view Brandi has hit all the marks to have her admitted to a treatment facility and be diagnosed as an alcoholic.  Just last night Brandi threw up one of the biggest red flags, she drinks to alter her mood and for courage to face social situations-if that isn't drinking like an alcoholic what is?  The fact she gets her kids to school on 10 days a month and works part time (part of the time she is drunk at that job) or gets someplace on time isn't proof that she isn't an alcoholic.  Brandi has attended AA and alcohol education classes and all she seems to come away with are tired jokes about drinking.  Kim is an admitted alcoholic/addict with severe anxiety issues.

 

No one has acted "bad" towards Kim.  What they have seen is bizarre behavior coupled by an admission she is using.  Lisar said it best-she needed to be in a hospital.  Short term memory loss, a general belligerence, dependency on a social pariah at this point, inability to follow a conversation-yes when you do these things those around you take notice.  At this point Kim has not apologized to Kim or Eileen she is still busy just mixing it up with Kyle. 

 

Sadly, if Kim finds RHOBH or a sister a trigger she should avoid them at all costs until she can work out her feelings.  Maybe their paths can never cross again.  On an early thread I believe it was  ncsocialworker said her sister, who is in recovery, will exit from the family dinner table and begin reading her AA Big Book within the family's sightline giving them pause to wonder, what did they do?  I find it passive aggressive but I guess it is her coping mechanism or a huge screw you to the family-it also made me laugh. 

 

The worst thing an addict in recovery can do is compare their sobriety to the ingestion habits of those around them.  There is a huge difference is the AA world between sobriety and abstinence.  That was the other clue from Brandi last night, Kyle had just gotten to the party and appeared to be drinking a diet cola.  I am guessing on the diet because these are women who split a hot dog three ways.  Her cast mates verified she had just gotten there and was not drunk.

[LotusFlower]

The least successful? What are the standards of measure? Kyle is more successful than Kim because she has her shit together. Kim is unsure what day of the week it is.

With regard to the rest of the cast, it might have been the case that the Umansky's were the least successful when the show started, but far from it now. Mauricio's wealth is now estimated to be in the same general range as Ken and Lisa's. I get that these sites are frequently wrong, but even if they are off by A LOT, K&M have become very wealthy wealthy. People mocked the storyline at the beginning of the year about their change in fortune, but I found it interesting because it's no lie. During the 5 years we have been watching the show they have gone from wealthy to over-the-top rich. Mauricio sold over $350 million in real estate last year.

What I also like is that their newfound wealth appears to be a non-Housewives thing (Mauricio's business expanding), as opposed to HW's like Brandi, who flaunt their "six figure" cars and homes and the like - all things paid for by their Bravo paycheck. She made it seem like she's so proud of what she's accomplished, when in reality, she's a Ho on a HoWife show!

Her handling of the dog biting her niece shows a pretty mean side too.  Plus, and I've said this elsewhere, I have never seen her do something for anyone else, not even her children.  I thought maybe her relationship with Monty was going to show a new side of her but now it seems again something she did only to benefit herself.  She puts nothing positive into the world.  Even though I may not like all of the other HWs, I think most of them have done something beneficial at one point.

I think you're exactly right. Which fits her label (sorry, Brandi) of narcissist. Of the purest kind.

[FozzyBear]

Argggggg! I don't like Kim, Kyle, or Brandi and they have taken over the show! I'm so bored and sick of hearing these three women scream about how "this isn't about you Lisa! This is about meeeeeeee!" It's pretty much what they fight about, which one is most about meeeeee! I don't care anymore. Kim can be an addict, Brandi can be a drunk, Kyle can be a nag. Whatever. I give. Just shut up already! Can we just go to Amsterdam or something already? Anything but this never ending cluster fuck.

[zoeysmom]

What I also like is that their newfound wealth appears to be a non-Housewives thing (Mauricio's business expanding), as opposed to HW's like Brandi, who flaunt their "six figure" cars and homes and the like - all things paid for by their Bravo paycheck. She made it seem like she's so proud of what she's accomplished, when in reality, she's a Ho on a HoWife show!

I think that is what bothers me about Brandi.  All of her success is just a result of forcing herself to be part of this cast.  Without Brandi would be living off child support and doing car shows.  So when I hear of her being upset about not being filmed in her business meetings (we were privy to the meeting with her boss at Podcast), or the various other endeavors (we saw the book meetings, the cover shoots)-I guess we won't get to see the genius behind printing STFU and FU tees or her stupid APP.  Maybe her drunkness is just extended tasting sessions for her new wines.

[Avaleigh]

Brandi, NeNe and others think that they're so accomplished and successful and to me they come across as deluded when they talk that way.

 

It especially grates when Brandi talks about how hard working she is and how she's "honing her craft" like she's some skilled journalist or something. The comment about having six jobs also makes me roll my eyes.

[walnutqueen]

I'm still not sure that I'm interpreting what you are in terms of the other HW's reactions to Brandi, but thanks for trying to clarify.  I have a massive headcold and am on about ten different forms of NyQuil, none of which are helping.  

 

Sounds like it's time for one of Kim's patches, haydensterling.  :-)

[LotusFlower]

Brandi, NeNe and others think that they're so accomplished and successful and to me they come across as deluded when they talk that way.

 

It especially grates when Brandi talks about how hard working she is and how she's "honing her craft" like she's some skilled journalist or something. The comment about having six jobs also makes me roll my eyes.

Yes - Nene is Brandi's double on this front - they both became popular on their respective shows, but you would think they're Diana Ross (Nene) or Chelsea Handler (Brandi) the way they talk about themselves! And "honing her craft" is just too funny. My serious question is this: what is her craft?

[zoeysmom]

Argggggg! I don't like Kim, Kyle, or Brandi and they have taken over the show! I'm so bored and sick of hearing these three women scream about how "this isn't about you Lisa! This is about meeeeeeee!" It's pretty much what they fight about, which one is most about meeeeee! I don't care anymore. Kim can be an addict, Brandi can be a drunk, Kyle can be a nag. Whatever. I give. Just shut up already! Can we just go to Amsterdam or something already? Anything but this never ending cluster fuck.

First they have to darken the doorsteps of Canada before Amsterdam.  That might be where the wine toss occurs unless someone saw a landmark making it Amsterdam.

[haydensterling]

Sounds like it's time for one of Kim's patches, haydensterling.  :-)

 

I've got patches all over me, walnutqueen!  One on my arm, one on my knee, and one where Kingsley can't get at it.  Gee, I sure hope I'm doing this right.  

I thought the glass smashing, Oklahoma-ing took place after the ladies got back from Amsterdam?  Bummer if that's the case because I don't know how long I can wait to see Lisa R. pitch a fit on Krandi's?  Brandim's? asses.  There has to be some good soap style portmanteau for the two of them, but I can't think straight right because TURTLES!  and maybe I put too many patches on and where's my sweet e-cig or hell even a dildo but it's all good because I'm like totes feeling gooddddasflkgasdksfdjhgskfhjl;klt''''''''''''''''6

[zoeysmom]

Yes - Nene is Brandi's double on this front - they both became popular on their respective shows, but you would think they're Diana Ross (Nene) or Chelsea Handler (Brandi) the way they talk about themselves! And "honing her craft" is just too funny. My serious question is this: what is her craft?

Playing themselves.  At least Nene came in as a RH and was the central character and was the one who was discovered by the producer.  Brandi kind of lied her way in.