S08.E06: Tipsying Point

[archer1267]

Quote

She could fill a book with her little helpful hints like how to refurbish that old Chanel bag with a Sharpie (they come in a variety of colors for every style and season), buy 2 of the same bathing suit; one for swimming and one to lounge in (comes in handy if one gets ripped off a hole in it), and how to use a Q-Tip, should you need to blow your nose, so as not to mess up your makeup.  I'm sure she has enough of these little tricks to fill a book.

Way back after Season 3, Sonja mentioned her "affordable luxury newsletter" on WWHL (or maybe it was the Reunion show). I signed up for it and nada. Sonja can't get out of her own way. A couple of years ago I looked at her LinkedIn profile and was stunned at the typos, grammatical errors, etc. Expecting her to come up with a regular newsletter was obviously too much, so I can't imagine her doing a full-blown book. (I would buy it, though, if it ever materializes!)

I was following Sonja on FB for a while, and I will say this - she IS very astute about giving shout-outs to certain restaurants, businesses, and products, but I imagine she gets freebies in exchange for promotion on social media.

[ryebread]

8 minutes ago, ElDosEquis said:

The look on the face of the Woman in Pink reminded me of an iconic photo...

Alls I can see is drunky Ernestine in a bad blonde wig.

   

[Leroux]

Wasn't the guy who is Sonia's partner the same one that wanted to partner with Ramona last season? 

I am pretty sure he is, he even tried to play as a possible Ramona's love interest, so why didn't he offered the partnership to Ramona? He has been trying to use RHNY to his advantage for a while now. 

Sonja seems like the perfect candidate though, just pay me a fee and I will throw a party to advertise on RHNY, the one making the money here is the sleazy guy, in the meantime Sonja is playing dumb saying that she thought Bethenny would be flattered and support her when she knows darn well that a similar name on the same product line from a cast member of the same franchise (3 variables together) would surely piss anybody off. She acts like a naive and innocent disoriented girl who is going to be blindsided by Bethenny's lack of support when she knows fully well what she is doing.

Sonja doesn't care because the fee that they are paying her is needed for household bills but it is mind boggling that she  is trying to sell the idea that Bethenny should come running and give her a hug for such a brilliant idea. 

[ghoulina]

17 hours ago, bravofan27 said:

Ramona is acting a bit crazy and is imo, crazy jealous that Sonja and LuAnn are hanging out, doing everything she can to "break them up."

I think Ramona was expecting Sonja to be pining away for her, being lonely, wandering around Grey Gardens with nothing to do. Instead, she's hitting the town with LuAnn and moving her new bestie in! Ramona is jealous, for sure. 

 

33 minutes ago, b2H said:

 

In an earlier post, someone made a statement about how Dorinda is not over Richard the same way Carole is over her late ex.

I'm willing to give Dorinda a bit of a pass on this, in contrast to Carole.  Carole has been widowed a much longer time and, as far as grief is concerned, everyone responds in their own way.  Dorinda may not be over Richard yet and, frankly, she doesn't have to be.  If John is just a place-holder for her until she can work through her grief, then more power to her.  But she needs, first, to be honest with herself about what John represents to her.  Then she needs to be honest with John about what John represents to her.

 

I made those statements. And I fully agree with you. I wasn't trying to imply that Dorinda SHOULD be over Richard; her loss is definitely more fresh. But I think the problem is that she may not be being honest about the entire thing, with herself OR John. It seems, to me, that they both want very different things from the relationship, and I think they're both pretty disrespectful of each other. It's toxic as hell. 

[Kiss my mutt]

Doesn't bethenney have a prosecco too?

[Umbelina]

1 minute ago, Kiss my mutt said:

Doesn't bethenney have a prosecco too?

Yes.

Ramona wouldn't get involved for two reasons.  One, she already has a wine out under her label, and two, she's not desperate or stupid enough to get involved with this scam.

[Neurochick]

2 hours ago, ZaldamoWilder said:

It's not about "ownership" of words.   A court may find it arguable that Tipsy Girl as a competing product is similar enough to Skinny Girl to cause the average consumer to mistake one for the other.   There is also the wrinkle of Sonja having already admitted that Bethenney's product was the inspiration for the name of her own.

Does that mean no one can ever use the word "girl" to advertise a beverage? 

If I invented a drink called "Latin Girl" would Bethenny scream, "it's tooo similar to Skinnygirl!"  I mean shit, if people can't distinguish Tipsy Girl and Skinny Girl, that could be be for all sorts of reasons.  I mean people know the difference between Coke and Pepsi.

[QuinnM]

Quote

If I invented a drink called "Latin Girl" would Bethenny scream, "it's tooo similar to Skinnygirl!"  I mean shit, if people can't distinguish Tipsy Girl and Skinny Girl, that could be be for all sorts of reasons.  I mean people know the difference between Coke and Pepsi.

I think it would have to be Latinny Girl and then you need to be a castmate on the same RealHo show.  I mean people can't even get it straight between skinnycow and skinnygirl.  It's a slipery slope.  I'm know that she has a firm that does nothing but chase down cheater brands.  Folks on twitter are always sending pictures of things they found.

[HunterHunted]

1 hour ago, archer1267 said:

Way back after Season 3, Sonja mentioned her "affordable luxury newsletter" on WWHL (or maybe it was the Reunion show). I signed up for it and nada. Sonja can't get out of her own way. A couple of years ago I looked at her LinkedIn profile and was stunned at the typos, grammatical errors, etc. Expecting her to come up with a regular newsletter was obviously too much, so I can't imagine her doing a full-blown book. (I would buy it, though, if it ever materializes!)

I was following Sonja on FB for a while, and I will say this - she IS very astute about giving shout-outs to certain restaurants, businesses, and products, but I imagine she gets freebies in exchange for promotion on social media.

I think Sonja should author semi-autobiographical dishy chick lit books with a Sonja inspired protagonist. Sonja is a fascinating character. On paper, she's pretty terrible. She's delusional, pretentious, and condescending. Her behavior with the movie lawsuit was awful. Whatever is going on with the interns is shady as shit. She treated Heather and her staff horribly. We speculated in her thread last season that all of her international businesses were probably money laundering. She actually reminds me of Kristen Ritter's character in Don't Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23, but less malicious. Sonja also reminds me of sort of a desperate version of Lee Radziwill. Sonja would make a fabulous protagonist in a decently written novel if only she could connect with a decent ghostwriter. This is assuming she doesn't run the writer off by being Lady Morgan.

[OFDgal]

and I watch the episode. I come to read the boards, then I watch the episode again to see some of the things I missed.  I just want to thank my fellow posters for being so observant and funny.  I now count Jules' Asian/Jewish comments too and can't believe how often she does it.  Agree:  Ramona looks awful with long hair; Carole is an aging hipster and looks foolish and sad while trying to act younger with Adam; LuAnn and Sonya are like Lucy and Ethel; Bethanny is not happy and is a very bitter person; Dorinda needs to face reality, John is not for her.  Think she already knows this tho. Personally, I'm tired of this storyline. 

Edited May 13, 2016 by OFDgal

[motorcitymom65]

58 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

Does that mean no one can ever use the word "girl" to advertise a beverage? 

If I invented a drink called "Latin Girl" would Bethenny scream, "it's tooo similar to Skinnygirl!"  I mean shit, if people can't distinguish Tipsy Girl and Skinny Girl, that could be be for all sorts of reasons.  I mean people know the difference between Coke and Pepsi.

I think you might be good unless you happen to be on the show with her. 

The thing is, back when Beth was starting her thing, SG was an alcoholic beverage line, mainly distributed in liquor stores before she got in good with the grocery store distribution network. Skinny Cow on the other hand was a line of frozen snacks sold in grocery stores in the frozen food section. Trust me, if Beth would have been coming out with a line of frozen snacks called Skinny Girl, which were in the freezer case next to Skinny Cow, there would have been an fight with that company. I completely get why this pisses Beth off. Especially considering how supportive she was of Sonja and her ridiculous business ideas last season. 

[zoeysmom]

Skinny Cow has had a line of chocolates for a long time.  Skinny Girl has a line of chocolates.  I believe Skinny is being treated like the word "lite", it is a designation that indicates it is a lower calorie food or package or designed to be served in a certain calorie portion.  http://www.mdgadvertising.com/blog/the-skinny-on-using-skinny-in-food-marketing/  Note-there was a SkinnyPop brand of popcorn before  Skinnygirl popcorn.   When I think of Bethenny and Skinnygirl, the emphasis to me is on skinny not girl.  The first campaign Jim Beam ran was and I believe continues to use in relation to their Skinnygirl brand is, "Drink Like a Lady".  Again the emphasis is the Skinny not the girl.

The biggest difference is Bethenny cannot personally use Skinnygirl on any alcoholic beverage or mix as she has sold the rights.  She licenses the use of her Skinnygirl to various companies for various products.  I am not sure what Nestles produces with the Skinnygirl brand  but I believe Bethenny indicated  when sparring with John she had a relationship with them. 

[Neurochick]

2 hours ago, motorcitymom65 said:

I completely get why this pisses Beth off. Especially considering how supportive she was of Sonja and her ridiculous business ideas last season. 

Maybe but, there's enough for everyone and it's not like Bethenny invented liquor.  Bethenny is just a greedy person, I mean how much money does she need anyway?  I mean Coke and Pepsi are next to each other but people can tell the difference.  

Look at "Fifty Shades of Grey" and "Twilight."  Everybody knows that Fifty Shades started as Twilight fan fiction, but people know the difference and people read both books; no need for greed.  Sorry but I detest greedy people.  

BTW, the long hair on Ramona makes her look about ten years older than she is.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Neurochick

[ElDosEquis]

10 hours ago, ryebread said:

I did not know this until I discovered there was a book titled, "What Remains" written 3 years before Carole's.  And since Carole's, three more books with the same title have come out.  With all the possible word combinations in the world, why would an author pick the same title as someone else? 

Writer's block?

[WireWrap]

3 hours ago, QuinnM said:

I think it would have to be Latinny Girl and then you need to be a castmate on the same RealHo show.  I mean people can't even get it straight between skinnycow and skinnygirl.  It's a slipery slope.  I'm know that she has a firm that does nothing but chase down cheater brands.  Folks on twitter are always sending pictures of things they found.

As for Bethenny's firm chasing down "cheater brands", she is someone that promotes her own cheater brand, Weight Watchers and others had things like low cal popcorn/salad dressing/ect way before Bethenny started her low cal food products, so that in fact makes her as guilty as those she accuses. LOL

[HunterHunted]

1 hour ago, WireWrap said:

As for Bethenny's firm chasing down "cheater brands", she is someone that promotes her own cheater brand, Weight Watchers and others had things like low cal popcorn/salad dressing/ect way before Bethenny started her low cal food products, so that in fact makes her as guilty as those she accuses. LOL

The issue is about whether there would be confusion between the two products. Both Bethenny and Weight Watchers can have low cal snacks, popcorn, and salad dressing because no one would confuse Skinny Girl with Weight Watchers. But if Bethenny introduced her new line of Waist Watchers snacks, she'd have real problems. It's the reason that Michelina's line of lean frozen meals is called Michelina's Lean Gourmet and not just Lean Gourmet because they known that Lean Cuisine would have problems with the latter name.

[Trooper York]

Bethenny has always been out of control. She once bitch slapped Lynn Redgrave right before she died because she starred in "Georgy Girl."

[zoeysmom]

35 minutes ago, HunterHunted said:

The issue is about whether there would be confusion between the two products. Both Bethenny and Weight Watchers can have low cal snacks, popcorn, and salad dressing because no one would confuse Skinny Girl with Weight Watchers. But if Bethenny introduced her new line of Waist Watchers snacks, she'd have real problems. It's the reason that Michelina's line of lean frozen meals is called Michelina's Lean Gourmet and not just Lean Gourmet because they known that Lean Cuisine would have problems with the latter name.

I don't think the two names will be confused and as far as the fact they are both on the same show-equal opportunity.  I would however have preferred Sonja launch her prosecco as the owner of the name Tipsy Girl described, a product stemming from the restaurant-not her own creation.  I guess the producers wanted the drama.

Bethenny has every right to her umbrage but keep it private she has a huge brand to protect and her being petty and bitchy and calling names does not do her brand any favors.  She is no longer David but Goliath.  No one will ever feel that she is entitled to own RH liquor franchise.  As Kelly Bensimon stated at the beginning of Season 3-Bethenny didn't invent the Margarita.

I am always reminded of the case of MikeRoweSoft a 17 year old web page designer named Mike Rowe who trademarked his name and Microsoft's overreaction.  There are ways to handle things and keep your power in perspective.

[breezy424]

Quite honestly, I don't think Beth has any case against the use of Tipsy Girl.  Beth doesn't own 'girl'.  Numerous companies have used 'girl' in their alcoholic brand.  I would highly doubt anyone would confuse Tipsy Girl with Skinnygirl.  I get two totally different messages from those names.  The only thing they have in common is that they're targeting females.  Skinny is conveying low calorie.  Typsy is not. 

With that said, I can't blame Beth for being a bit miffed at Sonja because they are pseudo friends (well really, fellow employees) but  Beth is no respecter of other people, so, get over it.  

BTW, I think they're both horrible names.  One promotes women to be unhealthy and the other promotes women to get drunk.  And heck, they're both promoting women to not embrace being 'women'.  (OK.  I don't mind using the term 'girl' but boy, both these names are so not empowering). 

Case in point.  Kudos to Megan Trainor to take down her new music video because she was photo shopped to appear thinner.

[Trooper York]

Spoiler

Get ready for a totally inappropriate joke.

I hear Jules is starting a new Sake line called "Double JAP."

I think it is racist myself but who am I to judge. She is Two, Two, Two Japs in one. A Jewish American Princess and ethnically Japanese.

Oy. (That is a Jewish saying that Jules's Japanese family used to say all the time}

Edited May 14, 2016 by Trooper York

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

The Real Housewives of New York City Get Their Annual Psychic Check-Up

A visit from a semi-famous medium reveals even more John drama hiding beneath the surface.

[ElDosEquis]

54 minutes ago, Trooper York said:

  Reveal hidden contents

Get ready for a totally inappropriate joke.

I hear Jules is starting a new Sake line called "Double JAP."

I think it is racist myself but who am I to judge. She is Two, Two, Two Japs in one. A Jewish American Princess and ethnically Japanese.

Oy. (That is a Jewish saying that Jules's Japanese family used to say all the time}

LOLOLOL Re: the Certs reference, I had to look to see if they were still available - hadn't seen them for a while.

I guess she might be able to market it as a way to wash the taste of seafood out of a person's mouth, should they accidentally taste any?

[DelicateDee]

On May 12, 2016 at 8:17 PM, RedheadZombie said:

I'm actually less confused about Dorinda and John now that I've seen a picture of Richard.  Dorinda has a type, and John fits it.  I was confused by how the restaurant scene escalated, but is was edited strangely. 

I wonder why Dorinda is choosing to involve John to such a degree.  She drags him around as much as Ken on the BH cast.

Did anyone notice how John reacted when that woman said he looked wired?  He either does do what Bethenny accuses him of, or he knows the accusations are out there and he's defensive.

Remember when Dorinda and Carole went to London together and she told Carole that her deceased husband and John were good friends?  I find that disloyalty on John's part, and just cringy, creepy or something.  Some might not find anything wrong with hooking up with your deceased friend's wife, but I can't go there.  Especially when Dorinda is always gloating and talking about how much of a good man Richard was.  

[zoeysmom]

8 hours ago, DelicateDee said:

Remember when Dorinda and Carole went to London together and she told Carole that her deceased husband and John were good friends?  I find that disloyalty on John's part, and just cringy, creepy or something.  Some might not find anything wrong with hooking up with your deceased friend's wife, but I can't go there.  Especially when Dorinda is always gloating and talking about how much of a good man Richard was.  

New York is interesting because of the number of single women and with the exception of Dorinda they are not very nice to each other regarding one anothers' dating habits and choices.  Ramona about Sonja and Luann, Carole about Sonja and Luann, Luann about Carole, Bethenny about John, Sonja, Luann.  It does not seem like a very supportive environment. I think it also goes to how these women handle being divorced/widowed.  My guess is Richard expressed he did not want Dorinda to be alone.

I have always assumed Dorinda understands not wanting to be alone and perhaps she is a bit lazy when it came to venture out or better yet be alone for a bit.

Edited May 14, 2016 by zoeysmom

[straightshooter]

19 hours ago, zoeysmom said:

Vanity Fair take on the situation:  http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/12/bethenny-frankel-sonja-morgan-tipsy-girl

Woohoo, bring on Shitty Girl!  That's hysterical.

[jennylauren123]

Has anyone checked out the RHNY social edition show? Anything to see there? Thanks!

[zoeysmom]

1 hour ago, jennylauren123 said:

Has anyone checked out the RHNY social edition show? Anything to see there? Thanks!

It is the episode with tweets. No new material.

[ElDosEquis]

7 hours ago, straightshooter said:

Woohoo, bring on Shitty Girl!  That's hysterical.

LOL, there will be some promotional bottles with tubes of Astroglide, eye patch and DVD of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

[jinjer]

I don't think anyone would confuse Sonja's Tipsy Girl with Bethenny's Skinnygirl.  One promotes fun. The other promotes bitter deprivation. 

9 hours ago, DelicateDee said:

Remember when Dorinda and Carole went to London together and she told Carole that her deceased husband and John were good friends?  I find that disloyalty on John's part, and just cringy, creepy or something.  Some might not find anything wrong with hooking up with your deceased friend's wife, but I can't go there.  Especially when Dorinda is always gloating and talking about how much of a good man Richard was.  

My widowed neighbor married her deceased husband's best friend. It actually was really nice.  They both loved him and shared wonderful memories of him. Her kids knew the new husband well, and he loved the kids because he loved their father.  Just a different perspective.  Maybe John and Dorinda's shared grief brought them together.  But it depends on how close Richard and John were.  I have a hard time believing those two were close. From all reports, they were complete opposites.

[Almost 3000]

16 hours ago, Neurochick said:

Look at "Fifty Shades of Grey" and "Twilight."  Everybody knows that Fifty Shades started as Twilight fan fiction, but people know the difference and people read both books; no need for greed.  Sorry but I detest greedy people.  

What, what, what?

[thefog]

Bethenny probably feels a sense of betrayal with Sonja.  Whether people like BF or not, she did try to mentor Sonja last year, despite the other women claiming Sonja was delusional, etc.  I don't think Sonja is a malicious person, but she is flakey and is simply not business savvy.  Look at what happened with Heather T and the toaster oven fiasco.

Edited May 14, 2016 by escape

[motorcitymom65]

18 hours ago, Neurochick said:

Maybe but, there's enough for everyone and it's not like Bethenny invented liquor.  Bethenny is just a greedy person, I mean how much money does she need anyway?  I mean Coke and Pepsi are next to each other but people can tell the difference.  

Look at "Fifty Shades of Grey" and "Twilight."  Everybody knows that Fifty Shades started as Twilight fan fiction, but people know the difference and people read both books; no need for greed.  Sorry but I detest greedy people.  

BTW, the long hair on Ramona makes her look about ten years older than she is.

Greedy people suck, and unfortunately for Beth, she has cultivated this image through her long drawn out divorce. In this deal, though, I'm with her. You have to protect your brand. If you don't, it will get diluted over time. I work in the same industry as Beth, and have done work for several major brands over the years. In the beginning I was shocked at the ways in which we went about protecting our brand against competition, usually small time start-ups. Trust me when I say no one was going to be confused when looking at their products vs. the iconic ones I worked with. The thing is, there is something called a dilution of trademark, where companies don't routinely protect their brand.  If they don't routinely protect it, a case can be made over time that they are OK with being infringed upon, and at some point they lose control. A case could be made by a new brand that the big company has let others slide for whatever reason, and therefore it is allowed. I'm not sure how confused a consumer would be, because as others have pointed out, they are targeting a different buyer. A case could be made, however, that someone with just casual knowledge of the people involved that perhaps "that gal on the Real HW's of NY" is expanding her brand from a "skinny" offering to a "tipsy" offering. They could just see it as a line extension and think that Beth was going into a new market. It's so interesting that Sonja didn't use her name, for instance, since we know she always has before. It smacks of her trying to rip off Beth's intellectual property. Of course we also know that Sonja doesn't actually have anything to do with this product, save for trying to create awareness for Peter via the show, and a storyline for herself. 

[Otherkate]

Yes, dilution of brand is a very real thing and the onus is on a brand owner to go out of their way to block anything that might seem remotely threatening. There is zero doubt in my mind that this dude behind Sonja had ill intent and he's getting all the publicity he wanted over it. If I were B, I would be beyond pissed that Sonja is dumb/out of it enough to just go along with him. 

[zoeysmom]

9 minutes ago, motorcitymom65 said:

Greedy people suck, and unfortunately for Beth, she has cultivated this image through her long drawn out divorce. In this deal, though, I'm with her. You have to protect your brand. If you don't, it will get diluted over time. I work in the same industry as Beth, and have done work for several major brands over the years. In the beginning I was shocked at the ways in which we went about protecting our brand against competition, usually small time start-ups. Trust me when I say no one was going to be confused when looking at their products vs. the iconic ones I worked with. The thing is, there is something called a dilution of trademark, where companies don't routinely protect their brand.  If they don't routinely protect it, a case can be made over time that they are OK with being infringed upon, and at some point they lose control. A case could be made by a new brand that the big company has let others slide for whatever reason, and therefore it is allowed. I'm not sure how confused a consumer would be, because as others have pointed out, they are targeting a different buyer. A case could be made, however, that someone with just casual knowledge of the people involved that perhaps "that gal on the Real HW's of NY" is expanding her brand from a "skinny" offering to a "tipsy" offering. They could just see it as a line extension and think that Beth was going into a new market. It's so interesting that Sonja didn't use her name, for instance, since we know she always has before. It smacks of her trying to rip off Beth's intellectual property. Of course we also know that Sonja doesn't actually have anything to do with this product, save for trying to create awareness for Peter via the show, and a storyline for herself. 

Sonja didn't come up with Tipsy Girl.  Peter, Ramona's business partner is opening (has opened) a bar/restaurant and publicized the name in an article in July of 2015 and indicated he would be appearing on RHONYC to promote the same and he would be producing prosecco and vodka.  There was a link to the article on here.  It seems to only be brand diluting when Sonja came on.  Skinnygirl is about reduced calories per serving, that is the focus across board for the brand.  It is not called Skinnygirl by Bethenny Frankel, Star of Real Housewives of New York.  There is also such a think as objecting to a trademark in a time prescribed by law and I would think with Bethenny's crack PR team they would have run across the article.  I don't think one can ignore the challenge to a brand (as you pointed out) and then later object to how it is being marketed.  If a consumer is that enamored with Bethenny they won't be confused.  I don't agree with Bethenny that Tipsy Girl is a cheater brand, I do agree with Bethenny that bringing Sonja in as a spokesperson  is creating a storyline.  If we had not been exposed to eight years of Skinnygirl and Bethenny's blatant "branding" of her  brand I could see the umbrage but now it is a case of "do as I say not as I do".  I really don't think Bethenny spent anytime outside the show with Sonja on her branding.  We saw several people talk to her over the years, make fun of her about her lack of focus on her companies.  So Bethenny was paid for her advice through her appearances on the show and there was a significant Skinnygirl commercial in the form of a branding meeting.

At this point what will separate the master from the novice is how much traction Bethenny will allow this blip to take.  I am quite certain the legal department over at Jim Beam has cautioned her about what she says and how she reacts.

[ElDosEquis]

5 hours ago, jinjer said:

I don't think anyone would confuse Sonja's Tipsy Girl with Bethenny's Skinnygirl.  One promotes fun. The other promotes bitter deprivation. 

 

You are correct.

Ugh, just the idea that I was going out on the town with someone who was going to ask for a 'skinny girl cocktail' gives me the heebie-jeebies. A real drink is a beer, shot of tequila or glass of wine. Drinks like a mudslide, tequila sunrise or skinny girl anything are just 'cute' names for drinks that hipsters buy.

I would think that the "skinny girl" drinks were more a type of drink than an actual brand. Something with a recipe - Take 2 ounces vodka, Add 1/2 ounce of Bitter Bitch and Uptight Asshole, pour over ice - that is generic to the world of booze. She has also diluted the name by attaching it to other products, so I'd be hard pressed to think of it as only an alcoholic brand?

[RedheadZombie]

On ‎5‎/‎13‎/‎2016 at 0:11 PM, AnitaKnight said:

I think Sonja is missing a golden opportunity.  Instead of "focusing" on prosecco, fashion lines, toaster ovens and Nigerian football teams, she should be writing a book on International Fashion Lifestyle tips.  She could fill a book with her little helpful hints like how to refurbish that old Chanel bag with a Sharpie (they come in a variety of colors for every style and season), buy 2 of the same bathing suit; one for swimming and one to lounge in (comes in handy if one gets ripped off a hole in it), and how to use a Q-Tip, should you need to blow your nose, so as not to mess up your makeup.  I'm sure she has enough of these little tricks to fill a book.

Other lessons:  How to turn a career of "hostessing" into marriage to old money, and How to avoid ruining an advantageous marriage by not refusing to return home from partying while your elderly husband's in the hospital.

On ‎5‎/‎13‎/‎2016 at 3:18 PM, b2H said:

In an earlier post, someone made a statement about how Dorinda is not over Richard the same way Carole is over her late ex.

I'm willing to give Dorinda a bit of a pass on this, in contrast to Carole.  Carole has been widowed a much longer time and, as far as grief is concerned, everyone responds in their own way.  Dorinda may not be over Richard yet and, frankly, she doesn't have to be.  If John is just a place-holder for her until she can work through her grief, then more power to her.  But she needs, first, to be honest with herself about what John represents to her.  Then she needs to be honest with John about what John represents to her.

Carole's been a widow much longer than Dorinda, but I get the impression that Carole wasn't really over Anthony's loss until Adam came along.  She seemed almost allergic to commitment when we first met Carole, and her relationship with Russ was an open relationship with no strings.  It also seemed like she downplayed her relationship with Adam last season, whereas as now she seems to be clearly nesting.

6 hours ago, jinjer said:

My widowed neighbor married her deceased husband's best friend. It actually was really nice.  They both loved him and shared wonderful memories of him. Her kids knew the new husband well, and he loved the kids because he loved their father.  Just a different perspective.  Maybe John and Dorinda's shared grief brought them together.  But it depends on how close Richard and John were.  I have a hard time believing those two were close. From all reports, they were complete opposites.

Dorinda has made the comment that John allowed her to cry on his shoulder about Richard, and was never impatient with her grief.  That gave me the impression that many people in Dorinda's life were over her grieving process and pushing her to move on.  So it would seem she's found a man she enjoys spending time with, loves to a degree, and isn't jealous over the fact that she's still grieving Richard.

[motorcitymom65]

1 hour ago, zoeysmom said:

Sonja didn't come up with Tipsy Girl.  Peter, Ramona's business partner is opening (has opened) a bar/restaurant and publicized the name in an article in July of 2015 and indicated he would be appearing on RHONYC to promote the same and he would be producing prosecco and vodka.  There was a link to the article on here.  It seems to only be brand diluting when Sonja came on.  Skinnygirl is about reduced calories per serving, that is the focus across board for the brand.  It is not called Skinnygirl by Bethenny Frankel, Star of Real Housewives of New York.  There is also such a think as objecting to a trademark in a time prescribed by law and I would think with Bethenny's crack PR team they would have run across the article.  I don't think one can ignore the challenge to a brand (as you pointed out) and then later object to how it is being marketed.  If a consumer is that enamored with Bethenny they won't be confused.  I don't agree with Bethenny that Tipsy Girl is a cheater brand, I do agree with Bethenny that bringing Sonja in as a spokesperson  is creating a storyline.  If we had not been exposed to eight years of Skinnygirl and Bethenny's blatant "branding" of her  brand I could see the umbrage but now it is a case of "do as I say not as I do".  I really don't think Bethenny spent anytime outside the show with Sonja on her branding.  We saw several people talk to her over the years, make fun of her about her lack of focus on her companies.  So Bethenny was paid for her advice through her appearances on the show and there was a significant Skinnygirl commercial in the form of a branding meeting.

At this point what will separate the master from the novice is how much traction Bethenny will allow this blip to take.  I am quite certain the legal department over at Jim Beam has cautioned her about what she says and how she reacts.

The difference being we have actually seen Beth work and work hard. We know what she has built because we watched it. Sonja has literally done nothing - ever. I don't have any problem with any if them using whatever is going on in their lives for a storyline. That is why I watch, although the branding stuff has become tedious to me. I skipped the most recent scene this week with Beth and her brand stuff because I just don't give two shits about it. I get it - she works really really hard and good for her. It's just no longer that interesting to me, mainly because it is a done deal. Sonja's deal isn't real. She said on the show that she has developed this product. That it is hers. As you have pointed out, this is a big fat lie. That is something that I hate, and as we all know, it is something that Beth hates: when people make up stuff to create a story that isn't real.  There is so much to not like about Beth, but I don't remember her having a problem with these other gals promoting their business, even if it is slightly competitive, like Ramona with her wine. She certainly had no problem with Sonja last year, except that she knew she was nuts. 

 

I I wonder how this Peter guy knew back in July that he would be on the show? Sonja didn't even know she would be on the show back then. 

 

I wonder how how much of this has to do with the contract stuff? Lu and Sonja held out, saying that they deserved a contract similar to Beth's. In the end they supposedly ended up with a "pay for play" kind of deal. They only get paid for the filmed scenes we see.  That will mean they need to create the most possible drama, but they will also need for others to work with them and film with them. I thought when Lu was kind of humiliating herself with Beth that she was asking her to throw her a bone and help her out. Beth had mentioned that she hadn't invited Lu to her birthday party, which must have spooked Lu. Sonja needs drama with Beth (or someone, but Beth is the one most guaranteed to have the camera following her around). There was a story near the end of filming about a big party that Sonja threw, but none of the HW's showed up, so we probably won't see it. If Beth is smart, she just won't engage much with Sonja.  Get mad at her, call her all the names she wants to call her, and then just ignore her. If she does that, and Carole refuses to give into Lu and engage with her, those two ladies will be in trouble. 

[WireWrap]

43 minutes ago, motorcitymom65 said:

The difference being we have actually seen Beth work and work hard. We know what she has built because we watched it. Sonja has literally done nothing - ever. I don't have any problem with any if them using whatever is going on in their lives for a storyline. That is why I watch, although the branding stuff has become tedious to me. I skipped the most recent scene this week with Beth and her brand stuff because I just don't give two shits about it. I get it - she works really really hard and good for her. It's just no longer that interesting to me, mainly because it is a done deal. Sonja's deal isn't real. She said on the show that she has developed this product. That it is hers. As you have pointed out, this is a big fat lie. That is something that I hate, and as we all know, it is something that Beth hates: when people make up stuff to create a story that isn't real.  There is so much to not like about Beth, but I don't remember her having a problem with these other gals promoting their business, even if it is slightly competitive, like Ramona with her wine. She certainly had no problem with Sonja last year, except that she knew she was nuts. 

 

I I wonder how this Peter guy knew back in July that he would be on the show? Sonja didn't even know she would be on the show back then. 

 

I wonder how how much of this has to do with the contract stuff? Lu and Sonja held out, saying that they deserved a contract similar to Beth's. In the end they supposedly ended up with a "pay for play" kind of deal. They only get paid for the filmed scenes we see.  That will mean they need to create the most possible drama, but they will also need for others to work with them and film with them. I thought when Lu was kind of humiliating herself with Beth that she was asking her to throw her a bone and help her out. Beth had mentioned that she hadn't invited Lu to her birthday party, which must have spooked Lu. Sonja needs drama with Beth (or someone, but Beth is the one most guaranteed to have the camera following her around). There was a story near the end of filming about a big party that Sonja threw, but none of the HW's showed up, so we probably won't see it. If Beth is smart, she just won't engage much with Sonja.  Get mad at her, call her all the names she wants to call her, and then just ignore her. If she does that, and Carole refuses to give into Lu and engage with her, those two ladies will be in trouble. 

Bethenny knew last season that Sonja's clothing line was not really hers, that she was just the "face" of it and Bethenny had zero problems using that fake storyline last season for her own storyline helping Sonja. Not to mention that Bethenny's own storyline about being single/alone/no man and being homeless were also lies, a fake/false storyline that she used. As for Bethenny being supportive about others promoting their products/brands, she is but only if she can give them her opinion and then lecture them on how to do it even if they haven't asked her for it (see Heather and or Kristen). LOL

[ElTVaddict]

What's the difference between Bethenny starting her shape wear line while Heather was on the show, and Sonja with Tipsy Girl?

Bethenny didn't have and problem with piggy back off Heather.

[NewDigs]

7 minutes ago, ElTVaddict said:

What's the difference between Bethenny starting her shape wear line while Heather was on the show, and Sonja with Tipsy Girl?

Bethenny didn't have and problem with piggy back off Heather.

I didn't see any difference and she didn't she actually try to give Heather advice? Like YT needed Bethenny's business "acumen".

And she didn't mind doing her rabid chipmunk routine in aid of Sonja's "line". 

Yes, that business meeting did seem all kinds of bogus but B didn't have to go in with guns blasting her special brand of mean-spirited humor.

If that's how she does business I'm surprised anyone would deal with her, and her "truth".

Sure she hustled but imho she also got lucky.

[SweetieDarling]

How successful is Bethenny's business currently? Does anyone know?  I'm not trying to be snarky, but I've never seen her products in stores, tho, admittedly, have never looked for them.  I've read about posters finding her stuff  in clearance aisles.  Is most of her current wealth due to the sales of her alcoholic beverage line while she was still popular  (or at least not so bitter) or are her products actually selling well?

[TexasGal]

On May 13, 2016 at 3:22 PM, Neurochick said:

Does that mean no one can ever use the word "girl" to advertise a beverage? 

If I invented a drink called "Latin Girl" would Bethenny scream, "it's tooo similar to Skinnygirl!"  I mean shit, if people can't distinguish Tipsy Girl and Skinny Girl, that could be be for all sorts of reasons.  I mean people know the difference between Coke and Pepsi.

Usually when you file a mark that includes a common word, you are required to "disclaim" that word so it's clear you aren't claiming any exclusive rights to that word alone.  Since Skinnygirl is one word, I would guess maybe it doesn't apply there and didn't see anything in the registration itself.  But, I looked at the PTO search site for other marks that should include a disclaimer (skinny in Skinny Cow, marks that include numbers) and didn't see any, so maybe the PTO site doesn't note this.  There are paid search sites that give you fuller reports on trademarks.

[ElDosEquis]

25 minutes ago, AnitaKnight said:

How successful is Bethenny's business currently? Does anyone know?  I'm not trying to be snarky, but I've never seen her products in stores, tho, admittedly, have never looked for them.  I've read about posters finding her stuff  in clearance aisles.  Is most of her current wealth due to the sales of her alcoholic beverage line while she was still popular  (or at least not so bitter) or are her products actually selling well?

Other than the popcorn, I haven't seen shit. Even in the new booze area of the supermarket.. The popcorn boxes have crept from the middle of the aisle to the end - where all the popular products are - but I have never seen anyone actually buy a box. BTW, the box design and colors remind me of a 1950's cleaning product, nothing to draw your eye to the box or give you an idea of what is inside.

Edited May 14, 2016 by ElDosEquis
i forget.

[NewDigs]

13 minutes ago, ElDosEquis said:

Other than the popcorn, I haven't seen shit. Even in the new booze area of the supermarket.. The popcorn boxes have crept from the middle of the aisle to the end - where all the popular products are - but I have never seen anyone actually buy a box. BTW, the box design and colors remind me of a 1950's cleaning product, nothing to draw your eye to the box or give you an idea of what is inside.

Maybe a year ago I saw a liquor company delivery truck with a huuuge Skinnygirl wrap, or something. I was badly amazed. About that same time I saw her stuff on sale shelves in a number of places. Was not compelled to purchase.

Next, I'm in a thrift store looking at her diet book. I thought I was doomed.

Now? Not seeing anything.

All she does is slap her name on anything doesn't move. 

[motorcitymom65]

1 hour ago, ElTVaddict said:

What's the difference between Bethenny starting her shape wear line while Heather was on the show, and Sonja with Tipsy Girl?

Bethenny didn't have and problem with piggy back off Heather.

Beth had her shape wear line befor Heather was ever on the show.  I don't think it was at all sucssful, although I think you can still get it at discount outlets.  I always wondered if that was one reason Beth took an almost instant dislike to Heather: she was successful in one of the rare ventures Beth had tried and failed. 

[SweetieDarling]

33 minutes ago, motorcitymom65 said:

Beth had her shape wear line befor Heather was ever on the show.  I don't think it was at all sucssful, although I think you can still get it at discount outlets.  I always wondered if that was one reason Beth took an almost instant dislike to Heather: she was successful in one of the rare ventures Beth had tried and failed. 

...and yet that didn't stop her from offering Heather business advice...hmmmm...

[tribeca]

I doubt I will ever be a skinny girl.  I sure there will be a time or two that I am a tipsy girl.

[Umbelina]

I see her wines and mixed drinks here, there is one that is supposed to be pretty good, some peach cocktail maybe?  I haven't bought one either, I generally don't care for premixed cocktails.  I would probably buy one for ease at a picnic or beach day though, just haven't.

Her other stuff was all over the place, and quickly bombed out.  I think she said on the show that she needed to quit slapping her name on everything and come up with good products (to the people who work for her.) 

I did like her cookbook though, very sensible and easy and smart way of cooking, hated the quality of the paper though, or honestly, I would have probably given it as a gift to younger people who were just getting their first place, or off to college.  She made it all seem so completely low stress, and "hey, if you don't have that, use this or that or the other thing and it will become this version of the dish."  It's a great cookbook for people who are intimidated by cooking, or new to it, but again, really cheap quality paperback.

[zoeysmom]

4 hours ago, motorcitymom65 said:

 

2 hours ago, motorcitymom65 said:

Beth had her shape wear line befor Heather was ever on the show.  I don't think it was at all sucssful, although I think you can still get it at discount outlets.  I always wondered if that was one reason Beth took an almost instant dislike to Heather: she was successful in one of the rare ventures Beth had tried and failed. 

Here is an old article comparing Jill Zarin, Spanx and Heather's brand.  Yes Bethenny jumped on the bandwagon after Jill of RHONYC had her line.  http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/sucking-jill-zarin-skweez-line-shapewear-no-joke-article-1.970409 

Spoiler

Heather' got the highest review.

 

[jaync]

Quote

I don't know why Jason is dragging this divorce. Boy get your freedom papers and move on.

Is he the one dragging it? Since Beth knows everything about everything, and has the biggest balls that ever balled, then I just assumed the dragging was her decision.

Quote

So, if I started a brand called "Black Girl" would Bethenny get pissed then? 

Oh, you'd get double daggers for that. Not only for the "girl" part, but also because Beth considers herself an honorary black woman (you know, because she's "loud").

Quote

Wonky Pink Staring Lady

Too funny. Even better than Texting Guy from RHoD.