S08.E18: Body Of Evidence

[Duke2801]

13 hours ago, film noire said:

Help! I'm upvoting contradictory comments because you and Ryebread are both so persuasive -- if a third person makes another strong argument my mind will melt!

LOL! I know that feeling all too well.  I'm easily swayed --- probably best that I didn't get picked for the jury when I was summoned last year. 

But in all seriousness. I do think that IF Sonja and Tom had a real, genuine friendship that - at some point - morphed into something romantic and continued (even off and on) for 10 years?  Then YES, Tom certainly owed her a bit more courtesy and warmth than what he seems to have given her when he and Lu got together. 

But the key word here, for me, is if.  As zoeysmom and a few others have pointed out, Sonja's grasp on reality has proven to be, at best, tenuous. Not going to get into Nigerian football teams and "Sonja in the city" parties and PDiddy and yachts, but any viewer of RHoNYC knows what I mean.  We're relying on the word of a very unreliable narrator here when it comes to her and Tom's decade-long love/sex saga. 

I mean, doesn't anybody think it's weird that NOBODY knew about her and Tom's past? Even in that whole Reddit thread where her former intern was spilling deets about working for Ms. Morgan (the good and the bad), the intern said that Sonja talked a lot about her men, but never, ever mentioned a "Tom."  Because I do.  All of these facts lead me to believe that it's moreso Tom who is telling the truth about their past, vs. Sonja.  But--time will tell (or maybe it won't... who knows!)

 

13 hours ago, WireWrap said:

Neither Luann or the Count has ever said they had an "open marriage". That rumor, a nasty one at that, started with Ramona and Bethenny season 2. I also don't think Luann thought it was "Ok" for the Count to cheat on her either. I think 2 bitter women started a nasty rumor out of sheer jealously and nothing more.

In my mind - the BEST case scenario is that this whole "open marriage" dealio lies somewhere between truth and rumors. What I thought happened was that Luanne and the Count had separated back in....  ok I don't remember what year.  But it was clearly long before she revealed to any of the other ladies (and us viewers) the truth.  Therefore, I do believe that the ladies saw her out with other men in that timeframe (remember Ro's comment during the season 1 or 2 reunion: "Luanne likes her men"?).  When confronted, rather than tell them the truth about her dissolving marriage, Luanne told them that they had an open marriage. OR the ladies assumed that on their own.

On the other hand, um, let's not rewrite history and paint Lu as some hallmark of piety and virtue. Pirate-gate of 2012 anyone?  I mean, if Lu was dumb enough to cheat on her live-in lover DURING filming (or cocky enough to do it and think she wouldn't get caught), I'd certainly imagine that she is capable of either cheating on her husband (although obviously he was cheating too!) OR that they absolutely did have an open marriage in the latter part of their relationship.

 

13 hours ago, MerryMary said:

They mentioned on the Bitch Sesh podcast that Jules was putting hot sauce on her apple at breakfast.  Ugh.

I've done this!  It's actually good.  I love spicy and sweet together.  Like a jalepeno margarita --YUM!

Edited August 5, 2016 by Duke2801

[ElDosEquis]

2 minutes ago, Yours Truly said:

It's not JUST Sonja's that was my point. I also pointed out that if someone decides to share using the really lame excuse of it being "her" business then it's still an asshole move cause you're ALSO sharing someone else's private business in the process.

Hence the reason it's a pretty common practice for people to expect that sexual partners isn't something that is normally shared so haphazardly. Unless of course you live in bizarro land or are a part of a Real Housewives show.

Just who is running for president in Bizarro land THIS year?

------

I was flipping thru the channels this morning and came across a show that would be a perfect 'cross pollination'?

Say Yes to the Dress, Housewife Edition or as I loved to call the show, "Say Yes to this Mess....."

Announcer: The countess is getting married and needs a dress, she had brought her 'friends' to help her choose....

Ramonster: Where's the Pinot, I need a drink if I am going to do this.

SonjaM: You know, I fucked Tom

RS: Well, I dated him.

Dorinda: Girls, don't say that! Sonja, what positions did he like?

Carole: I think my BF can do a vegetarian table for the reception.

Methenny: YOU FUCKING WHORE, SLUT, EVIL BITCH! Hey, do you want to know something about TOM?

SM: I am heartbroken, I was Tom's fuckdoll, not Luann

Jules: Michael? Where are you?

CR: I don't know why people are so upset about fucking, I am trying to fit all mine in my last 4 summers.

RS: I need more Pinot, I dated Tom.

The Countess: What do you think about this dress?

MF: WHORE, WHORE, You WHOOOOOOOORRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! Hey, do you want some info on Tom?

DM: Boy, Am I glad that Tom is the new John.

SM: You know, Tom probably thinks of me when he puts his penis in you, Luann.

JW: Michael?

TC: I like this dress, I wonder what the girls will say?

MF: SLUT-SLUT-SLUT- YOU FUCCCCCCCCKKKKDOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! Hey, I have some info on Tom.....

SM: I was a friend with benefits, I fucked TOM!!!!!!!!

RS: Damn it, I NEED MORE PINOT!!

CR: This would make a great book, if only I could learn to write..........

[SCS]

8 hours ago, ryebread said:

  I'm not a fan of Lu's but I hope she doesn't marry this jerk.

 

If she does, we'll have an entire season of forced and boring kissyface. But -- if she doesn't -- Lu's new single, debuting on WWHL and sung to the tune of I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miz (with advance apologies to original composers and lyricists Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel, Herbert Kretzmer and James Fenton.)

Lu's Lament

I dreamed a dream in seasons past --

Of camera time and yellow gemstones.

I dreamed of weddings in the sun,

Of tooting horns and blasting trombones.

But then -- I learned he banged my pal,

And O! I felt so very foolish!

My cast mates laughed and mocked and sneered

And, through it all, looked awfully ghoulish.

But still I dream I'll get my man,

And ink my own exclusive series!

So different now from what you view...

Un douche de merde – a bath of poo.

Edited August 5, 2016 by steelcitysister
O ya know...

[Yours Truly]

8 hours ago, ryebread said:

I don't really disagree. I think these things should be private.  Bad Sonja for bringing it up.  She's not off the hook.

But Tom's reaction?  I just expected better from Lu's intended. We all know Sonja is messy.  I guess I wanted to believe Lu's fiancé wouldn't be.  I'm not a fan of Lu's but I hope she doesn't marry this jerk.

Why? He's flawed like everyone else probably confused about the exaggerated outrage. I know I am.  Also, this "drama" is being done in such a contrived way so I don't blame him for not knowing what will defuse the awkwardness without prolonging the gossip. I would also guess that he's skeptical of what her intentions are so I too wouldn't be too inclined to open up that dialogue not knowing where Sonja's theatrics would take the conversation. I'm sure Tom's being minimal because he doesn't want to give the women anything else the use or spin so I'm not surprised he isn't automatically offering up some sort of declaration or extended explanation about any of it. First off, it's a bit much to expect to begin with, it's pretty much a shrug and head tilt sorta situation and Second, considering the hags are all ready to pounce on whatever he does manage to say....Nah, fuck that. G'won witcha bad self Tom... LOL. Less is more, I much prefer it if he continues on his mums the word tour. I rather that than all the exaggerated pearl clutching and vapors that the women are doing. My goodness you would think it was a room full of teenage high schoolers finding out that the quarterback has dated SHOCKER some of the other girls at the high school.... It's just so pathetic.

Edited August 5, 2016 by Yours Truly

[ElDosEquis]

31 minutes ago, Duke2801 said:

 Not going to get into Nigerian football teams and "Sonja in the city" parties and PDiddy and yachts, but any viewer of RHoNYC knows what I mean.  We're relying on the word of a very unreliable narrator here when it comes to her and Tom's decade-long love/sex saga. 

 

I once dated a woman who won a trip to Hawaii and asked me to go with her. At the last minute, she withdrew her invitation and took her sister, instead.

I was fine with that because I was in school and wanted to finish up my classes without any having to make up any work. Off she went - while she was gone, her ex husband began to call and talk shit. On the day she came back she called me to make sure I was going to pick her up. She was wasted, so I hung up on her and later went to the airport (I was seething about the phone calls, to my work and my mom's house - long story.....)

When I got to the airport she was insanely fucked up. As we were walking to the car, her sister turned to me and mentioned that she had partied with an "Australian football team". Because her ex told me that he was still banging her, I knew that Little Miss Roundheels (no that is not her tribal name) was not being monagamous.

During one in depth conversation, we figured out she was banging a THIRD party. That is when I knew she was a "Team Player" - like Sonja might be?

[Yours Truly]

2 minutes ago, ElDosEquis said:

I once dated a woman who won a trip to Hawaii and asked me to go with her. At the last minute, she withdrew her invitation and took her sister, instead.

I was fine with that because I was in school and wanted to finish up my classes without any having to make up any work. Off she went - while she was gone, her ex husband began to call and talk shit. On the day she came back she called me to make sure I was going to pick her up. She was wasted, so I hung up on her and later went to the airport (I was seething about the phone calls, to my work and my mom's house - long story.....)

When I got to the airport she was insanely fucked up. As we were walking to the car, her sister turned to me and mentioned that she had partied with an "Australian football team". Because her ex told me that he was still banging her, I knew that Little Miss Roundheels (no that is not her tribal name) was not being monagamous.

During one in depth conversation, we figured out she was banging a THIRD party. That is when I knew she was a "Team Player" - like Sonja might be?

So does that mean that when you found yourself getting involved with a woman you didn't send roses and a drawn out explanation to her about how you've found someone? For Shame!!

[ElDosEquis]

42 minutes ago, steelcitysister said:

 

If she does, we'll have an entire season of forced and boring kissyface. But -- if she doesn't -- Lu's new single, debuting on WWHL and sung to the tune of I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miz (with advance apologies to original composers and lyricists Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel, Herbert Kretzmer and James Fenton.)

Lu's Lament

I dreamed a dream in seasons past --

Of camera time and yellow gemstones.

I dreamed of weddings in the sun,

Of tooting horns and blasting trombones.

But then -- I learned he banged my pal,

And O! I felt so very foolish!

My cast mates laughed and mocked and sneered

And, through it all, looked awfully ghoulish.

But still I dream I'll get my man,

And ink my own exclusive series!

So different now from what you view...

Un douche de merde – a bath of poo.

Douche de Merde, a bath of poo

grab some soap, some shampoo?

Lu's getting married, ring those bells

The rest wrinkle their noses, something smells?

Lu the Fuck Doll, Slut and Whore.

She's the one that Tom adores.

Ramona's concerned, her and Tom broke bread

Sonja only got him to bed

A friend with bennies, nothing more.

Sonja's that 'friend', Lu's the whore?

Meth the dragon, has some tales

The wedding's still on, her involvement failed!

Ramona's dancing, Sonja's the best

With some clothing that shows her chest.

The cake's forlorn, there is no bow

Such a change from that OC show.

Time will tell if the marriage lasts

then they all can kiss Lu's ass?

(Read it like a Dr Seuss book)

Edited August 5, 2016 by ElDosEquis
I'll take snark for 200, Alex.

[ryebread]

Ryebread said:

Quote

But Tom's reaction?  I just expected better from Lu's intended. We all know Sonja is messy.  I guess I wanted to believe Lu's fiancé wouldn't be.  I'm not a fan of Lu's but I hope she doesn't marry this jerk.

2 hours ago, WireWrap said:

Tom's few comments in the press have come months after the regular season was done being filmed and a few weeks after the reunion was filmed. Which is months/weeks after Sonja, Ramona, Bethenny and Carole have continuously put him on blast on camera, in the press/tabloids and on a radio show. His comments haven't been nasty, which shows some restraint on his part.

I'm not talking about just his comments.  Although the having to 'kiss a lot of toads to get to the princess' or whatever comment was kind of dismissive in light of what's been going on.  Macking on some woman, if true, the day before his engagement party is more what I was talking about.  Bad behavior.

29 minutes ago, Yours Truly said:

Why? He's flawed like everyone else probably confused about the exaggerated outrage. I know I am.  Also, this "drama" is being done in such a contrived way so I don't blame him for not knowing what will defuse the awkwardness without prolonging the gossip.

Again, I don't disagree.  I don't expect perfection. From anybody. But I do expect for a fiancé NOT to cheat on his betrothed a day before their engagement party. If this is true, I'm disappointed for Lu and like I said, really surprised that she would settle for this. 

Men don't have to cheat.  Men don't have to be rude or dismissive to their past conquests even if the conquest starts being rude first.  The men *I* respect, anyway.

[HumblePi]

16 hours ago, steelcitysister said:

 

Yup. Some kind of extras casting. This company has its own reality tv section:

http://www.auditionsfree.com/tag/west-palm-beach/

Can you imagine the casting call?

Seeking men and women, ages 40-70, with high-end cocktail attire to play party guests for a top-rated Bravo show. Must be comfortable with filming on water (vessel will not leave berth). Must also be comfortable with cramped environment,  odors emanating from dockside warm-water marine life, excessive on-set liquor and non-stop idiocy. Flat rate plus dinner. 

I think this post deserves a repeat.  When I discovered that the yacht was rented for a 24 hr period and that a casting call was put out to fill that rented yacht with rented guests, it makes me wonder if anything at all is real about Luann and Tom. I have doubted the genuineness of the entire Luann and Tom thing from the start. I just don't believe it. It all happened too abruptly and I think that Luann imagines herself to be a great actress that believes she can pull this off for a Bravo story line to the end of the year. I think Tom is a paid shill and I'm just not feeling the vibe between he and Luann. When I heard Luann excitedly say 'he's my soul mate' once, I rolled my eyes. But I've heard it said more than a few times now and it's become like a bumper sticker slogan. And there's the 'love of my life' tagline that she repeats. Do people really have to insist on saying these types of things to friends to convince the friends or the viewers who doubt her? Tom has been one of those guys that has been drifting in and out of RHONY for years and if both Sonja and Ramona had 'dated' him then Luann most certainly would have known about it.

I feel that this wedding plan is a sham and that it will never take place. I think Tom saved the receipt for the $250,000 diamond engagement ring and will be returning it before Christmas.  I just can't help feeling a little angry that I've been duped by all the things that were rented in this episode because it was all just too obvious and contrived. The only thing that looked real was the silly little cake. I think a staffer ran out to the local supermarket at the last minute to pick up that sorry cake. If there was no Luann and Tom thread to build an entire season on with the drama of Sonja and Ramona claiming to have 'dated' Tom, then what would have been the main story line for this season?

[shoegal]

1 hour ago, Duke2801 said:

In my mind - the BEST case scenario is that this whole "open marriage" dealio lies somewhere between truth and rumors. What I thought happened was that Luanne and the Count had separated back in....  ok I don't remember what year.  But it was clearly long before she revealed to any of the other ladies (and us viewers) the truth.  Therefore, I do believe that the ladies saw her out with other men in that timeframe (remember Ro's comment during the season 1 or 2 reunion: "Luanne likes her men"?).  When confronted, rather than tell them the truth about her dissolving marriage, Luanne told them that they had an open marriage. OR the ladies assumed that on their own.

On the other hand, um, let's not rewrite history and paint Lu as some hallmark of piety and virtue. Pirate-gate of 2012 anyone?  I mean, if Lu was dumb enough to cheat on her live-in lover DURING filming (or cocky enough to do it and think she wouldn't get caught), I'd certainly imagine that she is capable of either cheating on her husband (although obviously he was cheating too!) OR that they absolutely did have an open marriage in the latter part of their relationship.

 

Agreed!!  Putting aside the semantics of "open marriage" vs. "European style", etc......let's look at the history here.  Add that to the fact that currently, LuAnn is engaged to be married to a man that was caught cheating (he admits to "actions he deeply regrets" via Radar Online) two days before their "engagement party" (was it just kissing?  at 2 am?  then they went home separately and nothing further happened?  mmmmhmmmm).  I think it's fair to assume that LuAnn is not a stickler for the fidelity part of relationships.

Edited August 5, 2016 by shoegal

[ElDosEquis]

49 minutes ago, Yours Truly said:

So does that mean that when you found yourself getting involved with a woman you didn't send roses and a drawn out explanation to her about how you've found someone? For Shame!!

Hey, so I fell short in the romance department?

You don't have to rub it in! ;)

------

About Tom and the "kissing toads" comment?

I have always cringed whenever I hear people dismiss their previous dates/GFs/One night stand/fuck buddies as 'toads to be kissed'.

There was a point where you trusted that person enough to allow them to see you naked, what happened that turned them into a toad?

[Yours Truly]

41 minutes ago, ryebread said:

Ryebread said:

I'm not talking about just his comments.  Although the having to 'kiss a lot of toads to get to the princess' or whatever comment was kind of dismissive in light of what's been going on.  Macking on some woman, if true, the day before his engagement party is more what I was talking about.  Bad behavior.

Again, I don't disagree.  I don't expect perfection. From anybody. But I do expect for a fiancé NOT to cheat on his betrothed a day before their engagement party. If this is true, I'm disappointed for Lu and like I said, really surprised that she would settle for this. 

Men don't have to cheat.  Men don't have to be rude or dismissive to their past conquests even if the conquest starts being rude first.  The men *I* respect, anyway.

I just think it's much ado about nothing.

8 minutes ago, shoegal said:

Agreed!!  Putting aside the semantics of "open marriage" vs. "European style", etc......let's look at the history here.  Add that to the fact that currently, LuAnn is engaged to be married to a man that was caught cheating (he admits to "actions he deeply regrets" via Radar Online) two days before their "engagement party" (was it just kissing?  at 2 am?  then they went home separately and nothing further happened?  mmmmhmmmm).  I think it's fair to assume that LuAnn is not a stickler for the fidelity part of relationships.

Crazy how much stock is put into rumors and bits and pieces of information.

Love the word "assume". I always think of that famous phrase associated with the use of the word.....

Edited August 5, 2016 by Yours Truly

[Almost 3000]

17 minutes ago, HumblePi said:

I think this post deserves a repeat.  When I discovered that the yacht was rented for a 24 hr period and that a casting call was put out to fill that rented yacht with rented guests, it makes me wonder if anything at all is real about Luann and Tom. I have doubted the genuineness of the entire Luann and Tom thing from the start. I just don't believe it. It all happened too abruptly and I think that Luann imagines herself to be a great actress that believes she can pull this off for a Bravo story line to the end of the year. I think Tom is a paid shill and I'm just not feeling the vibe between he and Luann. When I heard Luann excitedly say 'he's my soul mate' once, I rolled my eyes. But I've heard it said more than a few times now and it's become like a bumper sticker slogan. And there's the 'love of my life' tagline that she repeats. Do people really have to insist on saying these types of things to friends to convince the friends or the viewers who doubt her? Tom has been one of those guys that has been drifting in and out of RHONY for years and if both Sonja and Ramona had 'dated' him then Luann most certainly would have known about it.

I feel that this wedding plan is a sham and that it will never take place. I think Tom saved the receipt for the $250,000 diamond engagement ring and will be returning it before Christmas.  I just can't help feeling a little angry that I've been duped by all the things that were rented in this episode because it was all just too obvious and contrived. The only thing that looked real was the silly little cake. I think a staffer ran out to the local supermarket at the last minute to pick up that sorry cake. If there was no Luann and Tom thread to build an entire season on with the drama of Sonja and Ramona claiming to have 'dated' Tom, then what would have been the main story line for this season?

I think the engagement party was tossed together by Bravo but it was because B was sick and they had to change the big trip not because the engagement isn't real. While I think there are a few housewives that would fake it I don't think Lu would. I'm on the side of real but still in the heavy endorphin phase. Heck, OC Tamra and Eddie have been together for awhile and who would have thought that was real...

[shoegal]

18 minutes ago, Yours Truly said:

I just think it's much ado about nothing.

Crazy how much stock is put into rumors and bits and pieces of information.

Love the word "assume". I always think of that famous phrase associated with the use of the word.....

Guess.  Assume.  To-may-to.  To-mah-to.  That's what we are doing here.  Doesn't change the fact that fidelity has not been a part of LuAnn's relationships that have been shown on the show. 

[Yours Truly]

2 minutes ago, shoegal said:

Guess.  Assume.  To-may-to.  To-mah-to.  That's what we are doing here.  Doesn't change the fact that fidelity has not been a part of LuAnn's relationships that have been shown on the show. 

On Lu's part it's only been the debacle with the Pirate. It's not like it's a PROVEN reoccurring theme is all I'm saying. <shrug>

[SCS]

31 minutes ago, HumblePi said:

I think this post deserves a repeat.  When I discovered that the yacht was rented for a 24 hr period and that a casting call was put out to fill that rented yacht with rented guests, it makes me wonder if anything at all is real about Luann and Tom. I have doubted the genuineness of the entire Luann and Tom thing from the start. I just don't believe it. It all happened too abruptly and I think that Luann imagines herself to be a great actress that believes she can pull this off for a Bravo story line to the end of the year. I think Tom is a paid shill and I'm just not feeling the vibe between he and Luann. When I heard Luann excitedly say 'he's my soul mate' once, I rolled my eyes. But I've heard it said more than a few times now and it's become like a bumper sticker slogan. And there's the 'love of my life' tagline that she repeats. Do people really have to insist on saying these types of things to friends to convince the friends or the viewers who doubt her? Tom has been one of those guys that has been drifting in and out of RHONY for years and if both Sonja and Ramona had 'dated' him then Luann most certainly would have known about it.

I feel that this wedding plan is a sham and that it will never take place. I think Tom saved the receipt for the $250,000 diamond engagement ring and will be returning it before Christmas.  I just can't help feeling a little angry that I've been duped by all the things that were rented in this episode because it was all just too obvious and contrived. The only thing that looked real was the silly little cake. I think a staffer ran out to the local supermarket at the last minute to pick up that sorry cake. If there was no Luann and Tom thread to build an entire season on with the drama of Sonja and Ramona claiming to have 'dated' Tom, then what would have been the main story line for this season?

 

Well, remember, my comment is speculative but the whole "Lu's Lover" story line is just so contrived, plus reality shows hiring extra bods for filler isn't new. 

Notice Lu is claiming in her blog that the yacht belongs to a friend:

Quote

 In this episode, we are celebrating my engagement to Tom on my friend’s yacht in Palm Beach.

 

I suppose said friend could coincidentally be leasing the yacht for events but I feel like the friend was introduced earlier in the day by a member of the Bravo production crew who may actually know the owner and wanted to help that person score some cash (OK that sentence was convoluted but you know what I mean.).

 

Something else I find so silly: A party on a yacht is a lovely thing if you're out at sea ... under the stars .. wind in the hair ... etc etc. What is the allure of a yacht that never heads out to sea? Why not have the party at a resort with a nice restaurant or club? Then, after the festivities, those who've had a bit too much sauce could simply take an elevator to their rooms rather than navigate a spiral staircase. Clearly, I am overthinking these fools.

[KungFuBunny]

4 hours ago, motorcitymom65 said:

I'm not sure how she was making fun of Ramona. 

Remember a few years ago when that study came out about the smell of grapefruit and what men thought about it? It was a pretty big deal at the time - 10 years ago or so. The study found that the smell of grapefruit made a woman appear upto 6 years younger than she actually was - but only to men. It was said to be a very attractive scent to men above almost any other scent because it made women seem younger - what with many people equating youth to beauty. Suddenly grapefruit was in everything; Body washes, sprays, soap, face towelettes.  Below is one article, but there are about a million out there talking about the findings and what it did to the industry. 

When Carole mentioned that he was flirting because of the grapefruit comment, I assumed this was what she was referring to.

http://herbblurbs.blogspot.com/2006/06/grapefruit-scent-makes-women-seem.html

I am rewatching the latest episode.

When Tom says you smell like a grapefruit we only hear his voice. Could he have been looking at Ramona's chest when he said it?

Don't tell Sonja she'll freak out.

Bunny disclaimer: it's all xxlt's fault

[shoegal]

1 minute ago, Yours Truly said:

On Lu's part it's only been the debacle with the Pirate. It's not like it's a PROVEN reoccurring theme is all I'm saying. <shrug>

The Count cheated on LuAnn.  LuAnn cheated on Jacques.  Tom cheated on LuAnn.  That *seems* like a recurring theme to me but MMV.

[zoeysmom]

33 minutes ago, HumblePi said:

I think this post deserves a repeat.  When I discovered that the yacht was rented for a 24 hr period and that a casting call was put out to fill that rented yacht with rented guests, it makes me wonder if anything at all is real about Luann and Tom. I have doubted the genuineness of the entire Luann and Tom thing from the start. I just don't believe it. It all happened too abruptly and I think that Luann imagines herself to be a great actress that believes she can pull this off for a Bravo story line to the end of the year. I think Tom is a paid shill and I'm just not feeling the vibe between he and Luann. When I heard Luann excitedly say 'he's my soul mate' once, I rolled my eyes. But I've heard it said more than a few times now and it's become like a bumper sticker slogan. And there's the 'love of my life' tagline that she repeats. Do people really have to insist on saying these types of things to friends to convince the friends or the viewers who doubt her? Tom has been one of those guys that has been drifting in and out of RHONY for years and if both Sonja and Ramona had 'dated' him then Luann most certainly would have known about it.

I feel that this wedding plan is a sham and that it will never take place. I think Tom saved the receipt for the $250,000 diamond engagement ring and will be returning it before Christmas.  I just can't help feeling a little angry that I've been duped by all the things that were rented in this episode because it was all just too obvious and contrived. The only thing that looked real was the silly little cake. I think a staffer ran out to the local supermarket at the last minute to pick up that sorry cake. If there was no Luann and Tom thread to build an entire season on with the drama of Sonja and Ramona claiming to have 'dated' Tom, then what would have been the main story line for this season?

Where did the information come from the guests were rented? The post you quoted is a punk.  How long should Luann have rented or used her friend's yacht?  The woman owns the yacht, if she chooses to be compensated for staff, expenses and cleaning, I think it is entirely reasonable.  Many, many people have their yachts up for charter and even lease them while they are trying to sell them.  It is like Ramona renting her Hamptons home-nothing fishy about it.   

[SCS]

10 minutes ago, Almost 3000 said:

I think the engagement party was tossed together by Bravo but it was because B was sick and they had to change the big trip not because the engagement isn't real. While I think there are a few housewives that would fake it I don't think Lu would. I'm on the side of real but still in the heavy endorphin phase. Heck, OC Tamra and Eddie have been together for awhile and who would have thought that was real...

 

I hadn't thought of this but it's a good point. Maybe Bravo needed a last-minute event because Favorite Daughter was fibroidal. ;D

[ryebread]

15 minutes ago, Yours Truly said:

I just think it's much ado about nothing.

For me, my man's character is everything. 

Cheat on me before the wedding, deal breaker. 

Hell, I dumped a guy for crappy behavior to an innocent service person and another for really bad spelling errors in our correspondence.  LOL.  Maybe my standards are too high.  But when choosing a spouse for life, I think they've got to be.  Neither one of those guys were fiancés at the time of these terrrrrible transgressions, but I believe in heeding those red flags and to get out while the gettin's good.

Lu is clearly, for now, down with how her man is acting. And that's okay. I'm just surprised, is all.

[Yours Truly]

8 minutes ago, Almost 3000 said:

I think the engagement party was tossed together by Bravo but it was because B was sick and they had to change the big trip not because the engagement isn't real. While I think there are a few housewives that would fake it I don't think Lu would. I'm on the side of real but still in the heavy endorphin phase. Heck, OC Tamra and Eddie have been together for awhile and who would have thought that was real...

I'm always amazed at the whole "just for storyline" angle. I mean I'm starting to understand how they amp this up amp that up get involved in this and that for the sake of giving something in the form or entertainment and interest but I highly doubt any of these women would go as far as completely fabricating a total portion of their lives. The only one that I saw doing this was Kenya on Atlanta with her whole Walter situation and that was because she was brand new clawing for her peach. Lu definitely doesn't need to go to these extremes in order to hold her apple and I doubt she would even take it to that extreme if she were in jeopardy of losing that apple. It's just beyond what I think the show is worth to these women. I mean sure they get a bit murky with their shit but I don't believe they are pulling complete shenanigans of this degree. I think certain ideas get away from them and I do think they falter more than they pull off any contrived material. If anything I see the strategy of angling for anything specific with regards to a storyline to be more of a cautionary tale than anything.  Usually, when any of the cast tries hard to force a storyline it blows up in their face in a bad way because usually it is based off of something real in their lives and by pushing the narrative they end up doing more damage in their real lives. We've seen the carnage so I'm more inclined to believe that they foolishly use too much of what's really going on with them but then fuck up the steering which then lands them in no bueno land once the cameras STOP rolling.  I.E. Lu sharing this engagement and using it as interest for the show instead of holding off and announcing it in the off season.

[Yours Truly]

8 minutes ago, shoegal said:

The Count cheated on LuAnn.  LuAnn cheated on Jacques.  Tom cheated on LuAnn.  That *seems* like a recurring theme to me but MMV.

On Lu's part....

Not what the Count did

Not what Tom supposedly did

Lu.

The narrative is that LU is the one okay with open relationships. Nothing PROVES that.

Not the Count cheating on her

Not the alleged cheating of Tom.

 

I hope that clarifies things.

[SCS]

7 minutes ago, zoeysmom said:

Where did the information come from the guests were rented? The post you quoted is a punk.  How long should Luann have rented or used her friend's yacht?  The woman owns the yacht, if she chooses to be compensated for staff, expenses and cleaning, I think it is entirely reasonable.  Many, many people have their yachts up for charter and even lease them while they are trying to sell them.  It is like Ramona renting her Hamptons home-nothing fishy about it.   

 

The post she quoted was mine and it's laughable that you say it's a punk.  What does that even mean? Think about it hard now. 

[KungFuBunny]

37 minutes ago, HumblePi said:

I think this post deserves a repeat.  When I discovered that the yacht was rented for a 24 hr period and that a casting call was put out to fill that rented yacht with rented guests, it makes me wonder if anything at all is real about Luann and Tom. I have doubted the genuineness of the entire Luann and Tom thing from the start. I just don't believe it. It all happened too abruptly and I think that Luann imagines herself to be a great actress that believes she can pull this off for a Bravo story line to the end of the year. I think Tom is a paid shill and I'm just not feeling the vibe between he and Luann. When I heard Luann excitedly say 'he's my soul mate' once, I rolled my eyes. But I've heard it said more than a few times now and it's become like a bumper sticker slogan. And there's the 'love of my life' tagline that she repeats. Do people really have to insist on saying these types of things to friends to convince the friends or the viewers who doubt her? Tom has been one of those guys that has been drifting in and out of RHONY for years and if both Sonja and Ramona had 'dated' him then Luann most certainly would have known about it.

I feel that this wedding plan is a sham and that it will never take place. I think Tom saved the receipt for the $250,000 diamond engagement ring and will be returning it before Christmas.  I just can't help feeling a little angry that I've been duped by all the things that were rented in this episode because it was all just too obvious and contrived. The only thing that looked real was the silly little cake. I think a staffer ran out to the local supermarket at the last minute to pick up that sorry cake. If there was no Luann and Tom thread to build an entire season on with the drama of Sonja and Ramona claiming to have 'dated' Tom, then what would have been the main story line for this season?

I'm not buying that Kimberly owner of the yacht is Luanne's good friend who she has known for years. There was no mention of this buddy when she was in Florida last year with Bethenny at Victoria's art show.

I also don't believe when a HW hosts a getaway - as in she planned it and paid for everything. This would be across franchises. Like Sonja hosting Turks and Caicos - she can't afford to heat her home - Pickles just blows hot breath at her.

I also laugh at Sonja and Ramona - these should be well travelled women yet they act out of depth no matter where they go. Unless they were so excited to finally have a view that was no longer a barge with bulldozers on it. Their last trip they broke Aviva's shower.

[Yours Truly]

1 hour ago, ryebread said:

For me, my man's character is everything. 

Cheat on me before the wedding, deal breaker. 

Hell, I dumped a guy for crappy behavior to an innocent service person and another for really bad spelling errors in our correspondence.  LOL.  Maybe my standards are too high.  But when choosing a spouse for life, I think they've got to be.  Neither one of those guys were fiancés at the time of these terrrrrible transgressions, but I believe in heeding those red flags and to get out while the gettin's good.

Lu is clearly, for now, down with how her man is acting. And that's okay. I'm just surprised, is all.

Well my post was mainly about the way the women have been reacting to Lu's news and Tom's connection with the others. Not really the whole new can of worms Beth has opened up. I don't even find that news the least bit interesting because I don't trust any of the sources, how the info came about whether someone was in the middle of catching a pokemon when they saw him or if the pic is actually a pikachu tounging a playboy bunny but looks a lot like Tom. The whole previous amount of pearl clutching got me so desensitized that I can't even get worked up over this new bit of "concrete evidence" that blows everything out of the water. Right....

I'm not even curious about it cause I don't trust anyone involved with this "iron clad" proof. The others have made it clear that they want to bring Lu down so anything that comes out is suspect to me. Hell, it could be absolutely true. Do I care. Not really cause well I'm sitting at home, not on a yatch, not partying with P Diddy and not smelling like a grapefruit so yeah.. Totally over the outrage I'm supposed to be feeling about where Tom's been.

Edited August 5, 2016 by Yours Truly

[KungFuBunny]

47 minutes ago, ElDosEquis said:

Hey, so I fell short in the romance department?

You don't have to rub it in! ;)

------

About Tom and the "kissing toads" comment?

I have always cringed whenever I hear people dismiss their previous dates/GFs/One night stand/fuck buddies as 'toads to be kissed'.

There was a point where you trusted that person enough to allow them to see you naked, what happened that turned them into a toad?

errmmm....when she got nekkid and there was a vagazzled Lily Pad bared to your eyes?

[izabella]

54 minutes ago, ElDosEquis said:

About Tom and the "kissing toads" comment?

I have always cringed whenever I hear people dismiss their previous dates/GFs/One night stand/fuck buddies as 'toads to be kissed'.

There was a point where you trusted that person enough to allow them to see you naked, what happened that turned them into a toad?

Lots of people use that phrase, though.  It's from the Prince Charming fairy tale where the Princess has to kiss a frog and then he magically turns into a Prince free from the spell the wicked witch put on him that turned him into a toad in the first place. 

However, this is my favorite use of frog kissing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4Ah2dxTcWw

[zoeysmom]

25 minutes ago, steelcitysister said:

 

The post she quoted was mine and it's laughable that you say it's a punk.  What does that even mean? Think about it hard now. 

It means that you were joking.  As in putting out a scenario that has no basis in fact.  Since posters took it as truth I felt like you had successfully punk'd some. 

[ElDosEquis]

I heard the greatest line the other day.

It went something like, "If you don't tell lies, you don't have to remember stories"

Before I got married, I had that convo with the wife about BE - "before El Dos".

We agreed that what happened before was just that - what happened before - and it had no impact on the relationship.

Life is traveling along a road.

You pick up people and drop them off, whoever is in the car with you at the moment shouldn't be worried about where you have been, only where you are going.

It's a lot safer that way, no sense in worrying about yesterday's traffic?

[HunterHunted]

51 minutes ago, Almost 3000 said:

I think the engagement party was tossed together by Bravo but it was because B was sick and they had to change the big trip not because the engagement isn't real. While I think there are a few housewives that would fake it I don't think Lu would. I'm on the side of real but still in the heavy endorphin phase. Heck, OC Tamra and Eddie have been together for awhile and who would have thought that was real...

I think Bravo might have gone with the yacht and the rent-a-friends because it was last minute and they didn't have enough time to secure another location, they were too pressed for time to get some of Lu's and Tom's friends to come, and you don't have nearly the same issue signing releases with extras that you do with regular people. Tom is having his engagement party; his mother is in town, but doesn't attend her son's party. Or if she has mobility issues, that they wouldn't relocate it to some place where she can attend. I mostly think the engagement is real, but the people who are closest to Tom wanted no part of being on camera. On other shows, some of the crew and production team have popped up in the background in restaurants, as guests at parties, and most often as cater waiters.

I find it funny that only RHoMiami that they could get to attend was Marysol. Not even Lea Black. I guess it could have been worse. It could have been Cristy, Larsa, Adriana, or Alexia. Or Joanna.?

[SCS]

6 minutes ago, zoeysmom said:

It means that you were joking.  As in putting out a scenario that has no basis in fact.  Since posters took it as truth I felt like you had successfully punk'd some. 

 

Nope, not joking at all. As I said upthread:

Quote

reality shows hiring extra bods for filler isn't new.

We don't know that Bravo did -- and we don't know that Bravo didn't. IMO 

[movingtargetgal]

42 minutes ago, ryebread said:

Hell, I dumped a guy for crappy behavior to an innocent service person and another for really bad spelling errors in our correspondence.  LOL.  Maybe my standards are too high.  But when choosing a spouse for life, I think they've got to be.

I would not dump a guy for bad spelling because my spelling is the pits.  Thank god for spellcheck. LOL  However, I could never marry, date or be friends with an individual who is rude or disrespectful of service workers.  To me this kind of behavior is a character issue and exposes that person as someone who is capable of great cruelty.  I do not have room in my life for that kind of negativity.    

[shoegal]

8 minutes ago, ElDosEquis said:

I heard the greatest line the other day.

It went something like, "If you don't tell lies, you don't have to remember stories"

Before I got married, I had that convo with the wife about BE - "before El Dos".

We agreed that what happened before was just that - what happened before - and it had no impact on the relationship.

Life is traveling along a road.

You pick up people and drop them off, whoever is in the car with you at the moment shouldn't be worried about where you have been, only where you are going.

It's a lot safer that way, no sense in worrying about yesterday's traffic?

I'm all for this, hubby and I had the same attitude.  We never talked about exes or past relationships or any of that and it's worked great for us! 

However, we also didn't have any overlap, I never screwed/dated any of his friends/coworkers before him and he never screwed/dated any of my friends/coworkers.  That's where this whole Sonja/Ramona/Tom/LuAnn shitshow gets a little tricky. 

Or sticky???

[zoeysmom]

12 minutes ago, steelcitysister said:

 

Nope, not joking at all. As I said upthread:

We don't know that Bravo did -- and we don't know that Bravo didn't. IMO 

Well Luann explained the mix of people she invited.  So until one of the RH or production says they are rented  friends it is just gossip. 

Edited August 5, 2016 by zoeysmom

[NewDigs]

1 hour ago, HumblePi said:

I think this post deserves a repeat.  When I discovered that the yacht was rented for a 24 hr period and that a casting call was put out to fill that rented yacht with rented guests, it makes me wonder if anything at all is real about Luann and Tom. I have doubted the genuineness of the entire Luann and Tom thing from the start. I just don't believe it. It all happened too abruptly and I think that Luann imagines herself to be a great actress that believes she can pull this off for a Bravo story line to the end of the year. I think Tom is a paid shill and I'm just not feeling the vibe between he and Luann. When I heard Luann excitedly say 'he's my soul mate' once, I rolled my eyes. But I've heard it said more than a few times now and it's become like a bumper sticker slogan. And there's the 'love of my life' tagline that she repeats. Do people really have to insist on saying these types of things to friends to convince the friends or the viewers who doubt her? Tom has been one of those guys that has been drifting in and out of RHONY for years and if both Sonja and Ramona had 'dated' him then Luann most certainly would have known about it.

I feel that this wedding plan is a sham and that it will never take place. I think Tom saved the receipt for the $250,000 diamond engagement ring and will be returning it before Christmas.  I just can't help feeling a little angry that I've been duped by all the things that were rented in this episode because it was all just too obvious and contrived. The only thing that looked real was the silly little cake. I think a staffer ran out to the local supermarket at the last minute to pick up that sorry cake. If there was no Luann and Tom thread to build an entire season on with the drama of Sonja and Ramona claiming to have 'dated' Tom, then what would have been the main story line for this season?

Bolding mine.

Even more Betthhenny?

Maybe we should be thanking our lucky stars for the Tom-Lu-Sonja-Ramona debacle.

[zoeysmom]

I guess my question is how long is one not allowed to date someone, someone they know or worked with dated platonically?  If they had four dates, three months earlier, is that enough time?  Should it even be discussed with the co-worker?  Is it a lifetime ban?  Taylor Swift has an interesting take: http://www.vanityfair.com/style/2015/08/taylor-swift-cover-mario-testino-apple-music  (9th paragraph) At 25 years old she has more sense than most of these RH.

The tough one is always if you know someone a friend/co-worker has been intimate with.  From people I have been around who have dated and even married, the uncomfortableness passes pretty quickly if they want to maintain a friendship.  It is jerks like Harry Dubin who share intimate details (the squirter comments) with the likes of Sonja and Sonja feels the need to repeat.  If Luann were start saying, Sonja gets so drunk she pees the bed, then she will have sunken to Sonja's level. With Sonja I can't decide, because of her backpeddling what happened.  I do think Sonja has some strange boundary issues in that she throws a woman out of her wedding party for calling her fiancé at work, doesn't mention she is getting married until the invites go out.  If Sonja is uncomfortable being around Tom, then she should abstain from events where he will attend.  Same thing John and Bethenny agreed to for very different reasons.  IF Sonja can't handle co-workers or friends dating her past loves, maybe she needs to be more selective in who she sleeps with and stop passing her lady favors around.  The other alternative is to STFU about who you sleep with if it was on the down low.

I never really pay attention to Taylor Swift and for a young woman she seems to be confidently speaking for her generation.

[WireWrap]

3 hours ago, Duke2801 said:

LOL! I know that feeling all too well.  I'm easily swayed --- probably best that I didn't get picked for the jury when I was summoned last year. 

But in all seriousness. I do think that IF Sonja and Tom had a real, genuine friendship that - at some point - morphed into something romantic and continued (even off and on) for 10 years?  Then YES, Tom certainly owed her a bit more courtesy and warmth than what he seems to have given her when he and Lu got together. 

But the key word here, for me, is if.  As zoeysmom and a few others have pointed out, Sonja's grasp on reality has proven to be, at best, tenuous. Not going to get into Nigerian football teams and "Sonja in the city" parties and PDiddy and yachts, but any viewer of RHoNYC knows what I mean.  We're relying on the word of a very unreliable narrator here when it comes to her and Tom's decade-long love/sex saga. 

I mean, doesn't anybody think it's weird that NOBODY knew about her and Tom's past? Even in that whole Reddit thread where her former intern was spilling deets about working for Ms. Morgan (the good and the bad), the intern said that Sonja talked a lot about her men, but never, ever mentioned a "Tom."  Because I do.  All of these facts lead me to believe that it's moreso Tom who is telling the truth about their past, vs. Sonja.  But--time will tell (or maybe it won't... who knows!)

 

In my mind - the BEST case scenario is that this whole "open marriage" dealio lies somewhere between truth and rumors. What I thought happened was that Luanne and the Count had separated back in....  ok I don't remember what year.  But it was clearly long before she revealed to any of the other ladies (and us viewers) the truth.  Therefore, I do believe that the ladies saw her out with other men in that timeframe (remember Ro's comment during the season 1 or 2 reunion: "Luanne likes her men"?).  When confronted, rather than tell them the truth about her dissolving marriage, Luanne told them that they had an open marriage. OR the ladies assumed that on their own.

On the other hand, um, let's not rewrite history and paint Lu as some hallmark of piety and virtue. Pirate-gate of 2012 anyone?  I mean, if Lu was dumb enough to cheat on her live-in lover DURING filming (or cocky enough to do it and think she wouldn't get caught), I'd certainly imagine that she is capable of either cheating on her husband (although obviously he was cheating too!) OR that they absolutely did have an open marriage in the latter part of their relationship.

 

I've done this!  It's actually good.  I love spicy and sweet together.  Like a jalepeno margarita --YUM!

Luann did say that she did not want her divorce used as fodder for the show as she/the Count had young children at the time, so I don't blame her. Both Ramona and Bethenny were well aware of what was going on, they all admit that Luann told them about his cheating on her and that he had filed for divorce before filming began the first season and that she asked them to say noting about it on the show. Soooo, these women know that her "dating" other men at the time did not constitute an "open marriage" because they were separated and he had filed for divorce. Bottom line, they, Ramona/Bethenny,  lied.

2 hours ago, ryebread said:

Ryebread said:

I'm not talking about just his comments.  Although the having to 'kiss a lot of toads to get to the princess' or whatever comment was kind of dismissive in light of what's been going on.  Macking on some woman, if true, the day before his engagement party is more what I was talking about.  Bad behavior.

Again, I don't disagree.  I don't expect perfection. From anybody. But I do expect for a fiancé NOT to cheat on his betrothed a day before their engagement party. If this is true, I'm disappointed for Lu and like I said, really surprised that she would settle for this. 

Men don't have to cheat.  Men don't have to be rude or dismissive to their past conquests even if the conquest starts being rude first.  The men *I* respect, anyway.

IMO, No one should cheat on their spouse or someone they are in a serious relationship with, man or woman. The "toad" comment doesn't bother me because they have actually said some rather nasty/unkind things about him in the press and neither Sonja or Ramona can keep their "stories" straight. LOL

Tom was wrong in "making out" with another woman, no doubts about it, he was wrong. That said, it is up to Luann to address this not Bethenny, Ramona, Sonja or Carole, especially on camera. I can't think of anyone broadcasting that info in public, let alone on camera, to another person that they call "friend". Heck, I can't even see most people doing that to someone they don't like. For those of us in the private sector (not on a reality TV show that is) it would equal 1 of us having it posted on the front page of our local newspaper.  Cruel, it is nothing short of cruelness.

1 hour ago, HumblePi said:

I think this post deserves a repeat.  When I discovered that the yacht was rented for a 24 hr period and that a casting call was put out to fill that rented yacht with rented guests, it makes me wonder if anything at all is real about Luann and Tom. I have doubted the genuineness of the entire Luann and Tom thing from the start. I just don't believe it. It all happened too abruptly and I think that Luann imagines herself to be a great actress that believes she can pull this off for a Bravo story line to the end of the year. I think Tom is a paid shill and I'm just not feeling the vibe between he and Luann. When I heard Luann excitedly say 'he's my soul mate' once, I rolled my eyes. But I've heard it said more than a few times now and it's become like a bumper sticker slogan. And there's the 'love of my life' tagline that she repeats. Do people really have to insist on saying these types of things to friends to convince the friends or the viewers who doubt her? Tom has been one of those guys that has been drifting in and out of RHONY for years and if both Sonja and Ramona had 'dated' him then Luann most certainly would have known about it.

I feel that this wedding plan is a sham and that it will never take place. I think Tom saved the receipt for the $250,000 diamond engagement ring and will be returning it before Christmas.  I just can't help feeling a little angry that I've been duped by all the things that were rented in this episode because it was all just too obvious and contrived. The only thing that looked real was the silly little cake. I think a staffer ran out to the local supermarket at the last minute to pick up that sorry cake. If there was no Luann and Tom thread to build an entire season on with the drama of Sonja and Ramona claiming to have 'dated' Tom, then what would have been the main story line for this season?

Most of the people we see in the background of any HW event are people hired and paid for by production to be there and it wouldn't surprise me that production did this for the engagement party. Not too many private people (HW friends) want to be seen on the show because they have to sign away all their rights and production can make them look anyway they want to, good/bad/indifferent, to suit the producers storyline needs.

1 hour ago, shoegal said:

Agreed!!  Putting aside the semantics of "open marriage" vs. "European style", etc......let's look at the history here.  Add that to the fact that currently, LuAnn is engaged to be married to a man that was caught cheating (he admits to "actions he deeply regrets" via Radar Online) two days before their "engagement party" (was it just kissing?  at 2 am?  then they went home separately and nothing further happened?  mmmmhmmmm).  I think it's fair to assume that LuAnn is not a stickler for the fidelity part of relationships.

It's not "semantics" at play here. There is a difference between an "Open" marriage, where both partners seek sex with outsiders and an "European" style marriage where she looks the other way when he cheats on her. Oh, and we don't know if the Count cheated on Luann before he hooked up with the Princess, it is possible that that was the only time he stepped out on her. 

Since we know at this point that the wedding is still on, it seems that Luann/Tom came to an understanding about this and she has forgiven him but that doesn't mean she will forgive him a second time or that they will have an open marriage. I don't think anyone can assume anything because we just don't have all the information and neither do Bethenny, Ramona, Sonja or Carole either.

[ElDosEquis]

8 minutes ago, shoegal said:

I'm all for this, hubby and I had the same attitude.  We never talked about exes or past relationships or any of that and it's worked great for us! 

However, we also didn't have any overlap, I never screwed/dated any of his friends/coworkers before him and he never screwed/dated any of my friends/coworkers.  That's where this whole Sonja/Ramona/Tom/LuAnn shitshow gets a little tricky. 

Or sticky???

I dated a woman who ended up screwing one of my friends.  It was awkward whenever we met up in a group dynamic..

We ended up putting it behind us - we never spoke about it years later. We lost contact and I heard that he became homeless, died and his body was kept in the 'homeless' morgue until an old GF claimed his body.

In the mean time? My closest friend told me that she had called him and shown up at his house where 'nothing happened'.

I wasn't surprised to hear that, but I didn't need to have verbalized?

-------

The last time I saw my friend, the one who became homeless, we were in a bar and began talking to a woman who walked in.
My pal stood up and walked out - he left me there and I had to call a cab to get home.

What I didn't know at the time is his alcohol and coke abuse was spiraling out of control and the monster was poised to rear it's ugly head.

I can't go back and change the past, but it made me more cautious about who I was with and when then were introduced to my family and circle of friends.

[Baltimore Betty]

My guess is Luann got a lump settlement and not alimony because if she was getting alimony she and Tom would not be getting married.  I do wonder why the rush, hopefully it will not be for the purpose of a story line.

Bethenny telling Ramona and Carole about the evidence of Tom making out with someone at a bar then saying she would not be the one to tell Luann was laughable, it was on camera!  Why do the women think they have privacy with the cameras rolling?

I did not get the feeling that Luann even knows the yacht owner.

Soul mate, hah!

Sonja looked pathetic when she was talking to Tom and he looked uncomfortable then she tells him he has to find someone for her.  I am sure Tom would not subject her on any of his friends or maybe she has been passed around his social circle already.

Ramona just happened to have that clipping from the paper about Luann, she is really digging deep to have some dime in that dollar.

[Natalie68]

16 hours ago, ElDosEquis said:

I put hot sauce on pretty much everything.

Fruit and either hot sauce or chili powder is GREAT!

When I get to Los Angeles, I always get a fruit salad from the street vendors.

It's melons, pineapple, orange, jicama and mango with lime juice and some kind of hot sauce or seasoning (Tajin).

Best fruit memory was Olvera St getting a papaya with lime as a kid.  Never had it taste as yummy since.  Absolute heaven.

[Yours Truly]

1 hour ago, izabella said:

Lots of people use that phrase, though.  It's from the Prince Charming fairy tale where the Princess has to kiss a frog and then he magically turns into a Prince free from the spell the wicked witch put on him that turned him into a toad in the first place. 

However, this is my favorite use of frog kissing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4Ah2dxTcWw

Thank you! It's a very common  phrase.

[SCS]

39 minutes ago, zoeysmom said:

Well Luann explained the mix of people she invited.  So until one of the RH or production says they are rented  friends it is just gossip. 

Yes, indeed, but Lu has said lots throughout her time on this show and has, on occasion, been full of shit. So I'm good with the idea that many of those friends might have been hired for the evening and for a slice of that sad Safeway cake. Carry on.

[izabella]

I have no doubt that Bravo hired extras, and this 'engagement party' was just for the cameras.  It's not their real engagement party - she and Tom would never invite these Ho's to that; they wouldn't have a real engagement party without actual friends and family.  Most of the events on this show have extras (not Madonna) in the background.

If Bethy wasn't so fibrous (and mean and nasty so multiple Ho's didn't care about her stupid Mexico marketing trip), and didn't use bleeding all over everything as an excuse, they might not have had to film a last-minute engagement party to serve as this season's trip.  They play fast and loose with the trips in terms of who is planning them (lol) and who is the host (lol).  It's Bravo, all the time, but these women are required to spew the party line (I planned a trip to Morocco...) to maintain Bravo's fiction that these people are friends (lol).

Edited August 5, 2016 by izabella

[Baltimore Betty]

HunterHunted...Marysol was there???  How did I miss that?

It was an odd assortment of "friends." That cake was a sad cake.

If it was a true engagement party where were the gifts, classy Miami society folks usually bring a gift when invited to an engagement party, right?

When did we change the way we pronounce engaged? Ahngauged? They were being funny, right? 

[Yours Truly]

44 minutes ago, shoegal said:

I'm all for this, hubby and I had the same attitude.  We never talked about exes or past relationships or any of that and it's worked great for us! 

However, we also didn't have any overlap, I never screwed/dated any of his friends/coworkers before him and he never screwed/dated any of my friends/coworkers.  That's where this whole Sonja/Ramona/Tom/LuAnn shitshow gets a little tricky. 

Or sticky???

In this case, it did happen. Now what? A completely orchestrated and choreographed "Ode to the fuck buddy"?

Tricky or sticky doesn't mean the original recipe isn't a good one to try to still stick with. Minor adjustments necessary but I don't see why a huge overhaul of that concept is necessary when everyone knows how important it is to not let the past interfere with the future.  A little hiccup with the ingredients doesn't make the whole recipe null and void it just means that some substitutions need to be made. Doesn't need to be some grand rewritten or revamping of the original recipe.  It's the need to create this big production about the circumstances that I find ridiculous. Even if he didn't pull off the most gracious of possible options regarding addressing the matter, handling it expeditiously without drawing out details seems to be a completely reasonable way to put it to bed (no pun intended.. LOL).

They are getting knocked for not broadcasting the unfortunate connection from coast to coast and I think that's just a bit gauche actually. Not to mention confusing.

[ryebread]

43 minutes ago, movingtargetgal said:

I would not dump a guy for bad spelling because my spelling is the pits.  Thank god for spellcheck. LOL  

The guy I dumped for spelling was a long distance relationship that I'd met on vacation. We talked on the phone and wrote lots of letters, BI.  (Before Internet.)  :-)  Had it been *just* spelling errors I might've gotten beyond that but after many letters over a couple months and 2 long weekends together, it was clear the spelling errors were because this guy was a dum dum.  Plain and simple. Nice enough man, just not very....bright.

So a misspelled word may or may not end a relationship for me, depends on the circumstances.  But my fiancé deep kissing another woman in a bar would be a deal breaker under any circumstance. 

[jaync]

Quote

Hence the reason it's a pretty common practice for people to expect that sexual partners isn't something that is normally shared so haphazardly.

But, we don't know what kind of expectations of privacy Tom has, or if he's even all that bent about what has been divulged. If he really had a fear that his dalliances with Sonja - a tv personality who's very open about her sexcapades - would come to light, then he should've went home and masturbated after their nights out.

[movingtargetgal]

11 minutes ago, ryebread said:

1 hour ago, movingtargetgal said:

I would not dump a guy for bad spelling because my spelling is the pits.  Thank god for spellcheck. LOL  

The guy I dumped for spelling was a long distance relationship that I'd met on vacation. We talked on the phone and wrote lots of letters, BI.  (Before Internet.)  :-)  Had it been *just* spelling errors I might've gotten beyond that but after many letters over a couple months and 2 long weekends together, it was clear the spelling errors were because this guy was a dum dum.  Plain and simple. Nice enough man, just not very....bright.

So a misspelled word may or may not end a relationship for me, depends on the circumstances.  But my fiancé deep kissing another woman in a bar would be a deal breaker under any circumstance. 

I was in no way judging you and I hope you did not take it that way. :)  I just found your post funny and I knew there had to be more reasons for you ending the relationship.  I have been with Mr. Moving for over 25 years before BI era, when talking on the phone was how you communicated.  If we had met after the BI era with email, texting and facebook, I don't know if I would bother to keep up with all the written communication because of my horrible spelling. I would be single for life :).  I was not judging you, I was judging myself.

[yourmomiseasy]

54 minutes ago, zoeysmom said:

Well Luann explained the mix of people she invited.  So until one of the RH or production says they are rented  friends it is just gossip. 

It wouldn't be the first time a post in one of the housewife threads wagged the dog.

 

29 minutes ago, ElDosEquis said:

I dated a woman who ended up screwing one of my friends.  It was awkward whenever we met up in a group dynamic..

We ended up putting it behind us - we never spoke about it years later. We lost contact and I heard that he became homeless, died and his body was kept in the 'homeless' morgue until an old GF claimed his body.

In the mean time? My closest friend told me that she had called him and shown up at his house where 'nothing happened'.

I wasn't surprised to hear that, but I didn't need to have verbalized?

-------

The last time I saw my friend, the one who became homeless, we were in a bar and began talking to a woman who walked in.
My pal stood up and walked out - he left me there and I had to call a cab to get home.

What I didn't know at the time is his alcohol and coke abuse was spiraling out of control and the monster was poised to rear it's ugly head.

I can't go back and change the past, but it made me more cautious about who I was with and when then were introduced to my family and circle of friends.

One time I started dating a guy in my circle of friends and after we'd already been dating heard through the rumor mill that one of our friends was previously his fuck buddy.  We all still hung out together and sometimes they hung out together without me and I didn't care.  To me it wasn't weird because they weren't still fucking as far as I knew.  She didn't seem upset and I was her pretty good friend and didn't know anything was going on between them beforehand, so I can only assume it wasn't serious.  There was no swanning around over her lost love.  I didn't run around crowing about he had girlfriended me up.  After I broke up with him he tried to make me jealous with my best friend (i.e. they went to the movies or to a bar or whatever platonically and he tried to make me think they were dating).  I'm pretty sure nothing ever happened between her and him, but I don't know and it was after me, so I don't care.  10 years later I'm still friends with the girls but me and my best friend do not talk to him -- the fuck buddy still hangs out with him sometimes.  I have another friend who has slept with almost every girl I know that isn't me.  In college the girls in my sorority would joke about the fact that banging him was basically required for initiation.  It's never been a big deal -- maybe because it was always just ONS and never serious.  A lot of the girls were at his wedding and are friends with his wife.