S07.E23: Reunion Part 2

[chenoa333]

23 minutes ago, PumpkinPK said:

I realize that we were only shown street views, but I didn't care for any of their new houses except for Kristen's garden bungalow.  I'd love to live in a little place like that in LA.

Any educated guesses on their home costs, from the little that we were shown?

I was wondering the same thing. Homes in safe, decent neighborhoods in L.A. (and Orange County) are very expensive...a million on up. 

These reality "stars" might be making enough money (from working for LVP AND a Bravo paycheck) but these are not solid careers with a secure future. They are all stupid. And I already feel very sad for the Jax and Brittany baby that will be arriving next year.  

But I'm going to keep watching! This show is better than a train wreck...it's a Boeing 737 airliner crash!

Edited May 15, 2019 by chenoa333

[Carolina Girl]

20 minutes ago, PumpkinPK said:

I realize that we were only shown street views, but I didn't care for any of their new houses except for Kristen's garden bungalow.  I'd love to live in a little place like that in LA.

Any educated guesses on their home costs, from the little that we were shown?

I thought it was mentioned elsewhere that Sandoval and Ariana's house was over $1,000,000 easy.  I can't help but think that the Jax/Brittany and Schwartz/Lumpy houses cost about the same.  Especially since Brittany made reference to having "lots of rooms" for kids.  Hopefully for them Bravo doesn't cancel this show or replace them with a different and younger cast because I don't see alternative revenue streams for any of them, including TomTom and that ridiculous beer cheese/drink mix venture.   I know I wouldn't be buying a product that puts money in Jax Taylor's pocket.   

And I agree with the poster upthread that says once this starts turning into the Real Housewives of Studio City, it won't be the same show - which probably means a re-cast, with a new younger set.  Now that one might include Raquel, James and Billie Lee - although I can't see those three headliners being must-watch TV.  

[jkitty]

20 hours ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

It's accurate though, don't you think? I think James' mother might be the worst person in the world. And we've seen how Stassi's mother treats Stassi. Calling James' mom an asshole is like the mildest thing you can say about her. We've seen less of his dad but didn't his dad take him out for beer because he "deserves" it for not drinking? I mean, talk about sabotaging your own son's efforts at being a functional person. James is a terrible person but he's doing better than a lot of people with his parents would.

I agree. I also think that while Kristin is overly hung up on James, she is the person best positioned to confirm that his  parents are assholes. I mean, didn’t his mom steal her credit card and use it for Botox while she was dating James? That alone would be enough for me to feel justified calling her an asshole, but I am sure Kristin was privy to many detrimental  interactions between James and his parents (like what we saw with Raquel this season). I’m not saying James has to like that someone called his parents assholes, but it also does not seem to be false. 

[gritz]

I half-expected FI and LVP to whip out their tits for DJ Crybaby to suckle. 

So, what's his choice of upper, coke or meth? And, does it matter? Oxygen is enough of a trigger for that little prick.

35 minutes ago, jkitty said:

I mean, didn’t his mom steal her credit card and use it for Botox while she was dating James? That alone would be enough for me to feel justified calling her an asshole...

Yep. At least there is sound reasoning behind Kristen's insult, unlike White Kan'tye ragging on families who have shit all to do with anything.

[PumpkinPK]

1 hour ago, Carolina Girl said:

I thought it was mentioned elsewhere that Sandoval and Ariana's house was over $1,000,000 easy.  I can't help but think that the Jax/Brittany and Schwartz/Lumpy houses cost about the same.  

I was guessing over $1m, but I really don't know.  On the RH threads, there are a couple of posters who are very skilled at scouring real estate records and are able to post addresses and prices of real estate purchases.

Lumpy made me LOL.  I wouldn't normally laugh at something like that, but nobody brings up Katie's weight and talks about it more than Katie.  She is so annoying.

[kelseykixx]

On 5/13/2019 at 9:48 PM, whydoievencare said:

OMG, Brittney has the absolute worst laugh.

Every time she was on screen guffawing like goofy I had a visceral reaction. HYUCK HYUCK HYUCK BABIES READY FOR BABIES HYUCK!

Like, stfu you moron. It's great that you want to subject yourself to a life with Jax but how about leave an innocent child out of your dysfunctional relationship with a sociopath. kthxbai

Edited May 15, 2019 by kelseykixx

[eleanorofaquitaine]

1 hour ago, Carolina Girl said:

I thought it was mentioned elsewhere that Sandoval and Ariana's house was over $1,000,000 easy.  I can't help but think that the Jax/Brittany and Schwartz/Lumpy houses cost about the same.  Especially since Brittany made reference to having "lots of rooms" for kids.  Hopefully for them Bravo doesn't cancel this show or replace them with a different and younger cast because I don't see alternative revenue streams for any of them, including TomTom and that ridiculous beer cheese/drink mix venture.   I know I wouldn't be buying a product that puts money in Jax Taylor's pocket.   

And I agree with the poster upthread that says once this starts turning into the Real Housewives of Studio City, it won't be the same show - which probably means a re-cast, with a new younger set.  Now that one might include Raquel, James and Billie Lee - although I can't see those three headliners being must-watch TV.  

I would guess that they actually do have other revenue streams, whether that is through things like club appearances and/or sponsored content, social media influencer stuff.  Some of them, anyway. 

[walnutqueen]

58 minutes ago, gritz said:

I half-expected FI and LVP to whip out their tits for DJ Crybaby to suckle. 

So, what's his choice of upper, coke or meth? And, does it matter? Oxygen is enough of a trigger for that little prick.

Yep. At least there is sound reasoning behind Kristen's insult, unlike White Kan'tye ragging on families who have shit all to do with anything.

Coke - for now.  I wouldn't be surprised to see him picking his meth face in the future.

[albarino]

I was clicking around the Bravo TV website and there was a short clip of Any Cohen.  He was asked who was the MVP or most improved (or something like that) and he stated it was James.  He was then asked who needed more self-awareness/improvement and he said Katie and Lala.  

Any time I read couch lump or lumpy, it makes me laugh.  She really is a piece of work.

[Claire Voyant]

7 hours ago, Rosebud1970 said:

Not WeHo.

They all bought houses in Studio City. In the Valley. Way worse. Even the uncool live in the Valley. I live in the Valley.

YIKES!  I'm so sorry for you!   

Hopefully they won't bring the value of houses in your Valley too far down until they run out of money and have to move.  😟

[gritz]

43 minutes ago, walnutqueen said:

Coke - for now.  I wouldn't be surprised to see him picking his meth face in the future.

Yeah, meth could be on the horizon if his mother's tweaking and his father's teeth are any kind of indications.

[SallySarue]

On 5/13/2019 at 7:43 PM, mytmo said:

Yes!  It never bothered me before but damn!  And her joker/Bozo the clown eyebrows.

Yeah, what's with her eyebrows this year? They drove me nuts every episode. She started drawing them on much higher, and with a weird arch. Not cute!

[chenoa333]

1 hour ago, kelseykixx said:

Every time she was on screen guffawing like a moron I had a visceral reaction. HYUCK HYUCK HYUCK BABIES READY FOR BABIES HYUCK!

I wish I could remember the name of the PT poster who gave Brittany the last name of Gump 😁 It's perfect!

And Brittany's stupid remark (something like) "I've always wanted to be married ever since I was a little girl".  Go back to Kentucky and marry one of your uncles. Better chance of the marriage surviving than with Jax and his perpetual wandering penis.

[chenoa333]

4 minutes ago, gritz said:

Yeah, meth could be on the horizon if his mother's tweaking and his father's teeth are any kind of indications.

Dang! You mean Baby Jimmy Kennedy's dad was on the show and I missed it? I'll bet he's a real charmer. 

But in case any of you forgot, JAMES TOOK HIS FIRST STEPS AT TIFFANY'S (as his parents were robbing the store!). JK! 

[albarino]

I don't mean to change the subject but could somebody familiar with LA weigh in on the mass move to Studio City?   I'm from the east coast now living in CO but WeHo seemed like a cool hipster neighborhood.  Is Studio City sorta the same?  Is it close to TomTom?

Is it like going from shopping at Whole Foods/Trader Joes to Safeway or Costco?  Thanks in advance.

[ghoulina]

15 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

So Sandoval’s main objection to Lala performing oral sex on Ariana was he was tired of driving around.

Yes! He had been car shopping all day, damnit. Can't you two wait and do it in the bathroom of the club. Sheesh. 

[ivygirl]

3 hours ago, walnutqueen said:

Coke - for now.  I wouldn't be surprised to see him picking his meth face in the future.

 

[chenoa333]

1 hour ago, albarino said:

I don't mean to change the subject but could somebody familiar with LA weigh in on the mass move to Studio City?   I'm from the east coast now living in CO but WeHo seemed like a cool hipster neighborhood.  Is Studio City sorta the same?  Is it close to TomTom?

Is it like going from shopping at Whole Foods/Trader Joes to Safeway or Costco?  Thanks in advance.

If anyone has more knowledge of this subject please correct me. I don't live in L.A./West Hollywood/Studio City. I live in Orange County CA. 

SO...according to Zillow.com, houses in Studio City (I didn't do an in depth search) range from a half a million for a 1200 sq. foot home and the price goes up from there. But if you're interested, you can get a somewhat accurate idea of housing prices on Zillow. I think West Hollywood is much pricier than Studio City.

JMOO: 1200 square feet is definitely NOT enough space for Brittany's 10 kids! 😁 We all know Jax will be gone after baby #2. Brittany will have many babies by many different men.

Edited May 15, 2019 by chenoa333

[Carolina Girl]

5 hours ago, PumpkinPK said:

Lumpy made me LOL.  I wouldn't normally laugh at something like that, but nobody brings up Katie's weight and talks about it more than Katie.  She is so annoying.

Believe it or not, I really wasn't fat-shaming her on that - I was using the term more or less to describe her basic contribution to the show.  

[becauseIsaidso]

From what I can see, it was NEVER the tequila that caused khatie to be a nasty, raging, POS. It is simply her true nature on display.

IIRC, about the time of the Mexico trip, khatie was bemoaning the lack of time Schwatzie was spending with her. She said words to the effect that he didn't come home until after she was in bed, and was up and out to the gym before she got up. The part about the gym (as well as  the before she got up part) that caught my particular attention. Instead, I reasoned, of slumbering on, why couldn't SHE make an OCCASIOINAL effort to get her lazy ass out of bed and to the gym with the husband she claimed to be lonely for? You know, a gym, that place where you can get muscle tone, strength and flexibility training - all body health friendly no matter what the number is on the scale. 

That and several other instances have shown me that it's khatie who is not taking her share of responsibility for the state of their relationship.

[Carolina Girl]

1 hour ago, albarino said:

I don't mean to change the subject but could somebody familiar with LA weigh in on the mass move to Studio City?   I'm from the east coast now living in CO but WeHo seemed like a cool hipster neighborhood.  Is Studio City sorta the same?  Is it close to TomTom?

It's pretty close -- TomTom is in West Hollywood which is south and slightly east of Studio City by about 6 miles or so.  

But I imagine if they wanted to buy homes instead of condos, the Valley would be the way to go.  

[Rubyslippahz]

Katie is just so very SMUG. 

Actually the word describes a LOT of the cast these days.  They have gotten really comfortable with their roles in the Vanderpump/Bravo/social media universe.  Part of why they go after James, Raquel and Billie so hard is that the rest of them seem to have some kind of pact to not really rock each other's boats TOO hard.  I do give props to Sandoval and Ariana because they are really not into the group-think as vigorously as the other fools.

Next week I predict much more smuggy smugness with that wonderful couple, Beau and Stassi.  I'm sure their wedding is slated for Season 9 at the latest...

Edited May 15, 2019 by Rubyslippahz

[becauseIsaidso]

kristin and stassi should be thanking their collective lucky stars for James. Without him, and the vitriol they continually spew in his direction, (thereby ratcheting up his value TV-drama-draw-wise) they would have absolutely nothing to add to the show - their own other-than-picking-on-James lives have zero relevance to anything view-worthy. I am amazed they are still on camera. I know kristin realizes this with every desperate screech she utters. stassi is far too narcissistically dumb to get a clue. 

I say, dump Jax, brit, stassi, kristin and khatie and bring in some fresh, nubile, young meat for the rest to angst over.

I shudder to think of the fresh hell Raquel will have flung at her by khatie - for whom I really hope it becomes a well deserved, long time coming, exit story.

[Carolina Girl]

4 minutes ago, becauseIsaidso said:

kristin and stassi should be thanking their collective lucky stars for James. Without him, and the vitriol they continually spew in his direction, (thereby ratcheting up his value TV-drama-draw-wise) they would have absolutely nothing to add to the show - their own other-than-picking-on-James lives have zero relevance to anything view-worthy. I am amazed they are still on camera. I know kristin realizes this with every desperate screech she utters. stassi is far too narcissistically dumb to get a clue. 

I say, dump Jax, brit, stassi, kristin and khatie and bring in some fresh, nubile, young meat for the rest to angst over.

I shudder to think of the fresh hell Raquel will have flung at her by khatie - for whom I really hope it becomes a well deserved, long time coming, exit story.

I'm curious - did that book by Stassi ever get published?  

[ButterQueen]

On 5/13/2019 at 9:48 PM, whydoievencare said:

OMG, Brittney has the absolute worst laugh.

I find her totally obnoxious.  She’s making a huge mistake too.

[ivygirl]

58 minutes ago, Carolina Girl said:

I'm curious - did that book by Stassi ever get published?  

Yep it was released a couple weeks ago. NYT bestseller. 

[becauseIsaidso]

On ‎5‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 4:17 PM, Yours Truly said:

I have a problem with Lisa telling him he HAS to be sober. I mean no one has the right to diagnose someone else as an alcoholic then prescribe mandatory treatment (Minus a judge/courts). It's a personal journey and to be honest labeling people alcoholics is a trend that I hate with a passion.  People drink excessively and people self medicate and people go through rough years etc. etc. but ultimately people need to figure out their own relationship with alcohol and go from there. I think there's a difference between being an alcoholic/ addict and having a drinking problem. That's just me. I in no way claim this to be some scientific theory of any relevance.

I just don't think everyone is a alcoholic. I think people have issues with restraint, trial and error and impulse control and some people are alcoholics. It's up to the individual to figure out where they may fall and then take the appropriate measures at some point. Some may just outgrow the foolishness, some may let priorities in life steer them away from indulgence, some may find the basic, work, life, social drinker balance, some may just lose the taste for the lifestyle and some may need to seek hardcore help.

James obviously doesn't feel like he needs to lead a completely alcohol free life so quizzing him on his alcohol intake shouldn't really be some gotcha moment. I think James is immature and irresponsible and that irresponsibility carries over into his drinking and partying.  James has said he has cut back on drinking but it's obvious he doesn't want to commit to 100% sober lifestyle. That doesn't make him an alcoholic that just makes him a guy in his 20's that doesn't want to stop drinking or partying. Them trying to turn his resistant to swearing off alcohol into proof that he is an alcoholic is just plain shameful.  

The most I feel Lisa has the right to do is demand James doesn't drink when doing a job which ummmm is pretty much standard operating procedure. Of course Lisa can personally make the request that he stop drinking full stop but I think it's shitty.  Either give him another chance or don't. I have no problem with Lisa not trusting him with a job. He messed up and has to pay the consequences but I don't like Lisa dangling a job at James as an attempt to get him to do something he's not ready to do. 

Excellent. Best assessment of the 'James' situation I've seen.

[snarts]

8 hours ago, Carolina Girl said:

I thought it was mentioned elsewhere that Sandoval and Ariana's house was over $1,000,000 easy.

Tom & Ariana $2M https://www.bravotv.com/vanderpump-rules/home-design/tour-tom-sandoval-ariana-madix-new-home-photos

Schwartz & Katie https://www.bravotv.com/vanderpump-rules/home-design/tom-schwartz-katie-maloney-schwartz-new-house-full-view

Jax & Britney https://www.bravotv.com/vanderpump-rules/home-design/jax-taylor-brittany-cartwright-buys-home-photos

Kristen https://www.bravotv.com/vanderpump-rules/home-design/kristen-doutes-new-home-photos

Scheana - Palm Springs https://www.bravotv.com/vanderpump-rules/home-design/scheana-shay-buys-palm-springs-vacation-home

[HouseofBeck]

On 5/14/2019 at 9:54 AM, bichonblitz said:

I think Jax will be faithful for a couple of years. They will be busy with the new house and making babies immediately. After all the excitement dies down and Brit hasn't lost the remaining 20-30 pregnancy pounds and Jax forgets how Brit was by his side when his dad died so he owes her his undying gratitude is when Jax will start to stray. Brit will stay with him, too, because as she said at her engagement speech " I will never give up on this maaaannnn"!   

Another poster had brought up Brit's future extra poundage from having kids and what it'll mean for her relationship. Speaking generally (not targeted at you or anyone else here), I find this sentiment disheartening, both due to the pressure women who have children seem to be immediately under to lose weight while trying to raise and nurture a whole entire new human being, and also because Jax cheats on all sizes. Brittany's weight and shape aren't going to matter. 

And I don't even like most of these people anymore. Though I'd watch a Stassi/Katie spinoff. 

[Ubiquitous]

5 hours ago, ghoulina said:

Yes! He had been car shopping all day, damnit. Can't you two wait and do it in the bathroom of the club. Sheesh. 

I thought FI Tom was peeved about having to drive and not join them.

[bichonblitz]

1 hour ago, HouseofBeck said:

Another poster had brought up Brit's future extra poundage from having kids and what it'll mean for her relationship. Speaking generally (not targeted at you or anyone else here), I find this sentiment disheartening, both due to the pressure women who have children seem to be immediately under to lose weight while trying to raise and nurture a whole entire new human being, and also because Jax cheats on all sizes. Brittany's weight and shape aren't going to matter. 

It's really about how Jax would handle Brit not losing pregnancy pounds. Not a diss at Britney or anybody else that has extra pounds to lose (myself included). He's a vain asshole and in the past when she did gain some weight he made a big deal about how she wasn't attractive anymore and he felt differently about her. He really got obnoxious about it in their Kentucky spinoff. The jerk even complained to her dad about it which gave her dad another reason not to like him. Of course, all of this was before his dad died. Now he's a changed man. For a while. 

[Mr. Miner]

13 hours ago, Ubiquitous said:

I thought FI Tom was peeved about having to drive and not join them.

I don't think he was invited. :-)

[FozzyBear]

19 hours ago, Ubiquitous said:

I thought FI Tom was peeved about having to drive and not join them.

I thought so too, but I still don’t understand. Why couldn’t they have just gone to one of their apartments? Does Ariana/Lala sex only exist in motion?

[Rubyslippahz]

18 hours ago, bichonblitz said:

It's really about how Jax would handle Brit not losing pregnancy pounds. Not a diss at Britney or anybody else that has extra pounds to lose (myself included). He's a vain asshole and in the past when she did gain some weight he made a big deal about how she wasn't attractive anymore and he felt differently about her. He really got obnoxious about it in their Kentucky spinoff. The jerk even complained to her dad about it which gave her dad another reason not to like him. Of course, all of this was before his dad died. Now he's a changed man. For a while. 

This - I watched the Kentucky spinoff (sad to say) and he was absolutely HARPING on Brit's weight gain (which honestly, she didn't look too different compared to how she does now) to her RELATIVES!  His euphemism was that she had 'lost her spark', by sitting on the couch too much and not prancing around at her Hooters job like she was when they met.

The idea of going through pregnancy, birth, and childraising with the likes of Jax Taylor (I mean, 'Jason Cauchi' or whatever his alter ego is) is pretty harrowing.  Good luck Brit.

[princelina]

20 hours ago, HouseofBeck said:

Another poster had brought up Brit's future extra poundage from having kids and what it'll mean for her relationship. Speaking generally (not targeted at you or anyone else here), I find this sentiment disheartening, both due to the pressure women who have children seem to be immediately under to lose weight while trying to raise and nurture a whole entire new human being, and also because Jax cheats on all sizes. Brittany's weight and shape aren't going to matter. 

But because he's a sociopath he will blame her and use it for an excuse.

20 hours ago, Ubiquitous said:

I thought FI Tom was peeved about having to drive and not join them.

Nah - he said he just wanted a beer 😄 

[Higgins]

On ‎5‎/‎15‎/‎2019 at 12:54 PM, chenoa333 said:

I wish I could remember the name of the PT poster who gave Brittany the last name of Gump 😁 It's perfect!

And Brittany's stupid remark (something like) "I've always wanted to be married ever since I was a little girl".  Go back to Kentucky and marry one of your uncles. Better chance of the marriage surviving than with Jax and his perpetual wandering penis.

Marry her uncle? Is that a Kentucky joke?

[chenoa333]

52 minutes ago, Higgins said:

Marry her uncle? Is that a Kentucky joke?

NO. It's a Jax joke.

[Stiggs]

58 minutes ago, Higgins said:

Marry her uncle? Is that a Kentucky joke?

Yeah, hillbillies are easy targets. I've learned to (mostly) ignore that shit over the years...

As usual with this group, there's so much yelling at the reunion I really don't like any of them right now, except maybe Stassi. She didn't annoy me as much as the rest. 

I'd say they all have levels of delusion, but LaLa and James might take the cake. He thinks he's some sort of magic DJ and she thinks MyMan's non-fofty $ will last forever. There were moments last season where I liked LaLa, but she lost me this season. 

As for the grief wars...man, I've been there. The rage is always simmering, and it is weird and makes you think and do weird things, but it is NEVER an excuse to treat people like shit. EVER. And LaLa seems to think she's entitled to it. 

[Misslindsey]

On 5/14/2019 at 1:41 PM, Otherkate said:

Next week, camera-hungry clown Bo shows up to aw-shucks-I'm-such-a-good-guy-how-did -I-end-up-in-this-mess-golly-gee-willickers himself around the stage?

I just love this description so much. 

Can anyone tell me who actually works at SUR when they are not filming?

[SunnyBeBe]

I've been catching these reunion shows, but, also caught some of the special How Did They Get here, since, I'm not a regular viewer.  I can't even imagine actually eating in an establishment where these people work, but, anyway, I was surprised to see that several of the ladies seem to be quite a bit larger than when they first appeared on the show.  Maybe, they've just had their face enlarged with various chemicals or procedures, but, there is a definite difference. Also, maybe lots of fluid retention.   ?? I'm a little surprised that they don't seem to notice or care........I'm not referring to Brittany either. 

Since James is no longer working for LVP, is he still on payroll at Bravo?

[HunterHunted]

@SunnyBeBe James is still a member of the cast even though he doesn't work for one of LVP's establishments. The same is true of Stassi and Kristen who quit and were fired from SUR respectively. Kristen is basically the person who is the model for how to stay on the show even though you don't work for Lisa. Stassi quit at the end of season 2, but Lisa likes Stassi even though she was ticked off at Stassi's behavior at the time. Kristen was fired in season 3. Lisa genuinely dislikes Kristen. It's very clear that production had no intention of cutting Kristen from the cast. Whereas there wasn't the same confidence in how they filmed Stassi in season 3 after she quit. To a certain extent, it feels like she's been downgraded a bit by the producers.

Many people's metabolism slows down as they enter their thirties. A bunch of the cast gained weight over the seasons just because of that and no one gained more than Jax who gained almost 50 pounds between season 1 and season 6. Additionally one of the biggest reasons that the cast has gained weight is because of the changes in their finances. These people were dead broke in the first couple of seasons. They didn't have much disposable income. They really did have to work long hours as servers and bartenders and the show only paid them $5,000 for season 1. I think they only got $10K or $15K for season 2. In season 3, their salaries jumped up to $15K per episode. So they were so thin in seasons 1 and 2 because they were broke and starving.

[LibertarianSlut]

I agree with @SunnyBeBe that some women's appearances seems larger.

Out of the women, I'm just going to guess who seems larger by process of elimination and what I observed too.  I know you said you weren't talking about Brittney, and I agree.  Brittney seems to have gained, then lost, so she looks to me like she's about net even now that she's getting married.  Maybe she's a few pounds heavier than when she arrived on the show and interviewed for SUR in a handkerchief. (I wouldn't be surprised if she got married and gained weight back, but I could be wrong).

Ariana looks the same to me. Lala gained a bit of muscle in her lower body, but she's something of a newbie, so I'm not sure she counts, and Scheana lost a ton of weight since this show started.

That leaves Stassi, Kristen and Katie.  Katie's obviously gained weight and she speaks about it publicly.  She says it's because of her metabolism.  I think Stassi gained some weight, like 10 lbs, but I think her face just makes her look bigger for some reason.  If it's fillers...that's sad.  I don't find it very attractive.  Though, to be fair, I've never found her very attractive in the face.

Did Kristen gain weight?  Did I miss anyone?  I am honestly asking, because I never see old episodes of this show, and I am curious.

On 5/17/2019 at 5:17 PM, HunterHunted said:

Many people's metabolism slows down as they enter their thirties. A bunch of the cast gained weight over the seasons just because of that and no one gained more than Jax who gained almost 50 pounds between season 1 and season 6. Additionally one of the biggest reasons that the cast has gained weight is because of the changes in their finances. These people were dead broke in the first couple of seasons. They didn't have much disposable income. They really did have to work long hours as servers and bartenders and the show only paid them $5,000 for season 1. I think they only got $10K or $15K for season 2. In season 3, their salaries jumped up to $15K per episode. So they were so thin in seasons 1 and 2 because they were broke and starving.

I do agree with the first part--that it's most definitely a question of metabolism slowing down.  Katie has said that, when she came on the show, she was 24, she was a runner, etc., and she just couldn't keep up that weight, and she doesn't care; she loves her body.  I think that when Stassi came onto this show, she was also really nervous and worked really hard on her body.  Before the show started, Stassi was not skinny the way she was in season one.  I think she made her body what it needed to be at the time. When she left the show to be with Patrick, I definitely think she relaxed a little, and then never really became super-skinny again after that.  

I'm not sure I agree at all that any of these women or any cast members gained weight because they didn't have enough money to buy food in earlier seasons.  I think there was probably some purposeful starving going on, but not because they were too broke to afford food.  Often, the least expensive food is high-calorie.  A bag of rice and a bag of potatoes is several times over cheaper than fresh veggies and steaks.  A cup or two of rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner would be between 900 and 1,800 calories a day, and a huge bag would last several days and not cost more than $10.  Eighteen hundred calories a day is not going to make most people starve.  I doubt too many of them eat 1,800 calories a day now. 

A less extreme example is that many fast food establishments have $1 menus. The overconsumption of carbohydrates has been identified as a reason that poor people are often overweight and obese.   Working at SUR, it's hard to imagine that their tips wouldn't be good enough to allow them to eat somewhat well, as long as they were willing to plan and hit the grocery store every few days.  And if they were somehow hovering at the poverty line, they would be eligible for food stamps in California.  I think if it was a question of not being able to afford food, we would have seen them scarfing down in literal feast-or-famine mode when the show sent them to Vegas and in all likelihood paid for their food.  

I think that, out of the people identified in the original post--women on this cast who gained weight since the beginning--we only have Katie and Stassi that I could identify (and, again, if I'm wrong, please, someone point it out).  I think that they are unique in that gaining fame actually allowed them some freedom to gain weight.  In the beginning, when they were doing that SUR calendar, I think a SUR waitress was expected to look a certain way, or she could forget certain opportunities, and that went double once the TV cameras went up.

Now that they have fame, and they have showed they are valuable in providing entertainment to the masses, they are not as dispensable and they don't have to stay as thin as they used to.  I agree that it's counterintuitive, as most women lose a lot of weight and keep it off when they become famous.  Although I have noticed women of other casts--like RHOA--have gained weight en masse (no pun intended), while women of other shows, like RHNYC, wouldn't be caught dead gaining weight.  Most of the other HW's lose weight, with noticeable exceptions.  So there may be some X factor going on that I'm not aware of...

The idea of weight loss and gain and how it corresponds to fame on this show reminds me a little of the movie Bride Wars, when Kate Hudson and Ann Hathaway were nobodies purchasing Vera Wang wedding dresses, and the sales woman told them that they better not gain any weight, as a woman is expected to fit her body to Vera Wang, and not the other way around.

With these women, the SUR dresses were the Vera Wang dresses that they had to fit, and now that they're famous in their own right, the SUR dresses will be re-sown or re-ordered to fit them (and I say this metaphorically, as Stassi doesn't work there anymore.  The show will re adapt to fit them and fewer people can make demands about their appearances/sizes now that they're too famous to be expendable, if that makes more sense) IMO.

Edited May 18, 2019 by LibertarianSlut
Grammar

[ninjago]

4 hours ago, LibertarianSlut said:

I think her face just makes her look bigger for some reason.

Stassi had a chin implant when she was 18.  I think she naturally has a weak jawline and she gains weight in her face, giving her a soft, nearly double chin.

[HouseofBeck]

12 hours ago, LibertarianSlut said:

-snip-

With these women, the SUR dresses were the Vera Wang dresses that they had to fit, and now that they're famous in their own right, the SUR dresses will be re-sown or re-ordered to fit them (and I say this metaphorically, as Stassi doesn't work there anymore.  The show will re adapt to fit them and fewer people can make demands about their appearances/sizes now that they're too famous to be expendable, if that makes more sense) IMO.

I like that. Let it be okay to see all sizes. 

Any fillers/other laboratory substances, well, it seems to have taken a firm grip with some (all?) of them. Preventative Botox!!

[princelina]

On 5/17/2019 at 3:56 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

I've been catching these reunion shows, but, also caught some of the special How Did They Get here, since, I'm not a regular viewer.  I can't even imagine actually eating in an establishment where these people work, but, anyway, I was surprised to see that several of the ladies seem to be quite a bit larger than when they first appeared on the show.  Maybe, they've just had their face enlarged with various chemicals or procedures, but, there is a definite difference. Also, maybe lots of fluid retention.   ?? I'm a little surprised that they don't seem to notice or care........I'm not referring to Brittany either. 

Since James is no longer working for LVP, is he still on payroll at Bravo?

I haven't seen the earlier seasons either, except for some reruns, but I did see the original "How Did They Get Here" and the girls from the original did say they were skinny then because they were poor and couldn't afford food.  I'm pretty sure "couldn't afford" meant that they spent the money they had on drink and drugs over food - but anyways that's what they said 🙂

[eleanorofaquitaine]

I am really uncomfortable with the examination of weight. In my view, they all look fine and even if they did fit some definition of overweight, they'd still all look fine.

[SunnyBeBe]

11 hours ago, princelina said:

I haven't seen the earlier seasons either, except for some reruns, but I did see the original "How Did They Get Here" and the girls from the original did say they were skinny then because they were poor and couldn't afford food.  I'm pretty sure "couldn't afford" meant that they spent the money they had on drink and drugs over food - but anyways that's what they said 🙂

I get it. It's just that when I have been low on cash I was more prone to eat things that weren't that healthy like Ramon noodles, hot dogs, Chinese, pizza, etc.  Cheap, but, it'll pack on pounds. With more money came the better foods like grilled salmon, steamed veggies, fresh fruit.  lol 

Edited May 20, 2019 by SunnyBeBe

[ghoulina]

5 hours ago, eleanorofaquitaine said:

I am really uncomfortable with the examination of weight. In my view, they all look fine and even if they did fit some definition of overweight, they'd still all look fine.

Agreed. I certainly don't look the exact same as I did 7 years ago. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Beverly Hills is a very self promoting, critical venue.  And, so is this show.  The cast all seem quite proud of their bodies.  That's true.  I just don't think they look as good as they think they do. 

Edited May 20, 2019 by SunnyBeBe

[Ubiquitous]

12 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Beverly Hills is a very self promoting, critical venue.  And, so is this show.  The cast all seem quite proud of their bodies.  That's true.  I just don't think they look as good as they think they do. 

I remember people saying that during the first season!