Is this the face of the Toaster-oven and Toaster-oven Cookbook Soup Nazi?

Sad really, because demand for toaster-ovens and toaster-oven recipes is reaching an overwhelming demand, and only Sonja Morgan's meticulously, made-in-the-USA, cheese-melting, broiling, machine will fill the desire. Surveys of my own acquaintances have revealed that the world thinks of Sonja and her disappointing non-production of toaster-ovens, and toaster-oven recipes, every time we perform an unsatisfactory cheese-melt in a (sorry I hope that no one is eating)-microwave. Yes, microwaved melted cheese has lost just about every fan that it ever had. And I blame Sonja for that as well.

Sonja addresses the lack-of progress with the toaster that everyone has been waiting-for in her Bravo (here) blog for this week, and she acknowledges that her motion picture lawsuit and her other financial objectives are influencing her activities. So I think it is safe to say that what'shername's husband was only acting, (scripted)-like he thinks that Sonja is a fool.

  " I'm not afraid of making mistakes. I'm afraid of making the same mistake twice."-Sonja

About that new-fangled, hammock-style yoga? Bad-timing that this episode aired this week after the recent circus accident in the news. Still-it looks like fun, but PLEASE wear HELMETS. And a yoga-mat isn't going to be a thick-enough "safe-landing" when we try this at home-is it?

Survey also says, everyone wants to go to The Berkshires, if only to avoid running-into the likes of Ramona.

Sonja appeared on Watch What Happens Live as Andy's guest, and I noticed that when Andy Cohen pronounced "Sonja-rhymes-with phone-ya", it didn't bother me like it does when Ramona says it. I was also glad to hear a caller from NJ, pronounce it as "sON-ya" (rhymes-with on ya)--when addressing Ms. Morgan, and Sonja answers to BOTH versions without insisting on a correction.

Sonja also responded enthusiastically, and positively to a WWHL caller who hinted that Sonja's "brand" was approaching the reputation of Grey Gardens-type of style. Sonja embraced the question as a compliment, and indicated that Edith Bouvier Beale is one of her heros. Yes, Sonja has done her homework alright, but at what point does it become a problem, to hoard-away the long-anticipated toaster oven and recipe book from the hungry masses? Despite the gossip and smack-talk being done about Sonja by her friends and frenemies, no one else has come-forward to fill the toaster-oven need that Sonja has created, so I'm going to keep waiting 'till she's good and ready to show us what she's got.

Is it just me or does this season feel like someone is missing?

Maybe I'm talking-about the OC wives? Yes, actually THAT is who I'm thinking-about in the title of this post.(as Emily Litella would say, "nevermind". You are OLD like me if you get that one-sorry).----hang-on, it's going to take me a minute to warm-up here.
It HAS been awhile since I've blogged!
No-I have NOT been diagnosed with adult ADD-(and if saying-that generates any weird ads for the condition in my sidebar, I do NOT endorse any ads that happen to appear on this blog unless I say so). still warming-up...#PN-("playing now"-as they say on Twitter), well due to the recent publicity featuring Paul Simon, I had a yen for some Simon and Garfunkel-so if you want to know what I'm listening-to while I ATTEMPT to get on-topic hehe, here you.....

There's more but You-Tube/Blogger wouldn't let me post the long-playing index. Oops just switched to Pink Floyd, "Wish You Were Here", oh well, I'm listening to some nice music. I really DO have a few things to say about this season on The Real Housewives of NYC. I think I'm going to do the run-down "mean-girls"/burn-book style, as a list.
Starting-with the NYC Housewives that I think that I have the least to talk-about, and then get into the current ladies and plot-lines that have attracted my interest so far.

• Jill Zarin
---Miss her on the show, on Bravo-TV. 

• Bethanny
---Now that the pressure is off and her talk show has been cancelled, I've noticed an improvement. That entrepreneur feature is a really good segment, and with the enormous popularity of ABC's Shark-Tank , I think she has a great gimmick with that. 

• Simon and Alex
--Would LOVE to see these two back on Bravo or The Real Housewives.

Is this thing on? Jeeeez. I barely remember how to BLOG, -just switched tunes to some Skynyrd, (had to code a little HTML there for that list old-skool-style, so I needed something a little more bad-ass.) Any ex-RealHousewives not mentioned don't really matter to me. Although now that I think about it, I wonder how that one who wanted to delete everyone's pubic hair is doing? But-I don't care enough to find-out right now.--

So-. That leaves us with this season's cast:

• Ramona
--yeah, I don't really care for her. Not much to see there imo. I'll grudgingly give her a little respect for turning "crazy eyes" into her brand, 'cause that took some guts, but that's it. You know what I HATE about Ramona the worst? Its the way that she pronounces "Mario". As anyone reading this probably knows, I'm a JERSEY GIRL. Now if I had a husband named "Mario"-there is only ONE correct way to say it: rhymes with "fairy"'O, (don't even try going there, NO pun intended), like in the video game, the "MARIO Brothers". NOT-"MARio-where it rhymes-with "far"eeeooo"......what kind-of pretentious BS is that? The cheating scandal is just a little bit intriguing only because we know that it happened while the show was taping. (allegedly? OR is this a fake-out of the Tori and Dean variety?). Sick because we can all imagine Bravo Andy rubbing his hands together when Page Six jumps on the bandwagon with dirt about the Wives.

• Aviva
I still like her. The trip to revisit her trauma was a little much and too transparently scripted, but I just like her AND her fake-leg AND the fact that she has turned her fake-leg, (oops I mean "prosthetic"-leg-but I don't know how to spell that)-into the fifth or sixth NY Housewife. Believe me, if those scenes had been any less-scripted, I think that we could ALL be traumatized. So the fakeness there protected everyone, (I hope), from too much intensity. I like Aviva and her family, AND her leg. Not so much her icky Dad, but points for dealing with his crap on tv too because he's her dad and unconditional love can be a bitch sometimes. Don't any of you DARE say a bad word about Aviva-she just might be my favorite NY Wife-OK?

• Sonja
--She's my girl Sonja cannot do anything wrong. She's that good. She knows exactly how to play reality-TV and keep it entertaining. Oh yeah--I also can't stand the way that Ramona says, "Sone-ya"--rhymes-with "phone-ya", I prefer rhymes-with "on"-ya. I guess I really just don't like much about Ramona or the way that she pronounces words? And Mario always looks kind-of gross to me. WHY AREN'T THEY JUST GONE?

oh dear. Sorry about that. And that leaves the two women of NYC Housewives that were interesting to me after this week's episode. And I cannot believe I am saying this ha ha. Heather and Carole. Yep----I even memorized how to spell "Radziwill" It seems that Carole wants us to know that she is a Wikipedian. Some of you guys know that I am one too. So I Wikipedia'd the heck out of her this week. Yep, she wasn't lying (see the talk page connected to her article (link)). I even watched her page get vandalized-(and back again) and did a little editing on some of her topics myself. (I stopped myself before I got too far into Lithuanian Royalty-those editors who specialize-in and watch royalty topics are just too bitchy for me, especially after the big blow-out over the Jahi McMath topic, and the Raw Milk article where I innocently tried to help the project but --I know now when to not even go there.)

So I learned that
Carole has an extensive background in the News and Documentary genre. And she's digging-in for a sophomore season of Housewives. Hmmm. She bares watching if-only for the idea that she could be the ULTIMATE LOOSE CANNON! of reality television that we need. Why else would someone with a credible, somewhat respectable, (OK-relatively speaking here), professional reputation, infiltrate reality television???????? WHY? She COULD be the secret-agent that we've all been waiting-for. If not, she's boring.  

Heather. First of all-she gets a pass in my book for dealing with a very sick child. I was surprized to learn more about her legal issues this week. Mentioned on the show that she is involved in a legal-prob. with competitor Spanx©. THAT issue proved to be very interesting. I called Heather a "patent troll" on Twitter, and someone got back to me right away to correct me. No-she's not exactly the definition of a patent troll since Heather actually produces and sells her garments. But the skirmish has been noticed in the fashion industry-where as we all know being a "copycat" is business as usual. What was even MORE interesting, and why I (maybe a little incorrectly), name-called Heather, was that in reading the cease and desist letter posted from Heather to:Spanx©--it was revealed that Heather SUCCESSFULLY settled a PREVIOUS patent claim against Maidenform for SIX-PLUS+ MEEEEELLLIIION dolla$-(rhymes-with HOLLA! and yes I LIKE how she annoys everyone with that)
.
----So, respect to the smart ladies in this season's cast.
I forgot about LuAnne and Jacques. Oh-well, they are boring so far too. I think that LuAnne needs to maybe become gay for real or something? I'd like to see her break-out-because I do like her and respect her work, but she just plays it too too safe in my opinion.
THANK-YOU for reading this! Sorry if I offended anyone with my opinions spelling or grammar. I guess that's it for now. I DO have more to say, but I've been saying MOST of it in 140 or less lately on Twitter. I didn't even get into that Cray-Cray family with the "metrosexual" dad and "Miss Carolina-WHAT?" Momma-and yes they are outrageous for being on television. DID THEY NOT WATCH THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW JERSEY? I see problems for them ahead. BROUGHT TO YOU BY LYNYRD SKYNARD live from Asbury Park NJ 1977 http://youtu.be/QoEZa5oG4b4?t=57m26s

I'm going to post this on Twitter-probably more than once so that any and everyone who would be interested has a chance to read it. And yes I gave a Celebrity Blogger crap earlier for doing that and yeah I was off-base, wrong, and I am humbled that my apology was accepted. -bye for now hope I can update more often. I am also becoming the SOUP NAZI of blogging lol-"No blog for you".

Princesses of Long Island Are Bad For The Jews! (and humanity as well)

The only blog that I've read today about last night's premiere of Princesses of Long Island, was Ilana Angel's (link here) Keeping It Real, in The Jewish Journal. I don't think that she liked it either. She mentioned several times how embarrassing these people were to her personally as a Jewish person.

I'm not a Jew, but I am a woman, and a human-being, and thanks to Bravo, they made us ALL look bad.
Last night on Watch What Happens Live, Andy Cohen didn't have much to say at all about the "princesses", (lower-cases "p" intended!)-but he did manage to squeeze-out a grimace when he mentioned that the program had aired.

As I was thinking of a title for this post, I thought about what Ilana had said in her blog, and Andy's trademark© game, "Good for the Jews, or Bad for the Jews?", came to mind. (Hmmm--did Andy get some crap for that game? I haven't seen that gimmick in a very long time.)

Maybe Andy's telling but silent facial gesture was his way of biting his tongue, because if there were ever perfect candidates to win the "Bad for the Jews"-game, it would be the Princesses of Long Island.
Why? Because. Like Ilana Angel, who hails from the West somewhere near Hollywood-land or LA, I live in an area of the country-(East Coast), that counts Jewish people as part of the population of people that I come in contact with every day. It was a culture shock for me when I learned that the rest of the US is not as fortunate as I am when it comes to diversity. (Uh-oh, now I'm starting to sound like what irritated me most about these self-titled royalty!-Bragging about my blessings.).
And maybe that is what rubbed me the wrong way about this show? No, it wasn't exactly the braggadocio. It was that combined with the attitude that their good fortune somehow made them better than everyone else.
But Ilana is right to wonder if last night's freak-show could be what someone in the majority of the country thinks are stereotypical Jewish families, because most people don't have a "real life" example. And since I live in New Jersey, I know how that feels when it comes to Reality television examples lol.

Ashlee White,(her Twitter-I think?) who in my opinion doesn't deserve the bandwidth that it takes to type her name, was quick on the Twit to issue an "apology" for her disastrous introduction. It's clear that she has "issues", and in scenes of episodes to come, (oh please God let Bravo kill this series early so I don't have to accidentally watch more episodes and actually like her), we see that she is an actual hot mess. Her female "Napoleon Syndrome" is apparent, but there are revelations of emotional problems promised along-with the physical ailments alluded-to on her Twitter timeline.  Her timeline was shady too, with an apology for being "hacked"-(I didn't see the "hacked" Tweets darn it and they've been deleted), a reference to her surviving two strokes and a diagnoses of Lupus, and the general impression that being on TV was her main ambition in life. If she weren't so petite, I think she would have thanked "all the little people"-but her own shortcomings, (I could not resist I'm sorry), and the personal challenges that accompany her stature, probably stopped her short there. (OK-no more of that I promise).

Here's what I'm sure was a pre-planned apology for how she came-across:

copied from Twitter

The "Freeport" scene was where she had what looked like a panic-attack where she unloaded a diaper-full of verbal diarrhea to her Daddy via cell-phone, (yes-she was driving.)-while going to visit her '"less fortunate""-(the double quotation marks are for sarcasm!)--friend in the ""Ghetto"" of Freeport.
A pretty face explaining-away her ugly behavior. And it's too bad about her dad too, because although he was lovable at first, his own faux-puax of encouraging his daughter's insanely incorrect, (and obviously politically incorrect), BS, disgusted me.

So by this time the viewers have had it hammered into our brains that the area of Long Island that the "princesses" reside in is what the rest of us wretched huddled ghetto-dwelling, metal-fence with that HORRIBLE "green-plastic-stuff" masses call "where the rich people live". And where Reality Television, Bravo-watchers especially call, "where are the bankruptcy files posted?"-area.

Yes there are promises of schadenfreude, (and yes I still have to look that one up), but this particular section of Long Island does not appear to be the transient Real Housewives of New Jersey McMansion, ready to float-away with the next hurricane, or financial fraud committed to keeping an expensive-looking roof over one's head. Although condescension and superiority towards other people is usually a mistake of the classless nouveau riche, this train-wreck waiting to happen, looks more like exactly what Bravo promised us it was. Just a bunch of over-grown, unmarried single woman. With a little of what one Twitterer called "the Jets vs. the Sharks"-Long Island style.


Comcast made the first episode of this available On Demand before it premiered and I happened to catch someone watching it just as I was alerting them to the time of the premiere. I told them that I could not watch it with them at that time because I intended to watch it when it aired. This pre-viewer said that they were already half-way through watching it, and that I had to see this one girl's fiance' because there had been an astonishing GAYDAR all-points-spoiler being issued.


When someone tells me that their GAYDAR has been activated, I pay attention, if only to see if mine is calibrated accurately. "Hmmm. If you say so." I said. Yeah, he seemed a little "swishy", but what do I know?
By the time that the show was airing, I was already hot & heavy on my Twitter timeline and I had to issue my own re-TWaction (here's my Twitter) of sorts. For a minute there I thought that I had outed this guy on Twitter, so I followed-up with an, "I'm just repeating what someone else said"-Tweet to try and cover my butt there.

I really did feel bad about that for a second, and I probably will never do that again. When I hit send with my borrowed observation,

 "#PRINCESSES Amanda your boyfriend is gay. That's fine but you know that right?"

--I was convinced of it myself for some reason, and it was right after my beloved Atlantic City was also "royally" insulted during this show. I actually have the worst GAYDAR and I never guess about someone's sexual persuasion. Unless someone is officially OOTC, (out of the closet), I just never go there, but this guy, and this show, were kind of asking for it in my opinion. After I issued my next post where I took back what I said, I noticed that so many other Tweeters were also "outing"-Jeff Hoffman that his girlfriend, princess Amanda had a Tweet of her own which said something like,

   "Dude-stop telling me that my fiance is gay!!! He's not!"

-Jeff Hoffman-

OK. I also gleaned from Amanda's timeline that her not-gay fiance is the dead-ringer look-alike brother of that weaselly actor from Suits and other productions Rick Hoffman.  

Amanda already has her own Facebook Fan-Page set-up. What is there to like? No one even knows who she is. She's only been "on display" for one episode!

After the experience that was viewing this crap-fest, which came directly after watching the season premiere of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, and having fun watching the fur-fly on Twitter, where I had proclaimed that I would strictly be Hate-watching Season 5 of RHONJ, I just didn't know how much hate I could digest for the next umpteen Sunday nights. I could be wrong, but I think that these two shows are scheduled back-to-back for the entire season(s). It might be too much. The Real Housewives of New Jersey is pretty detestable, but Princesses of Long Island is completely unworthy of my spite at this point.

Sure they made an attempt at a plot, but unless the entire thing is a joke, (something I wonder more and more about Bravo's offerings), I don't need to get more infuriated than I've already committed myself for.
They ended episode one with a battle royal fight cliff-hanger of course. Ilana noticed something that I didn't see in the scene. One of the main characters in the fight appeared without nail polish, yet when seen from another angle, her nails were polished. Who stops in the middle of a big dramatic scene, (literally haha)-to polish there nails, and wait for them to dry? Only someone waiting for the crew to come back for lunch so that they can finish acting in a scene.

Like Real Old Housewife, (who I missed on Twitter last night) has said, why should I invest myself in believing that there is anything worth commenting on if Bravo doesn't have enough respect for the viewers to come clean about how scripted their shows are? Taking the scripts from West Side Story, and Fiddler on The Roof, throwing them in a blender and assembling the cast and crew on Long Island is an interesting idea. For drama. Pretending that it's reality is something sinister.

I'm pretty sure that I will not be watching any more episodes of Princesses..., unless Bravo officially let's us all in on the joke that it is. And soon. I may give them one more chance to blow my already hate-filled mind, but that's it. (Unless it gets really good somehow ;)).

Fake Fake Fake! I'm calling FAKE on Sex Video!

I like to check TMZ.Com, and I even leave the channel on if the television show happens to come on.
Of course I like to read the comments too. This "Teen Mom" porn story has been intriguing me lately.

I would guess that about 70% of the comments posted comment on the girl's looks. "Face of a camel", and "Horse face", seem to be the consensus. (ooh that's mean!)

But what REALLY gets to me is that almost everyone agrees that there IS a sexporn-video. The "evidence" of the existence is pretty cheesy if you ask me. Just a dumb photo of the two actors in question holding -hands, and all the "gossip"/SPIN-about an "alleged" production.

Another comment that I have seen, and yes I researched it and NO it does not appear to be true, and yes I even Tweeted @Tmz to ask (me):"Your commenters say that Vivid entertainment has a financial interest in TMZ. Is it true?".....so far no answer. But it does not appear like there is an ownership interest between the two companys.

Vivid Entertainment is the adult entertainment company who distributes a lot of the celebrity, (yes, including the famous Kim K, porn. And they are, (according to this strange story), the company who Teen Mom "HIRED"?????

wait a minute. Yeah, the most recent update to this story now has Teen Mom PRODUCING PORN! I don't know how the pornographic movie industry works, but wouldn't this be like an actor calling-up oh say Universal Pictures, and saying,

"Hi, I want to produce, and star in a movie using your studio." -random actor

Yeah, it just doesn't work like that does it? But THAT is what this Teen Mom is now saying. She is claiming that she PAID to have VIVID ENTERTAINMENT record her sex video, and that she HIRED a professional porno actor as her co-star.

The hired-hand has been quoted regarding this as saying that he is NOT a prostitute! I'm sorry but that is utter garbage as well! He was referencing the "alleged" sex-video that he allegedly was HIRED to perform-in. Hired to perform sex-acts. That is the definition of prostitution. Its all so ABSURD!

Even-if this young woman had actually done what is being claimed, (produced a sex-video), I have to ask, Is that a good investment for someone in her position to be making? But I won't rack my brain on that too much since I really think that entire thing is a GOOF.

What I am saying, is that I think that we the public, TMZ fans, and media consumers, are being jerked-around and PLAYED. Personally, I do not believe that there IS a sex video! I think that there is nothing but hot air and SPIN.

I could be wrong, but the whole story is so utterly DUMB, that it just doesn't make any sense. Notice that I'm not bothering to post Teen Mom's name. Although I would rather not even comment on this publicity STUNT, (thus awarding them more publicity!), I certainly won't give this chick's name any space on my blog.

While I was researching Vivid, I happened to notice that Melissa Rivers was linked with the owner of Vivid. http://www.shalomlife.com/culture/16351/the-perfect-jewish-couple-melissa-rivers-porn-king-steve-hirsch/ I wonder if Joan Rivers thought that her daughter was keeping it classy with that match?

And one more observation on the nonsense that TMZ expects us to believe, is that IF there were a porno, that Teen Mom has NOT already signed, sealed, and received PAYMENT from Vivid! (unless IF there were a porno, and she was working based-on sales).....but the idea, that this big studio would allow someone to use their company to produce a porno, and then they didn't OWN it themselves??? That they would have to pay for the rights for it AFTER they made the porno? No. Just NO. I just do not believe it.

Real Housewives Wiki-War!

Just a little update here about a serious problem. For years I and other people have been utilizing Wikipedia to source and research, and contribute info. about The Real Housewives.
What I am about to try and explain, has actually happened BEFORE! And the matter was resolved. (the info. was restored).
The information that I am talking-about is the signature, title-card, "quotations".

 "I have a taste for luxury and luxury has a taste for  me"-Sonja Morgan/Season ?

-Those "quotes"-for want of a better way to describe.

Currently, there is what is known as an "edit-war", going-on on Wikipedia. The "quotes", are being deleted and the deletion is being undone and the undoing is being undone again.....
The parties involved, (the ones doing the deleting/removal of information), apparently do not watch the shows and they do not understand the significance of the information no matter how many different ways it is explained.
As far as I am concerned, it is not worth my time to continually police and defend the information when I feel like I am being bullied by Wikipedia editors who are more concerned about Wiki-policy and showing-off their status and knowledge of Wiki-short-cuts on Wikipedia than truly helping to build an encyclopedia of relevant information.
I am going to post a few links to the problem here  THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE BEHIND THE SCENES- HERE is the TALK page TRYING to discuss and I'll try and update the situation. In the meantime I am considering claiming the info. and posting it somewhere else for safe-keeping. If I have to write code etc. I may as well be doing something that is not going to be deleted the minute that I let my guard -down.
Although this is a problem concerning The Real Housewives repository of information on Wikipedia, the problem is Global as far as Wikipedia information on ALL topics is concerned. It is a constant battle for legitimate information to remain on Wikipedia. Deletions are rampant in all topics and all you have to do is look at the editors pages to see that they are more concerned with being bureaucratic and showing how powerful they are and knowledgeable about Wiki-policy and short-cut jargon.
That is why sites like EncyclopediaDramatica.org and others are needed.

Getting Better but Jill Z is still Missing.

I didn't post a blog for episode 2 because I tried to watch it more than once, but I could not get past the first ten minutes without falling asleep.
I had low-hopes for episode 3, titled, "How to Succeed in Business without a Notepad.", and I was very pleasantly surprized. When the show was over, I felt satisfied with The Real Housewives of New York City, in a way that I haven't felt in a long time.
And yes, my other thought was that Bravo could have got it completely right IF they had kept Jill Zarin with the new cast members. And maybe Alex too.
I mentioned it on Twitter, but its worth repeating, speaking-of Alex McCord, she has created something interesting with her weekly video reports hosted on RumorFix. http://rumorfix.com/2012/06/alex-mccord-the-truth-behind-those-housewives-trips/
Her first report seemed a little stiff to me, but now that I can see how she is developing a style with this and finding her niche, I like it.
Finally they let NYC play a part in the show! Who cares about Ramona? Her drama was distracting in my opinion. My favorite part was when the women explained how leather is for Downtown. (And of course they were all following the unwritten fashion rules themselves).
And the talk about taking the subway? (Alex gives some inside info. about this in her report)
The pool on top of the roof? Loved it!
Now you might think that maybe I'm watching the wrong show? Maybe I should be watching a real estate show that tours great Manhattan real estate?
No, I like to see how the Housewives live in the city. although I'm not sure how I feel about Aviva as a cast-member yet, I was able to get some idea about what it must be like living and raising a family in the city during the scene that was recorded with her family in her bathroom.

LuAnn in my opinion, is struggling to be relevant this season. I like that she didn't try to force the feud any further with Ramona, but now I'm worried that she could do something crazy like get some poor surrogate somewhere pregnant, just to have some control over her drama.
I still cannot remember all of the new cast-member's names, and Ilana Angel pointed-out something on her blog that also bothered me, and that is the dental-work of the new gals.
Ilana calls it an "overbite'-but what I'm seeing just looks like extra-extra-large sets of chompers. Teeth so big that they don't look like they can fit in a person's mouth. Maybe "big teeth" is the East Coast version of big lips? Remember Cindy from last season and her teeth? So are giant teeth a status symbol in NYC now?

I know that The New York Daily News started a little fuss about The Real Housewives of New York City ratings. The question of whether firing Jill Zarin was a mistake that can't be fixed is asked, and apparently Jill was approached and said that she is still available with the condition that Alex be asked-back as well. Hmmmm. Those kind-of negotiations sound like a reality show right there! Much more interesting than creating some poor innocent child just so Luann has a reason to stay on the show.

Unfortunately, the one part of episode 3 that I didn't like, was the preview of the upcoming season. Maybe it was the way that it was edited, or the pacing was off for me after a nice entertaining episode? And although it was enjoyable, (unlike episode 2 which was unwatchable), the absence of Jill Zarin lingered. We are now into the third episode, with all of these other personalities, yet one red-headed character is still missed. I didn't like Jill's work last season as much as I liked it when she acted more like herself, but if I were Bravo, I would try to bring her back in. I'd LOVE to see some Jill in those talking head segments doing the play-by-play and some color commentary.

Personally, I was offended when Bravo released statements concerning firing Jill and Alex, and saying that they listened to what viewers wanted. The most vocal complainer about Ms.Zarin was the blog that used her name, the "hate"-blog. And although I don't want to interfere in other bloggers business, if Bravo thinks that a blog where the comments are very strictly censored, (contrary to the stated policy there), is the opinion of ALL of the viewers, well, they are wrong about that.

New Season New Housewives

Well we met the new Housewives and out of all three, the only one who really stands-out for me is Aviva. The other two, just kind-of blended together for me, although they did manage to get in a few Real Housewife-style, "digs".
Ramona has no filter. Having no filter is so 2010. Its no wonder that Ramona needed Mario to help her with her dirty-work. Speaking-of Mario, did he forget to put his teeth in? And is his barber mad at him? I hate to say it, but in my opinion, a lot of the trouble is about appearances. And I don't mean "owning vs. renting" in the Hamptons "appearances". I mean flat-out physical looks.
Oh-I know, its all supposed to be about money, style, class, and of course NYC, but I can't help but think that Ramona's whole problemo with LuAnn's children, is that Victoria, Luann's daughter, is prettier than Ramona's daughter, whatever her mousey little good girl name is.
And that is why I had to make the SURVIVOR logo. The competitiveness in last night's episode seemed to me to be more than the normal one-upwomanship, it felt like a matter of survival. The massive bloodbath of season 4, has these women running scared. Well-maybe not Sonja. Sonja is too cool to let it show.
Are the Real Housewives of New York ALL being shown in their opening-shots, without their familys? I only noticed Luann as a "solo", but I'll be watching the beginning very carefully next week.
I'm sure that I wasn't the only one wondering how Jill Zarin would have done with the new mix of Housewives. And Alex-I missed them both-but Kelly not so much ha ha. I'm just not feeling Ramona and if it would have been up to me, she would have been fired instead-of Jill. But I guess she can be entertaining and the idea that she would try and blackmail Luann is scandalous.
As far as the previews for the season, I'm guessing that it is Aviva who has the "agoraphobia/apartment-phobia", or whatever neurotic problem they referred-to. The only reason I'm assuming that is because of that little exchange in the restaurant about artificial-sweetener.
I was a little offended at the way the one new-Housewife, declared that talking-about one's children made one boorish. That one may be the one to watch-out for, I think it was the Princess? Still not interesting enough for me-(yet), to remember her name. "I'll be back when you're done with the mommy-talk"-wow. And just in case anyone missed her point, she continued in her talking head.
Speaking-of children, I'm sure that I'm not the only one who's curious about that teaser with Luann and Jacques.  Something about the way this was mentioned in promos, which was something like, "Luann is exploring options"-(for having a child with Jacques).....is anyone else thinking that they are hinting at a surrogate?
Life imitating The Truman Show anyone? They wouldn't-would they? Someone getting themselves knocked-up is one-thing, but purposely creating a human-being for reality television, just seems like it should be illegal or something-doesn't it? One thing I think that Luann would NOT do, and that is put herself at risk of having twins, or more ha ha. And at her age, (Wikipedia says that she is 47), even without fertility-treatment, IF she was able to get pregnant, she is at a much higher risk for twins. But I guess we'll just have to wait and see, or as they say on Bravo, "Watch what happens".

♥ This!

Why I don't like Sponsor Boycotts

http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/allamerican_muslim/2011_Dec_10_lowes-pulls-ads

The post directly before this one, is a plea to see less of the Kardashians. No where in that post, did I suggest boycotting, or even contacting the sponsors of the show. On my NJ Housewives blog, my most recent post does mention my own personal-protest, which involves my resolve to NOT tune-in to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, except for re-runs. So, that is a bit of a boycott, but in no way do I ask anyone else to join me in my protest. I DO support letting producers, (Bravo), and responsible parties know how we the viewers feel about what is broadcast. And yes, I support organising-efforts in that regard (link to my NJ Housewives blog here) , and in the instance of certain highly controversial events, for example allowing the people who didn't want to be known-as the White-House Party-Crashers, to appear on The Real Housewives of DC.
I recently visited a site called, "Boycott Kim Kardashian", http://boycottkim.com/ and I was surprized to see the call for a massive sponsor boycott, which takes-up the bulk of the site.
In yet one more example, (with a twist of course), today on Reality Blurred (link to article here), I see a request to avoid a sponsor, because the sponsor pulled its advertising from a reality-show that could be considered controversial.
Advertising and sponsoring popular programs has been-around longer-than television. Its the reason why AM/FM radio is still "free". "Soap"-operas, got their name from the companies who advertised their products to the audience. Even William Shakespeare had wealthier patrons who supported, (and they still do!), bringing entertainment to the public. And that is why you will never see me calling BOYCOTT!, on a sponsor.
Why punish the sponsors for giving us something? I consider it to be a compliment, that a sponsor would choose to spend its advertising dollars to pay for my entertainment.
Advertisers do extensive research in viewer demographics. One thing that the BOYCOTT people and I agree-with, is that most commercials and ads are not random. They are specifically targeted to reach YOU and ME, and what they have identified as reality-television viewers. How can alienating sponsors, or asking them NOT to pay for reality-television, benefit the viewers?
Ultimately, sponsors can determine advertising effectiveness with product sales. There is an old rumor that razor companies produce sharper and better razors, to entice consumers to stick with their brand, to coincide with the increased sales that are expected as a result of the Superbowl Sunday advertising blitz. 
So we develop intimate relationships with these companies, and when something disturbs us in the shows that they sponsor, we naturally want to hold someone responsible. The list-of sponsors that we are asked to avoid on the Boycott Kim page, is so extensive that if anyone seriously tried to abstain from all of them, it would make shopping difficult. I saw one brand-name in there that I use due to allergies to other products. How would my family breaking-out in hives, affect the Kardashian empire? It wouldn't. And that's another reason why I'll leave the manufacturing-of quality products to the companies who advertise. And the responsibility for the content of the programs with the networks and those that have more direct input into the editing and production of the shows.

Let's ALL Divorce the Kardashians-please? Beaking-up with the Kardashians (again)

Today was a monumental and extraordinary day. Not because it happens to be Halloween. And not because Kim Kardashian announced that she has filed for divorce right-after after her stupid, fake "Fairytale"-(was that supposed to be a hint?) Wedding". No, today October 31st, 2011, is the day that we welcome our 7 Billionth Person! to the world. (link to story here). Out-of 7 Billion people, it sure seems like The Kardashians take-up a lot of space in the headlines, doesn't it?
What was it that made today seem like a good-day to file for that divorce? Personal reasons? Maybe not. I don't really know, but today was a significant deadline for the NBA-lockout, according-to ESPN (link here). Any hope that Kris Humphries had of earning money in basketball this year just got a lot dimmer. If the NBA-lockout had not occurred, it would not have seemed so strange that the newlyweds are separated by continents. But people were starting to wonder why Mr. Humphries and his bride were not spending their honeymoon together.
When the news broke today that Kim Kardashian had filed for divorce from her bridegroom, I was not surprized to hear it, but I am puzzled by my reaction. I feel like I got played. And just kind-of disgusted with all of them.
Personally, I "divorced" myself from the entire Kardashian circus, and their reality-show, last-season, when two episodes in particular rubbed me the wrong-way. I stopped "keeping-up" with the Kardashians, because I discovered that one episode in particular was a complete lie. And another one was so absurd, (the one where brother Robert "accidentally" overdosed on Viagra© and, (supposedly, but not likely), needed medical-attention for priapisim. (don't ask me how I even know that jargon, I really don't know).
But the one that caused me to break-up with the whole crew, was an episode that I believed to be true. OK-maybe I didn't want to believe that Kim would be so stupid as-to try to feed a dog cookies, but I believed it enough to go online to try to find-out if Princess the chihuahua had survived and recovered from surgery.
I wasn't the only one online asking. As it turned-out, Princess was fine, (allegedly). But I also discovered that the whole story had been a lie.

On the show, Kim just happened to find a dog and bring it home with her. The plot went-on from there-ending-with some dramatic veterinary surgery. The only problem with the story is that it turned-out that yes, the dog did have surgery, but the surgery had been scheduled by it's real owner, an "E"-Network employee-and the dog was never lost at all.
At least that was the explanation that was given to everyone who asked, "What happened to Princess?", after the episode aired.
I really don't know what the truth is in this matter. For all that I know, maybe Kim got tired of the dog, or the dog died, or?????? For all that I know, maybe the Kardashians would rather admit to being liars and fakers than admit to getting rid-of a pet?
Either-way, just , I knew that I was done with them.
Vapid. That word seems to be this month's, "no filter", another over-used media meme that I keep bumping-into. Although I'm now annoyed every time that I see this word being used, it was the first adjective that I thought-of when I attempted to describe the Kardashians. Would it be too much to ask that the media back-off from featuring anyone who could be described as "vapid" for a while?
The "E" Network seems to specialize in bringing the vapid. Although I feel like the Kardashians fit that role, it was also "E" who shamelessly propped-up the beautiful Anna Nichole Smith, who should have her picture next to the word in the dictionary.. And that creepy family who were gorgeous, but they turned-out to be burglars. (and they weren't even really a family, but little details like that don't seem to matter to "E"). At least no one had to die this time, and the only ones who were robbed, were us, the American Public. And all they stole from us was a little-bit of our attention. So the couple will be forgiven and wished-well. But I am taking the extreme step of using the parental controls on my remote, and blocking the "E" Network from my television. At least for a little while.
Yes, they are beautiful eye-candy. Almost too perfectly beautiful to be real. I found myself studying  the "Fairytale Wedding" photos, not to try and identify the designer trademarks, but to search-for the tell-tale fringe of a lace-front wig on Kim's hairline. (I couldn't find it, she was flawless as usual). So-before this made-for-television divorce news broke, I guess that I was starting to get sucked-back-in to the fake drama. Sure a lot of us have seen the, "before they were famous" photos, and it appears that this family has always been "cover-shot"perfect. But what's to stop them from re-writing visual history with a little Photo-Shop©?
Being attractive isn't a "bad"-thing, but like the rest of it, I'm sorry to say that it is a fake thing for most reality celebs. Besides the obvious Botox©, and an especially photogenic blue-black hair-color that they must be buying in industrial-size drums, I decided that it wasn't really the Kardashians at all that made their looks so mesmerizing. I wasn't surprized to find-out that Kim Kardashian shared her brand of artificial-eyelashes, and make-up artist with Kim Zolciak and some other famous-faces. I do find it amusing that the man-behind-the-illusions, artist Steven Moleski, calls his line of lashes, Smoke and Mirrors (link) .
Speaking-of Bravolebrities, The Real Housewives of New Jersey viewers, have been hearing accusations against Teresa Giudice from her not-as-"fabulous" co-stars, of "not-sharing" the headlines, the limelight, and being a "selfish" attention-hog.
I can only imagine how Jessica Simpson must feel today when she finally decided to make her announcement, and it was almost overlooked. The poor girl has been hiding the news of her pregnancy so long, that her baby looks big-enough to get-up and sell newspapers, as my Grandmom would say. The rumor is that she couldn't find a buyer in the media to pay her asking-price for her baby-news, yet we all know that the Kardashians cashed-in for obscene sums for the "Fairytale Wedding".
Remember when the media made a pact to give us all a break from Paris Hilton, and they promised not to run any stories about her for a week or so? At that time there really wasn't much more we cared to know about Ms. Hilton. She had even taken to flashing the paparazzi in a desperate bid for publicity. Lindsay Lohan, and anyone related to her is another TMZ-favorite who isn't really all that interesting, but they continue to be forced on us whether we want it or not. And I can't quite figure what was behind the idea to put Melissa Gorga into a shocking-pink Sumo-wrestler's fat-suit, but I think it was the only opportunity that she had to be photographed? That display was pathetic and embarrassing, but not for overweight people. She may as well have had a sign on her gigantic fake rear-end, that said, "My husband collects $62 grand in Section 8 rent from the government every month, and this is what it bought".
When Kim Kardashian's statement was made this morning, she made a brief request for "privacy", but then thought-better, and invited everyone who ever heard of her to express public condolences. "E" released their own statement saying that they are, "sad" about the news. The only thing that is sad about all of it is that being famous for being famous seems to be the most profitable career right now.(besides politics and stealing from the government of course).
With six billion nine hundred ninety-nine million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine OTHER people to focus-on, is it too much to ask that I never have to hear about Kim K.again?

A Gag-Bag of Sleeze and De' pissed

I posted an update about Dina, (Claudine), Manzo's Project Ladybug on my NJ Housewives blog today, mainly because I've been monitoring the NJ Charity registration website for a more recent-than 2008 financial form.
I noticed that the 2009 filings had finally been uploaded to the database, so I re-visited  Project Ladybug. I could not find one mean thing to say about PL-and its not because I didn't look ;).
I'm wondering right-now if Mercury is in Retrograde because I also stumbled-upon another topic to update.
And a developing issue which I hope to monitor as well.
Also-(I told you this was a grab-bag-didn't I?), what led me to the "gag", (as-in gag-order), topic, was a little searching for the recent condition of Vicki Gunvelsen's daughter Brianna, which I'm happy to report is much better than what I heard earlier this week. According to Vicki's personal website, Brianna had a tough and scary week, but pathology reports from the serious surgery were an answer to prayers, and Brianna is recovering at home.

Where did it go?

I went searching for Vicki's other "ex". Remember "Wolfy"? Michael Wolfsmith, and the scandalous blog that I discovered last year? It's not there anymore! But don't worry, (or-if you are Vicki, you may be worried), he has it up and running on another URL.
Apparently, "Wolfy", took the blog offline for about ten-days, and then they, (he and his girlfriend/partner), restored it. This is where the 1st "gag-order" begins.

 "I wonder if she or any of her cling-ons have discovered we are back? You know we had suspended this blog in good faith waiting for the signature she promised you but you did not receive." -The "New" Conversations With Wolfy

You can read it all yourself, linked here http://whisper2meslowly.wordpress.com/ , but the gist of it from the way that I understand it is that Wolfy alledges, and provides what he claims are private emails between himself and Vicki ,that Vicki made Wolfy an offer to sign a legal document stating that he, (Wolfy-Michael Wolfsmith), is no longer responsible for certain arrears  from his child-support case that she had with him. Arrears are usually any unpaid amounts, say if a person pays some, but not all of their child-support obligation, the amount that they owe is labeled as "arrears". If the amount is over $500., the arrears can follow a parent forever, and in some cases prevent them from driving, getting licenses to work in a profession, and all-sorts of problems. It can also discourage someone like Gretchen from Marrying Slade Smiley for example, because in some cases, the "new spouse", becomes responsible for the delinquent parent's debt.
Here's where the "gag" comes-in: Wolfy claims that Viki offered to sign whatever he wanted, as long-as he, (and his gal-pal), shut-down his dirty-divorce blog, AND, basically, never besmirched her or her beloved business in any way online or otherwise, ever-again.
The new incarnation of his blog, claims that he kept his side of the bargain by taking-down the blog, but that he waited 10-days, and the promised signature was never received, so he put the blog back online again. And added even more dirt for good measure.
IF. (notice that it is a very big "if", but it all looks "real") this is even-close to being true, one has to ask if this could even be considered legal. It smells-of extortion and ugly control-games to me, and what does unpaid child-support have to do with blogging anyhow? I can only hope that Mr. Wolfsmith and Vicki have had a profound wake-up call with the news of their beautiful daughter's recent health problems. The fact that Brianna is even remotely connected to this sordid business is terrible in my opinion.
I'd be lying if I said that I didn't love to see one of our Real Housewives being exposed online-The editors at Bravo, and The Real Housewives, and Bravolebrities themselves may want the public to see things the way they intend for us to see them, but, (again-unless and until a disclaimer is added to the programs), when you sign yourself and your family up for reality-tv, expect your version of reality to be tested and fact-checked. There is no such thing as taking the option to investigate reality away from the viewer. But they can try to restrain the 'lebrities from telling us what really happened. (in "reality" lol). Which brings me to yet another "gag";
THE LINKS IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH ARE DOWN AS-OF 10/15/11.I HAVE A COPY OF THE PAGE ON MY HARD-DRIVE,IF ANYONE NEEDS IT EMAIL ME- DIET-REVIEW has a story http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/10/james-garrison-blows-whistle-on-extreme-makeover-weight-loss-treatment-of-contestants/ (click URL to read Diet-Review story)
This one is not a Bravolebrity, but a weight-loss competitor who has a story that is disturbing (currently linked here) and HeRE-for what happened not-only to to this young man, but as he professes, the implied health dangers that the American Public is exposed-to by way of the false and misleading "reality" that ABC Television is forbidding him from exposing. I hope that you will visit his story, and in the event that the ISP is ordered to take it down,copies have been made.

• ABC has threatened him with a 2 million dollar penalty and worse unless he deletes what he has posted because-of the confidentiality contract that he signed.
• (the cease and desist letter is posted and in my non-lawyer/not legal advice opinion it is a bluff. A scary bluff, but possibly non-enforceable with competent legal representation). They, (ABC) may be able to force a temporary gag-order, with a court-order.
• Dr. Oz is involved, and other ABC Extreme'lebrities and health professionals.
• Allegations of trickery that were intended to fool and impress the viewer. Serious risks were taken with the blogger's health such-as forced dehydration, and taking diet pills, in order to make better episodes.
• The blogger expresses concern that someone may try what they think they saw him do on television, at home, and he maintains that it is unsafe, unhealthy, and impossible because it didn't even happen the way that they claimed.
• Also-the blogger sadly spent the last eight months being very ill and he required surgery. He attributes his own medical problems directly to what he did for this television show/diet.

It is my hope that the above man is restored to a healthy condition, but also, that his appeal for attention and legal representation is successful. I would love to see some of the terms and conditions of reality-television confidentiality contracts defined by the law. Ex-Real Housewife of New York City Jill Zarin has made-noises about wanting to test the waters and write a real tell-all, (Danielle Staub threatens it in almost every-other-Tweet) but one- she is too smart to make herself look like a bad risk to future employers, and two, unlike the Extreme Dieter, she has more to lose. (in assets-this poor guy has already lost his health and his gall-bladder along-with a few hundred pounds).

Top Chef Season 9 *UPDATE* NEW RULES!

So-far Bravo has been teasing us with that "Honky-Tonk" commercial featuring Padma wearing that crazy blue-dress, eating ribs and licking the sauce off of her fingers. But that isn't the only surprize they are planning for this season on Top Chef Dallas when it returns in November.
Bravo has changed the rules of the game, and eliminated contestants will now go into The "Last Chance Kitchen"-online!
10-minute or less webisodes, featuring Tom Colicio, and eliminated contestants will be posted online, AND viewers will have a chance to vote for the, "fan favorite". The winner of the "Last Chance Kitchen" will return to the on-air show, and have another chance to be in the finale.
Bravo is rolling-out this interactive/online addition to Top Chef for free to a wide-array of devices and formats including,  BravoTV.com, m.BravoTV.com,  BravoNow iPhone, iPad and Android apps, as well as Hulu, iTunes, Amazon, VOD, Zune, Playstation and wireless carriers.
Meanwhile, over on the Bravo blog, The Dish, a past contestant was asked to provide a recipe for RUM HAM, which was seen on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, last week.http://www.bravotv.com/blogs/the-dish/its-always-sunny-with-top-chefs-recipe-for-rum-ham

Was Biggest Loser Winner's Fall Another Reality-Show-Suicide Attempt?

Here's a clip announcing the new line-up on The Doctors.Its not the promo that was shown during breaks on today's episode, and I don't know what they are saying because my audio isn't working-but Jillian Michaels is featured in this short YouTube and I'd have to guess that she's saying something in her typical obnoxious, bullying way. Click "play" and read on...

The popular winning contestant from a previous season's The Biggest Loser, Sam Poueu, is reportedly still in critical condition after falling from a three-story building according to TMZ (story linked here).

I hope that he makes a full-recovery from his injuries, and any other problems that he may, or may not have.
It is quite possible that the injuries were caused accidentally, and no official or media source that I know-of has mentioned a suicide-attempt, but the reportedly, unknown/unreported circumstances of his fall begs the question.
                                             
                         "It's unclear how he fell"-(TMZ)
 

TMZ commenters were quick to speculate that suicide was the unspoken reason for Poueu's condition.
At the time that Poueu was competing for the title-of "Biggest Loser", Jillian Michaels was a show-host, and cross-between a personal-trainer, drill-sergeant, and masochistic beast.
I was watching The Doctors, on CBS this afternoon, when I was rudely assaulted by a promo for Ms. Michael's upcoming addition to the cast of The Doctors.
What struck me about Michael's was her violent, aggressive screaming. It was directed towards what was apparently someone who had put themselves at the mercy of The Doctors for some help for their problem. She was doing an "in your face"-accusation of a mother of "child abuse", along-with any other mothers who have obese toddlers. She was also shown going-off on a mother who smokes, with some overly dramatic, loud, did I mention violent?, "advice".
In an article titled "Sparks Promised as Outspoken Jillian Michaels Joins The Doctors" in The Chicago Sun~Times, they say;  
"She wants to get to the bottom of why people aren’t taking the necessary steps to be as healthy as possible. “Why aren’t you getting that mammogram, that pap smear, or [cholesterol testing]?”-(Chicago Sun~Times) Really? Oh HELL NO!
I don't mind it if Kathy Griffin wants to spread her legs for the viewing-public as a gimmick and call it a public-health service, but I certainly don't need to hear a message that I may or may not agree is a healthy choice for MY VAGINA, My Breasts, and My Heart, being yelled at me by a bitch. And the vagina's, breasts, and hearts, of my sisters, daughters, and women everywhere as well.
How DARE she? After seeing the clip, I honestly thought about kicking Jillian Michael's ass. I wondered for a moment if she possesses any fancy martial-arts, or hand-to-hand combat-training in her bag of tricks, as I mentally fantasized about gaining a lot of weight, getting myself on The Biggest Loser, being a secret saboteur, and calling-her-out for the big, fat, (metaphorically-speaking), BULLY that she is.
But Michaels is not on The Biggest Loser anymore. Tennis pro Anna Kournikova will be taking her place in the next-round of that series. So I don't have to start binge-eating. But I was so offended by what I heard and saw during the breaks on The Doctors today, that it raised my personal suspicion that the once overweight, now Biggest Loser, and hospital patient Sam Poueu, may just be the most-recent Reality Celebrity, to make the leap from cast-member to a self-inflicted attempt at death.
What Michaels does may be entertaining to herself and some people, but it is the opposite of "healthy".

Hopefully Sam Poueu will make a speedy-recovery, and live to tell us all what happened. IF his treatment at the hands-of Jillian Michaels  had anything to do with his condition, we need to know about it.
Maybe The Doctors can do a segment about how the risk of death and serious injury seem to go-along with becoming a part of reality television? I cannot imagine that verbal, emotional, psychological, or mental-abuse by bullies will be a topic of this season's episodes with Jillian Michaels on the stage.

Are The Real Housewives Union-Busters? Kathy Hilton's Unclaimed Union Funds

*

http://www.nps.gov/pwro/collection/website/home.htm

*This is a long entry for Labor Day Weekend. The main topic here is the question of Reality Television and the Labor Unions and Artist's guilds that work with the television industry. Although I don't have any specific details connecting The Real Housewives franchise to any particular unions, I did come-across a lot of information, and a little bonus of some unclaimed SAG $$ for Kathy Hilton. I also posted my own ideas about The Housewives contributions to the productions. It remains to be seen if the rewards of fame and infamy, are worth the investment.

I commented in a discussion about Russell Armstrong's financial predicament on Lady Brook's blog, (here "At What Price Fame?") , because she took-notice of a statement made by Armstrong's lawyer about the financial-pressure involved in "bankrolling" a Housewife's career. Brooks as well as myself considered other Real Housewife Husbands who apparently made the same type-of, "investment", in their wives. In Russel's case, all-signs point-to some fancy-footed arbitrage and embezzlement, where investments in his medical-records company funds were used to finance the appearance of a lifestyle that would make Taylor whatever her name is, a candidate for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. In essence, the "props"-that Russell financed, Cars, Clothes, the rented home, the plastic-surgery, maintenance... were an investment in a "brand", instead-of a television production or "entertainment". He made the final-installment on Taylor's brand-name, with his life. Too bad she has so many different names, and all of them are mud.

Russell Armstrong's suicide was something that we didn't see coming, but in retrospect it is crystal-clear.
Jill Zarin articulated the emotional impact of the pressure of  The Real Housewives of New York, in Season 3 when she said, "What do you want me to do-jump-out the window?". Jill may not have been suicidal herself, but she verbalized the intense hatred and bad-will that was being directed her way courtesy-of reality television. 

Risk to one's reputation, is part of the bargain a person makes when they become a Bravolebrity.  We call them "fame-whores", when they put themselves and their families in the public-eye and flaunt their interpretation of "reality". But the comparison to street-walkers, can also be made with the employment conditions that they are willing to accept. They're on-the-street when it comes to pension and retirement, health-insurance, representation for decent working conditions and the other security that unions provide.

Andy "Mac Daddy" Cohen

A major sticking-point of the Television Writer's Strike of 2008 was Reality Television. The strike ended without the issue being solved, but there has been progress since then, mostly on a show-by-show, production company by production company basis. ALL of the major show-biz unions and guilds including The WGA [West and East], DGA, SAG, and AFTRA, have demonstrated an eagerness to work with individuals and groups who wish to organize their productions. It is a little messy and more complicated-than standard scripted-shows, but all of the unions linked here have been able to accept reality show workers. The Writers Guild of America    (--link) has a great reference-page and documentation for reality shows where they list shows that have a union contract.:(copied from the Writers Guild page linked above)
CURRENT AND PAST REALITY AND GAME SHOWS COVERED BY A WGA AGREEMENT INCLUDE:
Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?
Intervention
The Dog Whisperer
Jeopardy
The new Match Game
Star Search
The Weakest Link
Hollywood Squares
The Singing Bee
Tic Tac Dough
Sale of the Century
Let’s Make A Deal
Million Dollar Password
1 vs 100
Here is another list of productions that have union representation for editors and post-production staff from http://www.realityeditors.com/
America's Next Top Model
American Gladiators
Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? 
Big Brother
Dancing with the Stars
Deal or No Deal
Project: Runway
World Poker Tour
Somehow game-shows, competition, and reality television all get lumped-together, and it is not only the cast members who deserve and need union protection. There are writers for example who work on The Real Housewives, who also deserve decent working conditions, but due to the concept of "reality", they are given other titles.
But for the purpose of this post I'll focus-on the cast-members. The line is blurry between what is "real", and what they want us to see-which adds to the confusion, but for a moment,  let's just consider them as performers, or actors.
Which is impossible, because there are no actors who "put-out" so much of their own resources that a Real Housewife is expected to provide;

• the location and sets for the production (their homes and general environment)
• wardrobe
• the script ("drama" and dialogue)
• content
• internet content rights
• internet content such-as Bravo Blogs

Some of them probably got smart and negotiated stipends or allowances for wardrobe and other things into their individual contracts. And I think that professional hair and makeup service when taping plus a lifetime supply of fake eyelashes are one of the free "perks" that a Bravo Real Housewife can depend-on. But there are not many of the current Bravoleb-Housewives who have the means to donate all of these services, let-alone refuse the compensation or financial rewards and lifetime worth of residual payments for the final product/work that they are giving-away by not joining-forces with a union.
We know that a lot of them get perks from merchants who want the free advertising, (although there are legal limitations involved such-as when Rush Limbaugh and others gave such "free advertising"). But Bravo is getting multi-million dollar "sets", for free when they tape in the Housewive's homes. All on the backs of the cast.
Here is an example of set/location prices that is posted on the CalState website:http://www.csun.edu/licensing/prices/?lid=8

Filming Prices

	Per 14 Hour Day	Hourly Rates (Minimum 4 Hours)
Feature Film: Strike & Preparation:	$5,625 $2,342	$505 $210
Television: Strike & Preparation:	$5,065 $2,085	$455 $190
Commercials: Strike & Preparation:	$4,500 $1,800	$405 $165
Still Shots: Strike & Preparation:	$2,250 $1,125	$205 $100

Using a location for taping scenes, normally incurs costs. The Real Housewives are offering their homes as free "sets", and locations, and also procuring their own "costumes". No wonder the cost to get Reality TV on-the-air is so much lower-than scripted television.
Union-wages are blamed for the disparity, but many union-rules which are for member's protection, forbid employees from having to furnish their own sets and costumes.
While researching this topic, of course it occurred to me  that Kim and Kyle Richards and probably a few other of the Real Housewives, must be union members. Kyle, and Kim have extensive experience working on union productions and they most-likely receive residuals today for work done decades ago. There are ways to "work-around" the union-rules, and being labeled a "producer" of a project is one.

I searched the Richards name in the SAG database of unclaimed funds, and surprisingly I found that Kathy Richards has some money waiting for her there. (link)
Here is an interesting discussion about "Global Rule Number One" , where the question about a union actor working on a non-union production is asked.
I'm never going to let Bravo off-the-hook for the emotional risks that they allow their cast-members to take, and there will probably never be a shortage of people willing to take those risks. But the financial risks that our Housewives are taking upon themselves and their families are plainly and devastatingly leading these families into future losses that could be prevented with some reasonable actions.

The Real Housewives are currently the most obvious here, but even shows that provide everything except the "drama", are taking something from their non-union "reality" performers when they don't offer them everything that a standard union-actor would expect. Perpetual residual payments are generated to future beneficiaries  who haven't even been born yet, and I bet there are a lot of elderly retired actors and actresses who are grateful for those union-checks and health and pension benefits.

Bethenny Frankel stands-out as an example of  hitting-the-lottery with the exposure gained through Bravo. But Bethenny is a business-woman first, using Bravo to attain her professional goals. Teresa Giudice could also be considered a Bravo "success story", but at the same time the exposure has put her husband's questionable dealings under the microscope, and made it impossible to hide or ignore. The Bellinos , the Armstrongs, and those dreadful people from DC who don't want to be called, "party-crashers", have all discovered that living in a glass-house just makes them an easier target for the (alleged and otherwise) victims of their scams to throw rocks and deliver subpenas. 

I don't really know how many of our Housewives cast-members have union cards.But I do know that for many of them, such as Ashley Holmes, and others, Reality Television is their main occupation. When the majority of a person's income is derived from Reality Television, clearly, they are performers. The Unions and Artist guilds have proven that they are willing to make accommodations for the grey-areas of Reality and other new media even including video-games and internet content.  If there ever was a time to hammer-out the details and examine the numbers to include the majority of Reality performers as members, that time is now.

Did Russell Armstrong Kill Bravo's Real Housewives as We Know it?

http://www.jjchandler.com/tombstone/

Along with the shocking-news that Russell Armstrong was found deceased, apparently by suicide, is the question about Bravo's re-action.
The question is not if something must be done, because they have already acknowledged that this event has had an emotional and logistical impact at the network and on The Real Housewives franchise. Here is the statement issued  today by Andy Cohen:

"We're all still trying to process yesterday's very sad news, and looking at how to proceed with the series, which has finished primary production and was set to premiere on Labor Day. We'll let you know what we decide when we do. In the meantime, we're sending our thoughts and prayers to Taylor and the rest of Russell's family. "

Most of us know that Season 2 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, taped the ongoing marital-strife between Russel and Taylor, and that it was a featured storyline for the upcoming season.
Russell Armstrong was found dead, apparently by suicide, in the home of his lawyer and friend Ronald Richards who made the rounds on the news stations and media outlets.
Although there was a rumored gag-order sent by email to all of The Real Housewives principals, Ronald Richards did not get the memo, or just decided that talking to the media while in a state of shock and grief is a good idea. And he did a lot of talking.
Richards let the world know that Armstrong's credit-cards have recently been declined, and that his divorce was troubling him. He, (Richards-the lawyer/friend), also revealed the fact that Russel was deeply disturbed and troubled by the way that his life had been affected-by The Real Housewives.
In particular, Richards mentioned the intense level of "scrutiny" that Armstrong, (and his past), had been subjected-to because of the publicity , and the financial stress that was caused-by, "bank-rolling" Taylor's career as a Real Housewife, (which he could not afford).
So Bravo's Real Housewives have directly been implicated as part-of whatever Russel Armstrong felt was  a reason to end his life.
We currently do not know how much, if any, of Season 2, Russel had seen. Usually cast-members are given advance copies of up-coming episodes two at a time. We do know that video of Taylor's turmoil over her marriage was being previewed on Bravo.com, but it was deleted as-of today. We do know that Russell Armstrong was being portrayed in the media as a physically-abusive man with a history of physical domestic violence. And that marriage counseling between Taylor and Russell had been taped as part of the up-coming season. And that they were involved in a divorce.
The question now is will the viewers see the episodes that were set to be aired, or will extensive editing/changing be done? Or will Bravo decide just to cut the entire Taylor/Russell storyline from Season 2?
Do we really want to see whatever it is that Russell Armstrong was dreading for us to see?
And- although nobody can ultimately blame Bravo , (or anyone. Suicide and thoughts-of suicide are a symptom-of acute mental illness), for Russell's suicide, will Bravo make any changes to their policies, to protect would-be and current fame-whores and their families from themselves? I've seen Bravo's contract for The Housewives and it states the risks to one's reputation very clearly.
As a viewer and a blogger, I can personally say that a simple disclaimer would go a long way. Something that we could point-to and reference when we're tempted to dig-up those old court-records, tax-forms, and tidbits that are posted online as public-information. 
We know that Countess Luann didn't sponsor a trip to Morocco for The Real Housewives of New York. But by not having a disclaimer, we don't exactly know who paid-for Taylor's 50-thousand dollar kiddee-party. Its very possible that the investors who are suing Russell Armstrong because they thought that they invested in a medical product, paid-for Taylor's entree into reality television?
Is it really necessary to lie there? NeNe's husband, (or is it ex-husband?) Gregg, threw-out a figure-of 300 thousand for his, "investment" in Nene's reality career. And how much-of Joe Giudice's 11 million dollar debt, could be considered a down-payment for Teresa's brand?
Maybe its about time that people can walk into a bank, or the Small Business Association, and tell the truth instead-of lying, scheming, and stealing, all in the name of "reality"?
Reality television isn't going-away any time soon, and maybe the circumstances-of Russel Armstrong's death will help some of the participants? Maybe this very real tragedy will help to highlight the very real risks that people are taking with their own lives and the lives of their families?

Bon Voyage Jill Zarin? Predictions and Ideas

http://regent-sevenseas-cruises.com/

Is it true? Is Jill Zarin leaving The Real Housewives of New York City?
I put on my special read-between-the-lines decoder glasses, and attempted to find clues in the press release, "scoop", that Naughty but Nice Rob  published on The Huffington Post (article link here).
This press release fly-on-the-wall report, basically said that Jill will not be returning to RHWONYC.
Andy Cohen Tweeted a message this week stating that changes are being made, so I think its safe to say that there is a good chance of a shake-up in the NYC cast.
But what's to become-of Jill? Hmmm. She's hinted-at some new project with her radio-braodcasting/co-author sister, Lisa. And she also posted about her husband, Bobby Zarin becoming a "Tweeter".
Of all of The Real Housewives, I must say that Jill Zarin is the least-likely to just sail-off into the sunset never be heard-from again.
So I looked real-hard at that press-release, Huff-Po article, and the following statement made some sense to me.

"...it’s time to take her parents on the cruise of a lifetime they have always wanted to do...." (Huffinton Post)

Ahhh.....was this just a throw-away comment? I don't think-so. It appears that Gloria and Sol, (Jill's parents), have already earned their "sea-legs", along with Jill and Bobby Zarin. I don't know for sure if they actually cruised together last February as  was planned, (link here), where Jill invited people to

"Please join Bobby & Me, and my parents, Gloria & Sol for 7 days to the Caribbean" (from Cruising with Jill & Bobby)

 But what exactly is a "cruise of a lifetime"? Now that I've firmly planted myself in my traveling-armchair with Bobby, and Jill, and Gloria, and Sol, I'm excited about this trip! Regent Seven Seas, which is the cruise-line that Jill was promoting last year, actually does have an "adventure of a lifetime" (cruise link here) category of journey. I'm thinking that this is probably a 7 to 21 day voyage? But further-on down the list of itinerarys, is what really catches my eye. The Grand Voyage.
Now that's what I'm talkin' about. Regent Seven Seas offers several Grand Voyage packages, ranging-from 71 to 120-day journeys.
Armchair-traveling is all-about imagining the perfect trip, so I'm doing just that. The perfect trip, and perfect departure from NYC, for Jill Zarin, would be in my imagination at least, a Grand Voyage, for Jill and her entourage, PLUS, the Bravo cameras. (so that we all get to go too!).
The Morocco trip was a rating-bringer for Bravo this season, and remember how Jill became homesick for Bobby and wished that he were there? Bravo likes to send Housewives on trips, but other than that, they, (Bravo), haven't delved into the travel-industry as a theme for Reality-television.
Am I psychic? Or did I just give Andy, and Bravo a great idea? If I did just invent this show idea by myself, I'd love to tell Bravo that I'd like to be paid for my idea with a free ticket! Unfortunately, I personally suffer from Mal D'Barq from the French,"bad dis-embarkation". Not sure if I spelled it right, but it's a real ailment and the only way to prevent it is to not get on boats. Basically, its the opposite of sea-sickness, where you become sea-sick after you get off the boat and it can stay with a person for months after traveling.
So I'd be perfectly content to watch Jill and her zany travel companions sail the high seas from the comfort of my armchair. How about it Bravo? Jill re-arranging the seating at the Captain's table? Jill and Gloria climbing pyramids? Jill and Bobby visiting The Pope?.....as-far as the rest of the crew from NYC, I'm sorry but there are just some Housewives who have passed their expiration date for me. Alex and Simon have hinted at an Egyptian opportunity in their future, and a short excursion to visit them , (on Jill's Grand Voyage-see I even thought of a title!), would be enough of them for me. Personally, I've seen more than enough of Ramona and Kelly, but I wouldn't mind it if Lu-ann got on-board. Maybe she could be the lounge-act? I'd like to see Sonja remain as a housewife. So in my opinion, Sonja could be the anchor to the original cast, and as far as I could care, Bravo can clear-the-deck, and bring on a whole new crew for the rest.
Ever since I've seen CoCo and Ice T on E, I've been thinking that CoCo would make a great Housewife. And I always wonder why Howard Stern's wife Beth Ostrosky's name isn't brought-up when nominating NYC Housewife candidates? She certainly doesn't need the $$, but from what I've seen she does invest a lot of work into charity related to animals. And why must Bravo continue to ghettoize the Housewives?
Miami gave us some ethnic diversity, which was a big plus. But can't they find any Housewives-of-different-colors in New York City OR New Jersey? I'm what you would call, "a white person", myself, and I wouldn't consider myself to be overly racially sensitive, (because I'm not)- so if someone like myself finds the stereotypical NY/NJ Housewife to be racially offensive, (by lack-of diversity), then believe me, its very offensive.
Cindy was just another dud. When the most interesting thing about a cast-member is whether or not they have an incestuous relationship going-on with her brother Howie, I think its safe to say that nobody wants her to return.
Blogger was acting funny, so I haven't blogged here for awhile, and I think that I still owe you guys one more final chapter to my "epic" series, and I haven't really wrapped-up Season 4. But from what I've seen everybody is in agreement that the Re-unions, (and pretty much the entire season!), were stinkers.
So those are my ideas  and predictions about Season 5 of The Real Housewives of New York City. I wonder if I'll get any right?