Bravo's Phenomenal Ratings for Toxic Real Housewives
By LBG1
With the last episode of season three of Real Housewives of New York City, the 3-part reunion episodes, and lost footage aired, some viewers were dismayed by the level of “toxicity” between the NYC Real Housewives this season. Viewers who watch Bravo’s Real Housewives franchises based upon Bravo’s premise of “real” housewives and their fabulous lives. Across the Hudson River, the second season of Bravo’s Real Housewives of New Jersey franchise has, in my opinion, proved Bravo has officially jumped the shark, dropping all pretense of the fabulous lives meme with a level of toxicity which makes the cast of RHONYC look like pikers in the game of holding grudges and carrying out revenge. Beginning in tonight’s episode of RHONJ, viewers will see a midseason climax, the culmination of the script Danielle Staub wrote and has been acting this season. A script where Danielle claims the Manzo mob is out to get her.
Tonight’s episode will make Bravo Real Housewives franchise history: The first time, during Bravo’s reality show franchises about real housewives , a Bravo Real Housewife called the cops and pressed charges against fellow cast members with Bravo cameras there to record the altercation and Danielle’s first day in court.
The altercation occurred on November 11, 2009 at a fashion show held at Hamburg Turnpike Country Club. An altercation which was filmed by Bravo for season two. After the “altercation”, Danielle called the cops then signed complaints against Teresa Giudice and Jacqueline Laurita for harassment and harassment and assault charges against Jacqueline’s daughter Ashley Holmes. On December 3rd, Bravo cameras followed Danielle to court where Danielle dropped the charges against Teresa and Jacqueline. Danielle kept the charges of harassment and assault against Ashley Holmes, telling the judge, Danielle felt “threatened” by 19-yr-old Ashley.
From NorthJersey.com:
But Staub pressed ahead with her complaint against Holmes, which alleges the teenager threatened “I’ll get her” and “I’ll kill you” before yanking Staub’s her hair so hard she ripped out a hair extension by the roots.
She told the judge that as she was leaving the ladies room after the fashion show “Jacqueline and Teresa were waiting for me and began yelling at me.”
Straub said she began to walk away but became frightened and started to run through the country club.
“I felt a little threatened,” she said. She claims she was pushed and scratched and broke her heel as she ran.
On January 30, 2010, the New York Daily News reported Ashley Holmes plead guilty to simple assault:
The daughter of cast member Jacqueline Laurita has been found guilty of simple assault for yanking out another housewife’s hair extension at a fashion show.
Ashley Holmes, 19, was fined $189, including $33 court costs, by Wayne Court Judge Lawrence Katz on Friday following the November ruckus with reality show star Danielle Staub.
As someone who has watched both seasons one and two, here’s my take on the real reality of the Danielle Staub, Jacqueline Laurita, Teresa Giudice, Ashley Holmes altercation.
This season on RHONJ Danielle has been busy padding a case against the Manzo’s, of Danielle “feeling threatened”. Danielle’s claims of a potential Manzo mob ambush at the Brownstone at a charity event held for a child with a rare form of cancer. Of Ashley Holmes sending threatening text messages to Danielle. Of Dina Manzo being a potential threat during a one on one meetup with Dina at a local restaurant. Of Danielle bringing on the show convicted felon and former member of the Genovese crime family Danny Provenzano for “protection” against the Manzo crime family.
The Brownstone episode proved Bravo’s premise of fabulous lives of real housewives had gone straight to the gutter. An episode where a real housewife–Danielle–brought onto the show a convicted felon, Danny Provenzano. Provenzano, who served time on racketeering charges, admitted during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live prior to sentencing that he “beat up” a man “badly” and smashed an associate’s thumb with a hammer.
During the Brownstone episode Danielle appeared with an “entourage”: Danny Provenzano and up to 20 men for “protection”. Another member of Danielle’s entourage, Danielle new BFF this season, Kim “G” Grantell, middle-aged socialite and mother of Caroline Manzo’s son Albie’s best friend. Viewers watched Danielle and Kim “G” as they gleefully watched Danny Provenzano threaten (on camera) to bust up the joint. (Danielle told Danny it was okay as long as he didn’t include the family of the little girl with cancer.) Later, Danielle and Kim “G” listened to Danny call Caroline Manzo’s son Albie a “faggot”. (Last season Danielle gave Teresa’s husband Joe a stern warning she wouldn’t tolerate Joe’s “gay slur” of “he’s so gay” directed at a dance instructor. This season, Danielle claimed Danny’s “faggot” comment was okay because 1) Albie wasn’t gay, and, 2) Danny was protecting Danielle.)
Danielle asked Danny Provenzano for “protection” when Danielle met Dina Manzo for a one on one talk at a local restaurant. (Bravo cameras recorded Danny and Danielle’s phone conversation of Danny telling Danielle he had his cell phone on his lap while he and his pal were stationed in their car in the parking lot.)
In another episode, Danielle showed Kim “G” a text message from Ashley Holmes, a message where Ashley told Danielle she was “going to hell”. Danielle asked Kim if Ashley’s message was a “threat”. Wise guy Kim “G” told Danielle to talk to the cops.
In tonight’s episode, Kim “G” accompanies Danielle to the fashion show. Also accompanying Danielle, a “bodyguard”. Since I’ve yet to see the episode it will be interesting to learn who approached who at the fashion show. Who was minding their own business and not, initially, looking to start a fight. Who escalated the fight? The answers will be revealed in tonight’s episode.
As for Danielle’s new BFF, Kim “G”, during a recent live episode of Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live!, Andy asked Danielle if she and Kim “G” were still friends. Danielle gave a rather emphatic “no” while refusing to divulge why she and Kim “G”–the socialite who was Danielle’s BFF this season and who accompanied Danielle to court–were no longer friends. I can’t help but wonder when the split between the two former BFF’s occurred? Did the split occur after filming for season two ended? And, the reasons behind the split?
Season two of Real Housewives of New Jersey proved Bravo had officially dumped the fabulous lives of real housewives premise. Dino Manzo opted out claiming Danielle Staub’s on camera and off camera antics were too much for Dina who claimed she signed on believing the show would be “fun”. Danielle, while appearing on Andy’s show, claimed she might reveal the real reasons why Dina left with Danielle alluding to far more sinister or shady reasons which Danielle might reveal on the reunion episode. Which leads back to Bravo’s original premise and the reasons why Bravo continues to feature Danielle Staub as a “real housewife”. The answer: Phenomenal ratings for Bravo.
According to Live Feed, last season’s RHONJ reunion episode, which aired after only six episodes, had 3.5 million viewers, the highest rated season finale of Bravo’s Real Housewives reality show franchises.
According to Hollywood Insider, the third season of Real Housewives of New York City averaged 1.3 million viewers, the highest rated season of RHONYC. The final episode, 2.64 million. Part one of the reunion episodes, 2.24 million total viewers.
On August 5th, Bravo is set to premiere Real Housewives of D.C. featuring White House gatecrasher Michaele Salahi. For details on Michaele and her husband Tareq, a couple with a track record of lawsuits and bankruptcy read the article written by the New York Times. Over at the Washington Post, Michaele Salahi’s claim she was a former Redskins cheerleader with Michaele going to extraordinary lengths to perpetrate the “I was a Redskins Cheerleader” falsehood for the benefit of a Bravo production camera crew.
While the Salahis were busy making Bravo reality show history gatecrashing a State Dinner at the White House in November seeking reality tv celebrity fame, the fallout wasn’t so fabulous for Desiree Rogers, Obama’s social secretary and the Secret Service. In February, Rogers resigned.
The Washington Post:
An administration official noted that Rogers was an especially hard worker who had many successes, including the National Governors Association dinner at the White House on Feb. 21.
Still, the security fiasco at the state dinner for the prime minister of India proved to be an embarrassment, and when she tried to reassert herself, she was quickly shot down, forced into a lower profile.
“Once the state dinner deal went down,” said the official, “people who had other political agendas started micromanaging every part of her business.”
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment