REALHOUSEWIVES NEWS

The Real Housewives Of Atlanta Returns Oct. 4th
The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Premieres Oct. 14th
The Real Housewives Of Orange County Returns Jan.'11

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Vicki And Tamra Filming RHOOC

Picture from Vicki's Facebook.


Tonight filming with Tamra at a beauty night I'm Newport. No drama which was awesome!..

Lynn's Latest Post

Click HERE to read Lynn's Latest Post about the RHONJ finale.

Bryn Is True Love For Bethenny

From CupCake Mag Sprinkles.

Bethenny Frankel -- Life as a Mom

Last time we spoke with Bethenny she was only a few months pregnant, had a new book out and just finished filming season 3 of RHONY. Since then, she has gotten married, written a third book, released Body by Bethenny, had a baby and a new show. We all feel in love with Bethenny Frankel and her so sweet family all over again on Bethenny Getting Married. She is a true inspiration - not just as a biz woman but as a super-momma. Bethenny does it at all as a wife, business maven, writer and now you can add super-mom to the top of her list.

We really enjoyed Bethenny Getting Married? -- can we expect to see a second reality show focusing on your life as a mom or a return to The Real Housewives? We have are hopes set!
I have to believe that there will be a second season. Tv shows are about supply and demand. BGM is a huge success, so if the viewers want it, they will get it.

From watching your new show, we can see that you are serious a pro a multi-tasking. How has your life changed since your welcomed Bryn?
Even though my schedule is crazed, I as a person have softened and slowed down. Bryn makes everything around me so quiet and simple. This is true love.

What challenges have you faced managing it all?
I am painfully punctual and being on time is really challenging. This makes me crazy. I also have difficulty managing the equal distribution of love amongst Jason,Bryn and Cookie(dabooboo).

We know with kids you feel like your carrying everything. (I have 3 girls and feel like I carry everything plus the kitchen sink) What are your essentials when leaving the house with Bryn?
Omg the shlep factor is huge! Bottles, wipes, diapers, A&D ointment, a hat and a blanket are some of the basics.

You have a super-chic style and always so put together. Who is your favorite designer? What is your go-to outfit?
I'm always in pajamas, but if I'm at a tv appearance or segment I wear Alice and Olivia, Michael Kors, Zac Posen. Truthfully, labels don't matter. Whatever fits well and is a bright color.

I am sure you have plans to make Bryn's baby food -- do you have any recipes in mind? Are you excited for the step?
I'm excited to puree bright fruits and vegetables: peaches, butternut squash, peas. This will be the next best thing to breast feeding which is so rewarding. Only the best for Bryn.

As if you don't have enough going on....what is up next for you?
I'm really knee deep in my book "A Place of Yes" which will give women the rules to getting everything they want. It is what got me here.

While we wait for another season of The Real Housewives of New York or Bethenny Getting Married you can stay-up-to date with Bethenny on Twitter and Facebook.

Kelly Talks To FANCAST

Post from FANCAST.

by Sean Evans
With the ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ having wrapped another violence-riddled, hair-extension-pulling, crazy cat-fighting season last night, talk of Bravo’s wildly popular franchise has now shifted to the future of the New York cast. Fancast sat down with Kelly Killoren Bensimon over a late lunch at Delicatessen in Soho to chat about her potential participation in the upcoming season, her views on the series as a whole, and why she’s not the insane, drama-filled character the public often pegs her as being.

[Ed. Note: When we spoke last Friday, contracts hadn’t yet been issued to any of the New York ladies. Bensimon told us “if Bravo wants me back, I’d do it. Definitely.” Tuesday morning, Bensimon exclusively confirmed to Fancast she’d received an offer Monday to rejoin. “Yes, they’re sending a contract. I can’t confirm I’m fully on-board, though, until we’ve finalized signing the contracts,” she said.]

What are your thoughts on the concept of the ‘Real Housewives’ franchise?
As a whole, it is hilarious. It’s an amazing view of all these different women in all these different parts and cities around America. It’s a fun snippet of a look into these people’s lives. I like it. It’s great, great, TV.

Do you watch all the shows?
No. I’ve seen a little of New Jersey. I saw one scene of Atlanta. I obviously watch the scenes I’m in for New York. But I don’t need to watch the whole thing. I mean, I was there!

What do you think of what you see?
Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don’t. I loved when I saw a scene where I’m making pancakes with my kids. It was so cute.

What about the Virgin Island’s episode? Some people thought you had a meltdown, some were convinced you were acting…
It’s not an act at all. When we were in the Virgin Islands, things happened that I didn’t like. So I responded, honestly and authentically. If I don’t like something and I’m being pushed, I think it’s important to respond. I could’ve easily walked away, left the scene. I could’ve even left the island. Just gotten on an airplane and left. But it’s my job to be honest and authentic and if you don’t like that, that’s not my problem. That’s yours.

Do you care how other people perceive you?
No. Why should I?

So if someone calls you crazy, do you just dismiss it?
Yes. It doesn’t faze me in the least. After [the Virgin Islands episode], people were like, ‘Wow. That was really hard to watch.’ And I said, ‘Why? That’s television. What’s so hard about watching that? Because I was crying and saying leave me alone and stop berating me and attacking me?’ In normal situations, you would excuse yourself from the drama. But in normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have even been there in the first place. I would never choose to put myself in that kind of environment. I would never go on vacation with people that I wasn’t friends with or didn’t trust.



You’re not close with any of the girls in real life?
I like Jill Zarin. I like Jen Gilbert and I like LuAnn de Lesseps. Everyone else, I don’t know well enough to say if I like her or not.

What did your close friends say when they saw that episode?
They said ‘good for you.’ And they’re glad I stuck up for myself and let the other girls know it’s inappropriate behavior. My friends were laughing all over the place. They know its white noise. It’s non-coherent subject matter. It doesn’t make sense at all. Everyone’s like, ‘Kelly, you’re the only sane person on the show.’ My friends think I’m doing a great job.

Have you seen any of Bethenny’s spin-off show, ‘Bethenny Getting Married’?
I haven’t. I don’t watch that much TV, especially during the summer. I’m mostly out, enjoying the warm weather.

Doing anything fun?
I spent a lot of time working on a new jewelry line that’s coming out this fall called Kelly by Kelly Kelloren Bensimon. My summer line was at Intermix exclusively this season and now with the new line, we’re in the process of selling it. It’s got low price points, but it’s super trendy.

There’s always a lot of fighting on the ‘Real Housewives,’ regardless of the city. Which cast would win in an Anchorman-style back alley brawl?
I’m not a good person to ask! I don’t have a good ‘mean barometer.’ I will say this: I’ve met them all, and they were all super nice and friendly to me.

Even [New Jersey cast member] Danielle Staub?
Yes. She was actually quite friendly.

What do you think of Danielle?
If Danielle gets her own spinoff, I think that’d be amazing for her. She makes for great TV. She’s out of the box and has no inhibitions. It’s not my place to say whether someone has issues or not. I will say she has a lot of fun with what she’s doing. I don’t know what her real life is like, but I honestly don’t think that she’s well matched against the rest of that cast for that show. Still, she definitely is fun to watch. I love seeing her. She has no limitations and that’s great.

Would you ever want your own spin-off?
I would do my own show but it wouldn’t be the Kelly Killoren Bensimon Trainwreck Show. [Laughs] It would be more about people that I know and love. What’s more interesting isn’t necessarily me. It’s all the cool people that I know, and I want them to be highlighted through me.

Like your kids? They were in a few episodes last season. If you do come back, would they be a part of season four?
I would love to have them because I want people to see more of my real life. One thing everyone’s watching a lot is my interaction with people I don’t know very well. I’d rather everyone see how I am with people I love. So yes, they were in two episodes last year, and for the next time, I’d see that going to up to maybe four episodes? They’re spirited kids, they have a great attitude and they’re fun. I’m proud of them. I love hanging out with them.
Do they like the process?
They are exactly the same on camera or off. They’re just like ‘that’s my mom and there’s a camera there.’ They don’t think of it any other way.

You’ve mentioned before that said your daughter wants you to have a boyfriend…
Yes. She wants me to start dating.

Any prospects?
I can’t tell you that!

Are you looking forward to the next season of RHONY? Would you like to see a Kelly spin-off? What do you think of her friends’ assessment of her?

Project Dina

Video from Dina's You Tube.

Danielle's WPIX Interview

 

Caroline Said Things To Danielle Out Of Frustration

Post from US Magazine.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Caroline Manzo says she regrets calling Danielle Staub a "clown" and "garbage" during their fiery showdown on Monday's finale.

"I’m not proud of the names I called her; my remarks were cruel and childish," she writes on her Bravo TV blog. "But, that's my truth. Makes absolutely no sense but, it is what it is. I said what I said out of frustration and anger. I was speaking to someone who was looking me dead in the eye and lying to me. Not only that, there was absolutely no accountability on her part at all."

And though she regrets losing her "cool," Manzo, 49, says she's glad the incident is behind her. (Incidentally, she says she had "no idea" Staub had armed bodyguards outside the restaurant during the meeting.)
"I’m not going back to that place," she says. "If any of the others choose to go there, then that’s their decision and I don’t want to hear a word about it. I’m done."

Staub doesn't feel any resolution, either.
"There is no resolve with a clown who calls anyone garbage," she writes. "Remember to stand your ground ~ even if the ground seems to move ~ stay still ~ it'll move around you."

Danielle,Jacqueline And Caroline's Blogs

Click HERE to read the Bravo blogs of Jacqueline,Caroline and Danielle.

Danielle Performs On WPIX



Kim G.Loves Tom M.

Post from Socialite Life.

                                                                                     Posted By Kelly Lynch
With the second season of Bravo's Real Housewives Of New Jersey wrapping up (and the finale happening not just next week, but the week after as well), moochinator Kim G. is totes mcgotes jonesin' for a spot on the third season (if there will even be a third season. And ya'll know that Danielle was dismissed, verdad?).

Well, this next part is a bit...awkward. Celebrity magnet Tom Murro has made his way into Kim G.'s heart, according to her tweets. Jersey sister is just lurrving her some T.M. And money. And trash talking about old foes. Give it up, you ham!

My guess is eventually "not a pot to piss in nor a window to throw it out". Oh to live the high life, AZ, the spa, private jet, & Tom, OMG 15 minutes ago via TweetToGo

private jet back to NJ. Refueling & dropping Tom off in Martha's Vineyard 4 interviews with Pres. Obama tomo. see Boston Globe 08/19 online. about 7 hours ago via TweetToGo

Love my $80,000 Chiinchilla jacket that arrived from Florence, Italy. I know mine was not borrowed from my sister-in-law Kim D @ Posche!! about 9 hours ago via TweetToGo

Google "Planet of the Apes" (the movie), the character "Bright Eyes", and guess who looks like her and has her forehead??? about 9 hours ago via TweetToGo

$1000.00 boat on wheels? My haircut and highlights cost more!! How pathetic. And in a backyard no less and no pool??? about 11 hours ago via web
I know my railings are staying in my house and no one is taking them away...MINE are paid 4.. Scamming ieventually catches up to u!!! about 11 hours ago via TweetToGo

$8000 window treatments. My kitchen alone cost more that that. Must be Bed, Bath, & Beyond Specials. about 13 hours ago via TweetToGo
Oh, Tom helicopter ride so so romantic!! What a wonderful time! I am loving your new Rolex & u of course. Next stop, Martha' Vineyard. 11:11 PM Aug 21st via TweetToGo

Oh Tom surprised me here In AZ. Going to Grand Canyon on a private helicopter & not using anyone's money. Oh to be rich & not scam & phony!! 1:18 PM Aug 21st via TweetToGo

Massage & spa was incredible but not as incredible as the "Celebrity Magnet". I talked about going to Grand Canyon. Tom, please surprise me! 11:08 PM Aug 20th via TweetToGo

Danielle spotted shopping in Target, Bed, & Beyond. in Edgewater which is near my condo per my sourses. guess she has officially moved!! 8:15 PM Aug 20th via TweetToGo

I am so loving my massage here... But Tom Murro you so do it better. What hands you have!! and thats not all!!!1 5:05 PM Aug 20th via TweetToGo

Canyon Ranch bound in Tucson AZ. The fiinest spa in the U.S. So happy to splurge & pamper myself. Not using other's money; it's all mine!!! 2:32 PM Aug 20th via TweetToGo

John fabulous apartment at U Of Ariz with beautiful furniture we bought today. on my way to Canyon Ranch tomo. Tom Murro wish u were here.

NeNe-RHOA Listed In The 100 Most Powerful Black Women on Twitter

Click HERE to see the list of The 100 Most Powerful Black Women on Twitter.

RHONY Picture from Ramona

Pic./tweet from Ramona.

hanging painting ladies of RHONYC season 2 can you believe it will be season 4 coming up next??

Salahi's In NY

Pic. from the Salahi's.

Pictured here with Jane Velez Mitchel in NY!

Jill Filming

Pics. of Jill while she was filming today.

The crew has arrived!
@allyzarin and the crew:)

Jill filming....hope I don't get in trouble for posting these pics...shhhhh!

Jacqueline Says That Danielle Was On A Mission To Destroy People

Article from People.

BY: Charlotte Triggs
Jacqueline Laurita realizes she may have come off as “bitter” and overly interested in the drama relating to costar — and former friend — Danielle Staub during the second season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, which ended Monday night. But she’s clear about one thing: there was a reason for the animosity.

“Things were getting out of control,” Laurita tells PEOPLE. “There was other stuff going on that we didn’t talk about because it would draw too much attention to it. If we addressed the lies she was spreading, it [would] keep it going.”

In drama that played out on the show, Staub had engaged Laurita’s daughter, Ashley Holmes, 19, in an online war of words, before a physical altercation occurred last fall, during which Holmes pulled her hair. Staub pressed assault charges and Holmes was found guilty and had to pay a $189 fine.

But Laurita says there was even more drama going on behind the scenes. “If there was nothing going on we wouldn’t be so angry with her. Out of nowhere? Obviously something was being said and done to warrant that anger,” she says. “It was stuff she was saying about everybody. She had a mission to destroy people, but me getting angry is just fueling the fire.”
And though she says she “didn’t always like” how she came off during filming, Laurita says she’s ready to sign on for season 3. “I would do another season. It’s a chance for you to see yourself as others see you. It’s a growing, learning experience,” she says. “I’m hoping Ashley will see some of how she acts. I see it in myself. When I saw myself being bitter it bothered me.”

And she says, she’s can handle the criticism that comes with being on a show like Real Housewives.

“At the end of the day, the bad press or blogs or things, it doesn’t bother me,” says Laurita. “For me it’s a job. It’s entertainment. It’s a show that’s doing very well and we’re doing well. And I have thick skin. You have to be okay with putting yourself out there and letting people judge you.”

Alex-RHONY Reviews RHONJ Finale

Alex's RHONJ Review from Bravo.

No More Drama
NYC's Alex McCord recaps Caroline and Danielle's confrontation, and looks forward to Andy and Teresa's reunion throwdown.

It’s the season finale of NJ, and the clock is ticking, the music is ominous and the entire episode leads up to the BIG CONFRONTATION. I have to admit, I am distracted writing this blog because I’m thinking about the preview for the reunion special where Teresa lays hands on Andy and he is seen leaping after Jacqueline. Oh my.

Back to this week – I think everyone has had enough with a capital E of the drama, trauma, whatever you want to call it, between Danielle and everyone else. The Manzo clan felt (rightly, I think) that there was no point in either Teresa or Jacqueline speaking to Danielle. If anyone was going to call a meeting, it had to be Caroline. If they play by the rules, after this discussion there should be no more drama between these families. Why then, could Jacqueline not meet Ashley’s eyes when they spoke? I still think Ashley has no idea that her mother and step-dad and boyfriend and extended family are all trying to help her. What do they have to do, skywrite it?

I was a little surprised that Danielle chose to read the text from Caroline out loud to her daughters, but suppose I really shouldn’t have been. This has been going on SO long, she may as well consult them too. And Danny. Does anyone else want to know what’s going on between the two of them? I do. My guess is that they are friends and nothing’s happened but he’s secretly in love with her. Or the cameras. Or both – what do you think? I don’t believe for a moment that Caroline put Teresa and Jacqueline up to confronting or chasing Danielle through the country club. She isn’t Carmelo, or even Carmela. Is Danielle being real or being a drama queen? The histrionics in her interviews amaze me.

The only thing I want to know about the scene with Caroline talking to Lauren and Albie is whether her tea kettle and canisters are from Mackenzie Childs – is that their famous harlequin pattern? Love Caroline, love the kids but this scene felt like filler. Ditto the energist scene with Danielle – glad she felt clean going into the meeting but didn’t need to see it.

Wow – for the first time the Jacqueline Laurita who gave birth to Ashley Holmes showed up. Wow – like mother, like daughter – they both have that sardonic “I don’t care” face that drives the person on the receiving end of it absolutely crazy. Holy moly, I get it now. These women are going to knock heads for the rest of their lives and I don’t think anyone can stop it. What they CAN do is respect each other, and it’s clear they love each other dearly. Good on Lauren for defusing the situation and getting Ashley back into the room so they could all wait for Caroline to return.

What do I think about the charges levied against Ashley? Caroline and Danielle both made good points. Danielle did have to learn the hard way from her mistakes, and one can see why she thinks Ashley should do the same. Caroline also pointed out that because Danielle went through her legal trouble and had no one to feel compassion for her, that this is her chance to feel compassion for someone in her shoes. All good points. Unfortunately it didn’t work, because the meeting devolved into name-calling. Ms. Staub couldn’t give Caroline an example of when she attacked Danielle, so she gave her one on the spot by calling her a clown and garbage. Not Caroline’s finest moment. But Caroline held her ground by stating simply that she stood behind every member of her family. As far as we can see from the season, Caroline wasn’t the one trying to make friends with Danielle’s friends (Kim G?) In that case at least, Kim approached her. The only thing I’ll say for Danielle is that she didn’t get hysterical with Caroline one-on-one – she saves that for her interviews.

What did we learn? No charges were dropped. No bridges were crossed, except perhaps one between Ashley and Jacqueline, which is a good thing. In the mean time we have the reunion to look forward to.

Have a great week, and if you’d like to know what we’re up to, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

LuAnn Performs At The Best Buddies Gala

RHONJ Finale Review

Article from NJ.com.

By:Vicki Hyman/The Star-Ledger
The "Real Housewives of New Jersey" finale opened with a meeting awash in portent and dread. The heads of all the famiiles were there -- Caroline Manzo, Teresa Giudice, Jacqueline Laurita, Emilio Barzini and Phillip Tattaglia. Hey, is that Johnny Fontane on the sound system? ... whoops, wrong work of fiction. And sadly, that's all this season was -- an elaborately staged costume drama with too many leading ladies and not nearly enough plot.

You can argue that this is Bravo's modus operandi, but at least in the first season of "Real Housewives of New Jersey," there was a sense of ... well, wonder is probably too strong word, but possibility? Who are these women, what do they know about each other, and how are they going to interact? It devolved rapidly into Danielle Staub vs. the world, of course, but at least it went somewhere. This season has been one long rehash, punctuated with bracing interludes of sheer insanity (sometimes sickening, sometimes, well, entertaining yet sickening), but still, primarily Danielle vs. the world. The other gals said countless times how sick they were of talking about Danielle, yet every time they gathered together, who did they talk about? It's not like Teresa didn't have other things on her mind.

Photo:Bravo
One silver lining: It does seem like the ladies (and Bravo) are actually putting this long-suffering plotline to rest. Add on rumors that Danielle Staub either was fired or may refuse to return for a third season, and the fact that wacky neighbor Kim Granatell -- Mrs. Roper in a minidress -- is showing up for the two-part reunion show, and there's hope for some fresh mental illness next season.

The Meeting of the Five Families: Okay, so it was technically only three, but overdo the Godfather/Sopranos iconography much? I know that most of the references are courtesy of Danielle -- and c'mon, who didn't love her mangled "Caroline, you're not Carmelo" comment -- but Caroline certainly relishes the Don Corleone role, no matter how much she protests any family connections to the Mafia. Caroline tells the other housewives and their families that she's tired of watching them "battle this lunatic," citing the rumors that Danielle has allegedly spread about Teresa's dream home being foreclosed upon, how she let her friend call Chris Manzo a gay slur, and "the Dina situation" (details, please!). Caroline says she's going to talk to Danielle and attempt to reason with her to drop the charges against Ashley Holmes, Jacqueline's daughter, stemming from the contretemps at the North Jersey Country Club last year. In exchange, Caroline wants to be able to promise Danielle that all her family and friends will stay out of her way. "The only loose cannon we have here in Ashley," Caroline says in voiceover.

"Real Brats of New Jersey": Jacqueline and husband Chris have yet another sit-down with Ashley about keeping her distance from Danielle. To her credit, Ashley does not say "whatever" once. She does, however, roll her eyes, sigh dramatically, and all but stick out her tongue at her parents. "I don't think Ashley understood that it's time to move on," Jacqueline says. Ya think?

Bracing for battle: Danny Provenzano drops by Danielle's house for the express purpose of fleshing out the Godfather imagery. Is Caroline secretly behind Teresa and Jacqueline's shenanigans, Danielle wonders. "It would have to be their boss, no? I mean, Caroline?... She's the strongest. She's their boss," Danny says. "The puppeteer is Caroline. She's the ruling party, there's no question about that. They do what she dictates. I believe that." Um, based on what, exactly? Has he even met Caroline once? Danny promises to provide Danielle with security during the confrontation with Caroline. Possibly in the form of a gun hidden behind a toilet in the bathroom?

"Real Brats," part two: Everyone but Caroline and Danielle are gathered at the Brownstone to await the outcome of the meeting. Everyone is rehashing Danielle's past, saying that she should know what it's like it to be a young kid who had done a dumb thing, but Ashley just does not want to hear it again and tells her mother that. "You have a mouth on you. You need to control that Ashley," Jacqueline tells her. They bicker a little more, and then Ashley is up and outta there. She retreats to the bathroom. Chris Laurita and Ashley's boyfriend Derek smartly retreat to the bar, where Chris essentially tells him to shut Ashley up. Derek pretty much agrees to do so. After a pep talk from Lauren Manzo, Ashley pulls herself together and apologizes to her mother (not without some coaching from Derek).

Battle Royale: As far as fights go, this one was pretty toothless. Danielle is escorted into the restaurant by her boyguard. A coiffed and bejeweled Caroline is waiting. The two agree that they are both tired of this nonsense, and that they're setting lousy examples for their children. The meeting of the minds comes to a screeching halt when Caroline asks Danielle to consider dropping the charges against Ashley, although Caroline does say that what Ashley did was "dead wrong." Caroline says that Ashley never threatened to kill Danielle, as Danielle told police. "Tell the truth, then I'll respect you," Caroline says. "Amazingly, I don't need you to validate my life," Danielle tells her, and wonders why Caroline and her family and friends keep attacking her. But when Caroline asks her to name one thing she has done to attack her, Danielle is stumped and changes the subject: "What have I ever done to you?" "Jacqueline is me," Caroline says. "Dina is me. Lexi is me. Ashley is me. When I stand, I don't stand alone. I stand with my family." There's more blah blah blah, and then Caroline delivers her coup de grace ... well, let's go to the videotape (okay, the stenotype):

Caroline: You know what you are? You're a clown.


Danielle (disbelievingly, then barely keeping a straight face): I'm a clown. Really?


Caroline: Your whole life is a joke.


Danielle: You're saying this, sitting there with red hair? I'm the clown?


Caroline: Yes, you are.


Danielle: Really?


Caroline: Yeah. No matter how hard you try, no matter what you do, no matter who you talk to, okay, you will not hurt me. Do you know why? I have integrity, okay, and I sit here and I tell you the truth, okay? And when I called you garbage, I meant you were garbage."

It's no table flip, folks.

The show closes out with epilogues for our cast members. You know most of them already -- Danielle, memoir, pop song, sex tape; Ashley, $189 fine for assault; and Teresa, bestselling author and bankruptcy poster child, who still maintains that her house is not in foreclosure. Which is kind of like a woman in a wig denying she has hair extensions. Or something.

Will The RHONY Tank Without Bethenny?

From NY Magazine.

By: Chris Rovzar
As anybody who read Intel Chris and Jessica's recaps of The Real Housewives of New York City this season knows, the show has begun to really traumatize viewers. The incessant cruelty of Jill Zarin, the skittish neuroses of Alex McCord, the steady stream of judgment from LuAnn de Lesseps, the inconsistent attacks from Ramona Singer, and the downright frightening insanity of Kelly Killoren Bensimon have combined to create this otherworldly, unpleasant version of our beloved city. In particular, watching Jill bully everyone was so evocative of middle school it actually made us, the viewers, want to eat our lunch off of a tray in the bathroom to avoid getting harassed in the cafeteria.
Photo:Bravo
And today, the Daily News announces what has been reported before and what will probably continue to be reported until the end of taping for the next season: Bethenny Frankel has been officially cut.

This could potentially wreck the show. It's not that Bethenny is always (or even most of the time) the most likable character in a given episode. (For a scientific analysis of who does "win" each episode, check out our recaps.) It's that she is the one whose responses are often closest to that of the audience's. She's the first person to call out a crazy person for acting crazy, or to make fun of herself when she does something ridiculous. She laughs when we laugh (remember when she said Kelly was "a gift from Jesus to make me laugh"?), and she gets offended when we get offended ("The problem is you don't assume responsibility for anything you do," she once told Jill). If it weren't for her wisecracks, the Manhattan of the Real Housewives would permanently detach from the real world and become its own Scary Island.

All is not necessarily lost: New castmember Sonia Morgan — for all her sex talk and incessantly strange lesbian innuendo — is pretty funny and sane, too. And last season, potential new housewife Jennifer Gilbert could be frequently seen practicing her eye rolls and wisecracks from her position in the wings. But neither of them have the timing or the wit of Bethenny — nor have they ever been so charmingly the scrappy underdog.

We hope that in the second season of her own Bravo show, Bethenny will develop a cast of characters around her so that it's not just her, put-upon Jason, Cookie the dog, and whatever assistants happen to be flitting around. Not only because we really want to believe Bethenny can make friends without employing them, co-starring with them, marrying them, or dredging them up from her deep past; it's also because we very well may have to find a new ensemble show to watch when Real Housewives becomes simply too traumatizing.

Six RHONY Asked Back For Season Four

Post from the NY Daily News.

Photo:WireImage
By:Carson Griffith
Fans of the "Real Housewives of New York" will have something to celebrate Tuesday night. A show insider confirmed to us yesterday that six of the seven main characters were asked back for season four of the reality show after months of keeping them on the edges of their Pilates-toned seats. Bravo is even bringing back Alex McCord, whom the cable network was close to cutting last spring, and sexy Sonja Morgan, who was a new addition to the cast on season three.

Not rejoining Jill Zarin, Kelly Bensimon, and LuAnn de Lesseps (if all the ladies accept their offers, that is) will be Bethenny Frankel, who is taping a second season of her spinoff, "Bethenny Getting Married?" for the same network. No word yet if Jennifer Gilbert, an occasional housewife, will be taking the screen again, but apparently we hear Bravo has been showing interest in a "wealthy Hamptons housewife."

Jill's Shopping Spree In Florida

Article from Miami Herald

By:MADELEINE MARR
Jill Zarin isn't shy about telling it like it is. So it's fitting the fiery cast member from the Real Housewives of New York City wrote a book packed with advice.

The Long Island, N.Y., native was in Coral Gables and Boca Raton over the weekend doing signings of Secrets of a Jewish Mother. Cowritten with her sister and mother, the self-helper doles out tips on dating, parenting and marriage (Classic: ``Who said your husband has to know everything?'')

Zarin is loving the Sunshine State, hanging out with BFF Carole Rome, wife of governor/senatorial candidate Charlie Crist, and shopping to her heart's content.

``Mayor Bloomberg won't be thrilled with me; I'm helping the Florida economy,'' said Zarin from the Theory store at Town Center in Boca. ``I'm here getting my basics -- my black, my white, my gray. I'll drop a few grand, but I'll be done.''

Zarin, 46, likely won't have too many wardrobe issues in the near future -- Season 4 of the hit Bravo show is in limbo, while frenemy Bethenny Frankel got her own spinoff, Bethenny Getting Married?

The two don't speak, but it sounds like they may eventually.

``Sadly, I haven't seen her baby yet but hopefully when the media goes way we'll be able to talk.''

In the meantime, plan on seeing more of Zarin.

``Nothing makes me happier than going to the mall in Boca,'' she said. ``I have my little rituals like getting my frozen yogurt then having lunch at Neiman Marcus.''

Being unemployed will also give the mother of four (one daughter and three stepkids) some down time. But don't look for her tuning into the D.C. franchise.

``I find it a little boring, a little pretentious and forced,'' she said, adding, ``but the jury's still out.''

What's the appeal of all these Real Housewives?

``I think people are just nosybodies. I don't mean that in a bad way,'' she said. ``Also it's the `better you than me' mentality. You got that DWI and I didn't.''


Caroline And Danielle Let It All Out

Post from Babble.

Posted by MaraLee
Last night’s final episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey was a doozy. Caroline Manzo called Danielle Staub for a mafia style sit down where she unleashed on her. The video is below for those who missed it.
Photo:Bravo
Caroline has weighed in on the confrontation saying, “It was clear to me that the situation with Danielle was like a merry-go-round that never was going to stop. I felt that I was the only one that could go and speak to her because I was the only one that wasn’t emotionally involved. I was never her friend, and true, I never wanted to be.”
Caroline says she based the decision to not get close to Danielle on instinct and feels she clearly made the right choice.

“My intention for the meeting with Danielle was to put an end to all the nonsense (nonsense being the operative word). I was so sick of hearing her name, so sick of dealing with the fallout of the rumors and encounters regarding her, and so ashamed and embarrassed by how we behaved and what we allowed ourselves to become in our quest to “win.” Like I said to Danielle, there are no winners in a losing game. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew how it would end. I knew there would be no reasoning or understanding, but I had nothing to lose.”

During the talk Caroline calls Danielle a “clown,” a very polite term when compared to many others she could have chosen. But even if she wasn’t as mean as she could have been, she does feel bad. “I’m not proud of the names I called her; my remarks were cruel and childish. But, that’s my truth. Makes absolutely no sense but, it is what it is. I said what I said out of frustration and anger. I was speaking to someone who was looking me dead in the eye and lying to me. Not only that, there was absolutely no accountability on her part at all.”

Caroline has found out many things she didn’t know before the course of the season. She was unaware of remarks Danielle made about her and her children or that Danielle had bodyguards outside the restaurant during their meeting.

After the showdown, Caroline said she was done…but she’s not there yet. While Danielle will not be returning for the next season, Caroline still had to come face to face with her during the reunion special.