The Real Housewives of New York City is marketed as a sophisticated show about being a socialite in Manhattan. In reality, the show is nothing more than a bunch of annoying wannabes—some working harder than others—who claim to inhabit the upper stratosphere of New York society. The five so-called socialites who star on this program are loud, gawky, and likely on the periphery of the social scene, as the upper echelon of the city would never agree to be on reality television.
The show is based on Bravo’s hit The Real Housewives of Orange County. Unlike its predecessor, the housewives of New York City are dull and frustrating to watch. They are extremely unnatural in front of the camera, and their activities seem scripted. By contrast, the ladies of Orange County are relaxed, fun, and occasionally over the top. The housewives in California are also accessible to their audience as real women with real problems. The show is not just about impressing viewers with how much their homes cost or how much they spend—at its core, Orange County is about a group of women who are trying to be good wives, mothers, and friends.
New York City is the complete opposite. It’s all about showing the lavish lifestyles of housewives Alex, Bethenny, Jill, LuAnn, and Ramona. They do have their struggles, but they are a far cry from the self-esteem issues, divorces, and broken families out in California. Their problems are best exemplified by Jill, a middle-aged women who pronounces the word entrée—as in entrée to the best circles—somewhere between the term for “main course” and the word “enter.” Her trials and tribulations include asking her husband for a private jet to Martha’s Vineyard and wanting to beat her archrival Ramona in a tennis match.
Then there are Brooklyn-dwellers Alex and Simon, who want to move up the social ladder. Every move they make is methodical and designed to help them reach their end goal, which should be expected from women whose creed is, “In New York, status is everything.”
The other three women are similar. LuAnn is a countess, because, as she puts it, “If you marry a count, you become a countess.” She seems to be intelligent and have a bit more class than her co-stars, particularly Ramona. Ramona is a reality star to the core. She blatantly states “I’m proud of being sexy,” and feels that “New Yorkers have a chicness.” She believes that you can never have too many short skirts, as long as they’re Ralph Lauren. Lastly, there’s Bethenny who is trying to be a “modern, healthy Martha Stewart.” She seems the most grounded of the five women—she had a tough life growing up. Bethenny is the complete opposite of the other four, which adds a nice contrast to the constant blabbering about New York society.
Although these five women may sound fun to watch, they’re not. Yes, they crack some great one-liners, especially Ramona, who says that she plays tennis because “It’s just so easy, the tennis court is right outside my door.” However, these moments are not enough to sustain the show. Bravo, like these women, cannot cut it amongst the upper echelon of Manhattan.