The Real Housewives…Not So Real?
It is a known fact that the development of The Real Housewife series was made after the then-popular Desperate Housewives show was such a hit. As casts have change and more cities are added the drama pushes on. Although required to keep a blog to include their commentary to their fans many have also started social media accounts. The drama often spills over to social media platforms where cast members are posting fabricated news articles to prove one another unfit or wrong. These posts are often filled with propaganda and news from a certain point of view. Herein lies the question, are readers receiving fake news about fake news? The line between social media, and journalism intertwines in an interesting way in that there is a so-called reality show that is said to not be scripted, that tends to make headline news due to controversy and troubled housewives in their behind-the-scenes life.
These ladies find themselves in a peculiar situation. While it has been said that there are no scripts for these series cast members have brought forth information about producers stirring the pot and creating the drama that we as viewers watch unfold. According to Women’s Health Magazine, “ Real Housewives of New York star Carole Radziwill told BuzzFeed that she was told information by a producer that led to her calling Aviva Drescher a liar. But since explaining her source to viewers would break the fourth wall, she couldn’t divulge more info.” In the Bravo Real Housewives subreddit, a producer stated “Each housewife is assigned to their own story producer, whose only job is to develop her storyline. So they conspire to create plot points, images, etc… Each story producer’s housewife is their responsibility. If the housewife has a breakdown at 2 am and wants to quit the show, or is pissed about her edit, she calls her story producer. The story producer has to pretend to be their bestie and gain their trust, but they are also in charge of creating exciting TV, and will influence their housewife to walk into setups.”
Sometimes the women use their social capital to draw attention to the inequality and social injustice that we face in this world.
While some use it to talk poorly about one another.
When these women take to social media to address things that are said in the show feeding their own propaganda with rumors and stories to persuade their audience into their favor at whatever cost. From blog post to Enews, and People Magazine the rumors and name bashing goes as far to affect their husbands and family. Rumor mills and memes utilizing parody and satire to make fun of other castmates provide entertainment to a lot of viewers but hurt the reputation of the person on the other end. Not only do these women risk their reputation, but their businesses and family. What would make these women want to be a part of reality television when their faces end up on mems?
According to VICE, “For many, it’s hard to imagine wanting fame so bad that you’d put your entire empire in jeopardy. But in the world of Housewives where fortune and drama are practically prerequisites of the gig, it makes perfect sense. Reality TV stardom in general, but in particular within the Housewives franchise, doesn’t require talent per se, but it does require a big personality. On Housewives, it also requires the money to fund an opulent lifestyle that is both aspirational and ridiculous enough to make for fascinating and entertaining TV. The show, after all, began as a peek into the lives of kept middle-aged women but has evolved over time. And as our culture has shifted, that expectation has changed to a certain degree in that viewers increasingly want these Housewives to also have a sense of social responsibility. Even so, the DNA of a Housewife remains. We like the big, rich, loud ladies who do and say outlandish things while holding them accountable as public figures. That line hasn’t been the simplest to tread.” Some do it a bit better than others. Real Housewife Yolanda Foster is involved in helping find a cure for Lyme disease. There are many Real Housewives that give both their time and money to support causes and it is a shame that this is not what makes the headlines.
In the end, it seems the reality of reality television is that a person has to be an open book with their life, but their producer who builds their story the way they see fit. What we see on the television is an idea of them, but probably not the real identity. Their identity on the show has been created for them. There is more to their stories, and they are more than a meme, rumor, or argument. They walk a fine line between reality, fake news, and real journalism. They are somewhere in between it all. It has to be tiring living in so many different realities.
