I must admit I am kind of looking forward to the return of the Real Housewives of New Jersey tonight. I actually like it much better than RHOA. Mostly because the terrible behavior is not seen by the world as representative of Atlanta, but New Jersey. Everybody is used to New Jersey looking bad, even the people from New Jersey perpetuate the stereotypes. But for me, what makes RHONJ work where RHOA doesn’t is that the Jersey Housewives are HOUSEWIVES. If you decide to cast a show about housewives somewhere and hire people who are not married, it doesn’t have anywhere to go. When we see the RHONJ we see their husbands and their kids and their brothers and sisters and mother and fathers. And they do stuff. They cut down a Christmas tree, they go on family trips, they run a business, they raise their kids, they go to work, they celebrate birthdays. It’s not just a bunch of women who hate each other promoting their products. It seems more believable. It’s like a big dysfunctional family.I’ve caught bits and pieces of the marathon today and I don’t find any one of them to be horrible people. I have always liked Caroline and hope she gets a decent edit this season. Teresa is one of those people who you wonder how she functions at times. She is clueless about so many things it is amusing and irritating all at once. I’m interested to know what y’all think about RHONJ and if you will be watching. Who do you love and who do you hate?
I used to LOVE RHONJ, but sometime last year I just lost interest – it became too much.Danielle Staub was the "housewife" I loved to hate, and when she left Melissa Gorga and Kathy Wakile became the housewives I disliked. The drama just became too much for me sometime during the middle of the 3rd season, but I don't know if it was the show or just the place I was in during that point in my own life. Since I lost interest in RHONJ and RHONY I made a conscious decision not to pick them back up. I'm slowly but surely weaning myself off all of the Housewives franchises – I haven't watched RHOC in 3 weeks, and I like you am pleased that RHOA Season 4 is finally OVER after tonight. I will probably continue to follow RHOA, but it will no longer be must see TV for me. I've never watched RHOBH or Miami and that was on purpose.I will say that Bravo's HW franchises are church socials compared to the mess that comes on VH1 – BBW, Love & Hip Hop, & Mob Wives are absolutely RIDICULOUS!Don't know if it is a phase, but I think I'm almost over silliness from grown women PERIOD.
Being from NJ, I do take offense to your comments about the residents of NJ perpetuating the bad stereotypes placed upon us. However, I do agree with your viewpoint on the RHONJ- they are actual housewives! We see their family a lot during every season which allows viewers to connect to them. I wish RHOA would include more family times for their "wives".
For this show, I'm on the edge. Not that excited for the fourth season. Their drama is like too unbelievable to be true. I am all but done with the Housewives except Atlanta.
Caroline and Teresa is my favorite. Those ladies, all look so skinny now.
I'm lost like hell. So, did they record so much shiz, that they made two seasons out of it? It appears to be that way. If that is the case, why bother showing them telling Ashley to leave last season, then show them forcing her to go live with relatives this season? It's bizarre. In any case, the sibling rivalry issue is old as hell. I'm tired of Melissa, Joe, Kathy and Kathy's husband. If they aren't talking about Teresa, they aren't talking about shiz. Melissa is jealous if Teresa. It sure appears that she's jealous, at least to me. She and Kathy both are fame whores, desperate for their two minutes of fame. If Teresa quit the show, what in the hell would they ever do since their story lines and lively hoods revolve around Teresa? And what in the hell is Rosie's and Greg's place in the show? I'm tired of seeing those two. Damn.I hope this season doesn't revolve around the Manzo kids or them ganging up on Teresa. If it does, I don't see it holding my interest.Peace and happiness,P
Nice to see real family dynamic instead of brand promoting and sex parties on the Atlanta season. I love Atlanta, however the show needs to clean house and bring in some new housewives with believable storylines.
I'm just now watching. I wouldn't want to see anyone leaving this show. At least not now on the first episode. Teresa is a mess, all families talk about the other siblings. Especially when one is…well Teresa. I don't really see how any family would be able to ignore Teresa. I think we will see more family harmony right up until the party where the guy shows up that says Melissa used to dance for him. Everyone seemed to think Teresa set that up to humilate her sister in law and that caused a big rift between Teresa and everyone. I guess we will have to see how it plays out.
I, like some some of the other commenters am VERY glad this was the final season (I guess?) of RHOA. It was getting harder and harder to watch these so called grown (intelligent?) women behaving worse than little 5 yr old girls, with an assortment of "bullies". Nene LOVES to hear herself speaking "correct"english.Kim is so "respectable" now. Marlo is….the "x-factor"(unknown)Sheree is "fakin" it to the end, and think everyone is buying it. Phaedra is slick, but seems to know her stuff,whatever that is. Kandi is handling her business so it seems, just doesn't seem to be a good friend where these women are concerned. And Cynthia tries to be fair and peaceful, which backfires on her sometimes. I think all of these "ladies" need a break from one another, long term. I do wish them all good luck though.
As for the RHONJ, Teresa comes across this season as in the last ones, as delusional. Notice how she blinks a lot when she is on the defensive, or putting her "spin" on something? And she seems to hear something other than what is being said (or at least what I hear)when someone calls her on something. Kind of reminds me of Kelly B.on the RHONY early episodes. I like Caroline, she seems like the sensible one.Melissa seems ok, her husband Joe is like caught in between his sis and her.I don't know how Jacqueline can keep putting up with that daughter Ashleys' antics.She (Ashley) could clearly NOT care anything about being appreciative or cooperative with her mom and stepdad. Teresas'husband Joe seems so disrespectful of her, and she just keeps whining (in that annoying voice of hers) Joeee…ugh!
I haven't yet watched the return of NJ but since this season was filmed months ago & last season's reunion showed the resulting animosity, we're sort of in the same situation as when RHOBH returned after everyone already had the knowledge of what had happened (with Russell Armstrong's suicide) prior to the season premiering. We've been led to believe that in real time these ladies are still at odds.It's a bit anticlimactic but what we don't know for sure is the type of spin Bravo wants to edit into the season.
They filmed the 4th season just weeks after the 3rd season ended. So that is why there is this overlapping.
Tamara, the RHOA are housewives. Phaedra,Cynthia,Kim are married, NeNe was still married during the taping of season 4 and sheree started out the franchise during her divorce. If you didnt like the season, just say that. To be honest RHONJ is a very dark franchise. The way they gang up on Teresa and kathy's husband verbal assaults on her…whoa
I'm so lost with the timeline of it all as I didn't even end last season- it got to be too much nonsense.I find myself being Team Teresa because, as it happened with ATL, she's like the NeNe of this franchise, except T is way more likable and ~real. She IS dumb, and she does says things that don't make any sense at all, but I feel like I understand her. She's basically taking care of everything in her home and then having to deal with the other ladies being so freaking hurt and talking shit behind her back over some little comment on a book, which they all have and will continue to use for their advantage- PRESS.All the men are disgusting though. Their need to prove their masculinity and those little comments- like Joe showing his son how to pee like a man, and Ricky or Rich or whatever his name is telling Kathy to unpack and then cook as if this is 1843 is disgusting. Ugh, point is, lol, I am going to watch this season until it gets too ridiculous. I like Teresa and despise the rest, especially Caroline, whom I used to enjoy on past seasons, but ever since Teresa's book came out she hasn't gotten off her high and mighty horse.
BTW, Tamara, I LOVE your blog. I've been reading for quite some time but never commented until now. You do great work and unlike the others, you seem to be neutral when you're discussing important issues such as the RHOA, lol, even regarding the ones you dislike. xoxo
Teresa is somehow likeable despite everything. Teresa and Caroline are my favorites, I actually like Joe Gorga in the same way I like Teresa, in spite of themselves. Both have really maximized their talents in spite of limited intellectual capacity. Which just goes to show, being smart is not enough to be successful. That said, when it comes to the book drama, I'm team Caroline. Though I agree she should have eventually gotten over that. But she didn't which leads me to believe there is much more to come.
I like all the characters on this show, I see why each person acts the way they do. Caroline does not like Teresa, NOT because of the book, but because of the bar brawl in Punta Cana, which none of them can talk about because of Bravos "cone of silence" over it (litigation from the guys who got beat up).. From eye witness accounts, Teresa started the fight in the bar, but Carolines sons got involved, and are also being sued..I think Teresa has also screwed over Jac in a couple of endorsement or appearence deals , offering her own services and touting herself as the "bigger" star..I get why Teresa is flogging her fame and trying to make tons of money (she needs it), I see why Caroline would be tired of Teresa and have no patience with it, I think The Wakiles came on the show (not to attack teresa) but because they wanted to make money for their kids upcoming college. Mel and Jo gorga came on for two reason, Mel wanted fame and Joe wanted to vent his butthurt over Teresas treatment of him. Joe strikes me as the younger son who was always the 'star' who no longer was, and it rankled. So while I dont believe that everyone came on the show to "get" Teresa, I do think her defensiveness and "attack before getting attacked" attitude, has set up the dynamics on the show. Teresa is loving every minute of that too, because as long as its the Teresa show, she is the "star"..
Although I think Teresa is dumber than a box of rocks, in another way she is sly as a fox, even if she isn't concious of it. She has deflection of responsiblity for anything she does down to an art. Considering how badly Teresa was involved in the attacks on Danielle, I have no sympathy for her when she is being attacked. The "jokes" in the book sucked. She has to be the only one who thought they were funny. I detest Caroline and her holier than thou outlook about herself but in this particular instance I am definitely Team Caroline. I hope Ashley is truly gone from our TV screen and Jacquline can find something else to talk about this season,please. Melissa and Kathy don't get under my skin too much, so at this point I don't hate them. Joe Guidice is disgusting and yes, he appears to act guilty of cheating. Joe Gorga is over sexed and Rich is just a strange dude.
I can;t stand Teresa because she talks all this smack and when you confront her she back peddles or tries to change it up. I don't want to see her sneaky ass at all. I have lost ALL respect for her. I love all the rest of the girls because they are not two faced back stabbing bitches. I will watch because I want to see Joe Gorga Antonia and the rest of the Gorga gang. They have the cutest little kids….
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE CAROLINE, MELISSA AND JACKIE….TERESA IS TRULY A SELF CENTER, SHOULD BE BLONDE, AIR HEAD. HER HUSBAND IS RUNNING ALL OVER HER LIKE A 18 WHEELER TRUCK. SHE CAN STAND UP TO EVERYBODY ELSE ACCEPT JOE. SHE RATHER BE FRIEND WITH CAROLINE (WHO NO LONGER WANTS ANYTHING TO DO WITH HER) THAN TO MEND HER FAMILY RELATIONSHIP WITH MELISSA OR KATHY. TERESA USE TO BE MY FAVORITE OUT OF ALL THE HOUSEWIVES, UNTIL I SEEN THE INSECURED SIDE OF HER WHEN MELISSA AND KATHY STEPPED UP ON THE SEEN.TRE…..YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SCARED THAT MELISSA HAS MUCH MORE OF A PERSONALITY THEN YOU AND THAT KATHY CAN COOK HER ASS OFF AND DON'T HAVE TO WRITE A BOOK AND DIS FRIEND TO PROVE IT…..BE WHO YOU ARE AND LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE…..PEOPLE MAY LIKE YOU AGAIN