It wasn’t very long after I started watching Bravo that I saw the writing on the wall. Click here for my open letter to Andy Cohen about the misogynistic turn. And it was just three or four months into the beginning of this blog. Ever since, I have been begging you all to at least find some balance and watch The Misogyny Channel like you would eat cheetos or a pint of Ben & Jerrys. It can be a guilty pleasure, but it should not be your main diet. It is rotting your brain.
So, I’m going to try at least once a week to do a new series called Off The Bravo Teat, where I will try to off you all a bit of mental nutrition. While I am always ready to hear your suggestions, I do not Netflix, Chill, Hulu, Firestick, Prime, watch anything online, or anything I can’t DVR or watch On Demand on cable.
This week’s spotlight is on the New Showtime Series, Becoming A God In Central Florida. It’s a dark comedy set somewhere outside of Orlando. Kirsten Dunst stars and I believe directs a bit. The whole thing is beautifully done. She plays Krystal who is married to a guy named Travis. Travis has become sucked into a pyramid scheme much like Avon, Amway, Mary Kay and Tupperware called Founders American Merchandise (FAM).
Ironically, the show satirizes the US Economy where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Also, Americans greed and lack of satisfaction with what they have. And, to some degree organized religion. Oh, and Geoffrey Owens the Cosby Show actor mocked for working at Trader Joe’s makes an appearance and I love him.
Give It A Try!
I can’t really speak too much about the plot. There are six episodes out so far and I am only on the fourth one. Every single episode there is something I didn’t see coming and things that suddenly make sense that I didn’t get from the previous episodes.
The show is funny in a very dark way. It’s not a sitcom. There is a plot for the entire season that has a lost of twists and turns. Check out the first episode on Showtime on demand and see if you get hooked like I did.
I am loving (and did’t expect to) Ken Burns’ Country Music on PBS. Begins again Sunday night. It repeats right after the first showing of the night.
Historically he’s a rock star. Regret not hearing him lecture when the opportunity was there,
I was really hoping he didn’t skip over Gram Parsons’ contributions. I saw the Byrds are referenced in one episode and Gram got the Byrds into Country (Sweetheart of the Rodeo), so I don’t have to be a hater!
Thanks for the reminder, I will DVR!
Yay! So much good stuff out there, but girl, Netflix.
American Horror Story started again last night!! OMG it was so good! It’s spoofing slasher films of the 1980s with flashbacks to the 1970s. A bunch of aerobics instructors got together to be camp counselors.
YASSS!!
I was pleasantly surprised by AHS, was not planning to watch this season but will be back next week
I am watching it too. Like it because it is campy and not as disgusting as Hotel. I could not watch that season.
The Righteous Gemstones on HBO is pretty funny too. The characters are way over the top but based in truth so it is good entertainment.
Omg, TT! I recommended this in the Labor Day Open Forum! Yay! So glad you are watching this and encouraging others to follow! I’m dating myself but it reminds me more of the Amway days… now that was the OG of pyramid schemes! Lol! Dunst is great in this along with a great supporting cast. You described it to a T! Dark comedy with unexpected twists and turns. It’s on my Sunday night lineup from episode one! I’m really enjoying it. THANK YOU!
If you like this, you’d probably really enjoy “Succession” on HBO also on Sunday nights. But you’d have to binge to catch up- it’s on season 2 currently. Highly recommend!
I don’t have showtime, but to me the best show on tv is Yellowstone! It’s Kevin Costner’s baby and he stars in it-can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s on the Paramount channel and just finished season 2
I have Yellowstone recorded on my DVR & it looks really good. I am hoping that I have time to binge it before my fall shows start up again. But I’m definitely going to watch it at some point!
Yes to Yellowstone. It is moving fast so you need to binge watch soon.
All of you with the interest in what’s creating the noise about global warming Jack Blacks series brings it into focus. It has a small section where it explains our brains albility to dismiss science and facts. Yes the interior of Florida is going under at high tide now. With the pourous limestone up comes the sewage, automotive residue several times a day at high tide. It examines how we, Hunans, excelerated warm ocean temp that excelerate the hurricanes.
What will our country do with millions of people (NY state also that will. Aneed to relocate. Who will pay for them to move into your area? They can’t sell their properties even today.
Living next to CA and seeing how that mass exodus is ruining the community where I’ve lived for 40+ years brings your comment straight on home for me.
Surrounding States better start upgrading their infastructure now, it’s too late when you have thousands upon thousands of previously priviledged, now homeless people and no where for them to live. There’s not enough water supply to support them, a sewage system not designed to handle the extra shit and garbage, backed up traffic where emergency responders can’t get through (not to mention there’s not enough of them anymore anyways) for hours every day because the roads weren’t designed for the new pop and can’t be widened quickly, police who won’t even respond to breakins and theft because they’re so shorthanded and there’s much more vital problems that take precedence and finally, there’s the criminals, who know the police won’t respond to simple theft so they’re running rampant. Just some of the issues our city is dealing with and it’s not even in a “designated” crisis or emergency.
The same is happening in Houston. First, all the influx (I’m almost scared to use that word here) of Katrina transplants, then came Rita, Ike, Harvey and now Imelda. It’s a real thing. Many of my lifelong friends and acquaintances have up and moved to higher ground far away— it really takes a toll when you haven’t finished repairs from the last storm/flood before the next one comes. We still haven’t recovered as a city from Harvey. And businesses have folded as well due to repeated storm damage. Now we are building vertically as a community. Sold the house I raised my family in and downsized to a high rise condo just to be safe from the floods. We are the fortunate ones. So many people can’t afford to go anywhere or afford to repair (and we’re talking horrible mold conditions). FEMA doesn’t do squat. We will be oceanfront property in the not so distant future as the gulf coast creeps inland. And the shipping channels have polluted the waters so there’s that. Denial is a real and necessary coping mechanism for some because it’s all too daunting to give a lot of thought to and most see it as out of their control.
And the looting/thefts along with scams who prey on the victims after each storm has become an expected and regular problem in the aftermath of each weather event of note. It just never ends.
Yes! This, Succession and the Gemstones are all so good!!
I’ve been wanting to watch Gemstones too! So many good shows and so little time! I’m eagerly awaiting the return of Shameless and Homeland. Did anyone watch the limited series on HBO “Years and years”? It is good also and it’s easy to binge because it’s just a one time thing equivalent to about one season. I also have “The loudest voice” banked on my DVR. HBO & Showtime are the best!
Oh, and as someone else mentioned, Billions on Showtime is one of my faves too!
The first 5 minutes of the first gemstones is THE BEST! I watch when I need a good laugh.
Which came first? Fuller Brush, Avon, Mary Kay or Amway?
Oooh fuller brush! Forgot about that one. This is a really good question!
Avon – 1886
Fuller Brush – 1906
Amway – 1959
Mary Kay – 1963
You’re welcome 😉
Thanks, Katie! I swear I keep saying that I learn stuff here, y’all!
And then came Facebook (or Fakebook as I like to call it) where every person you’ve ever said hello to is hawking some MLM crap on the daily! It’s so annoying, and a huge reason I deleted my account.
I know you said you do not Prime, but I REALLY think you would appreciate Patriot, a dark comedy/drama. This is based on your recommendations that you made, and I loved.
Thanks for the recommendation, think I’ll give it a go!
I will check it out when I up my cable subscription in November again for Shameless and other shows/movies to make winter more bearable.
I really don’t watch Bravo much anymore, but I love HGTV and have it on in the background all of the time.
Prime – The Good Omen is a must.
HBO – Succession, Veep and Silicon Valley
Showtime – Billions
TNT – Claws with Niecey Nash, also a must.
NBC – Good girls (it’s also on Netflix)
You can do a 30 day free trial of Hulu and Netflix.
Yes, with the exceptions of Top Chef and Project Runway, let’s please step away from Bravo!
The Righteous Gemstones on HBO is pretty good.
I have my dvr set for the new show Prodigal Son on Fox (I think). About a profiler with a serial killer father, he visits in jail to get help on cases…it looks Silence of the Lambs-esque which is a favorite of mine, so giving the show a shot
That show based off the previews looks really good but it may have to be daytime watching vs nighttime watching for me.
So glad you started this discussion. I’m so obsessed with this show. Maybe it’s because social media is so saturated with these mlm’s that this show speaks to me. The writing is great and yes I love how there is always some unpredictable twist in every episode (like the alligator thing). Kirsten Dunst is phenomenal as usual. Its terrible how underrated she is yet shes been consistently great in all of her roles. I’d love to keep this dialogue up but I’ve seen more episodes than you and don’t want to spoil it. Can’t wait for Sunday’s new episode!
Only currently have access to Netflix, etc. no DVR, which I miss. But I will read here until you no longer do posts.
I like mystery drama series the best. Most of the series I have enjoyed were cancelled in one season. I also like a good twist so I will give this one a try.
Prime, The Man In The High Castle I started to watch, but need to finish. I watched S1. It’s America, but not our history, we lost WW II and Germany and China rule our country. I think there ends up being a twist, so I want to finish watching.
Netflix, I will probably re-watch Downtown Abbey. Call the Midwife is pretty good (I watched about 3 episodes).
I also want to watch the Grand Hotel, I think Hulu still has it, not sure.
I don’t know any drama mysteries right now, like Persons Unknown, Lost and Flash Forward which I enjoyed. Two of them were cancelled after S1. Persons Unknown was very good, it was a what the hell is going on, and who did it, at the same time.
I also liked The Leftovers on HBO. It was very weird. Most people hated it !! Not me. I hated it at first, but gave it another try and enjoyed everyone losing their minds over the rapture. Justin Thoroux (sp?) had some good, what the hell is going on scenes throughout the series.
The Man In The High Castle is Japan not China !! I don’t know why I wrote China?
If you want to laugh check out Fleabag on Prime , The Detour on TBS and A Black Lady Sketch Show on HBO.
I love this idea! I’ve been giving up the housewives one franchise at a time and not watching new one’s (never started Dallas or Potomac) I’m done with OC, NJ, and Atlanta. So I think that leaves BH and new York.
I think I’m happier. Idk. Reality tv wasn’t good for me, and it’s become not fun and gross. I will still watch Top Chef and Below Deck mainly because I love the places they go.
I am excited for a new show on Fox Prodigal Son. It starts Sept 23, but it may be a little dark for a lot of people.
I’m here for this thread though!!
I watched three episodes of The Capture. It’s a new BBC drama and it’s very good. I hope you all get a chance to check it out.
Thanks for the recommendations, we do this with book club once in a while, a book club that recommends tv series. We also drink quite a bit, and I am usually the only person who reads the book, but I digress. Call the Midwife is wonderful, hits on so many levels.
I only half watch the housewives shows, I am usually doing work on the computer while it’s on. Like the Bachelor series, I am hate-watching. I miss Top Chef, have been watching the first few seasons on (excuse me) Hulu.
Oh and Fleabag was great, I agree with that recommendation as well.
I’ve been rewatching Schitt’s Creek… absolutely hilarious and never gets old. Also, any of the english mysteries are great. ANYTHING is better than Bravo and those raggedy assed housewives….
Both of The curse of shows- oak island and Civil War Gold.
They sneak in history lessons.
I love this show, well also I love Kristen Dunst always watch her movies and such. This show is refreshing, I dont want to giveaway any plot,so I’ll just say if you like dark comedies watch this show.
Really digging “On Becoming…” No spoilers, but if you’ve seen or read “Going Clear,” you have an idea of where it’s going. And the fact that the head of FAM is played by the guy who played Buffalo Bill in “Silence of the Lambs” makes him creepier.
It took me a while to figure out why I recognized Ted Levine when he played Capt. Stottlemeyer on Monk. Because he is a very good actor.
This show is great. These new shows often wane after a season or two, but I’ve really got my hopes up for this one. Kirsten Dunst makes it. Saw her in Woodruff Park when they were filming Anchorman 2 down there. I like her and totally didn’t point at her and say something stupid. She was great in Eternal Sunshine…
And how can you not like Ted Levine? Stottlemeyer!
Timing is great considering all the horrible MLM stuff out there now, I second that.
Huh. Guess I got moderated. I am not a cat lady! Heh.
TT, remember that you have two teats and I will be firmly attached to the Bravo one because the Housewives shows provided a much-needed escape for me for years but I very much appreciate your suggestions on some quality programming!
I view the teat metaphor with the theory there are a lot of teats available. There are still good things to watch on Bravo. You might benefit from broadening your horizons and enjoying some of the many other teats.
Tamara, the Letter to Andy is a classic. If I were a brilliant and dark Susan Sontag-ish scholar, I would do a “Downfall of Class and Dumbing Down of America” multimedia essay/time capsule and you love letter would be in it.
On the Netflix, Prime subject… I do nit have a smart TV. But I can watch both through my cable provider. It’s about $10 for Netflix and Prime TV is included in the Amazon Prime package. Prime was added not too long ago on the On Demand portion of my regular cable. I do not like watching on my iPad or computer or cell phone, so I am happy that I can watch Prime through cable. Perhaps your cable service will add those options. 🤞
Ooh Tamara I have been meaning to tell you, fyi there is a book out called “Cut the Crap and Move to Costa Rica: A How-to Guide Based on these Gringos’ experience” . by Steve Page and Nikki Page
I am so glad you are doing this series! I haven’t watched Bravo since the incredibly troubling episode of RHOC. I also haven’t been reading about it because I don’t want to be tempted. That said, I want to continue to support your site so articles like this are going to become my main stays now.
Keep fighting the good fight!
I have pretty much been off the Bravo teat for some time. At least the Housewives shows. I don’t do the cable stations HBO,, Showtime etc. but I do Netflix etc. So, looks like I will soon be out of the loop. However, I still watch MDL, M2M, and the Decks so I guess we can rally around those. There is far to much exceptional TV out there to watch, enjoy and hate that I don’t need to feed into Mr. Cohen and his likes. Will def keep following you though TT.
On Becoming… looks fabulous!! Everything I’ve read, heard, seen makes me want to shell out for Showtime. I’m waiting on Ozark to come back! It was the first show that I really binged; I’m very late to the game of binging. Also waiting for hockey season to start. As a long suffering Blues fan who got laughed at in January, the Stanley Cup banner being raised on opening night can’t come quickly enough!
Ozark! A total hidden gem! I read new season is premiering before the end of 2019? Jason Bateman and Laura Linney are outstanding in it.
Pretty sure they both won Emmys for Ozark last night. Both seem genuinely shocked.
I’m 3 eps into Be ok’ing a God (I left the autocorrect because I find it hilarious). I’m loving it and now I have more eps to binge. My aunt sold Amway in the late 70s and I remember, even at 9 or 10 knowing it didn’t make sense.
As we speak I am watching the History Channel’s 9/11 Air Force One special. I thought I’d seen every possible angle of coverage. I was wrong. I forgot that Bush addressed the nation with the elementary school staff and some kids surrounding him. Very interesting show.
I have a couple Affairs banked so that’s on the list as well. Everything starts back up/is introduced on TV this week, I’m so happy! It’s my Christmas 🎄 Survivor… YIPPEE!
Thank you for the suggestion! I watched a trailer and it looks amazing. Funny enough my husband did a free trial of showtime and forgot to cancel before they charged for the first month so now we have something to watch on there.
I haven’t had much time to watch TV (full time working mom with a Very active 8 month old) so it has been easy to get off the Bravo teat. Your other show recaps and comments get me through the late night feedings. Thanks for the update on other shows that I could watch with my husband (he hates realty tv).
Bc of your recommendation my bf n I binged all the episodes we could! So yes we spent almost 5 hours on the couch watching.
That scene when Kirstens character dances, that was AWESOME!!!!
Episode 6 airs tonight! I probably won’t watch until next weekend. It’s impossible NOT to binge if you come in a few episodes behind like I did. You can’t wait to get to the next episode. WHAT THE HELL COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN NEXT? I wonder every time one ends.
It was perfect timing to begin watching On Becoming. Every time I see Kristin Dunst I remember what a great actress she is. She is PERFECT in this. The blue teeth, the puppets, the “tug Jobs.” Not spoiling because none of those things makes any sense standalone. The music score is done really well too.
Please let us know when you are caught up with all the episodes so we can avoid spoiling it. I’d also like to recommend the Vice channel for a Bravo alternative. Their documentaries are fantastic. I highly recommend watching the one about Lularoe in light of the mlm theme.
That sceen is fucking genius. I immediately re-wound and watched it two more times. I love Kristen.
Can we keep Imposters with Top Chef, the decks and Runway? The rest can go.
If anyone is into wildlife shows my husband and I love Savage Kingdom on Nat Geo but the new one on the Discovery Channel, Serengeti, is so, so good, a must watch if you’re into these types of shows.
Yes, we can keep whatever we want. I’m just saying watching every POS on the network and living on the station 24/7 is unhealthy. We need some great shows from other places to balance things out.
I am looking forward to Criminal on Netflix. Writer is Geirge Kay, who wrote two episodes of Killing Eve, S1. So I expect it to be intelligent.
George Kay.
I love how autofux corrects me when I am intentional and not when I mess up.
WAAAAAIITTT! Before we move on… MASKED SINGER! I want to guess along with everyone but I don’t want spoilers from other sites or googles. I want to compare notes and ideas just not any inside info. TT, that would be a break for you? You could open it up and be a participant along with us? I just watched the last season recap/new season preview and I’m a bit excited… sorry if i’m inappropriate.
No one wants spoilers…
Did you see the first six on the Emmy preview? I wonder how long it takes to make those costumes. Makes me miss Face Off — a classy competition show.
I am loving this show! “Billions” is also great while I have Showtime. Once “Barry” comes back on though I will immediately get HBO again! That show is hilarious! I also really loved “Narcos” on Netflix.
Please recap this show or start a forum! I literally am OBSESSED and have nobody to talk to about it with!!!!
I’ve been watching Ink Master. Although I am not covered in tattoos I really like the show. Looking forward to the Halloween Baking shows coming back. I am enjoy the remodel of the “Brady” House. I like Prodigal Son too.
Thank you for this. I am almost completely off Bravo except for both Below Deck & Below Deck Med.
I’m not trying for a boycott of the misogyny channel. I’m just wishing people would stop watching the housewives completely.
Below Deck, Million Dollar Listing, Project Runway etc are all great. Mexican Dynasties was amazing, But as long as their audience is there to watch women brawling and acting like fools, the good shows don’t pull the ratings they need,
Please let us know when you are caught up on this series! Am waiting anxiously to see if you decide to recap this show or pick a different one to introduce this week! I’m sure either will be a great read. Thanks for this TT!
Wild that u just commented on this, on episode 2, just started watching today…
Did I wear bobby socks with pumps? God I hope not, but I probably did, lol.
Omg please binge it all! I’m dying to talk about this with someone but I don’t want to spoil it for others so waiting on TT for the all clear.
And God I hope I never wore the socks with pumps either! I don’t think I did. Ya gotta draw the fashion line somewhere and I pray that I never went that far! Lol 😂
I know I wore the Bobby socks with the high top reeboks and lots of acid washed denim. That’s definitely bad enough! Lol
Definitely the Reeboks!
I think the red leather high tops Keith Richards wore were Reeboks!
Just starting episode 5. First of all, I really love the ability to binge, immediate gratification, no wonder our kids are having issues! We had one TV with 4-5 channels depending on how the antenna was adjusted back when I was my youngest’s age at 17 and I had her at 40…Haha! Seemed like a fun idea at the time! Any who, I will finish tonight!
I still have an episode or two to go to get caught up. I don’t recall any bobby socks on the show, and I think I was in HS before this show is set. But I wore bobby socks with lace and usually little black flats that I called a racist name because I didn’t know what the word meant and that is what all the cool girls called them. I thought it referred to the type of fabric. I found out quickly when my I asked for a new pair of the (insert Asian slur here) shoes and got back handed.
Anyway, one year at the end of the semester the guy who sat next to me in one of my classes asked me a question. I don’t think he had ever said a word all year. He wanted to know how I got the lace on the hems of all my jeans. When I showed him they were socks, his mind was blown as if I had just explained how the universe works.
I wouldn’t mind having a few pairs of those cheap black fabric shoes again though. I’m not sure if they are still around.
I love your stories Tamara. This season is set in 1992, so unless you’re fibbing about your age story rings true as a kid, I definitely remember the socks as a kid with my patent leather church shoes or school shoes but I was never aloud to wear jeans to school until HS and only on “special” occasions…I was 29 in 1992, already a mom at 26, a few years out of the Army, most of the time on my own because spouse at the time was always gone, Army…or “whatever”.
Time really flies, I wish I’d have had the balls Krystal has back in the day! I’m working on growing mine, teehee!
This show is bringing back a lot of memories for me. Also, this last episode 5, something triggered “Twin Peaks” kinda feelings…
Those shoes are still around — try import stores and online. They have the same shoes with embroidered dragons or flowers and in flower prints too.
I can be a little naive, can we actually say what the shoes were called, I have no clue.
It was a word that I found out was a VERY BAD WORD for Chinese people. Let’s leave it at that.
I had no clue either. Literally everyone I knew called them that and I don’t think they knew either. We were dumb teenagers.
I just watched what I think may be the most current episode. THIS SHOW IS AMAZING.
And no, I will not be recapping it. People like to binge these days and I don’t want to spoil them.
Thank you again, you’re the best. I have a feeling we will meet, in person someday and just giggle and hug.
I’m just glad y’all are watching this and think it’s as awesome as I do! I couldn’t find Mary Steenburgen in the credits for the latest episode so I went down a rabbit hole until I could find confirmation that what I watched was real lol. Found out some interesting tidbits….
Evidently the creators originally were set on making this show about organized religion and cults, until they went on trip to Vegas. Vegas is the epicenter of “conferences” for all the latest MLMs. They started asking people at their conferences about what their business was. Didn’t matter if they were hawking coffees to skin care to whatever bs product, they all answered the same which became evident to creators that none of them knew wtf their company actually did or how it worked yet they were all convinced they were going to get rich. This was when they realized the similarities between organized religion, cults and MLMs. They immediately went back and reworked the entire show to focus more on the MLMs And that is what we are now watching. It’s fucking genius and I’m obsessed with this show! Each episode just gets better and better! I hope enough people start watching because it should get all the awards.
Thank you for sharing about this show, I love it!
YAY! I think I redacted my Tupperware story when I wrote this or maybe not. But I was in like high school which was also my freshman year of college when my mother had this friend. I’m not sure why. She was ALMOST as bad with friends as I am and I guess somehow we went to a Tupperware party the lady’s son was SUPER HOT and in his early 20s. And I somehow got sucked in and went to a cult meeting with them (it could have been a worse cult, and I still have the Tupperware my mother didn’t seize for herself)
Anyway,I went to a meeting with hot boy and his mom and it was JUST LIKE THIS SHOW.I was in my fearless years and I still thought the whole things was crazy. It was a cult, and there were uploads and downloads. I was much too young to know anyone who wanted to buy and sell Tupperware but I did do a couple of parties where I made “monkey bread” using the giant plastic bowl with a cover. I still make it once every few years. It’s canned biscuits quarters, shaken up with sugar and cinnamon covered with melted butter and baked. Basically, it’s white trash cinnamon bread. I did not become a millionaire. I’m not sure who paid for my kit, but Mama hogged it all except for one orange bowl with a lid that I still use frequently eleventy billion years later.
Lol! Just came to see if anyone is still posting comments here. I used to make basically the same thing as your money bread, only it was white trash donuts. Canned biscuits, used some small circular shaped lid or something sharp enough to cut holes in the center of the biscuits. Then had one of those “fry daddy” things that you plugged in and filled with vegetable oil… fried the biscuits and the holes until golden, then after cooling a bit coated them in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Voila-donuts & donut holes. I thought I was a master chef at like 12 or 13? Hahaha! I do wonder what ever happened to the fry daddy though…. the big one made some pretty decent fried chicken!
Closest thing I ever came to a cult was watching my bffs in middle school who were Baptists participate in the burning of all their classic rock albums at the mass burning at their church. I begged them to let me buy them because VINYL. Pastor had them all convinced that if listening to them backwards they could hear SATAN! I was like so just don’t listen to them backwards lol. Needless to say a lot of good albums were sadly burned. :/