Characters

Financial conversations have always been part of shows like Real Housewives, documenting the aspirational lives of real women. And over twenty years, the lesson of Housewives seems to be: life goes on! Financial security storylines have varied significantly over the years and franchises, allowing audiences to learn from and see themselves in unique situations. We'll go through some recent financia...

We're examining the spectrum of how reality television shows today handle the "performance of reality." From casts opening acknowledging that they're filming a show, like Real Housewives of Atlanta and Potomac ... to shows that grow alongside their casts' rising fame, like Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. We'll touch on Hulu's new show, Million Dollar Nannies, as a case study in performative reality:...

Sol's elimination, the couples we think are totally mismatched, and what we need to see from Casa Amor ..... we are recaping Week 2 of Love Island USA S8, through episode 14, with Jaz Henley-Brown (@jhenleybrown)! Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 01:07 Jaz Henley-Brown 02:43 Season 7 vs Season 8 04:28 Sol's Dumping 09:00 Couples that should explore 10:03 Aniya...

Discussing the finale episode of the Real Housewives of Rhode Island's first season! The major storyline was Rulla's husband's alleged affair, which it seems like we finally see her acknowledging with the group on the closeout trip to Block Island. Plus, Rulla and Jo-Ellen's resolution. We see Alicia being re-proposed to - I'm sharing my thoughts on how we've seen her relationship grow over the co...

We're reflecting on the first seven episodes of Love Island USA with my friend and fellow creator, Jackson Strike (@jacksonstrike)! We talk about who we'd like to see the newest bombshells couple up with, our favorite couples, individual Islanders that are really standing out so far, and our predictions for the next elimination from the villa. Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Learn mo...

The unlikely friendship of Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald, and the phone call that helped quietly boost one of the greatest careers in music history! We're covering one of my favorite Marilyn stories after last week's episode - the story of her calling up Hollywood's Mocambo night club to lobby on behalf of Ella Fitzgerald's residency, and how Ella Fitzgerald credits Marilyn to her "never play...

Let's talk about the first episode of Love Island USA! We're overviewing the intro package themes - a lot of mentions of marriage, babies, and the narratives of being "lovers." Plus, the maturity and weight that is implied by people coming in with regular jobs. Plus, the disconnected initial couples - where two of the five already not interested in continuing to "date" because of a trait they woul...

On the week marking what would be Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday, we are revisiting (and reframing) one of the most famous brand relationships she was understood to be a part of: Playboy Magazine, serving as their first ever cover model. We'll overview the story of why Marilyn posed nude in the first place, how Hugh Hefner got his hands on the rights to those images, and her own reflection on how...

We got our first glimpse of the new cast of the world's biggest reality show, Love Island USA! We'll overview today what we know so far about the twelve OG Islanders entering the Villa. Plus, I'll share some of my predictions for this upcoming season and what I *do not* want to see! For the Love Island USA season, I think Friday episode of Characters will be focused on overviewing the happenings a...

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show has been one of the highest viewed fashion moments since its television debut in 2001. We're overviewing the history of the fashion show: from the modest first show in NYC in 1995, to the sensational show in Cannes in 2000, and the history-making first broadcasted show in 2001. We're zooming in on one of my favorite pop culture moments: the 2004 Angels Across Ame...

Was the fight between Kelsey and Rosie *really* about the square footage of Rosie's home? Let's unpack that altercation... that I feel will be a foundational conflict in this franchise's next few seasons. After Kelsey arrives at Rosie's home, with sirens, announcing "house police" (allegedly a joke) .. the scene almost instantly becomes an altercation attacking insecurities around notoriety, sense...

Cher is one of the most iconic figures in modern fashion. We are overviewing the milestones in her fashion history of consistently pushing the envelope on what's accepted, what's allowed, and what is celebrated. We're of course discussing her longtime friendship and partnership with costume designer Bob Mackie, and sharing the stories behind some of her most monumental looks. From baring the first...

I've been noticing lately reality casts being prompted to "open up" - from Ladies of London to the most recent episodes of Real Housewives of Rhode Island. We're talking about these "forced trauma bonding" activities - what they do to actually bring casts together, and what they do to humanize the "characters" to the audience. We'll also reference Real Housewives of Atlanta and Beyond the Villa as...

Tippi Hedren infamously had a full grown, 400-pound male lion named Neil living in her home for years in the 1970s. As she and her then-husband Noel Marshall set out to make Roar, a film that would hopefully support big cat conservation, they began acquiring big cats themselves (and living with one). Photos in Life Magazine of Neil the Lion sleeping in bed with her daughter Melanie Griffith still...

I'm loving Netflix's Running Point , which just aired its second season. Kate Hudson stars as Isla Gordon, the president of her family's professional basketball team. We're talking today about the real woman who inspired the character of Isla - Jeannie Buss, former president of her family's organization, the Los Angeles Lakers. We're overviewing the parts of Jeannie's life that loosely inspire the...

The first season of Ladies of London: The New Reign has just wrapped with glowing reviews! We're digging into what made this reboot so well-received: the strong ties among the group, friendships arcs, and the value of cast connections over wealth. We're also discussing the origin of the "light" conflict (the spiraled, into Margo vs Mark) and the resolution of Kimi and Misse's dispute. This show fe...

In celebration of The Devil Wears Prada 2's release this weekend, a sequel twenty year after the original release, we're revisiting Miranda Priestly's "cerulean blue sweater" monologue. The scene serves as our lens to understand the themes of the original film: ambition, identity, and conformity, during the height of the girl boss era. We're discussing how our reception of these themes and the cha...

From hidden cameras in Fiji to the "performance" of a reality show... Beyond the Villa is a social anthropological document of the impacts of a rabid fanbase on the regular people who were cast on the insane global stage that is Love Island. We're asking ourselves: have the new fans "ruined" Love Island USA? Or is some level of social media infamy just part of the risk one takes when joining a dat...

Hulu announced new concepts and updates to their unscripted television this week at their "Get Real" live event - and I have *so many thoughts*. We are overviewing the highlights and I am giving my takes on the most interesting new concepts, the more confusing announcements, smart crossovers in the Hulu universe... and more. Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 01:39 Hulu Get...

When Camille Grammer called Faye Resnick "morally corrupt" during season one of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, she was not commenting on Faye's Playboy "spread." Rather, she was calling back to Faye's very specific betrayal of Nicole Brown Simpson, ex-wife and murder victim of OJ Simpson. We're talking through who Faye Resnick is, her friendship with Nicole Brown Simpson (and Kris Jenner),...

What would the Housewives universe be without reality tv superstar NeNe Leakes? We are visiting her youth, upbringing, and marriage(s) to Gregg Leakes. Plus, exploring the cast dynamics of Real Housewives of Atlanta, particularly on the first two seasons - friendships, feuds (Kim Z!), and the impact of such great reality tv. Find me everywhere: linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 00:41 The Anch...

Vanessa Williams, one of the most recognizable stars of her generation, started her career in the public eye as the first Black Miss America. We're discussing her historic win in 1984 - the impact and the backlash - and the road that got her into pageants. With just seven weeks left in her reign, explicit photos that she had taken years prior were sold to Penthouse. When the news broke of their pu...

This week we saw the premiere of Real Housewives of Atlanta, including the introduction of two new cast members, K. Michelle and Pinky Cole. We'll discuss their introductions to the show and Porsha's dinner party. Plus, we got this week the second episode of the brand new franchise, Real Housewives of Rhode Island. I'm sharing my takeaways as we continue to get to know this cast: Kelsey's second b...

By popular demand, we're visiting the story of Carrie Leigh: the 19-year-old model who became Hefner's live-in girlfriend for five years... and then sued him for $35 million. Carrie Leigh was the first person on record to refer to the world of Playboy as a "cult." We're covering her rise in the public eye as "first lady of the Playboy Mansion," and the palimony suit alleging she was promised marri...

We have a new Housewives franchise! I am reflecting on the first episode of Real Housewives of Rhode Island - meeting the cast, group dynamics, and what I am most intrigued to learn the rest of the season. Overall, pleasantly surprised - speaking on what the speculation beforehand and what I think will be the magic of the show. Find me on socials!! linktr.ee/literallylaurad Time stamps: 00:00 Spec...