Kill Your Darlings

After a bit of a hiatus, we're back for season 2! This season, we're talking about power: who has it, who doesn't, who wants it. In today's episode, we're exploring Bravo's Southern Charm--a show steeped in shocking amounts of colonialism and racism and somehow on its tenth season. Content warning(s): N/A Sources: -Blouet, H. (2019). Past Reality Meets Reality Television and Social Media: Southern...

In today's episode, we're diving into sex and (in)fidelity across Bravo. We'll tackle some hard hitting questions: if you don't kiss during a hookup, does that count as cheating? Is anyone on reality television having lots of sex? Content warning(s): N/A Sources: -Rehash podcast, Try Guys episode -In Bed with the Right podcast, Talia Lavin on the Christian Right’s View of Marriage and Parenting ep...

Today, alongside our guest (and Keira's lovely coworker) Hélène Bigras-Dutrisac, we're looking at post-feminism and neoliberal feminism across the Real Housewives and Vanderpump Rules. We swear, it isn't as jargon-y as it sounds. Content warning(s): Domestic violence, sexual violence. Sources: -White Picket Fence podcast, Rise of Neoliberalism episode -Postfeminism and Popular Feminism by Sarah Ba...

This week, for some lighter content, we're looking at the Husbands of our leading ladies on Bravo. From the fedora-wearers to the men sexually bested by their pets, we have a lot to say. Content warning(s): N/A Sources: - r/realhousewives, Gender Roles and Sexuality thread, first published 5 yr. ago - r/realhousewives, Best Real Housewives' Husbands thread, first published 1 yr. ago - Vulture, The...

In the famous words of RHONY's Dorinda Medley, "Martinis are like breasts: two are great, three are too many". Today's episode will cover substance use across Real Housewives and Vanderpump rules, looking at why and when women are in the hot seat for one too many pinots, and how producers fail to provide adequate support for stars struggling with addiction. Content warning(s): Substance use disord...

This week, we're discussing diet culture and cosmetic procedures accross the Bravo-verse. Cause a little nip and tuck never hurt anybody, right? Tune in to hear from our second guest, Sophie! Content warning(s): Disordered eating, dieting, weight loss. Sources: -The McMaster Journal of Communication - ‘Reality Television and the Promotion of Weight Loss: A Canadian Case’ by Zuzanna Blaszkiewicz. -...

Pets are a huge part of our favorite Bravo shows. In today's mini episode, we’ll be looking at what they say about wealth and class in The Real Housewives and VDP Rules. Content warning(s): N/A Sources: Vulture, The Most Iconic Housewives Pets, Ranked, by Bethy Squires Graduate thesis for Texas A&M University, Commodifying Fido: Pets as Status Symbols, by April M. Plemons Reality Tea, Lisa Van...

Surprisingly (or, not so surprisingly) there’s a lot of domestic violence that rears its ugly head across the Housewives franchises. Today, we’re talking about abuse, victim blaming, and our own responsibilities, as viewers. P.S. We’ve finally figured out our audio quality! Content warning(s): Domestic violence and suicide. Sources: [As always] Money Can’t Buy You Class podcast Behind the Velvet R...

In this week’s episode, we look at breaking the fourth wall in reality television and the impact of this technique on storytelling and the viewer’s experience. Content warning(s): N/A Sources: - The New Yorker, How “The Real World” Created Modern Reality TV, by Emily Nussbaum - The Collector, Breaking the Fourth Wall: A Brief History of the Narrative Technique, by Theo Kapetanakis - TV Tropes Wiki...

If you’re on the internet, you’ve probably heard of the Trad Wife and the Girl Boss. In this episode, we’re discussing gendered representations of labor and how these tropes play out across the Housewives franchises. Content warning(s): Not applicable for this episode’s content. Sources: [As always] Money Can’t Buy You Class podcast You’re Wrong About podcast - The Tradwife Rises Infamous, Inside...

Today, with our guest Phoebe Kaufman from the Money Can't Buy You Class podcast, we're talking about the construction of reality for reality TV stars. A little Berger, a little Butler, tune in to help us make sense of it all. Content warning(s): N/A Sources: Give Them Lala podcast, The One About All the VPR Moments episode The Daily podcast, Sunday Read: How Tom Sandoval Became the Most Hated Man...