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mysterons
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A reality show may present itself as a grand mansion, but it's
essentially a prefab house plunked down on what the owners hope looks
like solid ground: If an earthquake rumbles below and splits open a
fissure, the foundation of the house goes, goes, goes down, down, down.
Bravo has set about trying to repair the tragic mess that is now season 2 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The season, which was scheduled to premiere Sept. 5, will be reedited and possibly postponed in light of the suicide of Housewife Taylor Armstrong's estranged husband, Russell. According to Variety, it's likely that Russell's presence ? that is, his life ? will be reshaped or reduced.
The fact remains that public interest in the show is now higher than ever. But, in a better world, Bravo would just go ahead and scrap not just the season but the entire series. And I say that as a fan of the show. The first season was one of the most entertaining things ever to come out of Bravo.
The death of Russell can?t be treated merely as an act of God or some incidental tragedy. His suicide by hanging weeks before the premiere was intimately connected with Taylor's public and personal life. It may very well be that his death would have happened without press scrutiny, without Taylor's overnight fame and the disturbing revelations about his abusive behavior, but the possibility can't be eliminated. This isn't a garnish of parsley that can be scraped aside and off the plate.
Russell, although unseen, figured heavily in the season premiere screening disc Bravo sent out to critics earlier this summer: At a dinner reuniting the Housewives, Taylor, 40, was openly distraught over the state of her marriage ? weeping in the powder room ? but assuring everyone she was doing all she could to save her marriage.
Lisa Vanderpump suggested that Taylor knew how to turn the tears on and off, and her husband, Ken, mocked marriage counseling. Even before Russell's suicide, they came across as stupendously cavalier. How much of this will remain?
Even if Taylor were to quit the show and move to an undisclosed island, claiming the need to shelter her daughter and her own spirit, Camille Grammer and the others would still be required, somehow, at some point, to address the issue. Awkward, one might say. And if Taylor remains, as the show spills into seasons 3 and even 4, how naturally can she be expected to mourn and recover with women who are not so much friends as costars? Or even possibly hostile costars?
These aren't things that can be properly handled in a reunion show or on Watch What Happens Live.
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Scrap Real Housewives of Beverly Hills?
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Scrap the Show, Says PEOPLE TV Critic
By Tom Gliatto
Monday August 22, 2011 03:15 PM EDT
Taylor Armstrong and Kyle Richards
Luiz Martinez/Broadimage
Bravo has set about trying to repair the tragic mess that is now season 2 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The season, which was scheduled to premiere Sept. 5, will be reedited and possibly postponed in light of the suicide of Housewife Taylor Armstrong's estranged husband, Russell. According to Variety, it's likely that Russell's presence ? that is, his life ? will be reshaped or reduced.
The fact remains that public interest in the show is now higher than ever. But, in a better world, Bravo would just go ahead and scrap not just the season but the entire series. And I say that as a fan of the show. The first season was one of the most entertaining things ever to come out of Bravo.
The death of Russell can?t be treated merely as an act of God or some incidental tragedy. His suicide by hanging weeks before the premiere was intimately connected with Taylor's public and personal life. It may very well be that his death would have happened without press scrutiny, without Taylor's overnight fame and the disturbing revelations about his abusive behavior, but the possibility can't be eliminated. This isn't a garnish of parsley that can be scraped aside and off the plate.
Russell, although unseen, figured heavily in the season premiere screening disc Bravo sent out to critics earlier this summer: At a dinner reuniting the Housewives, Taylor, 40, was openly distraught over the state of her marriage ? weeping in the powder room ? but assuring everyone she was doing all she could to save her marriage.
Lisa Vanderpump suggested that Taylor knew how to turn the tears on and off, and her husband, Ken, mocked marriage counseling. Even before Russell's suicide, they came across as stupendously cavalier. How much of this will remain?
Even if Taylor were to quit the show and move to an undisclosed island, claiming the need to shelter her daughter and her own spirit, Camille Grammer and the others would still be required, somehow, at some point, to address the issue. Awkward, one might say. And if Taylor remains, as the show spills into seasons 3 and even 4, how naturally can she be expected to mourn and recover with women who are not so much friends as costars? Or even possibly hostile costars?
These aren't things that can be properly handled in a reunion show or on Watch What Happens Live.
Re: Scrap Real Housewives of Beverly Hills?
I don't think they should cancel the show.
However, I think the producers should take this as a wake up call, and think about what they're doing/hurting when they choose to make one "character" the villian.
FET - transferred two embryos (boy and girl) - Nov 2014 - BFP!
I would love to be a fly on the wall inside Andy Cohen's office.
The insensitive and curious part of me really wants to see the season the way it was originally edited.
Blog: Call Me Imelda
I agree, cut anything having to do with Russel and Taylor's marital problems and give us more footage of "slut pig!"
Maybe if they need to fill up more time, they can have a dinner party with Allison Dubois and her e-cig? Just a thought.
Running and recipe blog
me too. i mean, it's def sad that russell killed himself but i want to see the show. i feel like these people sign up for this when they get on a reality show. i do feel sorry for them that it got to the point where he hanged himself but still- other people have been on real housewives and torn apart with the public. it happens.
I just read that Bravo is delaying the taping of RHONY due to re-editing of RHOBH. So, the entire season of BH won't be scrapped.
Blog: Call Me Imelda
I agree. I'd love to see some more e-cigs, lol.
Dec '09 Laparotomy & laparoscopy for large cyst & HSG all clear
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Me too. Does that make me horrible?
I want to watch the show still.