u/bellemrt

As my escape from reality re-watch continues…thinking about Brandi. Even catching a rerun is weird, because we all get to be a little bit psychic, vaping optional.

Here’s my theory. It’s not even breaking news — Bravo is still trying to figure out how to create drama with or without a specific person causing trouble every season.

On S1, Camille was the villain, and she didn’t figure it out until the reunion was being filmed. Remember, kids, 2011/2012 was the very early days of social media. Camille got a taste of what the fans are really like, and voila! she was way more sympathetic in S2.

S2 for the villain role, we got “friend of,” the one and only Brandi. She was clearly a square peg from day one. Her ex was hardly a household name, and they didn’t have a messy Denise style split. Her house is not a mansion!

Brandi’s “brand” is pretty and tall, with a trash mouth, and the innocent claim of defense — wait to be attacked, and attack back harder.

Brandi got the job because no one else wanted the troublemaker role. You can imagine the Andy meetings. Everyone was happy to watch from the sidelines while Brandi went off on people, except maybe not Adrienne.

Even Brandi’s first episode…the mean girl stuff? oooh, Kyle. Then Kyle and Kim took it too far, and the mean girl sister act backfired. That game night episode was painful to watch. Everyone looked bad.

In S3, Kyle’s dinner party from hell, a tearful Brandi let slip that she was tired of being the villain. When she crossed the line, which PS, she was supposed to do! she found out that “friend of” doesn’t mean much when these women are your friends. Although watching (the morally corrupt) Faye Resnick try to step up was fun.

Brandi has published two books. She said her first book was about her marriage break up, and how she did all the things that no one talks about, but she talks about it (paraphrasing). Hmm, that sounds familiar, like maybe a good title for a Rinna book?

The genius of Bravo is that eventually people really do forget the cameras are there, and we get iconic reality TV gold. The rest of the time, there’s a little help behind the scenes. They try to spread out the villain role now, rather than have one person make all the trouble.

I wouldn’t want to hang out in BH, but they’re probably mostly okay-ish people. We can all agree serial killers are awful, so let’s hate them. I don’t need to hate a Bravo personality. I almost feel sorry for Brandi (today, subject to change).

Has Brandi ended up as the sad before/after poster woman for How Reality TV Can Ruin Your Life? Well, yes, but — define ruin. For other before/afters, see also Vicki, Teddi, Bethenny, etc…. Maybe Bravo needs a Detox for Former Housewives Show. Oh wait…

I’m rewatching allll the seasons of BH right now to escape reality. I’m currently in the hospital, so lots of interruptions all the time. I also happen to have blonde hair.

I paused my iPad the other night while I was watching season 2, because the nurse came in. He glanced over and saw the image on my screen, and asked, oh, is that your house?

Hahaha! So cute!
I’m like, omg, NO, dude, I live in a regular crappy house just like almost everyone else.

I remember Andy Cohen once said something like the Housewives live in styrofoam mansions. Tossing my blonde hair — no, Andy. Not this one.

PS - allegedly getting out of this hospital today and going home to my nice, normal non-styro-mansion house, fam, and kitties. The rewatch continues.

Andy Cohen, hard hitting Bravo reporter.

And look at that decor!

Just finished a rewatch of S1 reunion shows, and I had completely forgotten how Andy was, even back then.

He was relentless with Kim (and even Kyle, but not quite as much).

To the point where it was this close to cruelty. He clearly saw his role at the reunion as being some kind of reporter, asking the “hard” questions.

To Kim — “DO you have a drinking problem?”

He kept pushing both Kyle and Kim to put more of themselves out there, to relive the truly awful limo fight, which they clearly didn’t want to revisit, and to generally poke at them in what to me became an uncomfortable part of the show. We all know how things have worked out.

To me, it looked like the sisters had rehearsed (good for them). Kim held the line, but if she hadn’t been there, and stayed true to what was left of their “privacy,” I think Kyle would’ve broken down and spilled everything right there on the stage.

Maybe this explains the weird relationship between Kyle and Andy. Could he possibly feel bad?