"Real" Housewives

It was a momentous week here in my household. We have officially gotten cable! Yes, cable television. Since we moved into our place a year and three months ago, we have not had cable TV. We were on a tight budget and decided that spending a ridiculous $80/month wash just not worth it. So we got Netflix instead, which sufficed until I literally watched every episode of Grey's Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, Rescue me, Crank Yankers, Friday Night Lights.... you get the picture.

Well, since the blessed day we had cable installed I have been GLUED to my couch (during the hours Killian when is sleeping or napping). Boy have I missed TV, particularly the wonderfully trashy "reality" shows. And just my luck, there was an all day marathon of Real Housewives of New Jersey on this weekend. Naturally, I had to catch up on this season! As much as I find it so entertaining that these ridiculously rich women are making fools of themselves, I can't help but get so irritated.

First of all, the title of the show is a complete lie. This women aren't "Real", they're about as fake as Pamela Anderson's breasts. I'm no housewife, but I'm pretty sure being a housewife entails some actual housework.... like doing laundry, dishes, making dinner, and actually taking care of your own children. It's hard work! These women on the show wouldn't know the difference between a Swiffer and a Mr. Clean magic eraser. One particular housewife, who was publishing a cookbook of her mother's italian recipes, didn't even know what cumen was. She even pronounced it "come-in". Seriously? Not to mention there's never a moment on the show where you actually see these women participating in the care of their kids. They literally just spend their time buying overpriced trashy clothes, attending extravagant parties, and fighting with each other. Drama, drama, drama!

It makes me so sad that these are the role models we have on TV. And the fact that these women are now made famous and even more rich because of it is killing me! There are thousands of women who are housewives, homemakers, stay-at-home moms who actually do something that is honorable and productive. And these women just make a mockery of it. I can only hope that when they look back on these episodes they realize how self-absorbed and ignorant they appear, and hopefully will change for the better because of it.

In the meantime, I'll stick to watching my fake medical shows and other great shows like 30 Rock and The Office. And if I ever feel like watching a show about a "real" housewife, I'll check out some I Love Lucy re-runs.