American’s thoughts and values change year-to-year, along with these changes comes new habits in conducting our lifestyle and forms of communication. I think it is fair to call this an evolutionary process, as our technology and potential continues to advance ahead as we move through time. Advance, as in change for the better. One dimension I find my statement to be unsupported is in the context of our media. No, it isn’t rap music that goes against the grain of our society, but, The Real Housewives series.
As I am sure you have heard, the Housewives have come to our area in the city of Washington DC. Everyone is going “GaGa” over the new hot reality show making its mark in the city that just had seasons of, The Real World, Top Chef, and DC Cupcake. The past seasons have brought a lot of attention to the city marking it as a place with a culture, past the politics on the Hill. DC is finally getting its acknowledgement as a place that is thriving, fun, and full of attractive young people.
While looking at The Real Housewives of DC, I see it accomplishing nothing but casting an imaginary idea of what DC is and what we appreciate out of a family. A major theme to this season’s cast is having “power” and indulging in the “life of luxury.” Just like many of the seasons of The Real Housewives the show follows 4 to 5 women who are typically of middle age, living way above the poverty line in a specific metropolitan area as they toss their money around and get into trouble while gossiping behind each other’s back. Does Bravo remember this is being broadcasted into the homes of many, not just in the area, but across the country? The show is getting so much attention by folks of all walks of life. Even The Washington Post has a whole page of articles dedicated to the show on their website.
We as a society are giving such a trivial show so much attention we are loosing focus on what is important to our classical family values. What is so important about validating how “rich” or “powerful” we are? It has no meaning to the greater picture of life. Yes, it is a “guilty pleasure” for many of those who watch it but does it deserve a series in 6 different locations? This has spawned such a phenomena I think this guilty fantasy has gone overboard. These fantasies should not become a strived reality or something we should want to become.
A fantasy that this season is also casting across Washington is the whole idea of what DC is. Only one of the housewives actually lives in the “Chocolate City”, ironically, the only black one in the cast. The rest live outside of DC in suburbia. As hard as it is not to ignore the superficial differences between the rich of DC and Virginia, it is important to again emphasis that this is not DC! The true housewives of DC would not agree to a show in which trash is class. A politician’s wife, a more a typical ritzy housewife of DC is either a) a producing member of society or b) just like the housewives on the show but would rather not exploit themselves or their husband’s career. To me, I would much rather watch a true housewife of DC, living on the East side striving to send their child to school and make end’s meet. This can provide all of the drama and emotion that any rich bitch could, but with true real emotion. They would be “Real.” A true unfortunate fact is that, the woman I just described is the most typical housewife to city, an area ignored by the media. I doubt there will be any occurrences or even video of a street in the part of Washington I’m talking about. Why is America kidding themselves by allowing these shows to become so popular and giving them the attention to come on so many times a night and be re played all throughout the day. The only positive aspect the “hard hitting newspaper,” The Washington Post, is informing us on is the lies the housewives tells to attempt at flaunting their success in…..Virginia? Sadly, this of course isn’t told to us with the idea of unveiling the true DC but how “not rich and powerful” this season’s cast truly is.
Unfortunately, the housewives are about to go international, to Greece and London. Our technology may be getting stronger, but this idea of family is going down the drain of faux metropolitan suburbia.
As I am sure you have heard, the Housewives have come to our area in the city of Washington DC. Everyone is going “GaGa” over the new hot reality show making its mark in the city that just had seasons of, The Real World, Top Chef, and DC Cupcake. The past seasons have brought a lot of attention to the city marking it as a place with a culture, past the politics on the Hill. DC is finally getting its acknowledgement as a place that is thriving, fun, and full of attractive young people.
While looking at The Real Housewives of DC, I see it accomplishing nothing but casting an imaginary idea of what DC is and what we appreciate out of a family. A major theme to this season’s cast is having “power” and indulging in the “life of luxury.” Just like many of the seasons of The Real Housewives the show follows 4 to 5 women who are typically of middle age, living way above the poverty line in a specific metropolitan area as they toss their money around and get into trouble while gossiping behind each other’s back. Does Bravo remember this is being broadcasted into the homes of many, not just in the area, but across the country? The show is getting so much attention by folks of all walks of life. Even The Washington Post has a whole page of articles dedicated to the show on their website.
We as a society are giving such a trivial show so much attention we are loosing focus on what is important to our classical family values. What is so important about validating how “rich” or “powerful” we are? It has no meaning to the greater picture of life. Yes, it is a “guilty pleasure” for many of those who watch it but does it deserve a series in 6 different locations? This has spawned such a phenomena I think this guilty fantasy has gone overboard. These fantasies should not become a strived reality or something we should want to become.
A fantasy that this season is also casting across Washington is the whole idea of what DC is. Only one of the housewives actually lives in the “Chocolate City”, ironically, the only black one in the cast. The rest live outside of DC in suburbia. As hard as it is not to ignore the superficial differences between the rich of DC and Virginia, it is important to again emphasis that this is not DC! The true housewives of DC would not agree to a show in which trash is class. A politician’s wife, a more a typical ritzy housewife of DC is either a) a producing member of society or b) just like the housewives on the show but would rather not exploit themselves or their husband’s career. To me, I would much rather watch a true housewife of DC, living on the East side striving to send their child to school and make end’s meet. This can provide all of the drama and emotion that any rich bitch could, but with true real emotion. They would be “Real.” A true unfortunate fact is that, the woman I just described is the most typical housewife to city, an area ignored by the media. I doubt there will be any occurrences or even video of a street in the part of Washington I’m talking about. Why is America kidding themselves by allowing these shows to become so popular and giving them the attention to come on so many times a night and be re played all throughout the day. The only positive aspect the “hard hitting newspaper,” The Washington Post, is informing us on is the lies the housewives tells to attempt at flaunting their success in…..Virginia? Sadly, this of course isn’t told to us with the idea of unveiling the true DC but how “not rich and powerful” this season’s cast truly is.
Unfortunately, the housewives are about to go international, to Greece and London. Our technology may be getting stronger, but this idea of family is going down the drain of faux metropolitan suburbia.
