Okay. Next week I have Caitlin Bristow on Rewives, but I also wanted to do a quick rerant with her because I am getting very involved in what's going on in Hollywood with the strike, and it made me realize that we need a reality strike and a reality check.
But the first time I'm going to have a guest on a rerant because there's something going on in the entertainment industry that is relevant and I don't know if anyone's talking about this, but I want to talk about it and I want to introduce it as a topic. But this is Caitlin. What season were you on of You've been on like the Best ofs and the rehashes, and so you were on The Bachelor or the Bachelorette first? Which one?
So I was season nineteen of the Bachelor and then season eleven Bachelorette, and then I hosted two seasons a couple of years ago.
So you started late when it already was like sort of a produced show and some kinks were ironed out, people were making some money. Are you will had to say how much money you made doing it?
I have talked about that. So I hired an entertainment lawyer, and I negotiated because I wanted to make as much as the man made, so I said, you pay me what you paid your last Bachelor, and I got close. So I think they paid the last bachelor before me one hundred and twenty thousand, and I negotiated up to one hundred, which I think they originally wanted to pay me sixty.
So your first season, you were offered to be paid sixty and you ended up making one hundred for the whole season. Nothing extra, right, not actually, because you went long like that. Okay, so you made nothing as a contestant, but this is as the lead. As the lead, you made nothing as a contestant, So what about later as in other jobs? Was it always around that amount or was it way more later?
It was, well, when they brought us back, so as we know, Chris Harrison left and so they had Tasha and myself come in, and they didn't want to pay us host roles, so we were labeled as special guests and mentors, but really we were hosting, so it wasn't as much money.
So the most you've ever made in the Bachelor franchise is one hundred thousand dollars for how many episodes of a season eleven, so you were making less than ten thousand dollars an episode. Okay, how many people were watching this show? I think my finale had six million Jesus Christ.
So just to give you guys the highest you know, Housewives premiere like probably ever what or finale would have been like a Atlanta like three point seven million or maybe high er like someone was getting four million, and that's astronomical. So you guys know, like Crappy Lake just aired on Bravo, we got five five hundred thousand viewers, like some Housewives shows get several hundred thousand viewers now, And that doesn't include what the demo is, which could
be like eighty thousand, so forget that. And then what about all the impressions. It's got to be million, tens of millions the overall franchise, billions of dollars in impressions and in advertising dollars. Okay, So that to me feels like it's an exploitation, and no one is talking this is what I want to talk about it. No one
is talking about reality stars being exploited. There's a massive strike in the entertainment industry right now, and everybody's talking about actors, performers being exploited and residuals is a big conversation. So someone who's on a television show and for years that's used and they don't make any more money, and because of streaming, they're getting paid, but they're getting paid and then they don't get residuals because of streamers. I don't know why no one in the reality teav space
has discussed this. So on my first season of Housewives, I made seven two hundred and fifty dollars for an entire season. I don't know what it was with the reunion, but let's pretend it was twelve episodes, eight to twelve episodes. Okay, So I made pennies for being on the Real Housewives. It is still used today. You can go on Peacock and still watch and online and on YouTube you can still watch me. On the first season of Housewives, I was made two hundred and fifty dollars. So why is
no one talking about reality talent getting residuals. Why is this whole industry only talking about paid actors. Because we've always been the losers of the entertainment industry. We've always been the pariahs and frowned upon and not respected by real actors they think't think we're losers, and we're on more television than they are entertaining, if more people than they are in many cases, if you're talking about six
million frickin viewers. So is anyone talking about this in the entertainment industry?
That's so interesting that you say that, because I had Kristin Cavalaria on my podcast not too long ago, and she is doing like rewatching the Hills and doing podcasts about it, and she was like, yeah, I just saw all these seasons of the Hills and Laguna Beach are back on. And I was like, oh, are you making you get paid for that? And she was like no, And I started thinking about that same thing. But that was really as far as I took the conversation. I
was just like, Wow, that's weird. But then I think of people like Sarah Hyland, who did how many seasons of Modern Modern Family, and she's you know, supporting the strike and everything, but now she's doing reality television where she's hosting Love Island, So I wonder if she would have a new perspective on that. Doing reality TV.
Fascinating, So I'm here to say that, like, I want to be part of this conversation, this slightly hypocritical conversation, that it's the biggest thing happening in the entertainment industry, and ironically, the ones benefiting right now are people in reality TV because they don't have to be on lockdown, shutdown. So that's going to be our way of like trying to shake change out of the couch because actors can't work right now for god knows how long. But what
the hell? Reality stars are the bulk of entertainment right now. We're not making any residuals. So I would like to be the face and the voice of that effort, and I probably could get far. So that's my re rerant. But like reality starts reality, yeah, reality, but the stars should be getting residuals too, and I don't I can't believe no one's saying anything. So I am here to
say reality stars should be getting residuals too. And I thought about it this morning, I thought about it yesterday, and I'm like, I'm definitely going live with this.
It's because, like you said, all of them think of us as these losers and the bottom of the barrel. People. That's probably why.
I know exactly the actress is in my mind, who's a very real, famous, very high paid actress. And I remember hearing that she was like pooh poohing reality stars. So I'm gonna get into this and figure out how to how we can get paid residuals too. It's absolute
bullshit and we should shut down. We should stop shooting reality And I wonder if it's retroactive, if like actors right now are saying, I want the residuals I never got from all these years ago, or if it's just starting now because I could have a windfall of cash, Like all the Housewives should shut down and not shoot until they get all the money for all the episodes still being aired where they should be taken off the actually take it off, the god take it off the
goddamn air, because I'm not getting paid for it. So because it's not like we're not working hard for that.
It's not like we're not putting in all of the hours and time the same way that actors. Of course we don't have the skill that actors do, but we still have our own talent in our own ways. And you obviously business owners just because where reality starts. Doesn't mean we don't have other things going for us that we're working hard for.
Wait, not even a question. We're entertaining. We're providing entertainment value. That's an asset. And right now I could tell you that if a paparazzi wants to use your if I want to use a picture that paparazzi took, I have to pay for it. Okay, yes, if someone wants to use my name and likeness to promote a Miss Scarra, they have to pay me to use my name and likeness. Why are all these we signed away? Our name and likeness is not knowing that this would go on for
the end of time and it's not right. So I'm gonna talk to the powers that be about this and see what I've got going for myself. So I'll include you and let you know. But it's total bullshit and we should be have our own union or alignment or alliance that says, no, we're fucking stopping, and I want to find out See if you can figure we have to figure out who's shooting now. You got to go with like what productions are up and shooting now? And I bet you we could get a lot done. I
could start just with Bravo. I could start small. I could be like, anybody shooting a Bravo show right now should shut down and stop shooting until we get paid for the residuals from years ago.
I'm gonna message Rob Mills at ABC and we're gonna get going on this.
Well, let's let's let's get organized before you know what I mean, like, okay, so let's try to do it. Let's do with ABC and Bravo. So start small with ABC and Bravo. That like, just go look around and see what is being Oh you mean you're gonna find out who's shooting right now? Now? You're telling him this whole thing right now. Oh yeah, okay, so go find
out what is currently in production right now. And I'm going to find out what's currently in production for Bravo right now, because unless I'm missing a blind spot and this is not a good point, this is brilliant all right, I'm going to get into brilliantly. Okay, thank you awesome. So that was my rant and I just wanted to bring you along.
I love your rents. I'm I feel honored that I just got to come along on a rent with you, like.
An original idea in real time. So amazing.