In the season two finale, Lisa throws an over the top eighties themed Vita tequila party, but relationships are tested when Jenny throws a glass at Mary for being dismissive and Meredith confronts Lisa for her actions in Zion. Then the group demands Meredith to tell Jen the real reason they can't be friends, but Meredith threatens to reveal a few secrets of her own. First, Becca Tobin, Jack Vanick, and Kelty Knight from the Ladygang podcast join me to
recap this episode. I am so excited. This is real. Housewives of Salt Lake City, Season two, episode twenty one. Why can't we be friends?
Let's go, Bethany, I can't thank you for having us.
Thank you. I can't either. This is, first of all, my first foursome. I've only ever had two people on here, and I've never been with the three of you. I'm very excited. This is amazing.
We're very excited.
Will we will not let you down?
Yay? I know? Oh my god. Okay, So let's get started with your knowledge of the housewives' sphere. I will say that it's always a triggering question when people A loaded question when press asks me if I watch the Housewives, because it seems like I'm hating or shading. I'm not. I just I don't watch the Housewives. I watch like crime, like crime in some rainy small town where there's someone missing, Like that's what I like to watch because I need to dig in.
And I don't like.
Sort of junk food television because it goes too quickly just like yeah, nothing, I don't have anything from it after. So I only watch The Housewives now when i'm watching for a rewatch a rewives, and I had only seen Salt Lake City one. So I want to get your fluency in this space.
I'm going to go first because you are a woman after my own heart. I was actually nervous to do this podcast because I don't watch The Housewives at all, none, none, none, and I am a true crime officionado, So I'm like, wow, we're connected right now. But my connection to the Housewives is I grew up with Vicky Gunbolson's daughter. She was my best friend growing up, so like that is my only connection that I have to the Housewives at all.
Wait, that's amazing, guys. We have to have her back on a Vicky Gumbolson's daughter moment episode because they definitely didn't know that. Otherwise we would have been watching something, but then it would have made you biased anyway.
That's true. Yeah, it's so funny. I grew up with her daughter, Brianna was like my best friend growing up. So but that's all I have.
That's so nice. So that's a lot. That's a big, big for here, for rewives, that's a big like a bomb dropped. And I've always liked her. She did a nice job navigating the show, and that's just big news to me. Wow. Okay, and Jack.
Also, we've had like including Bethany, like probably most of the important housewives on Lady Gang podcast over the years.
I'm familiar with the good ones.
Yeah. Yes, it was actually funny when we were When I was rewatching this episode of Salt Lake, I was like Genie or Jenny or whatever her name was, I was like, she would quaymon went. She was never on Lady Game podcast. That's what I mean by the important ones. When it's a whisper of a podcast, when it's a whisper of a housewife, they don't last well. Bethany, I was never a Housewives fan until a few years ago. Becca was like, you need a stress release, and so
she got me into it. And so now I am a I've watched every episode of Salt Lake I watched I watched Beverly Hills, I watched New York. I watch a little Potomac and a little Atlanta and I'm about yeah. So I'm I'm well versed. But I have a little Salt Lake info. Two before Becca goes So when I I now work at E News, but I was working at entertainment tonight and during COVID. One of the job, one of my assignments was to go to Salt Lake City and interview the Salt Lake City Housewives before the
show aired. And they had they had a quarantine for like five days in a hotel room before you were allowed to see anyone, right, And so I interviewed Genshaw, Heather Gay, and Lisa Barlow for a big sit down before and I have to tell you I knew something. It was up with Genshaw because she came to the interview you know how they say.
Like wealth whispers.
Yes, she was wearing like a head to toe print Gucci denim suit and she brought two furs. There was like an arrival fur and then she took it off, and then she brought in the assistant brought in a second fur to be on camera, and I was like, this is going to be a great season and she's going to be a great housewife because she's ridiculous. But then it all makes sense. We'll talk about that, but anyway, we'll know that Housewives.
Saying I always call it the ABC dfg's like they were in the g's, the c's, the H. Every letter of the rainbow is the ABC d EFG is the Housewives, which you know, I don't think like quote unquote really fashionable people are constantly emboldened with letters. But all so, I guess it's tea to say that they found a lot of counterfeit stuff in her clubs. Oh yeah, so that's now.
Yeah, now it all makes sense. It all makes sense.
I was gonna say about the labels because salt Lake is just crawling with them. The only housewife in history that could get away with the ABC d EFG was Dereet, like the only person I think that she kind of made a fashion moment with every one of them, and the way she styled everything like it was it was. It made sense to me, it wasn't as cheesy.
Well, here's the thing you're saying, it landed. And also I'll say she started it okay, everybody there, she did back in front of the camera and the g's and the c's and the ABC's. Yes, but she started as like a gimmick that she was in on the joke, like, Hi, I'm gonna be that like dumb and dumber ski person who has like that show look going. And then I give Erica credit for coming in with all the outlandish
hair and taking his game to a costume level. I give Dory credit for taking it to the next level and then making the hair her own thing. But I do give Dory credit for what you were saying, like he's like outlandish abcdefg's, but they are out landish because they do land you're laughing at it. But with her, she's in on the joke, like we're getting that she's doing something intentional. I agree, I like that.
And then all she's like Fendi Barbie, like she's sort of the whole thing is working.
She also has a style.
There's like difference between like Jenshaw putting it on where.
It just looks like a dumpster.
Fire and it's not just haphazard.
Yeah. Yes, well she also knows the history, and I think that's like when you talk to her, she was like, she's like, this is a vintage piece from It's like watching Bethany go to TJ Max where you're like, this is a good fabric, feel fabric, like you know what I mean, Like she's giving.
Us an education in fact at the same time, yes.
Yes, yes, but that of wind Tour would feel that if you're buying the whole thing off the window or Tom Ford would agree, that's not really fashion. Like letting them do the thinking for you and the creative for you, that's not really fashion. The history of this sweater, I may have worn it on the Housewives in Vermont or something. Is that I when I buy something, I buy like multiples of it or different iterations, like I'll have like a bunch of different aramez clogs and I'll get every color,
like because I know it's a uniform. So when the Gucci uh what's this called like embellished sweaters came out like it was like they were making fun of like old Christmas sweater jay cruise shutters, but they have this or you know, ornate. It's chic, but also some people will hate it. But because it's the holidays or from
going skiing, I always pull them out. And I've had them for years, and I bought them at like the outlets or like I always got them on some sort of deep discount because they're like three thousand dollars sweaters, so I've probably gotten them for like six seven hundred, which is still a lot, but I've kept them. This has been over ten years. So that's the history of
my Gucci Cashmere winter sweater. I love Bravo, and I don't usually like put on cute sort of intentional things for this show, but today I had a gang of ladies, so I did.
Yes, he didn't dress that. We also did intentional dressing today. Sweatshirts, babe. I'll now dress for my child.
I have a son that's too and he likes race cars, and so I'm wearing this like crazy sweatshirt with race cars just because I wanted to come out of the room and have him smile at me because he's such a dick to me right now because he's too all.
Have sweatshirts on. You're all doing my daughter's version of like hoodie cool.
Yes, oh yeah, holding into our youth, trying to be gen z, you know.
Yeah, and none of us are like we're all at the same level. Even though mine's a Gucci sweater, it's still.
Like doors, We're not at your level.
We're not.
I don't know if I'm at anyone's level, but this is I'm feeling proud of my holiday sweater. Okay, all right, so let's get into this. So now it's funny. The first big scene is Lisa Barlow's tequila party. I'm always going to give credit where credit is due, and I'm going to say that Lisa has been hawking this tequila
since before I was hawking Skinny Girl. And I know this because I met her at Sun Dance and there was this event called Chef Dance where there were all these different famous, not really famous, but successful chef important chefs that I called to get to come because I convinced the owner of this event that I could make it bigger and each year, like get good chefs and
hopefully Liai's of celebrities. I just wanted to have my name attached to something, so for free I would come and get to go to this dinner every night and interact with chefs, and Lisa was like in another room and was talking about having a tequila which was very advanced then because a she was and on TV it was a woman. She had a liquor brand. Like, I got to give her the props that she deserves. And in a Mormon state.
She's a hustler. It's confusing to me that she is a Mormon who has the liquor brand. But like we we touched down on that a lot in the show, but we never really get a straight answer, which is so mind blowing to me.
Because I thought they were like mormon Ish.
And then her son, now on future seasons, is on his mission and I was like, no, no, that's And when I saw John at BRAVOCN he was like, oh, on my mission, I went to Las Vegas and I was like no, no, no, you're like really Mormon. So the tequila brand is getting even more confusing as we unpack.
And they're all ripping shots, all of them at that party, right, Yeah, except for I think one person's maybe Jen's husband or something.
Which by the way, goes into a whole conversation which we could do another episode on just religion. Because what is there someone with a clipboard that's going to tell you if you're really Mormon, like whatever, you're whoever your creator or whoever you believe in, you have to have the conversation with them. So if she's her God drinks shots, then her God drinks shots. It's all a bunch of blurred lines in this entire show with this Mormon aspect to it.
So Lisa Barlow's creator wants her to be rich.
Right right, You're choosing your own adventure with religion on this show. But I will say there are two things about it. So when I came on the show, no one was talking about business, no one was marketing. No one even thought of it as a platform for that, And as a result of the success I had, it became a breeding ground for that. The thing is that when I came on, there were ten women in this space, and to market on the show, you had the eyes of millions and you were marketing. Now it's has it
jumped the shark? Is it still effective? Do you want to buy the tequila for real or as sort of a joke because you're doing a housewives party? Or has it all been drowned out? No pun intended because it's tequila commercials on your TV. You just fast forward and you don't care what the product is. Do you believe any of it now? Are? They're too many products now being hawked on these scenes?
For me, it jumped the shark. Sorry when Lisa Renna had the duster jacket coat thing. Do you remember the Lisa Renna clothing line for QBC?
I do?
But was it on the ship that would work?
Right?
I feel like QBC, like Watchers, it was like Dirksha. They do love it.
But for me as like as a viewer, I've never been I've never run out to buy a product like past the days of Skinny Girl, like we would go when we were living in New York. We would go buy the Skinny Girl margarita to have like a fun night, And now like I'll buy sweatshirts that say like send it to Darryl as a joke, like a novelty with my friends.
Yes, it's a novelty.
It's also like I think that the Bravo celebrities are now there's so many of them. They're broken into the categories bethany of like who you like, ABC ly D list celebrities in the Bravo universe. So it's like there's A listers where you are like, oh wow, I trust your style. I would buy a product from you. I think it's going to be great quality. And then there's like, you know.
The lemon drops that ye Shannon storms Badour.
So I'm not buying health products from Shannon Storm's Badore, like.
You know what I mean.
It's like, okay, you know, it's like it's the same as the regular world where you're like this person is impactful, they're the Prada and then there's like, I'm not buying you know, Oh my god, what's the girl on Salt Lake that's blonde who did the painting with her husband, Whitney Whitney Whitney, I'm not buying, like of skin.
Okay, here's the Whitney. You're lovely, Whitney's lovely. Here's here's the thing I think that I think that we should do. I should do an episode on Housewives Product's graveyard, because you know, the A listers, like it's hard for everybody. Listen, the Kardashians have had tanning products that have failed, hair products that have failed, credit cards that have failed. They're billionaires. Housewives Kyle had the store with Alien too. She had like a two name clothing line, like and you kind
of just don't hear about it again. And then I don't know where Beverly Beaches is that still? Is that a still a beach? Like you know, Gretchen had handbags, Charat had she by Charay Sonia sells stuff that I think she just gets like they they say from Ali Bob and then puts her label on it, which is fine. That's a lot of like that's called white labeling. I'm just saying, like, it's not that easy to be successful in business, and most housewives businesses don't land mm hmm, Sothany.
I don't know if I told you this on the last time we're on the podcast, but when we did Lady Gang TV, they tried to hit me with the Bethany clause of them because I own a clothing line.
It's what I'm wearing.
It's like graphics T shirts and sweatshirts and stuff, and they tried to take a big piece of my clothing line to do the show, like it was almost an on starter and I was like, I've been doing this for fifteen years before we started it. It wasn't like something I'm trying to start on the show at Hawk and then we never talked about it anyways, so it was like there. It's funny how they still are trying to take a piece of a lot of these businesses that probably are going to lose money to begin with.
What I've come to realize, and I'm pretty sure that I'm right, is it's an insurance policy. They're not auditing your business. But if you go and sell for one hundreds of millions of dollars and you at land On Forbes, then they're going to come for it. Then they'll be willing to spend the money to get the audit because they might have a piece, you know, they're not looking into She by Charret, you know, or Teresa Fabolini or
the Red Velvet Cosmopolitan or whatever. I mean, there are a lot of housewives businesses, so I think it'd be worth looking into because very few succeed even like vander Pump's wines. I'm sure they do well because they have the distribution of her place, but they're not like blowing out in stores and they don't have any kind of record numbers. So it's just it's an interesting discussion.
After Skinny Girl.
What do you think is the most successful Housewives brand?
What is it?
I don't know, there's not even a close second to.
Me, no, because I was thinking Candy herself is successful, but restaurants don't make that much money, so that's not really I don't is there a brand.
Probably like the vander Pump bars and stuff like she does, you.
Know, like the vander Pump hospitality but some have closed but that but that's a hard business, like you can't catch No one's cashed out big where they're printing money. And that woman Diana had the neuro but she came in with that. So I can't think of any brand that's been like I'm I don't know if that like love Boy thing, Lover Boy thing on that other show does well. I don't know. He talks up a big game,
but I haven't heard, and I don't know. I really don't know, but yeah, probably fit vander Pump and Jason. Let me know if you think of something. Okay, So you know, it's funny because the jen Shaw of this, it's just giving, very fraudulent and here she is on this season with her clothes and her chanel and her fabulousity. And only because we have the infinite wisdom now of knowing that she's in jail, do we look back and
have that, you know, perspective. But most a lot, most of the people are fronting and stunting on these shows, hoping that their success on the show will catch up with what they're showing us.
H Well, it's crazy because this episode is like the one you know she's moving and you're like, I remember, this really rocked my world because I started at Saltlake was my first, and then I've gone back and watched all the other housewives, and so I did not understand that much about Housewives at this point.
And I remember her like moving and downside, and then I.
Was like, oh, this is like so crazy because if you own this big house, like you would have all this probably you know, money that you'd put into it and you would be getting that back. Why are you having to go to this like very different lifestyle, you know? And and then the whole thing came out that she'd been renting the Shaw Chalet had been She'd had three different Shaw Chalets and every season she rented a new fabulous house to film the outside and to film Housewives
in and then had to like move. That's why she knew the movers so well, and they were like. She was like, hey, Carl, welcome back. Because I guess the family moved all the time and she'd never actually owned a house. It all makes sense now when you're watching this episode. Damn, because I was like, the Shaw chalet is that's a that was a massive process.
But let's talk about we don't know where it is. And the houses in Atlanta are like forty minutes from the city. So you have fifteen thousand square up at house it's one point eight million dollars, and that's why it shows differently than four thousand square foot apartment that's seven million dollars in New York. And it's hard because the audience can't catch up to that. They're just looking
at size. And that house is probably in the with a one million in front of it to buy maybe two it's not a five million dollar house in the suburbs of you know, wherever they are.
The whole thing is, if she was that rich, she would own that house. Why is she renting that house? Because you're right, it's in the suburbs of Utah. It is probably two million dollars for the why did she own it?
Well, she doesn't own it, right and also well that's all of la live in a nice car and living you know, in the red but yes, but she also kind of gave away. She's saying we have two million dollars in legal fees, which could be a lie. But if that's going to break her, then she's not in a position to be wearing the luxury goods that she's wearing or driving which she's driving. Not that two million isn't a lot, but it wouldn't. If I had two million dollars in legal bills, I wouldn't be moving. It
wouldn't break me. But I'm also not wearing abcdfgs all day long.
Yeah yeah, I really would like like to like break down the finances. The only person I think that lives within their means well, the two people Heather and Whitney on this show. It seems like they have pretty modest lifestyles. I think they both own their homes and have been them for in them for a while. But everyone else, like Meredith, I think they found out her house is rented as well, that whole big monstrosity that's like just
sterile with nothing in it. Di is Lisa Barlowe's rented, because I think there have been rumblings that hers is also rented.
I don't know the truth. Well, I'm sick of this. I want my Housewives filthy.
Rich, I mean.
And also it's like these women, you would have thought that they have owned houses for a decade or two.
Land's townhouse on Housewives was a rental fifteen grandmon really, and she tried to give it to everybody that renting is better. Only the smart, the really rich people, and smart people in New York rent like what, I don't even know where that that's countess logic, but you should know that it's a double edged story. So they would never cast me now based on my apartment, and they had a hard time casting Leah because of her apartment. And the producers did kind of say she kind of
needed to move because it wasn't looking that great. So that's when she made that big move. And I'm sure that's the same thing with the pressure for plastic surgery and fix your teeth and fix your hair and fix so you know, they really people want to appear rich. It doesn't matter what people really have. And you're right that's a whole other episode breaking down like who's really got it like that right to the level like I can't think even on Beverly Hills.
Maybe Kyle now Kyle now.
They have they have money, but they definitely rolled deep. Like I know what a person like Maurice makes and it's a lot, but you still he and he owns a business, but he hasn't you know, he's not selling that business and so he's got overhead and they have they have money, and she makes good money. But like we're not like that Diana money or like such Diana X. Like right, it's like real there's real money and then there's you know, door eat and PK money or what
Eric money was. Again, you thought Erica was flying in a plane around the world and their house was dilapidated and he had no money because he owed everybody money, which I knew, but the audience didn't really care.
Now, how much money do you This is going to be a rich person question for how much money does someone need to be making like a year or be worth to have like their own jet versus be like on the rental plan where like I think some of the housewives are like we'll take the jet, but you pay like a jets.
Right yeah, net jets.
Yeah.
Okay, So n RP normal rich person, No, no, no, non n RP would ever have a plane, Like there's just no reason. It's like really for someone who is fuck you money, and even like people who have hundreds of millions of dollars do the NetJets program like they just don't want to burn Benji's. So if you just want to get up and take your plane down to Florida, as a person who owns a plane or even has net jets, and you just have hours, it's still costing
you minimum fifteen to twenty a thousand thousand. Just the trip is going to be fifteen to twenty thousand, So you have to know that, let's just say, all the bells and whistles and the food and everything to go to Florida is going to be fifty thousand from New York. So I would say a person who has anything less than fifty million dollars net like kind of liquid but maybe like not like liquid or maybe net worth who's
over their skis is not doing net jets. You have to have fifty million and you're doing and then you're doing net jets, like, and that's still you have to be conservative, and you're an over your skis person who still has an income coming in, you have to be you know, two hundred and fifty million and above to even consider a plane. And that's even still poor for
a person with a plane. So yeah, none of the people on this show of anything more than like six million dollars a net five six million dollars net worth, and neither same on Housewives, that same thing for New York.
Well, don't you think that the reason that there aren't so many like billionaires wives on this show is because they just they're never going to expose themselves like that. The reason that they can't get like super super wealthy New Yorkers to come on the show is like who, they don't need the money, they don't need, like it would literally just be to get famous. And I feel like that's a strange thing to aspire to if you already have like oodles and noodles of money.
Enter Diana, Enter Kathy Hilton. Kathy's not a billionaire, but you're already wealthy, and you're doing this because you're, you know, on the back nine of your career in life and you want some action for yourself, you want something, and then you do it like Diana, and You're like, need this fucking aggravation because I'm already rich. Why would I poke the bear in the zoo? If you really, I don't,
I don't know. I would never. I don't know why anyone rich would do this, anyone really rich, nobody really rich would do this.
Okay, So sorry we got off to bick Mormon.
Yeah, funeral service thoughts.
Mmm, okay, bleak? That was it was?
You know, I will say it went on for a very long time. It felt like it was a really long scene and the tone of it is so non housewives. I think they were trying to show us a softer side of Heather, show us like the family dynamic or whatever. But I mean, it's sad to say this. He died a year before this service as well, so I felt like that was a strange thing to do. I was bored.
Did you feel like it was Carole and Durinda going for the ashes or Dourinda going to visit like they try to do these meaningful scenes with the audiences and wants to get over to the yeah, leg throwing.
Yeah, I think so. It was too long, too boring. We didn't we never met the dad on the show. It wasn't even something. Even at least with Derinda, her dead husband is like another character on the show. He's so present that that was more entertaining than this.
Right, Like, I didn't mind when Lisa Rena's mom died and she was going through the trinkets and being like, oh, this was mom's thing.
This was because you were like, you saw mom for a bunch of seasons and you liked Lois.
Yeah, we loved her and we felt like emotional with her.
You're right, I felt like we were in a laws too.
But I'm like, Heather's dad allegedly hates everyone hates you.
I don't know why you're there, Like, yes.
And Deronda's husband is part of her identity on the show.
Is what you're saying?
Yeah, a little bit?
Yeah? I did you guys? Were you picking up that this was like a forced produced scene and the reason that the mom wasn't there and the reason it was so awkward and weird and certain people weren't there because they weren't breaking the fourth wall being like these people don't want to exploit and film this fake funeral that's a year later and strange that production forced for some like reality filler on the show is her.
Has her mom ever been on the show, because I think they blurred her face out.
She never has been.
I have no relationship because of how they're leaving the church.
It's like a non Housewives watcher. I felt so uncomfortable during that scene because I'm like, this doesn't this isn't what I signed up for when I was watching this episode, Like, but was.
It worse than watching Whitney have Love's art sex?
Because that was the I need to talk about that. We're getting We're getting there. Oh I think that the net Wait the net, We're getting there. I'm going in order. The photo shoot is the next thing with Like, I like the inclusivity conversation, not because I'm being twenty twenty three and I'm supposed like I actually like the conversation. Also in Salt Lake. I'm thinking about that kid growing up in Salt Lake and that the show has probably been great for that, like awareness, I like the glad
approach them Like, I'm liking that whole conversation. I just think it's a great for the show, and it did land to me. I mean, the photoshoot is a little oh, you know, forced with the Frother sister thing, but I thought it landed. What do you guys think.
Sexual pose from the brother and sister right, Yeah, yeah.
I liked it.
I kind of like Meredith. I only enjoy Meredith when she's with her family, and I like when they show her with her family. It seems like she has a great relationship with both of her kids. She and Seth are in a good place at this point in time, and I actually really root for them, and I have from the beginning. Even though they took a creepy bathtub did the creepy bathtub scene and we were all upset by that, But I like it and I liked.
Her in it.
I I can't decide if I like Meredith. Like we had her own Lady Gang and she was lovely and like the first season, I was like, oh good, they got like a classy entrepreneury woman and she's dressed cute and like and to be honestly, this is pretty early in Salt Lake. Like this episode she just gets more like she makes no sense, you know what I mean, And like like this this photo shoot made no sense. It definitely felt the same, Like I agree with you, Bethany,
it was a little try hard. It's a little like, Okay, we're gonna do a shoot for the show. Who can
we bring in to make it a thing? Because the other thing about Meredith on the show, and like I listen, it's her personal it's their lives, but you sign up to be a housewife, and so like we're supposed to get access to you is that she does these like very stunty things for Glad but like we never, I don't know, we never see her have any conversations with her son that are like super meaningful and maybe he doesn't want to talk about it or whatever, But it
was like it's it's always been. I don't know, Becka, what you think, Like she's always tiptoed around it because for the first season he wasn't out and so like we were like tiptoeing around it, which I completely understand, you're not gonna out someone that doesn't want to be at it. But now he's out and he still like has never had a conversation with his mom about her on camera, but yet she's doing these stunty things.
So maybe that's her love language like.
I don't know, I think she's her. I feel this way about her and a couple other housewives, and like I'm gonna have to think of who they are. But anytime I find a housewife who's a little bit doesn't make a lot of sense when the drama starts up,
is contradicting herself, is a little inconsistent. I think that those are the women who are a little too normal to be on the show and a little too self aware, and they're just trying so hard to play the part, but they're just like not quite method enough, do you know what I mean? Like she's she doesn't read like housewife to me, like eccentric or or wild, wants.
To be there so badly, and you can see that she's trying to create things. And it's funny because why not. It was years, This is the truth. It wasn't until I took everyone to Mexico. It's the first time I heard anyone say storyline. She has no storyline to I was talking about Ramona or Sonya or something and having
no storyline. And I swear on everything I am and hope to be, I've never once thought about, like what the storyline was there's just always enough going on around me, Like right now there's a drama with my my pool, my pool guy, this other situation. Like I have stuff going on that for some reason or it's the way that I relate to it or react to it, Like there's always stuff going on because I have a lot.
I have many businesses and it's real. But when you don't have a lot going on, you're manufacturing it and there's a lot to fill on this show, and they pressure you to have things and like you might be like, I want to talk about my pencil project and they'll be like eh, and you have to then force Oh, but I'm gonna have us you know, a brother's sister glad shoot and I think this is creepy and they're like, oh okay, Like that's the that's the bikini like art
scene coming up. Like that's not something they thought of doing. That's something that was suggested to them because we need a scene with you and your husband, and like then the creative advertising meeting starts to figure out what that scene's going to be. That's what those two scenes are.
Do you think by now they have these buckets when they're casting of types of women so I think of you, and I'm like, you're a really self actualized, aware person, but just so happen to be interesting enough that whatever you do is dynamic. You can like be making a bagel on Instagram and I'm like, I want.
To watch this for three hours.
I have no fucking idea why.
So it's like, even though you're drama with the pool guy, like you make it interesting, but if Meredith has drama with the pool guy, I don't worry. I do not want to watch that. So it's like I think there's like the buckets of people who are just interesting to watch. Then there's the total lunatics who are so unaware, which is like the Ramonas of the world. And then I think, yeah, so I'm like, do they have the prototypes they must buy now?
Right?
Yes, not exactly. There'll be an anchor that's bringing all the people together, and then you're trying to fill in the blanks and you're trying to surround that. So if I launched a brand and then I launched the next brand, I wanted to sort of connect to the initial brand. So it's like if you have Jill Zarron in there and then she's already friends with Well, it's a countess. It's just like a brand name label countess. We need
a countess whatever that means. And you know, and then Ramona, you know, brings the party but doesn't kill the drama. And there you go. So then Sonya wasn't In the beginning, Alex and Simon we thought it was crazy. But I get what they're saying, this like group that's not going to fit in. They're from Brooklyn, New York is in Brooklyn to people who live in New York City. And back then I was the question. They didn't want me, They didn't want me on the show. I like was
absolutely denied, and Andy Cohen didn't want me. I had to be pushed through reluctantly. And I didn't want to do it either. But then now years later in other cities, they're like, oh, that might be that's like a She's like a Bethany character could fill in different banks based on you know what the beginning was. I think, yeah, so interesting, I want to Pramona's VICKI a little bit.
Yes, yes, right, yes, very much.
Yeah, So I think that it moves and flows. And then but then the mistake that people make is themselves coming in and saying to themselves, I'm going to be the Bethany. That's what people come in and say, I've heard that from producers, and then you're having a hard time on your own, having your own identity.
Yeah, it's like you have too much self awareness that you think you're going to play a character and then it comes off as disingenuous or like to try hard.
I'm sure.
Well, that's the real problem with Bravo right now is that they like, in my opinion, the last couple seasons of like OC and like they like Noela. On the OC, it was like clearly they were like, we need a young, hot girl, a woman of color to be on the show. But like she had studied, she went to the she grew up in the school of housewives. She knew exactly what to wear, she knew exactly what to say. And then you're like, I actually hate her because she's not
even like a real person. She is playing a character of a housewife. And it's kind of good because I feel like they've gotten on Salt Lake later, they've gotten a couple of people like that too, like Angie, she wanted to be a housewife so bad, and they cut them, which good, well.
New York is a cast of seasoned, trained, slacked, glossed house and they were like training season. Okay, so let's discuss Whitney and this awkward. My problem is like the mic near the crack and thong, like I'm not going to start talking about someone's body because anybody's going to look a certain way in that light and that just like I don't know, it was just her skin color with the red and the lack of the microphone upper at I don't know. I was just very uncomfortable.
One scene, they couldn't get a boom operator to hold the book mike out.
They had this poor thought we did to get the spanking.
You know, by the time he got the spanking, they were on a boom thank god.
Oh they were the mics.
Were off, I under stand, And it's really him like she's you know, she's she's she's the me, like I was the prostitute there for the transaction, Like what the fuck is he doing part of this?
Like, you know, he lost his whole career after that?
What did he do? What did he do?
That scene?
That scene, that scene on Housewives?
That man the company he had worked for for like twenty five years and was like a.
VP of fired him, No way fired him.
Yep.
They were like, we don't agree with this. You have to pick you can be on the show. Wasn't that what it was?
I don't know if they gave Hill tomatom. I think they were just like this is gross and you're fired. Y.
Like what company did he work for? And what they're she's getting paid is so low compared to like and I had. I was in a relationship with someone who's something similar happened. This was the excuse for it, and he didn't do anything like that. But I've talked about this, the kids and the husbands that just sign up for this and the wife really wants them to do it to support them, and then it ruins their career. And then he said Greg lost a job because of it.
Greg, Oh really, yeah?
I forgot what happened in the beginning, So explain to me what his job was.
I actually have no idea, do you?
I have no idea what he did, But he was like he was the guy and he had I think what was heartbreaking is that he is a corporate guy, but he had been there for like twenty years, like he had been there for a long time, and then on seasons after of Salt Lake, you he comes home.
You see him in the next season come home and be like, I lost my job, and she's like, you know, maybe selling her skincare line, Like she's not working, she's a stay at home and then she goes back to work, and then he's looking for a job and can't get a job, and so yeah, it's like really kind of heartbreaking. You feel bad for the guy because it was so cringey.
But you know, I want to to remind Becca and Jack and tell you Bethany, when we had our Lady Gang TV show on e we had a very similar scene which you can't and because I had it sprubbed from the internet.
Because you had Housewives producers producing.
Yeah.
Yes, but we had a scene where we did some topless painting and it was like, you know, at the time, you're like, you have your own show and we need to push the envelope and the network wants more more, like it needs to be louder, and you're.
Like, you know, wasn't wasn't forced, but it was kind of forced.
Yeah, I'm saying, we all agree to.
Do it, and you're like, you think it's going to be one way, and you're doing it and we're all friends, and so it was like, it's not that awkward for us to be doing it, and like we're having a good time. And then we saw it later and we're like okay. And then when they went to go put the shows online, we specifically had it taken out because we felt and they did it, which was I thought was really cool of e.
They were like, we totally get it. Well, you are allowed to because we were executive producers. We had a little bit of like an ask. I mean, not really, but yeah.
That's what I'm saying. But like I was thinking, in what scene of this show, of this entire franchise, is the scene not designed to make people look like morons where the producers in the moment have told you that it's going to be great. So this funeral services to make people look at her look stupid. This red outfit and this art thing is to make them look like fools.
The tequila scene, the woman Lisa, You'll never see someone nicer to the other people than when it's their own party for their own product, because they're panic stricken, wondering what's being said, behind there. So hey, you look amazing, like it's so beyond if it's your own because you're just like trying to cover people in bubble reps. They don't say bad things. But nevertheless, Mary said, tequila tastes
like shit. It tastes like water, and that's a risk you take, Like when you have a real brand at this level, you can't take these risks with partners like Jill Zarren right now has a real you know, branch, She's partners with Chris Birch and doing these products. She won't take the risk of looking like a moron who has shitty product. It's just not worth it. So you know, Peloton took a big hit for someone getting a heart attack on their bikes.
Oh my god.
Oh yeah. So I was just thinking, like this scene is sounds good in the room, and when people say you know what you're signing up for, you really don't know exactly what you're signing up for, no.
Because you're you know, you're auditioning. And for us, it was this kind of similar where they're like, we love what you guys have, we just want to bring it to TV. It's like we love the person you are and we love your life, we just want to bring it to TV. Then you get this huge opportunity, similar to Housewives. You're like, I don't want to blow it. I don't want to disappoint anybody. And then suddenly you get there and they act like you're not important or
you're not interesting enough to be authentic. So then you do all these crazy You get talked into these weird things, and I do feel very sorry for these people. But at this point, because of all these conversations being had, I hope now people know that.
You really have to be desperate.
To be famous or make a little tiny bit of money to go on Housewives.
Yes, and I actually don't think it was I know it's been great for Genna Lions and that she's getting a lot of media attention, but it's confusing and I don't understand who she is or what her brand is, because you know, it doesn't seem like who she's presenting would be part of this brand. So she's trying to bridge that gap. But I think the allure of whoever people thought she was being the CEO of this major company,
it's like lifting the veil. It's like the way Megan and Harry seem now to people before it's like, oh, ye, does the Emperor have clothes? Like I think that's one of the things that are interesting about this. But you know, anyway, they definitely did not have sex during the scene or out, Like there's no way there was anything sexual.
That's they both were probably like this is the most I've.
Felt more aroused with the funeral than not his art.
By the way, I bought that Love is Art. I've done it Christmas present for Jared the first year that we started dating, and it has been five and a half years and.
We have never opened it.
I've done it, and it's terrible. It's as terrible as you think.
Well, it's awk, you know. Amy Schumer says it the best, like she makes it like being married is like and like having sex with your husband is like having sex with your best friend, like yep, Like you've been with this person so long and you know them, so it's like awkward, Like you're like, hey, person, I know, and I've talked about everything from kids to parenting to bodily functions and poopy diapers. H let's do an interesting sexual activity. It's like, ew, who are you you freaking weirdo?
It's so true, so true.
You know, we were talking about this on Lady Ding podcast that it's actually kind of like a brother too. It's like, yeah, it's familial. And I'm like, I don't want like I've I've showing you parts of my body, like I've shown you a hemorrhoid before, Like I don't need to then do lingerie and weird sex positions with you.
Right, Like the robotic thing sounds pretty good. Like it's like you've a couple of things to do today and that's one of those things, and it's gonna be enjoyable and it's goal oriented for both people in cases. But like we don't need to like make you know, we don't need to be like mopping our kitchen with flair. Something we're gonna do today and it's gonna be great and we're gonna be happy we did it, but we don't need to bling it out.
I mean, I enjoy a flare.
But I'll tell you what's wrong with the painting set is that men have such hairy butt cracks and the underball area and stuff like listen and in general, like man's body hair like a woman covered in paint is like it's like Beyonce in the cover album. It's like, listen, it's terrible, but it's not so terrible. But a man like with their leg hair and where the paint goes and like how it collapsed, how it clumps up on like different hairs.
Ew Yes, unattractive unless you're a baby dolphin.
I don't want to see your finger painted.
Well, men's bodies are well.
My fiance is. My fiance is a quarter Japanese and he really has doesn't have a lot of hairy He has like three hairs on his chest and he would be great, amazing. Yes, send it to me, send me the one you didn't use some of your used art is love No, because I'll say to him, you're hairy, is like three hair. He's not a hairy person. I love that. But he's not like a dolphin either. Yeah, it's kind of dreaming. Yeah, okay, so it's a cute concept. It's made for TV scene not unlike on one of
these other shows. Somebody got into a pool in a full wedding dress I saw while pregnant, like in one of these shows. Yes, I forgot which one, maybe Toomac. But she was in a pool in a full wedding dress, Like you have to push these scenes because they have
to fill. You need filler, Yeah, you need filler, all right, So can we talk about there are always these things that housewives do, Like you're trying to sell tequila and now you're doing a blinged out bottle because you're doing it for free people, but like it makes it less relatable, less shippable, not marketing to men at all, women, Like it's just not a It's like when Kathy Wakili, who I liked, did a red velvet cocktail. You are so limited,
Like it's just limiting. It's just not a blinging out tequila is not necessary as a maybe for a marketed bottle, but not for like a mainstream packaging.
It feels like excess.
And then two thousand and two, But then also it was like the theme of the party did not go along with like what she was trying to do at all. It's like she's doing this low brow, like nineties sort of mall party for this crystal blinked out bottle, Like that doesn't make any sense to me.
No, And what about the post that they did that weird graphics stuff that looked like, oh, Duran Duran and it was like, hey, what are you doing?
It was like that all game we played. What was the mall board game?
We played?
I forget.
Stranger things like the way that they're in the eighties and that like a yeah, there was a movie a thousand years ago called Mannequin with Andrew McCarthy and this movie was this this graphic It was very did that did not land being a thing?
Don't land No?
And I remember texting Lisa because I watched it and I'm like that bad person that gets your phone number and then actually watches the show and text you like I can't imagine how annoying that is, but I did it. And then I remember being like your party, Like the theme was so cute, but they really ruined it with these graphics, and like I do that thing where I like send people text offensive text messages but think I'm like we're in on it together, and like she was like, whoa you think?
And I was like you don't know that. This is so like it's too late. What do you want me to do?
Don't give me a note that I can't change back.
It was so ugly and sheep looking.
I love how she was going like in the beginning of the episode, when she was like looking at all the things, She's like, I love it, I love it, I love it, and I'm like, oh sucks.
Yes, this sucked.
The moment that I cringed really hard was when they were in the Vita Tequila car driving to the party and she's with John and she's like, this car, I'm obsessed. I just for some reason, I even hated it.
It felt loved.
John felt so fake.
I'm obsessed.
I think John's so hot. He's attracted.
Know why you do? Because he's tall.
I don't know.
He's like one of the housewife husbands that I think is hot.
He reminds me a little bit of the Jackie woman on Jersey's Husband, like that type.
No, oh, similar, yeah, because I find Jackie's husband attractive.
This woman, Jenny is one of these people that also watched Housewives and is like, none of this is working for me, So I'm just gonna be the villain. I'm going to decide. I'm gonna just like I've seen this before where it's really strange. It's almost like sometimes a guest of someone a Housewives friend, will do something insane because they want to find a way to get in on the show. It happens on Jersey, It's happened on Atlanta,
where you can just see the desperation. This one is a housewife who seems like a friend who's trying to be a housewife get noticed on the show.
I even know because it was I think it was Whitney and Mary fighting about her culty church.
Or something like that, and then she just jumps in.
I obviously didn't watch the season, so I don't know what happened previously with this Jenny girl, but I'm.
Like, what is happening? I'm like, how is this about you?
Now?
And jumping into the other fight that was happening. It was very like should you be here?
No? And I think when you throw a glass on a housewives show, unless you've ever thrown a glass at someone in your normal life, it is not allowed.
Like crime.
Teresa Judici or whatever her last name is now, she's flipped eight hundred tables in her life, so when she flips a table on the show, I'm like, of course, and that's why she's an amazing housewife. Jenny has never thrown a glass in anyone in her entire fucking life.
Right, I actually believe that, and jen Shaw has.
Oh oh yeah, no, she's she's created has.
Thrown, wasn't she like I threw, I know how to throw a glass? Better thing or something like that.
A lot further, Yeah, you saw a little bit. She was provoking Mary with the Hood conversation. She was trying to get something going. You've never seen the Hood in your life, like she was trying to get something going. I saw here. And Mary's very polarizing too. I've seen her. She's reached out to me on social media. That's a polarizing character is she's still on the show.
So she left for a season and everyone was so devastated and they missed her. So now on this new season she's kind of a friend of but she's refusing
to really participate. I dislike her very much. Some of the things that she has said have been like very mean spirited, where she told Heather Gay that she looked inbred, and then when Heathergate came back at her and said, I'm really hurt, giving her the opportunity to be like, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to say that, and Mary said, yes, I did say that, and I do mean it that you look in bread.
Those are her moods, right, I've only seen yeah, I've only seen two episodes over. But she told somebody she smelled like hospital. I think it was jen Shaw or something, and she doubled down, So that's I guess she's unfiltered. But just saying like her tequila tastes like water like it just it doesn't seem necessary. It's not like something that affected her. It's just like random shots. I think she said to somebody, don't validate yourself in a scene here,
and I don't understand why someone wouldn't validate themselves. I didn't even know what she meant. Did you hear that she don't validate yourself?
Yeah, she's very mean, like she well she always hates Whitney and she's like you little girl, like she's I personally think like enjoy Mary as a housewife to watch her because fifty percent of it is, like Becca said, like so mean and terrible and you're like ooh no. But and then like the other fifty percent of it can quite be quite funny at.
Times, got it okay?
And like because she's so straightforward and she's like I'm not sitting with you, like and she'll just go off by herself, like it is kind of funny. And I did miss her when she wasn't on the season. But yeah, she's not so bananas, like she's her whole world is like so weird, and she you know, she's the most amazing clothes. She has all these things, but like you
run a church, like it just doesn't make sense. And then she's always like she calls like a head at hotels and she's like, do you have the nineteen ninety two dom Perion because like the grapes were bigger that season, and that's all she'll drink.
Well, what's interesting is I think that she's two different people on the shows. And I like the character that was sitting at a table one time and had a fight with Crystal, Like she had her hair and a ponytail and it was like it was just like a loose, like natural ponytail and maybe a scarf around and she was feeling awkward at this dinner. I liked her at that dinner because she seemed very real. But then you're right, she puts on airs and it's different.
Yeah, yes, she's inconsistent.
You can also tell she's not friends with any of these people in real life.
Yes, yes, that's a very that's a great They're like, oh.
Mary, it's like Grandma coming to dinner.
They're like, oh Mary's coming, Like what's new, Mary, haven't seen you in five years? Like you know, I kind of feel like Mered with Lisa Heather Whitney, like they have a group chat that like continues.
Yeah, they know each they really know each other. The men there. I find this on many of the shows when the men are interacting, it's odd to me. It's like rare dork bro content that is very cringey, and I can never Paul would never be standing like making an effort to like do this. Weird happens on Jersey too.
Jersey. Oh so they're like housewives. The husbands on Jersey are pretty much housewives. We see them almost as much. And then they have their guide dinners and it's so strange. Eight when the men interact, you.
Mean, I don't love it. The core group I understand, like I understand some of the core guys, but then when they're trying to like force in one of the periphery peripheral non Italian husbands or in this case, like it just doesn't seem like these people would ever be hanging out. So that's what makes it really strange, like some corporate Marriotte Christmas party.
It's literally as awkward as in real life when you take your husband to the party and you're like, you don't remember.
Jim right bye, I'm gonna go be with my friends.
Like, no one els to see what's happening with Jim and Brian in the corner.
You know what I mean. It's not exciting, it's awkward. They're bros. They're all wearing like this.
They were wearing white socks ten minutes ago before their wives were like, you can't wear white socks.
Are dress pants?
Like change your socks before we go, you know, Like, it's just it's not the fantasy I need to escape from my own shitty life. Give me the full fantasy. I don't want to see your awkward husbands.
Interesting. Okay, So speaking of that, the next part is about the affairs and Meredith. And it's always great on housewives shows when it's twenty twenty hindsight and the housewife acts like it was never a problem that we had affairs. We had an open marriage, but wasn't it On this very show, like something people talked about but wasn't open. And that's the nature of this game, like secrets exposed.
Because they tried to come in. Meredith and Seth tried to come in to the show and not exposed that they had ever separated, I believe. So they tried to come in like this happy couple, I think, and then it came out that everyone knew that they were separated. Everyone knew she was fucking all these people, like everyone on the quote upper East Side of New York. That was my favorite quote of the whole episode.
Everyone on the Upper East Side of New York.
So, yes, why not, as I think, because she's from New York.
I don't think she even really lives in Utah.
It's confusing.
Yeah, she doesn't seem like she She doesn't look or seem or act like she lives in Utah.
I didn't realize that was a thing where you could like fly in, get a property, and be a housewife in a city where you weren't a living, breathing person from that city.
Jessel on New York. Allegedly, Jessel is from Dallas and she moved to New York to be on the Real Housewives Tinsley. Tinsley did too.
Yeah, she was living in a hotel, not because she was really looking for a place, because she was living in Florida and she would have been a great housewife, so.
She uh that feels like Meredith's story a little bit.
Yeah, yeah, well yeah, no, it's funny because I was talking about doing the show with your former producers. I was talking about doing a show in Connecticut that I ended up not wanting to do, but I had a brief conversation with Lisa Vanna Pump who was kind of alluding to the fact that she would be willing to consider Connecticut with Ken if there was some opportunity with a show or something. So yeah, like people would move to be on different shows. We have a rose in
a thorn of the episode. The episode was fine, It was fine. This is is this a good show? I think this is pretty good on the housewives spectrum for like getting a little bit of meat, like things do happen?
Right?
Yeah?
Yeah?
Was this the last episode of the season?
Yeah, okay, yes, yeah, that's a shitty finale.
I know.
Yeah, it's not great that what happened, nothing happened. That's a ship finale. Okay, yeah, so like that's not a good finale.
Yeah, okay, maybe the producers made Jenny throw that glass.
Probably, Yeah, that is not a great finale like oh CE does amazing finales.
Yeah they do.
It was like a half It was like a half argument that like didn't have an ending, and then like a shitty glass throwne and then that was it.
Yeah yeah, no, immediately now we're just we're retoeing that. All right. So not a remarkable episode and not a remarkable finale. So new show, what else do we need? All right? We did it. We laughed and we cried.
We loved it.
Bethany, thank you, thank you. You need to come back on Lady Gang very soon, I.
Know, come on in the year.
And also the way you guys let each other speak is admirable.
We were on our best behavior for you, Bethany, because we want to We want you to like us and invite us back.
Yes, yes, of course this is great. So think of other episodes you want to Oh we have to do one maybe uh with Orange County Brianna Brianna ban Yeah, they just said the same thing. Oh see all right, awesome, yay, guys, thank you, thanks for me bye bye bye