VPR Reunion PT 3: Lala-Palooza

Hey rain Drops. Yes. So, as you know, my podcast Reality with the King is on tour and my next stop is live in New York City with the one the Only Queen of New Jersey, Teresa Judais. Yes, on Tuesday, June eighteenth at the City Winery, Teresa Judais and I will have a live conversation in front of a live audience. Make sure you get your tickets now. Log onto my website Kingdom raint dot com. That's Kingdom r E I G N e n T dot com. Or if you're on social media and follow me, click on the link

And give it up for you, my friend. Thank you again for inviting me.

You are big in my heart and I am so excited to talk to you band the Pump Rules Part three reunion.

Take it away, Cake, your lens is going to be different than every other podcaster out there that's commenting, and the Lord knows what we all are. When you yes, and when you're watching, given your breadth of experience in unscripted television, be honest with me as you watch that finale of the Part three reunion, did you think to yourself, they made this as a finale. They made this as a pause, or they made this as it's going to come back and better than ever.

They made this with the intention of it going on pause. For sure. The way this Part three was produced. I have never in the history of the television I produced myself, or my years at Bravo working on Housewives, have ever not shown the cast the final episode, and they had to watch it in real time. And I think what that displayed was they wanted the Rawley motion, for sure, but I think they also wanted to sort of let them know, like, you guys aren't coming back so fast,

We saw at Home the ending where it showed them as they were when they joined the show and now.

But they didn't get to see that part.

So I wondered, since that aired after, you know, the filming, did they come to some conclusion between the end of filming and when they aired that final episode.

I think they knew this. I think based on the feedback from the audience about this season early not not early on, but I would say maybe by episode five. K I think we all kind of knew, like, we're not that interested in this, like we thought we were going to be yes right. I think they knew that around that time when they shot the finale, they had no idea this was going to be a show that would be put on pause. I think they had a

The entire season.

What would you do by your season?

Now, just for a moment, I need you to walk me through that because we also see that on New Jersey with Melissa and Teresa. So what is that like behind the scenes? What is that like to work with two cast members that refuse.

It's awful, It's bad. It's uncomfortable for the other cast members. You don't know how to lighten the mood and listen. It's one thing if you know, it's like the Queen Bee and you know the girl next door not talking. You don't care. It's too queen Bee. Right, let's have a real conversation, Kim Andini, the or the queen Bees on the same playing field. Right. Season four, as the cast supporting cast, it's uncomfortable. As producers is uncomfortable. We tried.

So Mike it was the.

And Santaval said, I'm game. So on season four of The Royal Housewives, of Atlanta. We had a finale party and the finale, as you guys know, all the cast members are there and Kim and Nini were there. It was a drag show. It was Miss Lawrence. He had a drag show where the queens were mimicking each of the housewives like Candy, Kim, charae.

Yeah, I remember this, okay.

And we beg Nini and Kim to talk. Kim let to.

One of those conversations, sound like, what are you saying to them?

Guys, think about the bigger picture. It's the finale, it's the end of the road. You two are the queen bees. Can we at least get a conversation? Do what's best for the show. What's best for the show is you guys at least addressing this issue, because once again, it's not that deep of an issue. You guys go through this every season. Y'all love each other at the top of the season and y'all fall out towards the end.

Because you have to you have to report back to headquarters, Like we didn't get anything. They say to you are They like, well, what do you mean you didn't get anything?

You know, Look, it's Kim and Nini, so no one can control these two force multiplying. So they understood. But listen, we're producers and you know this doing what you do, your perfectionists. You want to do a good job. And we felt like we failed. We felt like we failed the audience. Honestly, it was more so about who wants to watch a season where you're not talking at all?

Well.

Also, there was a moment where she didn't want her boyfriend or her boyfriend didn't want to participate.

Because he wasn't getting paid.

I thought that was interesting too that they included that, Yeah, because they almost probably felt quartered like, we, as producers, we have to kind of explain how complicated this is.

Yes, and it's listen, you can't say I don't want to film with my ex, but I can't film scenes with my new boyfriend because he wantsn't. It's like, well, Arianna, why are you here? And that was disturbing for me. Kate. It's sort of like Why would I pay any newbie any amount of money. You're only on the show because you're dating the star of the show at this point, and I'm not paying you shit? Who are you? I just started paying Brock? Why I'm paying you? Right?

And that took quite a bit from him.

Would it have made it better for the producers if she had said sometime throughout the season, I don't want to be around him because I feel like he purposely humiliated me and everyone in the world has been privy to my pain. Something like that where she kind of explained that, because I feel like she was sort of silent, like her modus operane was like, I'm just not going to address him at all. I just want him to

That, I'm going to tell you why the Onus unfortunately is on the cast. No one's forcing you to do the show.

Right, and they be got paid well, they got well.

Listen, listen the moment you signed on to do another season, you know already you have to be around these people. If you felt so uncomfortable being around him, then there should have been a conversation that said, I don't want to come back this season. If you guys want me to be around him and film with him, I just I would rather just take take the year off if that's what you guys want. But if you guys are comfortable with me not filming with him and all this season,

Two things with that, they started filming after the story exploded. There was like a couple of weeks, you know, there was like a like a layerver kind of period. What kind of conversations do you think they would have had with the cast before, you know, as they're signing their contracts and they begin to film, would they have conversations like, you know, as part of us telling the story of the aftermath, like you're all going to have to talk about how you feel and what's going on in your lives.

I think it's the ladder. I think when your show has been off it's been ten seasons.

Is really very impressive because most shows don't make it that way.

Not at all, not at all, So it's super impressive. And that's the reason why they probably assume, like, well, you know what this is, like, we filmed breakup, makeup, And I think we also have to be reminded that they lived together. They lived together, so of course as a producer. I'm like, hey, guys, cameras up, go to their house, spend the day there, Let's see what happens. I think Arianna unfortunately thought she was bigger than the show.

I think that she actually had been checked out. I think she started to get all these opportunities, and she finally was probably at a point where she was like, I didn't really feel like I was part of the show anyway, because she was sort of kind of in the background before, Like, now I have the freedom to actually leave the show. So I almost wonder if it would have been better for her if she had left in the same way Rachel did, just had not signed

Waited for her.

By the end of the episode, you know, she says in her own words like I'm still not ready.

I'm still healing.

So I feel badly for all the parties involved to some degree, because she wants more time to heal. The network wants to film because everybody in the world was talking about this story, and so everybody's on different timelines.

No one like, no one in this whole thing. It seems to be like they're happy.

No no, Noah and Tom obviously wanted the conversation. Did you believe his tears when he started crying to Arianna.

No, I don't think he cared.

I actually don't think he has a problem with anything that happened. I think he's really enjoying the attention that's come with this whole scandal. I don't think he's upset about Rachel. I don't think he's upset about Aria. I don't think he thinks about anybody other than himself.

Do you believe those tears?

Well, that's the thing. It was one of those things where I'm like because when he's when he said to his cast, like, you guys know me, I'm emotional because I was. I was trying.

He's emotional when it has to do with things about himself, like it's he sings a song and you know he's it's all very performative, you know, And we know that because if you look at the archival footage, he says at the end of the last day of filming, you know, oh, it looks good for me. So I don't think he has had one moment of introspection, and I think he's so happy about how he became a mainstream celebrity from it.

That is wild. It is.

Which, by the way, most of these shows are built on people that have that personality type. We all can't forget this. This is not like Dolores down the street. You know, these are people that have at some point pursued this job because they thought it was the escalator to success us or whatever it may be. They all were pursuing jobs in the entertainment business.

No, you're right, you're right, You're right, and and it brings me to to just the Lala of it all. So when they show the finale and Arianna got a chance to see all the things that Lalla said about her, she thinks she's Beyonce. Why is all of a sudden She's like this god, you know all of these things. And you saw you saw the reaction from Arianna's face, like whoa. But La La stood on business. She said, I'm not gonna apologize for what I said, but I

I don't even know if it's that much. I think it's you first said.

I always say, and you always agree with me, that these shows, the fights that they actually have on the show are really about outside opportunities and perceived power positions.

So I don't even think it has to do much.

Even with Randall, I feel like it's really about I'm the headliner of the show. And I think they were all in disbelief that Arianna became the front runner. I think they were like this girl who's been boring for all these years. She's more, bigger deal than we are, bigger, better, better, like what. I think they were so consumed by jealousy, which, by the way, I like how many times, I've said it's like a docu series on like the aftermath of a scandal in American.

Media, Like that's what the show to me.

This season was like watching everybody get angry because she was the one who was the front runner. I don't think, really, I don't think it really has that much to do with like, I think she there's a part of Laala

I think she does know. I think she's a smart girl. She knows that.

I think this really was about who is number one in this show. I think they're running through that numbers the whole time, like episode two or whatever, like the first two weeks of filming, they're like, I hope she's not getting paid more than I am. I hope she's not gonna be called to watch a ton she got a razor deal or we're kiddying ourselves right now. Oh, she's got a deal with a box company. You gotta be fucking kidding me.

I think that's really what it's all about.

And honey, that's what the season. That's way more interesting to me.

That, to me, was the story. That was it.

That's the smoking gun. Oh my gosh, you're right, because the thing is this Arianna was always the one you sort of forgot about, right, Yeah, she was.

But I also think that's because Tom Sandoval made it that way. I mean, is she somebody that probably walks into a room and kicks the door open. No, I think she's probably a little bit more of an introvert, you know, a little bit more quiet. But I think he enjoyed that about her because he has to be the star of the show. He purposely chose someone like that. He likes Rachel's you know that are like quiet and

I'm like, what a girl they're all but they're all like that.

I know, because oh my god, this is so fascinating to me. Is what you said is the aftermath of a scandal in American media, right, how the dark Horse galloped to become the star of the show and these sort of narcissistic characters from La La to James Kennedy to Sanda Baal. I think those three, if you ask any of those three to me, I think those three think like I'm the face of the show. Now, I'm the face.

No, one hundred percent.

But the dark course with someone who they least expected. It was someone who doesn't have to swallow all the air in the room. And on top of it, probably there is an element of like and they're all like loving her and feeling such empathy for her, like where did this girl come from?

I think it's all about that. You know what It's like. It's like those classic.

Movies of the nineties where you know, there's the popular group of girls at school and then they're like horrified when the when the playing girl in the background gets the guy's attention. It's like a Freddie Prin's movie junior movie.

Starry Sa Michelle Geller right.

And they're like wait, and all the popular girls are like who is this girl? And then she's like prom queen or whatever.

It's kind of like that.

They're like wait what They cannot believe it, And then on top of it, it's like, how much money are you gonna make Anny next season? I mean to their that they did make moment, most of the moment with the merchandise and all that stuff, But the only glitch is that I think they thought that that would continue on and on and on, and it's just like these moments just live in small spaces and time.

Mm hmmm mm hmm. This is fascinating to me because as a producer I can say to you the thought process that some reality stars have is just that, is she gonna be in watching happens life more than me? Is she getting on her is she getting a raise? Why is she getting all these opportunities? I mean, shit, other people having cheated on Why does she get dancing with the stars? Why? I think the biggest thing to me this is what I knew Kate. We were operating

By the way, Joe Joy Behar has never watched joy An episode.

She has no idea, none of them. What are we talking about?

Why we talk about this blonde woman like I cheated on? Are you kidding me? This is what the world has come to. When I saw that, I said, we're.

Yep, But I remember I asked Alex about it and he said, you know, something like real Haizards of Beverly Hills and the Girardi lawsuits so complex, but this skin of all was just very relatable. A mistress, a cheating affair like that's relatable everywhere anywhere in the world.

Who's your friend? Who did it on your nose?

Yep?

No, it was the makings like you said, it's the makings of a scandal, and now we're talking about the air.

And then also when Lala said, I don't think they've been honest about their relationship the whole time. So imagine you're on a show and you feel like in their mind, they were all like, I'm living authentically, which I don't know. I mean, unless I'm filming the show, I don't know how authentic they are. But like we're living this like

Top billing. Are we kidding here? Lala's like it should have been called Lalapalooza. You know what I mean.

I'm actually gonna title this episode.

This is so funny too, But like so much of this season was like wait, Dancing with the Stars, like Shena is upset by the way, I mean, credit to the guys and the girls behind the scenes make a miss show because they must have been punching a wall laughing, like the Dancing with the Stars. The wars, Like how do I wouldn't you tell me? I've been like practicing my whole life to be on that show.

If that's what it's all about.

At this point, it's like, let's stop kidding ourselves is they're about a group of friends. I don't even think that most of them are even friends anymore.

And it's funny. It also reminds me to Kate when Mauricio got Dancing with the Stars and Kyle so crazy, right what?

So imagine that you're on the show for years and your she's like, my family has been in Hollywood for how many years? And this bozo who sells you know, condos and four bedroom houses.

Dancing till he has an agency in Mexico and aspd in.

They're like, just because he sells a house in Mexico City doesn't mean he can do the chimmy choga.

Or whatever those dances are? What is it called apasso doble a?

But that's what I mean, let's be honest, Like you work with these reality stars, it's all about like what other answery opportunities?

How much attention am I getting? How many followers you have?

Do you remember back in the old days, when like Real House was Atlanta, stars used to like fight over who had more followers, and then they were like all getting botsed out do one another because that's the crap that they would think about. Everybody has to Remember they're not like us. But you know, like people are trying to make sense of it this season, you can't make sense of it because we can't really relate.

No, but this is why I'm gagging. You made sense of what this entire season was about. And what this entire season was about is the fact that ninety percent of this cast could not handle that the quiet Woman became the star of the show and they all felt like producers allegedly placated to her, that they made sure she wasn't put in an uncomfortable situation, she wasn't forced.

And I don't agree with that at all. I think that's absurd. Yeah, I don't think that's true. Do you think that's true?

No?

Do you think they spent the entire season like on their tippy toes around her? I bet you they were like frustrated, they wanted more out of her. But you're dealing with someone who is very open about the fact they do not at that point in time want to talk to somebody that just wronged them, Like you can't push.

Well, you can't push, right, So that's why it's it was always uncomfortable from the onslaught because the moment she signed on to do the season. Everybody working on that show said, yes, we were gonna get the moment because

Right?

And now, yeah, they're own palls? Do you think this pause is a real Housewives of Miami palls?

Like years years? I don't think they can film for a while.

I don't think they only because I think they're probably like, I don't really know what this show is anymore, because like I talked to a lot to producers and sometimes they'll say that like they were working on a project and it's like we don't really know what this is or what this is going to be. And as it is right now, I don't think there is anything much there, and there's not one cast member alone. That is enough for a show. They worked well because they were a

You make sense in water, not on land.

But seriously, you make this a water cave but not land. You know what I mean. You're not Jesus, You're not gonna walk on water.

But baby, but can we just like also take a moment and just think, because everyone's like lost in like their emotions and stuff. But if you're really in charge of the show, I want everyone to just to kind of like imagine yourself and just like a drone moving out of the middle of this. Laala is going to have another child? How much does her life really relate anymore to Tom Schwartz? Yeah, and does Katie ever really have much to do with Sena anymore? Like it all

She hangs out with them. They're more interesting than the original cast ever was.

I'm telling you, like I said on your show last week, Lala would make sense as a real housewife, but not for another ten years when her kids are teenagers and they can roast her. But I don't think people want to see her like making baby food because they like her banter.

She's somebody who does well with banter.

Oh oh yeah, Like I just think on her own she would be exhausted from it. She needs people to play off of. Oh wait, the other thing, I wait, this is such a nuance. When she said the thing about Jack's and Brittany and the babysitter versus a nanny, yes, like that was kind of absurd because well, you would

For the child. That's why they went crazy. Yeah, I just want to add that.

No, no, and I'm glad you did because a lot of people missed that, right. But no, I'm glad you raised that point too, because, look, I agree with you in the sense of none of these cast members can carry a show on their own. The thing about Vanda Pum Rules is do we care to see another season like this? So I think you and I can say no to that. But do we think the show could have ever survived if Rihanna did not return this season?

Oh no, absolutely not.

Oh no, no, no, because only because like this massive issue. It's like, you know, trying to make a show after COVID and not addressing that there was COVID.

I mean, it would be weird.

I also kind of feel like I don't know if Ariana should have come back. I think she should have taken Well, it's hard for It's easy for me to say because I don't know her find aential situation, and I don't you know, don't know what her game plan is.

With her team.

But I thought I think she had a lot of power, more power than she realizes now. If she had said I don't want a film for at least six months, I think they would have said okay.

Oh yeah, and they would have pushed production for six months.

Yeah, I really do. And I think she maybe would have felt better about it by then and possibly even maximized even more opportunities in the meantime. I mean, I think she's top of mind now for lots of stuff, isn't We can we just talk about how funny that is? Again, they're like this girl who never spoke she is now hosting Love Island.

Yeah, they're like what happened?

Who?

You would think La? La will host Love Island.

I know, right, I know She's probably like, I'm not hosting Love you guys. I this like when I tell my kids, like it's my birthday every year and I'm like, you, guys, I'm a year older and they're like, we know you're old, Like we got it.

Like this is no surprise to us. Yeah.

I think she was probably like what, But I think that's how they all exist. She got to be on Dancing with the Stars. Is so funny again that Dancing with the Stars is like the crum de la crumb. That sounds like a goddamn nightmare.

Well, Liasta Banda Pop allegedly quit after two weeks because if that job is hard. Okay, So I guess you and I need to decide, Kate, how many years does vand Pump Rules need to be on pause?

At the very least a year?

One year?

Yeah, at the very least. Oh, by the way, what are they going to do in the meantime? What are they going to do?

Is Arianna going to get gigs in that one year pause? Is the Is the hype going to die down for her? Well?

You know, and eventually will. But I think that she has been wise to book a lot of stuff, so she might go, you know what, I kind of need four months off, like I want to just like chill out, because she's going from there that she's going to host the show, and then she'll probably have a couple more things. She takes a four month break and then they come back.

That's the story. That's it.

I would love to see that. Actually, I mean, look what we saw when the show's going pause is this Miami Housewives is the best Housewives to.

Me, without question, there's no like number one, top of the top right here, pop well, Chef's kiss good.

Amazing, And then I mean, look the valley is the show that it's good? Right? Jack's Brittany all on pause for what like two maybe three years actually right, yeah.

That was yeah, But by the way, it's they're more interesting now.

So it worked for them. So again, I think we need to miss them, and I think Arianna and Tom need to have other relationships to where the focus.

Isn't they didn't even have a hot minute to just even like let it breathe. I mean again, I have empathy for all the parties involved, network producers, cast all of that. No one was going to be happy with that timeline. They were dealing with such huge fame and interest and wanted to make the most of the moment. But the truth is, I think it would have always been there. If you had waited six months, I think people still would have been interested.

And look, I will say this, you guys had a hell of a round ten seasons of any reality show. It's nothing to sneeze at, and they deserve all the props in the world for continuing to entertain us. And I listen, I feel bad for the kids.

James Kennedy's He's going to make the most of all of them.

At the end of the day, everybody wants to party, so a DJ of his celebrity. Yes, you're you're always going to want to see that. It's the reason why DJ poly d is still relevant. Yes, that is something that is sustainable. Like you said, A be's a Vegas.

La the party, the party.

Yeah, he definitely is going to be Okay. I think a few of them may be on Traders. I could see or time on Traders honestly.

Yeah. Oh you know, Katie would be pretty good too.

Katie would be great.

Actually, you know why because Katie is a really good at sniffing out the con.

She's very good at that.

And she's calm with it, and she yes, I like that that the I as she's she's.

Like, you know what I'm gonna say. I'm gonna say she goes on Traders and then she becomes more successful than she's ever been ever on vander Pump Rules. Then when she comes back, she's going to be like, you fools, I killed it on the Traders and then has a whole other element. It's the people that they didn't expect to be stars that will come out winning.

Thank you for listening to Reality with the King. New episodes drop on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Share, comment, follow, and subscribe to Reality with the King wherever you get your podcast, visit Realitywtheking dot com and be sure to follow me at the Carlos King Underscore on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Yes, Baby, my YouTube channel where you could get all of my visuals, baby,