I've been pretty open about not feeling Andy Cohen and Bravo's pushing certain politics down viewers throats. That said, with RHONJ being on a very public "gay" kick of late and all the attention that this last episode of RHONJ has gotten from the liberal press because of it, what I couldn't help but notice was why Dina Manzo didn't appear at her brother's wedding. Well, since no one in the media bothered to mention it, I visited Dina's twitter and was glad to see that Dina did:
Ok, so Dina makes a valid point here and word has it that she really did have "to work" that weekend, so she that's why she couldn't make it. But in my opinion there's still a huge underlying context here: we still don't know Dina's reason from distancing herself from her family (well, most of them anyway). Plus, Dina shouldn't get upset when fans pester her about not appearing at her brother's wedding when you consider that Dina and Jamie looked to be pretty tight in the recent past and esp. while she very publicly remains friends with Teresa--the woman sister Caroline hates and blames for their current feud.
Then too, this is a road I really wish Bravo would explore more: the Laurita's/Manzo's and all the drama/rumors going on behind the scenes with them (you'd think if vh1 could do a series on "Mob Wives" than Bravo could certainly get their hands dirty here). After all, am I the only one who notices that you almost never see siblings Chris and Caroline speak to each other on the show, although they've both been on RHONJ together since day one? Or that with 8 other siblings out there, at least one of them should be invited to appear on RHONJ (if they haven't already), so we can know more about the Laurita clan, much less what really happened with Caroline and Dina? Then too, what's with the Manzo brothers owning and running a business together with one talking and appearing on camera all the time while the other is now a literal ghost?
Lastly, far be it for me to side with Teresa on anything, but what with Bravo going "behind her back" and putting sister-in-law Melissa and cousin Kathy on air, wouldn't it be fair to give the Laurita's/Manzo's got the same treatment? I'm just saying.
Couldn't agree more. Well said and great post on the topic.
ReplyDeleteHere here! Effing bravo and Andy Cohen
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. But I think it's the Larita's we're really talking about here, with the 11 siblings. Right? The Manzo brothers business is a different can o worms. =)
ReplyDeleteSeason 1 reunion show, the unexplained circumstances surrounding the death of Caroline's father was brought up, the Jersey Ginger shut that down so fast with the "How dare you question his death, he was a good man" so says you. Seems you can critique everyone elses family but the second someone inquires about the mysterious death of your father; which has never been explained, you go on the defensive, hiding something Caroline? I think a mob hit, how about it Mancow??
ReplyDeleteHow about that little incident with the New Jersey water commission. Seems like old fat Albert LIED about his residence. He listed the Brownstone as his legal residence, why, so he could land a cushy government job, well when the govenor found out, old fat Albert was shown the door. I guess this little over sight met with the high ethical standards that Caroline likes to flaunt. HYPOCRIT!!
How about that big, elaborate party the Manzo mob threw for the local cops, oh, that was to show support for local law enforcement, BULLSHIT! That's called you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. We just ask that you turn your head the other way when we need you to, that's how the MOB does business.
People who believe that mob families like to keep a low profile, just think about the flamboyant John Gotti and his clan or the mob wives TV show. Old Don Corleone Caroline runs that "family" don's believe me, ask Luka Bratze, he is swimming with the fishes.
How about that line of crap about Albie Manzo having a learning disability, BULLSHIT AGAIN!
How the hell did he make it through an undergraduate program with a high enough GPA, oh I know, he majored in basket weaving with a sucking on mammas tit minor. Plus, you have to take a little thing called the LSAT exam, submit an essay and letters of recommendation to the law school, once again not a simple task. Bottom line, the clown got to school and just couldn't hack the program, so he goes crying to mamma Ginger Caroline about "Boohooo, I suddendly got stupid because I didn't have your boob to suck on" SHUT THE F UP YOU MAMMAS BOY PUSSY!
The other two clowns, one is a fat Jersey princess with low self-esteem. I'll let you figure out which one that is, and other is just a shit skid on the fabric of life. When Caroline squeezed him out, the best part ran down the crack of her ass and ended up as a brown stain on the mattress.
The whole Manzo "family" is a bunch of lying, cheating, crooks with a "my shit don't stink attitude". They can all eat shit and die.
Carry on.
I'm guessing you really don't like the Manzos. Can't blame you but I think its her father in law and not her biological dad that was in organized crime
DeleteHahahahahahahah yea albie is so not special and dumb they all are losers!!!!
DeleteI am still laughing my ass off ! Thank you for that very articulate comment!
DeleteYou use the word 'ginger' like it's an insult. You should be ashamed of yourself - picking on someone for the way they look just shows how low and ignorant you are.
Delete"Gay kick?" "Liberal press." So does that mean that every other show on TV is on a straight kick? You seem to only think sexuality is excessive when gay themes are evoked. Oy. Stick to copying and pasting other people's stories and keep your homophobia to yourself.
ReplyDeleteStraight kick? Are you stupid or what? 94% of the population is straight so it stands to reason programming would not fixate on gay storylines, although Bravo pushes the gay agenda and the liberal agenda way too much. I imagine that Bravo is pushing Albie to come out but ho-hum the gay storyline is boring to the average person. As for butchy Caroline the the Gorgas, the less I see of Caroline, Melissa & Joe G. and Jax, the better I like it.
Delete"So does that mean that every other show on TV is on a straight kick?"
ReplyDeleteNo, it means that the gay kick Andy Cohen and Bravo are on is, in my opinion, a clear attempt to use RHONJ, politicize it and make a statement based on their own personal views--which is certainly their right, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it or not say anything about it.
"You seem to only think sexuality is excessive when gay themes are evoked..."
This is stupid when you consider that I've called out plenty of oversexual behavior from straight Housewives in the past like Danielle Staub and Michaela Salahi (just check my archives). But then you seem to be another liberal with low tolerance for opinions that don't agree with yours, so if you don't like my opinions here than don't read my blog.
Cleon, shut the f up!
Delete1) You're comparing EXPLICIT acts of heterosexuality (e.g., blow jobs, stripping, etc.) to people simply acknowledging gay people exist and love (e.g., gay nuptials, the mere PRESENCE of Rosie).
ReplyDelete2) The fact that you can't recognize your own self-defeating logic in your answer to my first question is telling. Let me spell it out for you, using your own logic: If Andy Cohen and Bravo are on a "gay kick," then EVERY OTHER STATION is on a heterosexual, white person "kick." You are blind to how you frame the MERE REPRESENTATION of gay people as a "kick," "political," and excessive, while ignoring the ways in which heterosexuality functions as absence. No, you don't have to like it, that's not my point. My point is that you a) equate simple forms of gay representation (e.g., giving Rosie a storyline in a SINGLE episode) with OVERT heterosexuality (e.g., histories of prostitution, explicit references to sex, etc.); and b) evoke "oversexual behavior" in your description of even the most innocent gay storyline. You are filling blanks with your own perverted sense and misunderstanding of LGBTQ lives.
3) What's MOST telling is that you compare gay monogamy (Caroline's brother) and implied celibacy (Rosie) to OVERSEXUAL BEHAVIOR.
Your copy-and-paste hack jobs and bigoted commentary say more about YOU than Andy, gay charters on Bravo, or the network.
And, to be clear, your ad hominem attack (e.g., "liberal!") only underscores the irony in your claim. It's YOU who can't cogently respond to my argument. I have ample tolerance for informed, educated, and well thought out argument. I loathe claims that beg the question and are defeated by their own logic. I especially can't stand evocations of presumed political allegiance. I advise you to read even the most elementary TV and film theory before you cry "liberal," "stupid," or construct some other lazy, hackneyed retort.
"1) You're comparing EXPLICIT acts of heterosexuality (e.g., blow jobs, stripping, etc.) to people simply acknowledging gay people exist and love (e.g., gay nuptials, the mere PRESENCE of Rosie)."
ReplyDeleteWow, you sound really ANGRY! And nice attempt to move the goalposts (a fabled liberal move btw). Anyway, all I did was respond to your attempt to brand me as "homophobic" for daring to say that Andy Cohen are on a "gay kick" and yes, having the GALL to accuse the press of being biased when HuffPo, USmagazine, People.com, other liberal blogs, etc suddenly jumped on the RHONJ bandwagon the minute they do a show that fits their agenda. Again, that's my OPINION and last time I checked in America I had a right to do so. You also have a right not to read this blog if you want to deem me as someone who hates gay people because I dared to summarize said Andy Cohen and Co. as using an reality/entertainment show for their own personal/political agenda.
But because you're obviously a leftwing nutcase not onlt are you unable to think or express your views rationally, but you want special treatment for a group you either represent or advocate for (just like people who laugh at comedians who joke about other groups but the minute the joke's on their group its..."OUTRAGE!!!") and you're not getting it here. I call it as how I see it and that applies to everyone--again, for proof just check my archives. But you wont because people like you live in a prism that's black-n-white, no middle and only have "tolerance" for views that agree with theirs, which is a huge reason why we live in a world that's so divisive and why our media has thrown out objectivity (well, except for maybe CNN) and become so partisan. You dont know me and clearly from your chosen tag no one knows you, but my words clearly MATTER to you or else you wouldnt be here going spazz on my blog, much less trying to lame diss me ("Your copy-and-paste hack jobs") when you're the one who obviously cant get through the day without reading MY thoughts and views on the Housewives (btw my blog gets 3,000 viewers a day so clearly my copy-n-paste hack jobs are working).
And really now with all the insults and personal name-calling you've hurled at me, next time you wanna call someone a "bigot" look in the mirror first.
So well said Cleon. Could not agree with you more! I am sick of Bravo pushing the gay agenda. Talk about unfair and unbalanced!
DeleteCleon, do the world a favor and do not reproduce.
DeleteYou are so right, Cleon, about Cohen shoving his gay agenda in opur faces. And let's add Cohen is always shoving his jewish agenda in our faces too. WE ARE SICK OF COHEN AND BRAVO.
DeleteShut up Cleon. Self hating queer.
DeleteAwesome post! Well written and well said.
ReplyDelete1. Bravo certainly has an agenda! And anytime one person has the nerve to comment, people attack! That person is out of line! You are entitled to your opinion as are they.
2. It would be good TV to see someone go up against Caroline, no one would be better at taking her on that a family member. Caroline rides around on a high horse and the Manzo family does not want to show any of their dirty laundry, but they will Theresa's family. I am not defending Theresa, she deserves it, but you bring up some good points!
3. I enjoy your blog and opinions! Keep up the good work!
I heard the conflict between Caroline and Dina was over the wedding and that originally it was supposed to show on Dina's new show and then Bravo thought RHONJ would provide better exposure.
ReplyDeleteIf bravo has an angenda it is to promote characters on television that are as diverse as the peoplease who watch it and I dont understand whats wrong with that. it sounds like a good agenda to me. I agree that they put the spotlight on certain minorities I just dont understand why thats a problem. why shouldnt everyone have an equal opportunity to make asses out of themselves on television?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above anon. no one is disputing your right to your opinions I just think people are struggling to understand why you feel that way. it is confusing why this "agenda" rubs you the wrong way.
DeleteCaroline looked like a butch dyke wearing a fried egg on her head. What is wrong with this woman and her hair? She is so unbecoming she is turning more lesbo looking each season. Menopause does not cause hairdressers to disappear! geez
ReplyDelete