The Real Housewives of New Jersey Preview
Oh Bravo, how you love to yank my chain.
The newest installment of the Real Housewives franchise could have been located anywhere. Houston, Chicago, Boston, even Minneapolis.
But what would be the fun in that?
Bravo’s turned the tables on us all by serving up the mother lode of geographical stereotyping with the debut of The Real Housewives of New Jersey (insert your own references to the Jersey Shore, big hair, and Bon Jovi).
This particular franchise had me a bit confused. Almost everyone on this show is related to each other by blood or marriage. I almost had to construct a flow-chart to keep everyone straight. It was a short episode so I think the best thing to do is to introduce everyone and provide my own special commentary which really means I’m going to make fun of them.
Caroline Manzo is the family matriarch and she scares the crap out of me. I have no doubt that if you’d like someone to swim with the fish while wearing concrete boots, she could make it happen. She’s been married to Al for 25 years and tells us that “my husband spoils the shit out of me.” My guess is that he spoils his mistress a little more. Al runs a “premiere” catering facility called The Brownstone that has been in the family for over 30 years. Caroline has three children: Albie, who is in law school, Christopher, a “get rich quick” entrepreneur, and Lauren who works for the family business. Christopher wants to open a car wash/strip club and Caroline tells him “let’s run a respectable strip club, one mommy can be proud of.”
Dina Manzo is Caroline’s younger sister. She is also married to Caroline’s husband’s brother Tommy. She is the founder of Project Ladybug and also works as an interior designer and event planner. She has a teenage daughter from a previous marriage. In the preview episode Dina is show interviewing a young man for a position as her assistant. She asks him if her hairless cat is cute or ugly? (Me raising hand) Ugly! Ugly! The young man says cute. She then asks him if he’ll wash her car and buy her tampons. He says yes. No one asked me but I used to work in Human Resources and these are so not appropriate interview questions.
Jacqueline Laurita and her husband Chris (who is Caroline and Dina’s brother) moved from Vegas to New Jersey which Jacqueline refers to as the “armpit of the earth.” They have a six year old son and Jacqueline also has a teenage daughter from a previous marriage. Jacqueline seems to be the peacemaker of the bunch and Dina mentions that “Jacqueline’s heart is as big as her boobies.” Dina also mentions later in the episode that she thinks Jacqueline is “obsessed with her” and tries to copy everything she does.
Teresa Giudice has been married to Joe for eight years. They are parents to three girls and are in the process of building their dream home. In the preview episode, Teresa and Joe visit a plastic surgeon for a consultation on how to make Teresa’s boobs bigger. Her husband pushes for the bigger size because “won’t they shrink?” (No, stupid, they won’t). Later, Dina points out that Teresa is the “jewelry whore” of the group. Teresa’s philosophy? Happy Wife, Happy Life (I already told Dave I’m getting me a t-shirt with that slogan on it).
Danielle Staub has the most inflammatory quote of the night: “You’re either gonna love me or hate me” which loosely translated means “the shit I pull is gonna send Bravo’s ratings through the roof.” Danielle, who has been engaged nineteen times, is now divorced and waiting for her ship to come in divorce settlement. Since the divorce, Danielle mentions she has had no financial freedom and needs that settlement soon. Hey, that sounds familiar. Sheree from The Real Housewives of Atlanta was waiting for a settlement too! Danielle seems to spend all her time working out and having phone sex with a dude she met online who goes by the handle “Gucci Model.” Say it with me, ewwwwwwww!! In the preview episode Danielle is preparing to go on a blind date with him which I thought usually came before having phone sex with someone(silly me). Also, and I didn’t quite catch this even though Dave and I hit rewind on the DVR about six times, but Teresa mentions something at the end of the episode about “Gucci model” (I think) going to Danielle’s house every day “for his, um, routine blow-job.” Um, what?
After all the housewife introductions, things really get weird and the episode ends with Teresa pushing over an entire table elaborately set with dishes and glassware. The rumors and accusations start flying and we hear words like “prostitution”, “kidnapping”, and “Columbian cartels”.
I’m off to make a paper chain like the one the offspring made when they counted down the days until Santa would arrive.
Because May 12th cannot get here soon enough!