Paul I am not trying to step on your expertise lolol, but today I decided to talk about my favorite shows on TV, the reality shows on Bravo!
I am so proud to say that I extremely enjoy watching reality TV shows. My favorites are Top Chef, Rachel Zoe and the Real housewives of New York. I insist on the New York housewives and not the other ones…
Real Housewives of Washington DC
Watching Alex, Bethany, Jill, Kelly, Luann, Ramona and Sonia is more satisfying than watching Sex And The City, Gossip girl, the Devil wears Prada or any other movie about fashion. Watching them living in their multi million dollars Manhattan town houses, moving in the summer to their beach houses in the Hampton, carrying Birkin bags, wearing Hermes shoes is magical and beyond what a screenwriter can imagine to put in a movie…. It remind me of the streets of the 16 arrondissement where my husband and I used to live in Paris, where French ladies go shopping at Monoprix with their Channel bags, wearing their Ives Saint Laurent shoes and Lanvin dresses.
I don’t think any movie or book can get as close to describing the life of the wealthiest elegant women in America than this reality show. The Birkin bags, that most of the cast carry on a daily basis, appear in almost every episode. We are talking about a bag that cost between $10,000 to $50,000 depending on the materials, and if you don’t believe me check the listings on eBay. Jill’s Hermes slippers, that she loves wearing around the house when cleaning the dogs poop, cost around 500 Euros.
Of course us, the viewers, think that by seeing the New York Housewives arguing and fighting on TV, it gives us the right to feel superior and allow ourselves to criticize them, but God how wrong we are. Those people belong to this particular social private club, and very few of us get to get near them, or experience what they live… not in a lifetime. We are not talking here about just money or wealth, we are talking about living in one of the most fashionable cities in the world, New York, eating in the finest master chefs restaurants, and wearing clothes before they are worn on the catwalks in Bryant park. There is so much details in the New York Housewives that makes me watch every episode twice: the first time to see what is happening with these ladies and the second time, I put it on mute, and watch what they are wearing, eating or just to see the streets of New York and the apartments in Manhattan.
If you loved Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City you have to watch “Bethany’s getting married?”, she is the real personification of Carrie in real life. Even if Jessica Parker once said that she think Sonia is more like Carrie Bradshaw, but it is not true, this is just what Jessica Parker is projecting for her Alter ego Carrie.
Today I read that the real housewives of DC will start on August 5th… I cannot wait to see the White House party crashers lol.
Talking about DC, yesterday night Top Chef DC aired its première.
Volt's Goat Ravioli
Top chef is one of my other favorite reality TV shows; what can I say? I thought that elegant cooking on TV started when Martha Stewart show was born, and here I discover Top Chef and Top Chef Master…we are talking here about chefs who, at least half of them, own restaurant where you can’t dine for less than couple of 100 of dollars. We are talking about cooking with Foie Gras and truffle, those ingredients that I am afraid to touch in my hand at the grocery store without worrying that I will be charge for. We are talking about a state of the art equipped kitchen, with thousand of dollars machines, to make cooking sous-vide possible.
So yesterday it was the première of Top Chef DC and we can already see that Kenny, Timothy, Kevin, and especially Angelo Sosa are taking the lead. They reminded me of Jennifer, Kevin, Michael and Bryan of last season… Will see.
Yesterday’s Angelo Sosa’s dish covered with the white foam, looked a lot like one of Volt’s dish that I blogged about few months ago.
Finally, Rachel Zoe … if you remember the last episode of last season, Rachel visited Coco Chanel’s apartments Rue Cambon and at the Ritz. It was so glamorous seeing her staying at the George 5 on the Champs Elysées. Her suite was magical… with macarons displayed on the commode and a bed covered with orange Hermes boxes… (Sigh) I cannot wait for the new season to start on August 3d!
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Oh, well, I don’t know about me having an expertise, but, if you are talking about my loving Antiques Road Show, Pawn Stars, and American Pickers, well, yeah, I do. The only shows that I watch as often, are Top Chef, Chopped, Food Net Works next chef, and Gun Smoke. lol
You go girl, I can see you’re excited that the Top Dawgs are in yo town.
Keep blogerville well fed on the cuisine kings and queens. I couldn’t tell ya a thing about real housewives, except,well, that they are probably WAY out of my league, I’ll stick to Miss Kitty…
As far as Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant being average @ Heathrow, like I said to you on Twitter; probably average till he’s in town. lol
I just can’t get into those shows. I’d prefer not to watch a bunch of pampered women show off how privileged they are. And I’m so unfashionable, I wouldn’t know what they were wearing anyway.
I think Coach is outrageous, especially compared to my $20 sale purse!
But, obviously, I’m in the minority since these shows are so popular. I say, enjoy!
Gwen, your comment went to spam and it took me a while to discover it and approve it…sorry for that.
You look very beautiful in the picture it’s hard for me to imagine you the way you describe yourself…I think you are just being modest
Love
Mirella
After reading your post about going house hunting in Virginia, maybe you would like (House Hunters) it’s pretty good to watch when nothing else is on.
Oh yes, am so excited that everybody is “in my town” DC lol lol… It was a treat seeing the view from the “newseum” yesterday.
Thanks Paul!!
my favorite tv shows are also reality, but they are on TruTV — Forensic Files and The Smoking Gun Presents
I have to check your shows!
Thanks for writing.
I thought you were a Lawyer Mirella? Well, I guess that may be why you don’t watch Tru TV …no wait, I was thinking about the Court TV, sorry Trapper, I see what you watch now.. those Documented detective cold case type things…Yeah, they are pretty good sometimes. Beats watching paint peel off the walls…LOL
Oh come on Trapper…you know you love ChumleeeEEE?
lol
I don’t watch New York Housewives, but it sounds like fun. I love looking at anything that involves New York. My sister worked there for 5 years and I visited her a couple of times a year. I loved wandering around that fabulous city. I still go back as often as I can.
Deb
I am sure Deb you will love these three shows if you watch them.
I love New York City too, well it is so obvious from my post
Thanks Debra for visiting.
Mirella
Alas, Mirella I watch very little television but your descriptions are quite interesting. I have seen one or two programs of Antiques Road Show and American Pickers as well as several cooking shows which are more to my liking. Thanks for providing me with an overview of those programs.
Oh, and by the way, I did not buy the coin.
You are so cute Charlie!
You should have bought this coin, you know, it might be valuable in the US, who know?
Could have sell it at the Pawn shop LOL LOL LOL.
Yeah I love antiques road show, my all time favorite. Pawn Stars has some pretty good items coming across the counter, interesting stuff anyway. The old man cusses a lot, but, they have begun to finally bleep him out. lol
I was once an American picker myself…or, I had quite to collection at one time, but, I was Floyd Destroyed in 99, (Hurricane/flood) sort of changed things.
I am still an American Picker…if pickin Muddy Waters tunes on a Flat -Top counts. lol
I haven’t watched those shows on tv but here in Spain we have a similar one about rich women who live here. I agree with you that we won`t experience that kind of life in our lifetime… because they don’t really live in our world. They belong to another sort of sphere that we can only watch on tv or hear about through mass media. Differences in the world are so big that a parallel universe has been born populated by the very rich and celebrities. Kisses
Well, not all of the rich, beautiful and famous are highfalutin snobs….Look @ Sweet Mirella…
Wow Alicia, great description of our two parallel worlds!
Kisses and love, to you my friends!
Thanks for commenting!
Mirella
I want to go to Harlem if I ever get back up to NY and try out some of Big Melbas Fried Chicken and Waffles.
You know Paul, I am glad you brought it up about me being a lawyer and loving these shows.
As a lawyer who took criminal cases and helped victims of domestic violence, I just want my blog to reflect the nice side of life, where people don’t worry about eating the next day or to be disfigured by the man they love… I lived 20 years of wars and saw the worst kind of violence in my life…I am done with this.
I want to watch beautiful things from now on….
That’s great, yeah, I don’t care about a lot of violence shows. Gunsmoke of course, had it’s shootem-ups, but, at least in those days, the shows, and Marshal Dillon upheld high moral standards.
I am so happy I read your post on the Housewives of NY. Of all the Housewives series I have seen it is my favorite…for different reasons than yours. But I found your opinion of the show enlightening. Most people watch it and do criticize the ladies but it really is more than that.
I prefer NY to the chef show.
Thanks Corve for reading my post.
I am glad that you like the NY housewives, but I would have liked to hear your reasons, why you do you like them?
Wow, last nights Top Chef was surprising to say the least.
Who would have ever thought of using Sherry in a middle school cafeteria menu? And, basting Chicken only to wind up taking the skin off? Hello? What? Oh well…
Hey, I always watch Top Chef, but, last night for the first time afterward I saw the Art version. At least it seemed to me like a spoof. Anyway, I liked it pretty good too. Some folks just don’t get it it would seem…I mean, regardless of how independent, and contrarily right brained you are, and wherever that sort of free-style thinking may have gotten you in the Art world thus far…you sign up for an Art contest…you might want to think about following Their rules for a change…Duh…lol Okay, I’m probably the only one here who watched it anyway, so, I GO NOW!!!
That show sounds like fun. I personally don’t see anything outrageous in wearing Hermes slippers or wearing a Birkin. By the by – there are even 90.000 euro Birkins – there is virtually no limit to how high you can go. I own a Birkin too, but I almost never wear it. I simply don’t like the design, and find Louis Vuitton just fascinating. That’s just my obsession. Anyway, I am all for people who spend and enjoy life. If we all suffer and run around pulling sour faces that won’t make the world a better place nor will it eradicate poverty. These being said – great article, as usual! I’m finally back from work, preparing for the exam session at my home university. Fun, fun, fun.
Sending truckloads of hugs and kisses your way!
Welcome, welcome back my friend!!!
What color is your Birkin Jade? where you on a waiting list? tell me tell me, I love Hermes stories
Kisses to you too Beautiful lady!
Mirella
Hey Mirella,
Just wanted to thank you again for helping me to get my blog out on Twitter. Today, Rick Harrison, the guy on the show (Pawn Stars) read my blog entry on the show, and started following me on Twitter. He even sent me a couple of Direct Messages, so , who knows, that may increase my traffic some too? At least to that one page…lol because,I added a Polldaddy box @the end of the post, with Chumlees pic on it…and have gotten a little response going. I put the Blue Polldaddy Box right up under the Pink Mirellas Bubbly Blog link too come to think of it…lol
Bye, God Bless you
paul
Oh Paul this is amazing news!! I am so happy for you! it must have been so exciting to see a message from Chumlee! LOL I cannot stop laughing!!! I am going to tell my husband about it, he loves Chumlee too:)
I should thank you Paul, you have been a wonderful support to my posts and to my blog in general! Thanks for the retweet and everything! I cannot thank you enough!
Actually, I haven’t gotten a direct message from Chum yet. I got one from the Real Pawn Star of the show…Rick Harrison, the owner of the Pawn Shop. Or, well, under his dad, Richard Harrison, who still owns control and interest. Anyway, and yeah, actually, it was a huge surprise. I’m trying to get him to let me do a personal blog interview with him…to get his side of the story that I mentioned in my blog, about him having dropped out of school, to sell fake Gucci handbags, and buying half the business from his dad by age 23. I added a link to Gambler 911 site, who called him a Con man…but, I did check his sources before I posted it. History Channel DID as the copy and paste king @ Gambling 911 said;but, they didn’t say that Rick sold the fakes under any false representation. So, I never called him a con man, and now, I am ribbing him to actually clue me in. (His Story) so I can write a follow up. I figure MAYBE if I can drum up enough people to follow him on Twitter, and get a LOT of votes on the polldaddy…He may just let me in exclusive..? Hey, worth a try …
God Bless you
paul
Ok I see.
I hope you will get the interview Paul, good luck I will keep my fingers crossed!
nice to see you in my place…
Happy July 4th…
it is independent day in the U. S.
cheers!
Take good care.
Thanks Jin! Happy 4th of July to you too:)
Mirella
Ah, I remember reading this. It’s been that long since you were online. Welcome back, Mirella.
Thanks Jamie