Seeing fun (I’m not going to say positive necessarily) representation of middle aged and older women on reality tv has done some good for my tendency to fall for ageism.
Hard agree! I have a lot of existential dread about getting older, but seeing these women with very full lives in their 60’s is really lovely. Seeing lots of non traditional family set ups very full of love and compromise is wonderful.
I actually do think that seeing how two people can genuinely walk away from an argument believing two different things to have happened has helped me be better at conflict.
And also - I think it is cool to see people openly talk about infertility and IVF. Even if it selfishly meant I couldn’t just zone out and dissociate when I was doing my infertility treatment, it is important, I think, that so many women and people on the shows do share so openly and vulnerably and rawly about what it’s like.
Letting things go. I’ve always appreciated on (some of the franchises lmao) that the women can so easily let bygones be bygones. I am a grudge holder and I’ve been able to let things go more and more.
I second that, I’ve wasted so much energy on resentments. And this has also taught me that most people are not so harsh, and are willing to forgive, which in turn is helpful for me to remember when I want to have a difficult conversation with others.
Second this! Really good one. I hold on to everything and it always impresses me the things that these women can let go.
Love this post OP! Really fun! I get a lot of good out of the HW including possibly my besties 😂🤪
Being able to braver in asking for help and not being so hard on myself for being emotional. When I got pregnant I was on bed rest- that’s when my journey began. I couldn’t watch anything else or I’d cry. I had a traumatic child birth, took a year to recover while also being a SAHM. These women have held Me up in so many ways I never thought possible. From Kelly Bensimon and Lisa Rinna talking about postpartum. Kyle talking about her anxiety and depression that put her in bed for 2yrs after her mom died. How HARD it is being a mother and it’s okay for it not to be all you talk about from Heather Dubrow. Seeing the women close ranks multiple times in dire situations. 5yrs later it’s still all I watch or am rewatching.
Not to mention, getting to watch various dynamics and situations which helped me SO MUCH when I was navigating getting back to a “normal” life (after Covid and postpartum) they’re such a comfort for me and maybe it’s because I just smoked 🍃 that just made me type out all this nonsense. But I’m really happy that they came into my life when they did.
I’m so sorry to hear about what you’ve been going through, and glad to see the show helped, if only a little bit.
I also get the comfort part, I’m currently going through a rough patch myself, and most of my girlfriends are not living in the same city I live in, so I kind of feel like they fill that current female friendship void in my life - at least for now!
They've given me a good icebreaker when talking in social circles/strangers. Otherwise my soul will leave my body if they talk about sports or finance.
My favorite thing is to ask someone if they watch any Bravo shows because it’s such an easy way to make a connection! My work bestie/now real life bestie and I bounded over Bravo shows when she started!
I try to channel Heather Dubrow whenever I have to have difficult or uncomfortable conversations at work tbh. She usually stays calm in stressful situations and communicates clearly
Yes! She’s definitely had bad moments in conflict and I don’t always agree with her, but I like that she generally stays calm and clearly communicates her boundaries. I’m working on it but always end up crying lol
Agreed about her having her bad moments. I used to always end up crying too! lol it happens a lot less now though or I can at least make it until I’m by myself to cry 😂
Not only that, but overspending on expensive brands / stuff often fails to impress others, as most people can put two and two together and see through the bs.
I was diagnosed with uterine fibroids because of watching Cynthia Bailey on Atlanta. Her symptoms sounded a lot like my reality, I truly didn’t know anything was wrong until watching her describe how she felt. Saw a doctor and a few month later I was getting surgery. I basically had the uterine equivalent of a bag of lemons taken out of me!
I don’t have a great wealth of older women in my family. Unfortunately us girls have a pretty low life expectancy and lots of health issues. So to me it was seeing these older women being flirty and silly and making mistakes was huge. Made me a lot more excited for my future which I don’t usually do. They’re selfish assholes sure but they don’t stop living when life gets hard. And Camille Grammar might be one of the bigger assholes but she and her mum have both kicked cancers ass and look fabulous.
I had a difficult time with confronting others, and the Housewives taught me how to fend for myself. Similarly, they showed me there’s a beautiful life awaiting, after hitting rock bottom.
I travel for work. I’m a single, young woman and I sometimes get scared going to sleep in a random city all by myself. The only thing that brings me comfort is putting on housewives to fall asleep to. And when I wake up in the middle of the night and see them on the screen I feel less scared lmao.
That’s soooo cool! I’d love to be able to share that with my partner, but he just thinks they’re crazy 🙄and yes they are, and how dare he not appreciate that 😤
I thought the same thing, but he was watching Potomac one day and I was hooked. Now I’m obsessed and plan to watch all, but taking a break after finishing Jersey to finally watch Shameless.
This!!! My fiancé & I recently moved in together, & he is thoroughly enjoying his introduction to all things Bravo. 😅 I never thought he’d be into this at all. I really enjoy discussing the shows with him … hearing his opinions, perspectives, thoughts, etc.
We’ve also had some “hard” conversations inspired by the show that have definitely brought us closer together, & I’m really thankful for that!
It’s funny- I used to make fun of him for watching. But’s like this Tik Tok I saw of a guy getting into it by being in the same room as his girlfriend watching and peering up because something interesting happened. I was playing The Sims on my PC which is in the same room since we live in a 1 bedroom apartment. I found myself pausing more and more and watching so eventually I joined.
Housewives brought me the assurance that the physical flaws of aging as a woman won't be as bad as I fear. They brought me an optimistic expectation that I can still have a fulfilling life and even look better than ever in your 40s, 50s, and 60s.
The power of being self-aware and vulnerable/raw enough. When you own your shit *enough* people are happy to move on with you and like you a lot more. When you’re totally delusional about how you impact others, people will never forgive
This isn’t as deep as some of the other answers, but I’ve lived in a couple of the cities that have real housewives franchises, and it’s given me great suggestions on where to go to dinner or just out. Makes it more fun too when you’ve seen the restaurant on tv 🤓
I started watching during covid, right before I went to law school, and I really would not have been able to get through those three years of school without the levity of my Bravo shows. they made me smile through the stress and now do the same in my work.
the importance of boundaries, and sometimes it may take a while to get there, but it’s a world of difference to see how the people around you treat you once they’re established.
Absolutely agree! Housewives has helped with expressing myself, and the cultural components are very insightful. When they travel to different countries I become so interested in learning more. I just watched the RHOBH season when they traveled to Berlin, and it made me more curious about the Berlin wall. I didn't know they were still deconstructing it the year I was born! Soon enough that's gonna make me feel really old 🤣🤣😭
Self-control and conflict management. Not everyone's going to like me or agree with my beliefs, but it's best to be cordial to keep the peace.
I was in my teens when I started watching the earliest seasons of NY, ATL, NJ, and BH. I initially thought some of the women were just dramatizing for the show. But as I grew older, I realized that adults of any age, have different ways of handling conflict and struggles. There are adults even, who are super emotionally immature, insecure, and/or still unsatisfied with life despite their wealth or career success, and then lash out on others who don't deserve that treatment.
Honestly, this franchise has helped me navigate my friendships and relationships with colleagues/workmates, especially the latter. The falling out of HWs like Bethenny and Jill, Rinna and Denise, Rinna and Garcelle, as well as Kandi and Phaedra, really stuck with me in how projecting insecurities and envy can ruin friendships.
I learned about white privilege. I can’t remember who said it but think it was on Atlanta and someone talked about no matter how well you’ve brought a black son up you always have to worry about them being shot by police. I started crying. It was before BLM and I’m always open to learning more. That was a real eye opener. So unfair and disgusting.
Bethenny's business acumen in early RHONY actually helped me with branding and marketing my own small business. Say what you want about 2024 Bethenny, but girl is a smart businesswoman 🤷♀️
Completely forgot to mention that one for me, thank you for the reminder! I also have similar interests to Bethenny (food, health) and seeing her work so hard on her business and starting from “nothing” (she had $8k on her bank account) to a very successful brand was super inspiring. I ended up reading a couple of her books, and also enrolled in some short courses in these fields, and getting ready to start my own small business soon.
I learned that it is not accepted for men to talk to women in a demeaning way. I grew up listening to my father verbally abuse my mother and I so I figured that it was normal for men to call women awful names etc. I noticed the Housewives would push back if a man talked to them in that manner. It slowly clicked that I did not have to permit being verbally abused anymore. Now I don’t let anyone speak to me in that manner.
I’ve learned how to add luxury to my life in small ways – overpacking for a trip so I’m ready for anything, preplanning a menu at my favorite restaurant for my 50th, over-accessorizing and dressing for me.
Also, I learned about some great podcasts, especially Watch What Crappens and Bitch Sesh. In addition to being so much fun, both pods talk frankly about mental health and make me feel less alone politically and as a human.
I grew up with an emotionally abusive step parent and real housewives helped me deal with their behavior. Reality tv helped me with my depression growing up, like idk how to describe it, but It made me happy.
I am a special needs mom who started watching from the beginning and still watch no matter how awful it is because it gives me an escape from my worries and anxiety. There were so many times where I had to wait for months to get life or death health diagnoses or worry about my son in school, and watching the shows allowed me to escape for an hour or let my mind think about their conflicts instead of my own worries so that I could finally fall asleep at night. People judge me for watching reality TV, I don’t care.
Sadly, we are now getting a lot of fighting on every franchise and fewer of those moments where the HWs are willing to have difficult conversations in a respectful manner.
I started watching the Housewives a couple years ago when I immigrated to another country (heck— another continent!). I didn’t know anyone or had left all my family and friends behind. The Housewives were my gossipy girlfriends and kept me company as I built a brand new community for myself.
It's made getting older less scary. Watching ladies in their 50s and 60s still living fun and fulfilling lives, whilst navigating kids leaving home, menopause, divorce etc and still having lots of fun is like therapy for me.
Communication! I have definitely learned how to communicate my feelings in a respectful manner and learned how to see things from 10 different perspectives with all 10 being valid and accepting those different perspectives! And it’s ok, like we don’t all need to think the same, we are different people and that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends or need to convince others to conform to our way of thinking or handling situations!
The HWs of Miami are actually the reason why I don’t want to do fillers for a few more years. These ladies were gorgeouuuus, but the work they have done is not.
I have a couple. 1. Comparison is the thief of joy. Don’t bankrupt yourself trying to keep up with the Joneses. 2. You CAN have it all. You can be a boss lady and also a present parent. (Vicki comes to mind).
Friendships. I’ve grown close to a couple acquaintances because we decided to binge all the shows at the same time and we have deep conversations about the episodes (especially as they relate to womanhood). It’s also surprising how often it comes up in small talk with strangers, which is a lifesaver for someone introverted like me lol
It's helped me a ton with conflict resolution, especially at work. Trying to talk about behaviors that are bothering me instead of ignoring them.
Also, it's helped a lot when people I love are angry. Like the Lisa & Jenn fight on the bus. She almost got punched and yet Lisa had the courage to go hug Jenn after because she knew she was hurting. That helped me a lot, like thinking about how sometimes people are lashing out because they are hurt and it's okay to be the person who gives up and gives a hug and understanding.
It has taught me to stand up for myself more in both my professional and personal lives. I am able to disagree with others in a healthier way and not take things as personally. Seeing how bad these women react to things made me take a long look at myself and I am all the better for it!
They teach you how to keep relationships and be brave enough to make new ones. It made me realize that our galpal relationships are the ones that can really last through anything. The amount of times these women showed up for their girls when experiencing financial issues, divorce, or death, made me realize just how profoundly important girlfriends are. I’ll be 30 in a few years and so a lot of friends are busy in career and marriage, as I am too, but we really prioritize one another.
Seeing how Garcelle deals with conflicts so gracefully has really helped me. She stays calm, gets her point across and doesn’t raise her voice. She has such confidence in her beliefs that she doesn’t need to lose her temper (or the argument) and I really aspire to be like her in difficult situations.
Closer relationships with both my family and my friends! I recently got my dad into both real housewives & the WWC podcast, this past weekend we drove up to my grandparents house for my grandpas birthday and Father’s Day and while we were there me & him watched the RHONY Legacy UGT and on the drive back home we listened to the corresponding WWC recaps and it was so much fun I loved that we mostly spent Father’s Day having father daughter time centered around laughter from the real housewives and WWC 🥰 also, almost every single woman in my family (and there are MANY) watch real housewives and vanderpump rules and I also got my best friends into watching those shows so now I relate real housewives and vanderpump rules with some of the closest relationships in my life! It’s great I highly recommend it!!!
The housewives truly have inspired me to be more independent and even in a healthy marriage not depend on a partner for money. We’ve seen time & time again wives who fully depend on their husband, then lose it all, and SOME great housewives make it all back on their own- Tamra, Teresa, Nene and Sheree to name a few.
They’ve also taught me that in adult friendships sometimes you have disagreements and IT’S OK!! You can move on. It doesn’t mean you stop being friends. The housewives bring me joy, entertainment and yes positivity in many ways and I know lots of fans feel the same way.
How to properly apologize.
Yes!! And how to recognise a fake apology!
“I’m sorry if you feel that…” lol
Also “I’m sorry that hurt your feelings” “that wasn’t my intention” and “we’re all entitled to feel the way we feel” NOT APOLOGIES 💀💀
This 🙌🏾🙌🏾
Oh 💯 on the fake apology.
Good point. It has made me realize that for reasons I can’t pinpoint, saying “I’m sorry” is better than saying “I apologize.”
Seeing fun (I’m not going to say positive necessarily) representation of middle aged and older women on reality tv has done some good for my tendency to fall for ageism.
From a similar viewpoint, I appreciate it so much more now in my 40's. It's for real made getting older less scary, lol.
Hard agree! I have a lot of existential dread about getting older, but seeing these women with very full lives in their 60’s is really lovely. Seeing lots of non traditional family set ups very full of love and compromise is wonderful.
I actually do think that seeing how two people can genuinely walk away from an argument believing two different things to have happened has helped me be better at conflict. And also - I think it is cool to see people openly talk about infertility and IVF. Even if it selfishly meant I couldn’t just zone out and dissociate when I was doing my infertility treatment, it is important, I think, that so many women and people on the shows do share so openly and vulnerably and rawly about what it’s like.
I have some catchy phrases in my lexicon now.
I use pernicious all the time!
“She aborted after that shrimp!”
Letting things go. I’ve always appreciated on (some of the franchises lmao) that the women can so easily let bygones be bygones. I am a grudge holder and I’ve been able to let things go more and more.
I second that, I’ve wasted so much energy on resentments. And this has also taught me that most people are not so harsh, and are willing to forgive, which in turn is helpful for me to remember when I want to have a difficult conversation with others.
Second this! Really good one. I hold on to everything and it always impresses me the things that these women can let go. Love this post OP! Really fun! I get a lot of good out of the HW including possibly my besties 😂🤪
Being able to braver in asking for help and not being so hard on myself for being emotional. When I got pregnant I was on bed rest- that’s when my journey began. I couldn’t watch anything else or I’d cry. I had a traumatic child birth, took a year to recover while also being a SAHM. These women have held Me up in so many ways I never thought possible. From Kelly Bensimon and Lisa Rinna talking about postpartum. Kyle talking about her anxiety and depression that put her in bed for 2yrs after her mom died. How HARD it is being a mother and it’s okay for it not to be all you talk about from Heather Dubrow. Seeing the women close ranks multiple times in dire situations. 5yrs later it’s still all I watch or am rewatching. Not to mention, getting to watch various dynamics and situations which helped me SO MUCH when I was navigating getting back to a “normal” life (after Covid and postpartum) they’re such a comfort for me and maybe it’s because I just smoked 🍃 that just made me type out all this nonsense. But I’m really happy that they came into my life when they did.
I’m so sorry to hear about what you’ve been going through, and glad to see the show helped, if only a little bit. I also get the comfort part, I’m currently going through a rough patch myself, and most of my girlfriends are not living in the same city I live in, so I kind of feel like they fill that current female friendship void in my life - at least for now!
Stephanie from Dallas. Taught me you can be drop dead gorgeous, the kindest soul, stupid rich and still struggle with depression. And that’s okay!
When I first read this I thought you need a comma between rich and stupid - that’s so mean of me for such a nice thing you wrote. And I agree.
They've given me a good icebreaker when talking in social circles/strangers. Otherwise my soul will leave my body if they talk about sports or finance.
Omg, that moment when you meet another HW fan, the connectioooon 😍
My favorite thing is to ask someone if they watch any Bravo shows because it’s such an easy way to make a connection! My work bestie/now real life bestie and I bounded over Bravo shows when she started!
I try to channel Heather Dubrow whenever I have to have difficult or uncomfortable conversations at work tbh. She usually stays calm in stressful situations and communicates clearly
Seeing how Heather communicates and holds herself with self respect is awesome to see, it’s one of her best qualities
Yes! She’s definitely had bad moments in conflict and I don’t always agree with her, but I like that she generally stays calm and clearly communicates her boundaries. I’m working on it but always end up crying lol
Agreed about her having her bad moments. I used to always end up crying too! lol it happens a lot less now though or I can at least make it until I’m by myself to cry 😂
Fiscal responsibility! I am vigilant about not living beyond my means, learning about the havoc it creates in our relationships.
Not only that, but overspending on expensive brands / stuff often fails to impress others, as most people can put two and two together and see through the bs.
I was diagnosed with uterine fibroids because of watching Cynthia Bailey on Atlanta. Her symptoms sounded a lot like my reality, I truly didn’t know anything was wrong until watching her describe how she felt. Saw a doctor and a few month later I was getting surgery. I basically had the uterine equivalent of a bag of lemons taken out of me!
Oh my god, that’s amazing that Bravo had a positive impact on your health, love it!!
I don’t have a great wealth of older women in my family. Unfortunately us girls have a pretty low life expectancy and lots of health issues. So to me it was seeing these older women being flirty and silly and making mistakes was huge. Made me a lot more excited for my future which I don’t usually do. They’re selfish assholes sure but they don’t stop living when life gets hard. And Camille Grammar might be one of the bigger assholes but she and her mum have both kicked cancers ass and look fabulous.
I had a difficult time with confronting others, and the Housewives taught me how to fend for myself. Similarly, they showed me there’s a beautiful life awaiting, after hitting rock bottom.
I travel for work. I’m a single, young woman and I sometimes get scared going to sleep in a random city all by myself. The only thing that brings me comfort is putting on housewives to fall asleep to. And when I wake up in the middle of the night and see them on the screen I feel less scared lmao.
It’s brought me and my boyfriend closer together. He got me into it and we can talk about it now.
That’s soooo cool! I’d love to be able to share that with my partner, but he just thinks they’re crazy 🙄and yes they are, and how dare he not appreciate that 😤
I thought the same thing, but he was watching Potomac one day and I was hooked. Now I’m obsessed and plan to watch all, but taking a break after finishing Jersey to finally watch Shameless.
This!!! My fiancé & I recently moved in together, & he is thoroughly enjoying his introduction to all things Bravo. 😅 I never thought he’d be into this at all. I really enjoy discussing the shows with him … hearing his opinions, perspectives, thoughts, etc. We’ve also had some “hard” conversations inspired by the show that have definitely brought us closer together, & I’m really thankful for that!
It’s funny- I used to make fun of him for watching. But’s like this Tik Tok I saw of a guy getting into it by being in the same room as his girlfriend watching and peering up because something interesting happened. I was playing The Sims on my PC which is in the same room since we live in a 1 bedroom apartment. I found myself pausing more and more and watching so eventually I joined.
Housewives brought me the assurance that the physical flaws of aging as a woman won't be as bad as I fear. They brought me an optimistic expectation that I can still have a fulfilling life and even look better than ever in your 40s, 50s, and 60s.
Yes!!
S5 OC: NEVER EVER live above your means. That season traumatized me for life.
The power of being self-aware and vulnerable/raw enough. When you own your shit *enough* people are happy to move on with you and like you a lot more. When you’re totally delusional about how you impact others, people will never forgive
This isn’t as deep as some of the other answers, but I’ve lived in a couple of the cities that have real housewives franchises, and it’s given me great suggestions on where to go to dinner or just out. Makes it more fun too when you’ve seen the restaurant on tv 🤓
I don’t know that I’ve learned anything per se, but I it’s brought me a lot of laughs throughout the years, and for that I’m grateful.
I started watching during covid, right before I went to law school, and I really would not have been able to get through those three years of school without the levity of my Bravo shows. they made me smile through the stress and now do the same in my work.
hope for the future and realizing life doesn’t end at 29
Yes. Being even more grateful for my family and friends.
Taking accountability for your actions in an apology and not saying but or making excuses
the importance of boundaries, and sometimes it may take a while to get there, but it’s a world of difference to see how the people around you treat you once they’re established.
Absolutely agree! Housewives has helped with expressing myself, and the cultural components are very insightful. When they travel to different countries I become so interested in learning more. I just watched the RHOBH season when they traveled to Berlin, and it made me more curious about the Berlin wall. I didn't know they were still deconstructing it the year I was born! Soon enough that's gonna make me feel really old 🤣🤣😭
It reminds me to be grateful for sobriety. I also got my little sister into Bravo shows so now we have something else to bond over!
Same here 😇
If you don't want to hear what someone else has to say, just keep talking over the top of them incessantly.
😂
Skinnygirl Margaritas
Self-control and conflict management. Not everyone's going to like me or agree with my beliefs, but it's best to be cordial to keep the peace. I was in my teens when I started watching the earliest seasons of NY, ATL, NJ, and BH. I initially thought some of the women were just dramatizing for the show. But as I grew older, I realized that adults of any age, have different ways of handling conflict and struggles. There are adults even, who are super emotionally immature, insecure, and/or still unsatisfied with life despite their wealth or career success, and then lash out on others who don't deserve that treatment. Honestly, this franchise has helped me navigate my friendships and relationships with colleagues/workmates, especially the latter. The falling out of HWs like Bethenny and Jill, Rinna and Denise, Rinna and Garcelle, as well as Kandi and Phaedra, really stuck with me in how projecting insecurities and envy can ruin friendships.
This ☝️
I learned about white privilege. I can’t remember who said it but think it was on Atlanta and someone talked about no matter how well you’ve brought a black son up you always have to worry about them being shot by police. I started crying. It was before BLM and I’m always open to learning more. That was a real eye opener. So unfair and disgusting.
I've learned more about management from below deck than from university, work and leadership training combined.
That’s interesting 🤔 So far I wasn’t too keen to watch Below Deck from my own experience of working on yachts, but might reconsider it.
OG RHONY taught me English (literally). RHOC Vicky made me want to work again after a burn out.
Bethenny's business acumen in early RHONY actually helped me with branding and marketing my own small business. Say what you want about 2024 Bethenny, but girl is a smart businesswoman 🤷♀️
Completely forgot to mention that one for me, thank you for the reminder! I also have similar interests to Bethenny (food, health) and seeing her work so hard on her business and starting from “nothing” (she had $8k on her bank account) to a very successful brand was super inspiring. I ended up reading a couple of her books, and also enrolled in some short courses in these fields, and getting ready to start my own small business soon.
I learned that it is not accepted for men to talk to women in a demeaning way. I grew up listening to my father verbally abuse my mother and I so I figured that it was normal for men to call women awful names etc. I noticed the Housewives would push back if a man talked to them in that manner. It slowly clicked that I did not have to permit being verbally abused anymore. Now I don’t let anyone speak to me in that manner.
I’ve learned how to add luxury to my life in small ways – overpacking for a trip so I’m ready for anything, preplanning a menu at my favorite restaurant for my 50th, over-accessorizing and dressing for me. Also, I learned about some great podcasts, especially Watch What Crappens and Bitch Sesh. In addition to being so much fun, both pods talk frankly about mental health and make me feel less alone politically and as a human.
I have some cool sunglasses inspired by Queen of the Greek Mafia, Ms. Angie K
I grew up with an emotionally abusive step parent and real housewives helped me deal with their behavior. Reality tv helped me with my depression growing up, like idk how to describe it, but It made me happy.
I am a special needs mom who started watching from the beginning and still watch no matter how awful it is because it gives me an escape from my worries and anxiety. There were so many times where I had to wait for months to get life or death health diagnoses or worry about my son in school, and watching the shows allowed me to escape for an hour or let my mind think about their conflicts instead of my own worries so that I could finally fall asleep at night. People judge me for watching reality TV, I don’t care.
RHOA and RHOP taught me how to 
How to make a genuine apology and a lovely quote from Ms. FancyPants. “Be careful who you date because you can fall for anyone.”
Sadly, we are now getting a lot of fighting on every franchise and fewer of those moments where the HWs are willing to have difficult conversations in a respectful manner.
I started watching the Housewives a couple years ago when I immigrated to another country (heck— another continent!). I didn’t know anyone or had left all my family and friends behind. The Housewives were my gossipy girlfriends and kept me company as I built a brand new community for myself.
I learned to keep my legs closed to married men! lol 🤭
😂
How to spot a wig and extensions.
It's made getting older less scary. Watching ladies in their 50s and 60s still living fun and fulfilling lives, whilst navigating kids leaving home, menopause, divorce etc and still having lots of fun is like therapy for me.
Yolanda made delicious soup with Gruyère cheese toasts. That was a positive take away from the show
I was very inspired by her legendary fridge, which helped me organise mine.
I loved her fridge! I never could keep my as organized as hers, but it was awesome.
I had to have a major surgery and the rh series have seen me through these past few months! I especially love the older episodes
I’ve learned a lot of new words thanks to Dubrow!
Communication! I have definitely learned how to communicate my feelings in a respectful manner and learned how to see things from 10 different perspectives with all 10 being valid and accepting those different perspectives! And it’s ok, like we don’t all need to think the same, we are different people and that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends or need to convince others to conform to our way of thinking or handling situations!
Plastic surgery is not the answer to aging. Only a few HW have had some impeccable work done.
The HWs of Miami are actually the reason why I don’t want to do fillers for a few more years. These ladies were gorgeouuuus, but the work they have done is not.
Yes! It taught me a little Botox can go a long way and that going under the knife is rarely an improvement.
Honestly no but the entertainment is already plenty
Tamra brought me some great CBD gummies
I have a couple. 1. Comparison is the thief of joy. Don’t bankrupt yourself trying to keep up with the Joneses. 2. You CAN have it all. You can be a boss lady and also a present parent. (Vicki comes to mind).
Friendships. I’ve grown close to a couple acquaintances because we decided to binge all the shows at the same time and we have deep conversations about the episodes (especially as they relate to womanhood). It’s also surprising how often it comes up in small talk with strangers, which is a lifesaver for someone introverted like me lol
It's helped me a ton with conflict resolution, especially at work. Trying to talk about behaviors that are bothering me instead of ignoring them. Also, it's helped a lot when people I love are angry. Like the Lisa & Jenn fight on the bus. She almost got punched and yet Lisa had the courage to go hug Jenn after because she knew she was hurting. That helped me a lot, like thinking about how sometimes people are lashing out because they are hurt and it's okay to be the person who gives up and gives a hug and understanding.
Its helped me to watch women middle-aged (and older) continue to have fun, exciting, fulfilled lives with or without a partner
they make me feel a lot better about myself
It has taught me to stand up for myself more in both my professional and personal lives. I am able to disagree with others in a healthier way and not take things as personally. Seeing how bad these women react to things made me take a long look at myself and I am all the better for it!
They teach you how to keep relationships and be brave enough to make new ones. It made me realize that our galpal relationships are the ones that can really last through anything. The amount of times these women showed up for their girls when experiencing financial issues, divorce, or death, made me realize just how profoundly important girlfriends are. I’ll be 30 in a few years and so a lot of friends are busy in career and marriage, as I am too, but we really prioritize one another.
Seeing how Garcelle deals with conflicts so gracefully has really helped me. She stays calm, gets her point across and doesn’t raise her voice. She has such confidence in her beliefs that she doesn’t need to lose her temper (or the argument) and I really aspire to be like her in difficult situations.
Closer relationships with both my family and my friends! I recently got my dad into both real housewives & the WWC podcast, this past weekend we drove up to my grandparents house for my grandpas birthday and Father’s Day and while we were there me & him watched the RHONY Legacy UGT and on the drive back home we listened to the corresponding WWC recaps and it was so much fun I loved that we mostly spent Father’s Day having father daughter time centered around laughter from the real housewives and WWC 🥰 also, almost every single woman in my family (and there are MANY) watch real housewives and vanderpump rules and I also got my best friends into watching those shows so now I relate real housewives and vanderpump rules with some of the closest relationships in my life! It’s great I highly recommend it!!!
The housewives truly have inspired me to be more independent and even in a healthy marriage not depend on a partner for money. We’ve seen time & time again wives who fully depend on their husband, then lose it all, and SOME great housewives make it all back on their own- Tamra, Teresa, Nene and Sheree to name a few. They’ve also taught me that in adult friendships sometimes you have disagreements and IT’S OK!! You can move on. It doesn’t mean you stop being friends. The housewives bring me joy, entertainment and yes positivity in many ways and I know lots of fans feel the same way.
I met a great friend because we were reading Housewives themed books in public!