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When we think of heroes, not all of us immediately picture our favorite Real Housewives. Some of us do, but not everyone. This week, however, changed that. Because this week, a lot of things changed. And while we as a nation are still healing in a big way from too many recent disasters, the tide is slowly but surely changing on the infamous Bravolebrities. Women that have been often labeled “hysterical” in the past, are now being called “heroes” and that simply cannot and will not be ignored.
For some, that might sound a bit much. No, these women are not first responders, but they are responding, and that’s a lot more than we’ve come to expect from cable characters. The first and loudest example is The Real Housewives of New York star and Skinnygirl businesswoman, Bethenny Frankel. Through her B Strong program, she previously helped the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, as well as victims of the massive earthquake in Mexico, and realizing that she couldn’t stand around and look at the destruction from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, she personally chartered 4 planes with much-needed supplies and flew them down to the American people on that struggling island. Plus, those planes were used to bring people back to the US that required medical attention. Oh, and she got her ass there as early as September 24th to be hands-on in helping our fellow citizens and visiting hospitals. This is a woman who is preparing to be on the new season of Shark Tank and just had two surgeries to remove a skin cancer growth on her face — she could’ve just written a check and moved on with life. But the fact that she put not only her money but her actions where her mouth is, speaks volumes.
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The planes contained more than 20,000 lbs. of donated medical and survival supplies, as well as fresh meals and over $50,000 in gift cards and cash for the people who are mostly still without electricity! She’s also used her social media platforms not to brag that she’s on the ground helping or staging cute selfie opportunities — quite the opposite. She’s been documenting the damage and the people she’s met along, as well as encouraging her famous pals such as Andy Cohen to donate to the cause. This is a very big deal, one that we should all be very clear on: a reality TV star used her own money and her platform to rack up a whole bunch of necessary money and goods for our fellow citizens when they needed it most. She also showed up in person to help, and she did this all before the president of the country did. Oh, and at no time did she throw paper towels into an audience. Even if you firmly sit on Team Ramona, this is beyond worth appreciating and admiring.
While Bethenny has done a wonderful job bringing attention to important causes, she’s not the only one. Over on The Real Housewives of Orange County this week, we saw Shannon Beador’s husband, David, question Peggy Sulahian’s husband, Diko, about her recent cancer diagnosis. Diko explained the ordeal that she’d been through in perfectly clear terms, despite it being exactly none of his business, and, love her or hate her, Peggy is truly letting viewers into the ordeal that comes with a breast cancer diagnosis and the aftermath. For most families, this is an incredibly trying and private time. For Peggy to allow the cameras to capture her having her expanders adjusted and her outrage when people she doesn’t know (and in the case of David, just met!) are nosily butting into her personal health information, and while she’s still experiencing the health scare and not years removed from it, is a really fascinating move. Even her decision to not want to be upfront with saying the C-word is typical of many women (and men) as they come to terms with their new survivor status. While actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus shocked us with the news that she is one of the 1 in 8 women that have breast cancer, it’s an all-too-common experience for many women who have either gone through it themselves or are sure to know a friend or relative who have. If watching Peggy face down the disease helps another person know what to expect when unfortunately helping a loved one through the same thing, then that can only be classified as a win.
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For Peggy to let millions of viewers into her home while she overcomes this scary moment in her life is more meaningful than most will probably be quick to give credit for. The emotional and physical toll that she’s gone through is significant, and she was one of the lucky ones that caught it very early. Exposing viewers to this process, and during Breast Cancer Awareness month, is a wise and important decision for Peggy and her family. It should also be noted that while it’s taken more than half of the season for viewers to warm up to the new Housewife (no one likes change), the cancer-free Peggy we’ll see in episodes and seasons to come will be an even more exciting spitfire than the one we know now. But with the pain occurring on her chest and mind, because this nasty disease affects your whole entire body and mind, maybe viewers will realize she’s got that Resting Bitch Face for a damn good reason, and it’s not just the drama her new Southern California pals are brewing.
In actual reality, there’s not a Real Housewives franchise across the entire country that hasn’t brought awareness to an important cause. Last season followed cast members of The Real Housewives of Atlanta as they helped with the Flint water crisis, Lisa Vanderpump is always helping with important animal causes on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and her castmate Erika gave a shocking look, and new perspective for many, at what being the mother of a police officer is like, at a very strange and even more dramatic dinner. Just about 6 weeks ago, RHOC‘s Tamra Judge revealed she’s kicking melanoma’s ass, encouraging everyone to get their skin checked for irregularities. Plus, her castmate Shannon Beador has spent the season tackling her recent weight gain brought on by stress, something millions of Americans can relate to. If the Bravo show has encouraged fans to learn, to donate to causes, through either their time and/or money, or has motivated them to do something as simple as get their butt on a treadmill or visit the doctor for a checkup to work on their own personal health, then these shows can no longer be simply written off as frivolous and mindless.
Yet at the end of the day, that’s what we need them to be most. Can you believe it: a reality show can be both silly and serious at the same damn time? As news channels are flooded with terrible images lately, Bravo turns into a sanctuary space. Not everyone will understand, but for those that do, it matters. There is something strangely calming about women bickering about hookups and gossip items and drunken debauchery. These shows serve as reassuringly relatable and an entertaining escape at the same time. Viewers can turn them off and turn off their minds and feel comforted by the antics of their reality show pals. Like the Sesame Street for stressed out women, Real Housewives is an opportunity to learn something about the world, or a fellow woman, that you might not have known before, serving as both fun and functional. Yes, these puppets are shrieking, eccentric rich women. But they’re women all in the same. We follow them on the show, on social media, and in the causes that matter most to them, and in turn, us.
If Real Housewives isn’t your thing, you don’t have to watch. But you can’t ignore them any longer. These women are changing the world, and for the better, in ways big and small. From taking your friends’ mind off the sadness of the world, to literally touching down in devastated areas to bring help and supplies and awareness to the people that need it most. Yes, these are the women known for pointing fingers and shouting at each other, only now, they’re shouting about important causes and helping tons of people in the process.
