The plots on reality TV are, admittedly, a little thin. But reality TV has always been more about character than about plot. If a person is interesting enough, they can carry a show.
The Bachelor franchise for instance has been running with the same format for over 20 years with pretty minimal changes. But it works because of the range of people who come on the show.
Right now, Charity Lawson is the titular Bachelorette, and for some, that’s great. Many find her engaging, interesting, and lovable. Others however would describe her time on the show as boring. But Charity has proven she won’t take that lying down.
Charity claps back on Twitter
Then don’t watch Kathleen, entertain yourself elsewhere
While live tweeting through the July 3 episode, Charity tweeted, “All I can say is. It’s a TV show.” Presumably, this was in response to those confused by some of her more questionable choices. Charity was likely admitting that production was a big factor in some decisions made. While most replied with their support, one user was a bit peeved.
“It’s boring,” the Twitter user wrote in reply to the original tweet. Charity, not missing a beat, replied, “Then don’t watch Kathleen, entertain yourself elsewhere.” Kathleen didn’t seem to have a problem with obliging, only responding with a thumbs up. Credit where credit is due, Charity’s response was on point. Even if Charity is the Bachelorette, she doesn’t owe anyone anything.
Entertainment is subjective. If people aren’t enjoying Charity’s run as the Bachelorette, literally no one is forcing them to keep watching. The most power a viewer has is in choosing what they spend their time watching. And in that sense, television is kind of like a democracy. So cast your vote where you think it counts.
The Bachelorette continues Mondays at 9/8c on ABC.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF CHARITY’S CLAPBACK? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HER SEASON SO FAR? IS SHE BORING?
After what felt like an eternity, Real Housewives of New York fans have reunited with some of the show’s shining stars. Bravo finally gifted us the premiere of Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake that’s like Real Housewives meets The Simple Life. Anyone who is a fan of Sonja Morgan and/or Luann de Lesseps knows that once you put a camera on these two, they’re entertainment gold. But the new show is like a gem we’ve never seen from our girls when they’re holding an apple in their hand, and we should all be thankful.
Bravo debuted two episodes during the Sunday premiere of the Luann and Sonja show to really treat its fans. The hour-long special was just what the doctor ordered to get RHONY fans reacquainted with our favorites so we feel as though they never left our TV rotations. Here are three of the main takeaways from the premiere episode of Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake.
It’s like they never left us
Photo by: Nick Fochtman/E! Entertainment
I truly cannot express the pure serotonin that my brain felt the moment that the debut episode of Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake came across the screen at 9 p.m. sharp. It’s been about two years since we’ve gotten any semblance of the old-school RHONY in our lives. Bravo didn’t even give us a final reunion to tie up the legacy in a bow. Thankfully, a goofy show that focuses on Sonja and Lu’s antics in a rural town will do wonders to heal this heartbreak. Plus, the duo went to Benton, Illinois in hopes of helping to make the town better, which adds a total feel-good factor.
While it’s been a while since they’ve been on TV, Sonja and Lu were delightfully still the same. Sonja’s townhouse is still a disaster. Luann still wouldn’t stop saying “cabaret” in every other sentence. They still subtly shaded one another, which still seems rooted in their strange competitive approach to dating in New York City. “Sonja and I have done a lot of charitable things together,” Luann said in a confessional. “I mean, I’m even wearing a Sonja Morgan dress right now.” The way I screamed when Lu delivered this line so effortlessly and just moved on. Truly, I missed these two wackadoodles more than I even knew.
Benton’s unexpected RHONY surprise
Photo by: Nick Fochtman/E! Entertainment
Sonja and Lu showed up to Benton in style. They popped Champagne (or in Lu’s case, her branded Fose) on a private jet during their trip. The illusion was shattered when the pilot had to delay a landing due to livestock on the runway. Hey, at least the locals set up a red carpet for their arrival. And the motel had a hilarious “Welcome Hollywood” sign that truly added to the goofiness of the entire scenario.
One of the most underrated aspects of this show is that the townspeople of Benton had absolutely no idea who was coming to infiltrate their home. They were just notified that two celebrities were flying in to help boost tourism, and their guesses ran the game. From Kim Kardashian to Vin Diesel, the people of Benton expected some big names to show up in their town. While many people were obviously Bravoheads who recognized the ladies upon their arrival, it was clear that several of the people in the crowd did not. Even Luann and Sonja were shocked that a crowd formed at the airport for their arrival. Luann literally thought it was a “demonstration.” “I thought that there was rioting,” she joked in her voice. Truly, you can’t write comedy as good as this.
Lu and Sonja immediately get their hands dirty — literally
Photo by: Nick Fochtman/E! Entertainment
Sonja and Luann were roughing it in Benton. They stayed at the local motel that gave off extreme Schitt’s Creek vibes. Luann was tasked with driving the duo around in an airport taxi with no AC, which seemed to be her biggest gripe from the trip. They also met with the mayor to get a list of things they’re expected to do during their stay. It included a few things right up their alley, like an “end of summer performance” that sounds like a good excuse for Lu to do some cabaret. The other tasks, such as building a playground and assisting at the animal shelter, required a bit more grunt work.
For a true initiation to Benton, Lu and Sonja went to see just why the locals called it Crappie Lake. The pair went fishing for catfish, which was a much more hands-on experience than manning a fishing pole. The ladies had to get into the murky water and catch a fish by the mouth with their bare hands. Sonja was a bit apprehensive, but Lu shockingly took on the task like a pro. She went under the water for what felt like a minute — even Sonja thought she was getting frisky with one of the fellow fishermen. Instead, Lu emerged from the water like a Baywatch star with a giant ugly fish between her hands like a prize. It was a sight to behold and just the right introduction we needed to Lu and Sonja’s long-awaited spinoff.
Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake airs Sundays at 10/9c on Bravo.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE LUANN AND SONJA: WELCOME TO CRAPPIE LAKE PREMIERE? ARE YOU EXCITED TO SEE THE REST OF THE SEASON?
Real Housewives of Atlanta star Sanya Richards-Ross had some exciting news to share in the mid-season trailer of the hit Bravo series. The reality star and Olympic gold medalist revealed that she is expecting baby no. 2 with husband Aaron Ross. The pair are already parents to son Aaron Jermaine, 5.
In the mid-season trailer, Sanya was seen showing positive results from her pregnancy test kit when her husband asked if it was “real.” The RHOA cast member jumped in joy as she exclaimed, “”I’m pregnant!” before hugging everyone in the room.
Sanya and Aaron tied the knot in 2010 and welcomed their first son in August 2017. The reality star has in several appearances both on the Bravo show and in public hinted that they were trying to expand the family. Well, congratulations are in order!
Sanya Richards-Ross has previously opened up about her parenthood journey
Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo
During her appearance on RHOA last season, Sanya opened up about her decision to remove her IUD and was working towards expanding her family – have a second child with husband Aaron Ross. Since then, the former track-and-field athlete had been dropping hints about the pair planning for their second baby.
In an interview with US Weekly in April 2023, Sanya revealed that she had definite plans of having another child with the former NFL cornerback. She revealed having “lots of new developments with baby 2,” and said, “This season and a lot that I think a lot of women and families will be able to relate to as Ross and I are still navigating this conversation and the possibilities of what our family will look like.”
Speaking to the outlet about their delay in planning for a second child, the RHOA star expressed that she had the couple’s entire family living with them. Sanya expressed that the couple decided to plan for their second child once their family had plans of moving out. The star hinted that the season will document both her baby no. 2 and her extended family ordeal.
News of the second child for Sanya comes after the Bravolebrity dealt with overwhelming amount of emotions while managing her workload with her first son Aaron Jermaine. In an interview with The Bump in February 2023, she opened up about fan response over her confession of not wanting to have another baby.
The former Olympian expressed that she received a lot of support and appreciation from women all over the world for being honest about her struggles, before stating, “I think it’s very mature to know what your capacity is and to be brave enough to stand in that truth.”
Sanya further expressed that she and her husband were trying for a second baby as they were “in a much better place and our family is in a great place.” She also expressed how supportive her fellow RHOA castmates were and said, “like they want me to be pregnant more than I want to be pregnant. I just love that because that’s what real sisterhood is all about.”
We cannot wait for follow Sanya on her pregnancy journey! Real Housewives of Atlanta continues Sundays at 8/7c on Bravo.
TELL US – ARE YOU EAGERLY WAITING FOR BABY NO. 2? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF SANYA THIS RHOA SEASON?
The Bachelorette star Hannah Brown is all set to add another feather in her career cap – that of a podcaster. The reality star announced launching her own podcast, “Better Tomorrow with Hannah Brown,” which will be available on Sirius XM. It will be a weekly series, premiering from Wednesday, July 19, 2023.
Hannah embarks to answer some of life’s most intriguing questions, including “Am I better today than I was yesterday?” and “How can I learn to be better tomorrow?” among others. Through the podcast, she hopes to shed light on socially sensitive but equally empowering topics, including mental health, love, relationships, and several others.
Announcing her journey as a podcaster, Hannah took to Instagram on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, and said: “One of my biggest goals in this season of life is building real, true community. So this is me, putting it all out there on my new podcast, Better Tomorrow. I am so honored to hold this space for all of us to learn and grow together!”
Hannah Brown hopes to bring important subjects to light
Photo Credit: Santiago Felipe/Getty Image
The Bachelorette alum will be accompanied by several guests over the course of the entire series, including artists, friends, experts and entrepreneurs. The official description of the podcast reveals that the author will speak on a variety of important topics which will all be relatable to the general audience.
The podcast will have the reality star and her guests provide meaningful advice, intimate emotional explorations and earn various takeaways from the discussion. “Pushing the envelope,” Hannah will guide her listeners, according to the description, “through the lens of a progressive, empowered woman who even with her faith doesn’t know all the answers and is still actively defining and deciding what all that means.”
In a teaser announcement, Hannah expressed that she was going to have the “hard talk” with her best friends,” before stating the essence behind launching her podcast. She said: “I’m also on the journey, so I won’t have all the answers, but I do hope to provide raw, unfiltered takeaways and revelations that you also can relate to. This is for you and me. We can make it whatever we want it to be. Did that just rhyme? Let’s go for it! We’ll be better tomorrow.”
An establishment of a classic reality TV fan-favorite
Hannah Brown instantly became a reality fan-favorite when she appeared on season 23 of The Bachelor, vying for Colton Underwood’s heart. She finished seventh, before being announced as as the lead on season 15 of The Bachelorette. The star established herself as an open-minded and empowered woman, often speaking up on all the right things when necessary.
She chose suitor Jed Wyatt in the season finale, but their engagement came to an abrupt end after Hannah found out he was in a relationship with another woman prior to entering the dating series. While her love life back then didn’t work out, the reality star proved to viewers that she can be looked upon more than her stint on the ABC show.
Hannah appeared on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars where she was paired with professional dancer Alan Bersten. The two won Season 28 of the competition. In 2021, she released her book “God Bless This Mess.” She has also made several other reality television appearances including Celebrity Dating Game and Lights Out with David Spade.
Her most recent and notable appearance was on Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test. She endured some of the toughest tasks set up by DS agents and proved herself each week. Hannah was later crowned the winner alongside former professional soccer player Carli Lloyd.
Looking at her interesting television stints and overall career, a podcast comes at the right time and looks promising. Don’t forget to tune in to the first episode on Wednesday, July 19, 2023.
TELL US – WILL YOU BE LISTENING TO HANNAH’S PODCAST? WHICH OTHER REALITY TV STAR PODCASTS DO YOU LISTEN TO?
