With the recent news of Russell Armstrong’s suicide [he was the estranged husband of Beverly Hills Real Housewife, Taylor Armstrong], I think that many people that watch these reality shows [myself included!] are asking themselves, “Are these conflict based reality shows that get sooooo sooooo much attention and scrutiny too much to deal with in REAL life when the cameras are off?” I think that it may be safe to say, “In some cases, yes.” It has been suggested by many that Russell was suffering from a deep depression that stemmed from money troubles and other pressures due to appearing on the television show.
I’m mostly talking about Bravo TV’s “Real Housewives of”… All the cities, but any conflict based reality show qualifies…
I am guilty of watching these “reality” shows. However, the real reality is that they are far, far from reality! There is no show unless there is a conflict AKA a FIGHT! It’s all fabricated so that we [the viewers] will keep coming back for more. It’s really sick though when you think about it. & the number one question I have for these reality stars is, “Was it worth it?!” For some, maybe, but I bet that their life would have been just fine had they not gotten involved with a show that makes such a mockery of it. There are hardly EVER happy endings in the world of reality television. We all know that the shows that have the highest ratings have the most created drama. Why do these “reality stars” sign on the dotted line and give producers control of how their image is portrayed to the world? MONEY! But my question to you is… “Does it set up tragedy?” My opinion is that reality TV doesn’t automatically cause it BUT it sure does seem to set the stage for a tumultuous situation. The shows are filmed months prior to airing and then as the show airs… the evil editing work that was done seems to be enough to start wars among these stars in the tabloids… I get that they are seeking out the PR their receive, but don’t you think that sometimes it goes too far?
I remember watching Jessica Simpson & Nick Lachey’s reality show years ago [not even BravoTV related] and I thought to myself, “How can a marriage survive such public scrutiny & criticism?” The truth is, that one didn’t and most don’t. That is just one example but there are dozens of examples of reality television ruining a relationship and/or marriage. It’s unnecessary to put yourself and your relationship through that & I think if you value and respect your relationship, yourself & your partner, you won’t do it.
My other questions is “WHAT the heck is wrong with TV producers these days? & HOW do they sleep at night?” Maybe they need a damn reality check! Money isn’t everything, but unfortunately that industry is full of far too much greed…
We live in a society that wants to see down and dirty. Producers know this… The ratings speak for themselves! The season finale of Season One of The Real Housewives of Bev Hills drew in 2.76 million viewers… So yeah… There’s the $$$ and the reason why it just gets crazier and crazier.
Should something be done to stop this or are these people foolish for getting involved in the first place? It’s a little bit of both… Year after year the drama gets even more explosive and I hope this a lesson for Bravo TV as well as all of the “reality stars” to step back and think about what is REALLY important in life… I would hope they ask themselves this “Was my life a whole hell of a lot less stressful and full of love & positive things before I signed that contract?!” You only get one shot at life, don’t risk putting your personal life out there for a little bit of fame… If you are that desperate to be on TV… Go to acting school and become an actor. It’s seems too hard to avoid the constant public scrutiny from people that do not know you at all… One person committing suicide as a result of anything that occurred because he or she appeared on a reality show is one too many.
What are your thoughts on this? I think that these producers need to get some morals and stop obsessing about the money & ratings… Or we need to stop watching this trash & not contribute to the sky high ratings.
I have been a fan of Bethenny Frankel ever since the first time I saw her ‘tell it like it IS’ in the first season of the ‘Real Housewives of New York.’ Maybe it’s the fact that our birthday’s are only six days apart. Or that I am also a Scorpio that always tells it like it is and if you don’t like it… “Tough! 
” As far as I am concerned, this world needs more people that aren’t afraid to speak up, have a voice, an opinion and that’s why I love Miss Bethenny! Not only did she create the best damn margarita you ever did have… She created one that isn’t loaded with sugar, calories and fake stuff, hence her brand empire, 
