One by One

Greetings RHBH fans. Welcome to my second blog and thanks for all the nice compliments about the show! It’s really interesting to see what people like and what they’re curious about.  I’ll get to your questions in a moment, but first, here’s the answer to the question I ended blog no. 1 with. Did you spot my Hitchcock-style cameo in the first episode? I’m assuming not since a) you don’t know what I look like and b) it was the back of my head on the plane ride to Sacramento.



Yup, that’s the back of my head in-between Kyle and Kim. Normally, I do my best to avoid being on camera, but that plane only sat 12 people, so I didn’t have a choice. 

Now, on to your questions!  I promise to answer as many as I can, as honestly as I can.

Two quick non-RHBH ones first. 

I was pleasantly surprised by all the Bug Juice fans out there.  It is not only one of my all time favorite shows I’ve worked on, it was also my first collaboration with Evolution Media, the company that produces RHBH.  (But sorry to disappoint you, Kathy. I only worked on the first season of Bug Juice, so I don’t have the answer to the contraband question.)

I was even more shocked for some of the love for Real World: London. And yes, Neil getting his tongue bitten was quite memorable. (But imagine the production team’s dismay to have our wittiest cast member rendered mute for several weeks!) I’m glad there are still some fans!

Other Casts
Evolution Media produces RHOC and RHBH, but all the other franchises are produced by other production companies, so sorry to say I don’t have any inside dish for you there.

Housewives in other cities
Multiple people asked about having a Housewives show in their city. That’s up to Bravo, but I firmly believe you could find an interesting cast in just about any city, but there is one city in particular that I am mystified that Bravo hasn’t attempted a Housewives in. Dallas! I think people in Dallas are so unique and a franchise there would be a hoot!   

Do the women get to have topics they won’t discuss?
Not really. The women all know that when they sign up for the show, their lives need to be open books. The one exception to that really is their kids. We do shoot with the kids, but we are not there to exploit them -- so that is the one thing the Wives have a little wiggle room with. 
The Housewives
Lots of comments and questions about the cast – many about “who is my least favorite” and “who is worst to their staff.” Right off the bat you should know, I’m not going to trash any of the ladies.  I’m not only in business with them, so that wouldn’t be smart, but I genuinely like and respect them too much to do that. 

A common misconception is that it’s a breeze being on a reality show.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I give the same speech to every cast I work with. “Remember, the very same moments that you are going to want to hide from the cameras, are the exact things we are most going to want to see.” Meaning, reality shows thrive on emotion. When someone cries, or loses their temper, or is upset –- that’s human and very relatable. Calm conversations aren’t very interesting. Emotion is. So think of the last time you cried, or lost your temper –- and then imagine there is a camera in your face, and that you know that that very private, intimate moment is going to be broadcast to the country. Yes, absolutely, these women all signed up to be on the show. But across the board, they have admitted it was much more intense than they expected.  

Adrienne
I saw lots of internet chatter about the teenager she flips over her shoulder. The boy is the son of Adrienne’s trainer, he’s very well-trained in kickboxing, and he was not injured during the workout.

Many people questioned why she wanted to do the show. Adrienne’s brothers have always been much more visible as the face of the Maloof organizations, and I think Adrienne thought it was her turn. Plus, she’s a smart businesswoman and her businesses bring great bling to the show.

Camille
Also want to clear up a misconception about Camille. When she is discussing having a surrogate bear her children, it was Taylor who said the benefit was that Camille gets to keep her gorgeous body. Camille’s decision to use a surrogate was a lot more complex than just her looks. We didn’t feel it was the right time to go into it on the plane ride, but maybe that was a mistake. At the least, it’ll be a good topic for a Reunion!

Kim
There were some fans who didn’t connect with her, but I have a soft spot in my heart for her. My sister was a single mother for many years, so I relate to Kim’s struggles. The fact that her life isn’t as perfect as some of the other women, to me, makes her really compelling. (And how often do you get to peek into the adult life of a child actor you remember from your childhood?!) And to fan, Carroll, from Indiana, I’m a Hoosier, too!  Little town of Ossian, about 20 minutes south of Fort Wayne.

Kyle
Didn’t get any specific questions about Kyle, so I’ll do an “all cast” question on her. Did the ladies act differently on camera? For most people on a reality show, they start off on what I call “in-law” behavior for the first week –- meaning they are putting on their best version of their self, like they’re meeting the in-laws for the first time. Then they get used to the cameras and become their true self.  But from day one, minute one, Kyle was relaxed and normal in front of the cameras, and so was her family.  Lisa
Lots of questions about her little dog, Jiggy.  Jiggy is a teddy bear Pomeranian – and yes, he is as adorable in person as he is on camera.  And yes, Lisa is that funny in person.

Taylor
The biggest question about Taylor seems to be about her filler procedure, performed by Adrienne’s husband, Paul, the plastic surgeon. We didn’t show a direct “after” shot of Taylor after the procedure, but thought that by showing how beautiful she looked during the rest of the show, the audience would get that the procedure was a success. Some people questioned that, so please know, Paul did a great job on Taylor and she was very happy with the results.

Wow! Super long blog today, but hopefully, many of you got your questions answered. Keep sending them in.  And keep watching!