Crew Cuts
BH Producer Dave Rupel discusses the White Party fallout, the ladies' trip to Hawaii, and thanks the hardworking crew.
Happy 2012 everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday season filled with family, friends, and fun!
As for RHOBH, we pick up right where we left off last time, with Russell and Taylor being asked to leave Kyle and Mauricio's White Party because of Russell's email to Camille threatening her with a lawsuit. I remind everyone of that because there were several comments about the un-invitation being too mean or unnecessary. I feel differently. Actions have consequences. If Russell hadn't threatened Camille, which as you saw made the rest of the group feel they could be vulnerable to a lawsuit too, the un-invitation would unlikely have never happened.
That said, everyone was very nervous about this happening. Viewer Sandy commented that she thought Kyle's crying on the front lawn was phony and poorly acted. Sandy, I don't know whether you will believe my word or not, but trust me, I was at the White Party and Kyle was extremely upset. Everyone was -- and I include myself in that. I knew Taylor and Russell would be upset and embarrassed by the un-invitation, but it was Russell's decision to send that threatening email, and, once he did, we all had to deal with the ramifications.
On to lighter subjects, let's talk about Hawaii! I had never been to the island of Lanai, but man did it turn out to be a beautiful treat! People often ask me why we shoot the travel, and I hope this episode illustrates why. My goal is for the viewers to feel like they are experiencing the vacation too and you can't do that without travel! Thanks to C Crew for their tireless coverage of the travel! On to viewer questions from the previous episode.
Q: RHOBHfan commented she is frustrated that some people claim all reality TV is scripted.
A: I can't speak for all reality shows, but RHOBH is definitely not. Although Kim, Kyle, and Lisa have acted in the past, they are living their real lives in front of our cameras -- as is everyone on our show. With all that has happened this year on our show, it is difficult to see how anyone could think it could be scripted.
Q: Several viewers questioned the veracity of Taylor's "lost" phone. NC, NJ wondered what the content of Kyle's messages to Taylor were and if Taylor then deliberately "lost" her phone.
A: I can vouch for the truth of Taylor's lost phone. Our crew had been trying to reach Taylor for days to confirm she was attending the White Party to no avail. As far as what Kyle texted Taylor, I believe it was all along the lines of "Call me ASAP."
Q: HauteCoco had two questions. 1. Was Russell removing his microphone in the limo? 2. Do the ladies always ride in vehicles with hired drivers?
A: Yes, Russell was indeed removing his microphone in the limo. That is why our sound operators always have boom mics to capture un-microphoned people or people who remove theirs. The ladies usually take a limo service whenever they are attending events that provide alcohol. We sometimes shoot in their cars (Kim on the way to Paul's office, for example.) But if alcohol is served, everyone obviously avoids drinking and driving.
Q: Pacific Avenue wanted to know if Taylor and Russell were in Las Vegas without being filmed.
A: Yes, that is correct. We do not have enough manpower to film all of the ladies 24/7. And any out of town filming usually costs extra. Since we had recently been to Vegas for the dueling parties, and were only days away from leaving for Hawaii, we made the decision not to go to Vegas with Taylor and Russell.
Q: RealityFan4Life wants to know how much interaction happens between the crew and the participants on our show.
A: Really good question. In the old days when I worked on Real World almost 20 years ago, the common phrase was the crew was to be thought of as "flies on the wall" by the show participants. Meaning, as little interaction as possible. On a show like The Real Housewives though, the crew is coming into the ladies' homes and being around their children and pets pets so there is a little bit more interaction. I find the more comfortable the ladies and their families are with the crew, the more comfortable they are opening up their lives in the most intimate ways.
I brag on our crew quite often, and I'm going to do it once again. Our crews are the most friendly, polite and respectful. It's a really good group of people!
That's all for this week. Please come back next week for more sun and sand in Hawaii!
