Good, Bad, or Ugly

I cannot believe how fast this season has flown by. I have to admit it has been fun blogging and reflecting on all that happened in the past year. It seems so long ago, and what happens in each episode seems so surreal. Any time a camera gets into a moment, the moment changes. Even with our own cameras, don't we all use funny voices to prompt our children to smile or say the right thing? Filming The Real Housewives of New York City was very similar. Someone edits your footage until they feel you're an evocative character, and then poof - there you are on screen. As I said in my Harper's Bazaar interview, no one wants to know how much Tide you use. People want to be entertained.

The final episode really highlights the way Jill ran her charity. We were all at Jill's house, which is in the highest high-rise I had ever been in. I have never seen so many apartments in one building. After Bethenny sat me down to fight about fighting, I honestly wasn't in a very creative state of mind. Ramona joined the meeting and started discussing the 'step and repeat.' The step and repeat is where most of the high-paying donors put signage. So if a photo of a CEO or a celeb is taken, the company can refer to the photos to confirm that they were acknowledged for their donations. Ramona and Jill started fighting about what is more appropriate and sophisticated...I just sat there. I have been to a lot of meetings for charities before, but I've never seen two women engage each other like that. But once the "appropriate police" started in on each other, all we could do is sit and watch. In my opinion, everyone who donates to the charity deserves some kind of recognition. But with the Housewives, they love to have their names all over the place. Bethenny with her bar, Jill with her fabrics, and Ramona with her skincare and her jewelry - it is a nonstop product placement. Instead of focusing on the charity, they spent their time bickering and working about self-promotion.

When I arrived at the event, I was impressed. It took a lot of effort and money on Jill's part to pull the event together, and she worked really hard to make it look good. When I saw Bethenny and Jill fighting, I wondered why they would fight during a charity event. Their behavior struck me as odd, especially because hosting a party is so frustrating and time consuming. I don't know how Jill had time to argue. There are a million thoughts that race through your head when hosting an event like this - Is everyone happy? Will anyone show up? Will we make any money? Hosting a charity is stressful enough without the added distraction of pointless arguing.

After Jill's live auction and Allyson's amazing speech, Jill and Ramona gave awards to all of the women on the show who participated in the event. They called out all of the Housewives, and forgot to call me. If I am not part of an event from its inception, then I don't want my name associated with it. I don't want my name attached to an event for someone I have only met once. That does not mean that I won't help organize events, I just don't want my name associated with something that I am not really going to be a part of. Shoot me - I have a lot of integrity. I love to support my friends, because that is what friends do - they support each other. So, I wasn't surprised by the fact that Jill forgot to acknowledge me. I came to the charity to support Jill and Allyson, not for any other reason. And I got to talk fashion with Simon, who is obsessed with fashion. I love his enthusiasm for the fashion industry, and I welcome all the color and interesting combinations he invents. Life is way too short to not enjoy yourself.

Reflecting back on the season, my favorite moments are the ones I spent with my girls. They look so little compared to what they look like today. I loved cooking with the girls and Sam Talbot, and I loved introducing them to Jill. The girls had such a lovely presence on the show, and I am so proud of the way they handled themselves. I wish the trapeze school segment aired because that was so much fun, and I would have loved for everyone to have met my close friend, Nick Gregory. I honestly wish that the Housewives did more fun things together. Going to parties does not a friend make. Activities and experiences bond people together. I hope that next season the Housewives actually create memories by doing amazing things together, rather than bicker over idiosyncrasies.

As for the Reunion show, it is more of the same - all the ladies try as hard as possible to "police" my every move. What is it with me? Alex makes some amazing statements, and the other women are on fire with comments like, "You are a liar." I must say "Stop" about 40 times. Interrupting, commenting, policing - it will never stop. But good, bad, or ugly, we've got you hooked.