As much as we may think social media is good for us, the platforms are sometimes more harmful than helpful. Being connected at your fingertips has caused many of us to develop anxiety and low self-esteem. The cast of the Real Housewives franchise is no exception to this rule. In fact, they may even have it a bit harder than us mere mortals.
The Bravo cast is expected to have active accounts, post continuously, and interact with fans. Frankly, it is surprising that more and more of the TV personalities haven’t had a massive burnout. Here is why we believe social media is ruining the franchise.
Unfollowing Doesn’t Mean I Don’t Like You
In the good old days of Real Housewives, drama between the women mostly happened on screen. However, these days major grudges and confrontations can come from a single click of the unfollow button.
During a recent episode of the Real Housewives of Orange County, Heather Dubrow found herself once again defending herself over a catty fight. The exchange occurred between Emily Simpson and Gina Kirschenheiter after they giggled all morning about Heather finally re-following them on Instagram.
While packed onto a sprinter van with the rest of the women, the two roomies called out the mother of four for finally re-friending them. Fancy Pants tried to defend her actions, noting that she had too much FOMO when she took her hiatus, so she deleted everyone on her grid.
Gina claimed the move felt personal, saying the concept was easy—friends follow friends. Emily pointed out that it felt like Heather liked having the power, as if everyone else was a peasant and she was the queen. The argument honestly came across as funny, because who really argues over social media? Back in the day, you’d have to call someone up on the phone to talk issues out, not subtly delete them from your friends list.
Nowhere To Hide
With the birth of social media, the Real Housewives stars have also lost their privacy. Look at Shannon Beador and her recent DUI. Not only have paparazzi been following her, but even fan accounts have posted candid photos of her leaving the courthouse and showing off her bruised face. The wave of information that spreads on social media may feel intrusive to some housewives. However, many fans feel entitled to know everything going on the moment it happens.
Other Bravo personalities have been targeted, too. Erika Jayne‘s saga with the $750,000 diamond earrings was aptly covered. Fans immediately villainised the Pretty Mess singer for her alleged role in Tom Girardi’s scams. For almost a year, fans trolled Erika’s comment section, posting wild theories and photos of the star shopping at T.J. Maxx or pumping her own gas.
Becoming a Real Housewives star now means giving up your privacy. It’s like being a Hollywood A-lister on a D-list salary.
Ozpempic Craze
Social media hasn’t helped the housewives with their body image. More and more every day, influencers are showing off their makeup routines or filters, trying to convince their audience that they can also look like a made-up Barbie doll. It was a well-known secret that the Real Housewives stars often dabbled in plastic surgery, Botox, and fillers, but a new craze has taken over, and it hasn’t been for the best.
Viewers started to notice more and more of the Real Housewives stars shedding pounds quickly, and most didn’t have an ounce to spare in the first place. It was revealed that many of the Bravo stars are taking the diabetes drug Ozempic to burn off the calories.
However, social media tells a different story. Some of the women have tried to portray that all they did to lose weight was diet and hard work. They flaunt their workouts and diet tips on Instagram, which can make followers feel awful that their own workouts and dieting efforts don’t yield the same results as the housewives they see on social media.
Not only has the housewives’ body image hit an all-time low, but now it is weighing on viewers. Social media can be such a positive asset, but instead, the stars of our favorite franchises are suing it for negative body image and catty fighting. Personally, I am exhausted trying to keep up with them. Can’t we go back to the early seasons when everyone looked like they worked at Macy’s? That’s a look I can handle.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK SOCIAL MEDIA IS RUINING THE REAL HOUSEWIVES? ARE THERE ANY BENEFITS THAT SOCIAL MEDIA BRINGS TO THE FRANCHISE?
