With All Hallows Eve almost upon us, I can’t help but think back to some of the old classic Hollywood monsters. Nowadays, we have the thriller genre that houses the likes of Michael Myers, Freddy Kruger, and Jason Voorhees. But back in the day when the idea was scarier than the character, we had Dracula, Frankenstein, the Invisible Man, the Mummy, and a werewolf. The creatures of the night were known to be menacing and give a fright to those unprepared. At times, the same could be said for the OG cast of the Real Housewives of New York.
RHONY OG Ramona Singer is known for her two-faced tactics
The Singer Stinger could be in a class all her own. Ramona Singer, like the other classic creatures of the night, kept viewers awake after the sunset and personified fears that still plague Bravo fans and horror junkies today. For example, who else could strike fear into the heart of Bethenny Frankel while walking on the Brooklyn Bridge? If I had to pick an old Hollywood monster for Ramona, it would be Jekyll and Hyde. At times, it was hard to deny that Ramona came across as being two-faced.
The same applies to Dr. Henry Jekyll and the murderous criminal named Edward Hyde. Ramona was often observed speaking out of both sides of her mouth. And while she didn’t exactly kill anyone, she sure as heck murdered a couple of RHONY events. She was the kind of woman who would throw a wine glass at your face for wetting her hair but then profusely apologize when she realized it didn’t cast her in a good light. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of the most famous pieces of English literature and is considered to be a defining book of the gothic horror genre. The same can be said about Ramona, who is undeniably one of the most famous Real Housewives of her time. Keep scaring, Ramona.
RHONY’s paused Dorinda Medley can be a monster a times
I love, love, love my queen, Dorinda Medley. So when I was compiling my list, I wanted to really have a good think about her monster. I was drawn to the story of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. Towards the end of her time on the Real Housewives of New York, it started to feel like Dorinda’s narrative was being controlled by production and the rest of the women. Fans could see she was struggling with her drinking and possible depression, but the network seemed unphased. The classic Frankenstein breaks free from his uncaring father and tries to pursue love elsewhere, but in the end, he is martyred.
Dorinda often came across as a woman who gave and gave. The quote, “I cooked. I decorated. I made it nice,” often springs to mind. Only a few seconds later, she is throwing a fit and yelling at the women for not appreciating her. I feel Frankie and Dorinda have quite a bond because, finally, Dorinda was able to break free in the form of a Bravo pause.
RHONY OG Luann de Lesseps embraces The Mummy’s romantic side
Countess Luann de Lesseps could easily be The Mummy. Firstly, she has done enough work to become quite familiar with gauze wrappings (just kidding.) Lu is a well-known traveler who would easily know the story of the undead monster who fell in love with the reincarnation of his long-dead lover. Luann has had a long track record of unrequited love. The cabaret singer has given her heart out to many lovers, but all have turned to dust. Even though Luann might not be a stalker like The Mummy was, she definitely tried a few times to keep Tom D’Agostino interested.
Just like The Mummy, Luann is the OG of her group. The mother of two has created her own legacy thanks to her unwanted etiquette lessons and ability to almost successfully hide her rendezvous with a wannabe Johnny Depp. In the end, The Mummy is a lover, not a fighter, and so is Lu.
Sonja Morgan is up all night like Drac
Okay, I’m going to need you to use your imagination a bit for Sonja Morgan because the comparison is there. For those who don’t know, Bella Lugosi’s Dracula was iconic. He gave a sensual and striking performance as the Transylvanian night crawler. Both he and Sonja had a way with people and used their sex appeal to get what they wanted. Their piercing eyes could draw anyone into a hypnotic state. And even though Sonja doesn’t drink blood to keep young like Drac did. The socialite has been known to take part in a vampire facial to keep time at bay.
Perhaps more interesting, Dracula has been interpreted as an expression of anxiety regarding the invasion of Western Europe. Sonja also had her own set of anxieties regarding her beloved townhome. She often shared that the place was important to her as it was her family home. But just this year, she had to sell it because it had become too much of a financial burden. And even though Sonja didn’t have supernatural powers like being able to turn herself into a bat, she sure could become the life of the party, which really is a power of its own.
Spooky episodes of vintage RHONY are available to stream on Peacock.
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