It’s all fun and games on the Real Housewives of New York reunion until the Bravo kingpin asks about what work has been done. And I don’t mean who has earned the most money this quarter. Over the years, viewers have seen multiple Real Housewives’ faces change. Some are gradual, and some have a full overhaul. But a tweaking of the nose or liposuction has become synonymous with the famed franchise. However, Andy Cohen’s recent grilling of Jessel Taank didn’t sit well with some viewers.
Andy Cohen asked a few hard questions
The father of two was just going about his normal reunion self without a care in the world. He turned toward Jessel and noted, “I have to say, you’ve gotten a glow-up since last season. You look like an airbrushed version of yourself. What has happened?” While to most Bravolebs, this could be read as a compliment, the mother of two took significant offense. The London native tried her best to dodge the question. She joked, “I mean, was I heinous before?” In an attempt to placate the host, she shared she had cut her hair shooter, lost some weight, and gotten a “sprinkle” of Botox.
But Andy and Brynn Whitfield were not buying what Jessel was trying to sell. Jessel finally conceded, sharing, “I get Botox, and I get filler. I’ve always done that, OK? And I take care of my skin, lots of water. And I lost some weight.” Not one to give up, Andy pointed out that the Real Housewives of New York star’s teeth also looked like they had been given a makeover. Jessel then added she had also gotten veneers. Andy had the last word, saying, “So now, it is just the sprinkle of Botox, the fillers, and the veneers.” The shade, Andy!
Andy Cohen defends his questions
Real Housewives of New York viewers were not pleased with this particular line of questioning. One irate follower took to Twitter, writing, “The millions of women who watch these franchises are tired of you asking women ‘what work they had done.’ This isn’t 2009 anymore, and women can do whatever they want to their faces/bodies. It’s time to retire this question. It’s rude and does 0 for the viewers.” The opinion was welcomed and did make a solid argument. But Andy didn’t hesitate to clap back.
“‘What work have you done’ remains at the top of the list of viewer questions every season, every franchise. The HW have unabashedly let us into their beauty regimes since day one; It’s a big part of the series DNA.” While this might be true it would be nice to see Andy follow up with all the housewives. I can still remember all the times Andy asked Melissa Gorga if she had a nose job, often trying to call out that her nose was not just contoured. But she, like many others, was allowed to avoid the question.
It might be time for some new Bravo questions
Personally, I don’t really care what the ladies of any Real Housewives franchise have done. If I did, I could easily Google the answer. I don’t necessarily need Andy to find out the information for me. I can also see how questions like these feel very outdated. And while it might be the old formula for the series it doesn’t mean it has feet for the new generation. We have much bigger fish to fry, and while Real Housewives is a welcome distraction, minimizing women to what plastic surgery they’ve had done feels redundant.
At least Andy seemed to understand why some viewers would be upset with his line of questioning. But in reality, it is all about everyone looking and feeling their best. During his social media replies, he told one fan, “i had botox for the first time 3 weeks ago. been talking about it on the radio a lot. after all i ask the women in the last 18 years of Housewives, i will be transparent if i ever do anything else!”
The Real Housewives of New York is available to stream on Peacock.
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