Reality TV has faced a great deal of criticism in 2023. With the writers’ and actors’ strikes, viewers began to question how ethical reality TV was. This included whether the on-screen faces were being treated with the humanity they deserved.
Andy Cohen has been no stranger to these condemnations. Among the criticisms levied against him, fans noticed how his interviews on Watch What Happens Live often contributed to a work environment that made stars feel insecure or ashamed.
For example, fans noted how wrong he was to ask Dolores Catania if she was using Ozempic, and then praising her for her weight loss when she said she had. In another instance, he was roasted for asking which OC Housewife would get the least amount of money if they sold their house. Now, Andy has taken the opportunity to reflect on his style of questions.
Andy is grateful his “audience calls [him] out” when things get too personal
In an interview with TODAY, Andy discussed reactions to controversial questions. “I think that sometimes when you do or say something that gets picked up everywhere, it’s initially very jarring,” he explained. “It’s scary. So I think I’ve gotten way better at knowing what the line is. And I think it’s from sometimes getting burned.”
In reflecting on Dolores’ weight loss, he said, “What I have been careful to say [since then], especially with Emily Simpson, who lost a ton of weight, is, ‘I thought you looked great before. You still look great.’” He added, “The note [to self] is: Don’t pat someone on the back for being thin, because what you’re then doing is perpetuating a false narrative about beauty, and that’s not right.”
He concluded with some final thoughts about the nature of his questions. “If I go too far, believe me — my audience calls me out, and so does the talent. I’ve had guests turn on me during the show. That is authentic and interesting TV, and I think it’s why people like the show. I’ve had guests really get mad at me, but I’ve also had many a Kardashian say, ‘I’m so glad we talked about that.’”
Watch What Happens Live continues Sundays through Thursdays at 10/9c on Bravo.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ANDY’S REFLECTIONS? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HIS STYLE OF QUESTIONS?
