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June 26, 2009

The Real Housewives Of New Jersey: Reunion Episodes

thumbnail icon: The Real Housewives Of New Jersey: Reunion Episodes

Really? Michael Jackson is dead, Lindsay is leaving, and we're supposed to talk about the Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion? As if we actually care? Because let's all please be honest with ourselves, we do not care. Oh, we love this show. We all love it. Not one person in the world doesn't love this show. But we don't care about it. That is not a word that you can use to describe your emotional relationship with this show. And that's just the show I'm talking about. The reunion episode is even further down on the do-not-care scale. The reunion episode is like the old time-waster flashback episodes popularized by sitcoms in the '80s and '90s (and maybe sitcoms before then, unfortunately there is no way to know). You spend an hour watching them rehash all the things you already knew, and yet somehow you keep watching, hooked on the idea that something interesting is going to happen even though it never ever has.

But, so, here we are. And we cannot bring Michael Jackson back, he is gone, so we might as well talk about this.

First things first: Jacqueline and Teresa are insanely stupid. I mean, they seemed stupid on the show, but watching them try to formulate thoughts in semi-real time is nuts. You know why? Because you can tell they don't want to! It's not like they're formulating thoughts and they're bad at it. It's like they're formulating thoughts because they know that that is what is expected of them, but they'd just as soon not be formulating any thoughts please. Also they are both pregnant. Good for them. Especially good for Jacqueline, because obviously that was really important to her, and everyone should get what they want in this life as long as it doesn't come at the expense of others (haha, right, as if that's even possible, but you get the idea) and also good for Teresa, I guess. One more over-indulged Barbie to play mommy dress up with. Seriously, she's ruining those things (her kids).

And that whole gay thing? Jesus. Teresa couldn't defend her husband's boorish behavior out of a paper bag. Come on, she knows a gay guy!

Somehow, as was true on the show but as was really true in the reunion episodes (and also, seriously, Bravo? This is your thing now? Two hours of this shit? Relax, technotoomuchreunions) Danielle is the classiest, most poised of the women? She probably is a compulsive liar as Andy "Can't Kill Myself Until I Pick Out The Perfect Casket" Cohen quoted someone as saying, because she's clearly not telling the truth about her experiences with plastic surgery or her FUCKING INSANE past. But she nevertheless remains calm, always, and she does have two great daughters, at least it seems. She takes her lumps. In the second episode she has a momentary break down in which she describes her childhood rape and her life of abuse at the hands of men, and it's really easy to see how people just get broken by this world, you know? Like, yeah, Danielle is a melty faced monster of sorts who over-exposes her children to her Ed Hardy-brand sex life and sure, being on a reality TV show is probably never the right decision to make especially when you have a past you'd like to keep secret and a fragile psychology. But, you know, what's done is done. And the world has beat this woman up enough. Poor Danielle!

Although enough with this book, Danielle. Enough with pretending like you're so shocked that this book appeared while you were on TV. That is what happens. It's called "The Rules of TV." You can't simultaneously be hurt by the book's appearance and also cagey about what actually happened. There are court documents. Caroline got this book from the library? I didn't even know libraries still existed. If you wanted to clear the air, you could just clear the air, but instead I think you're kind of enjoying the momentary notoriety that the book provides, and the victim status that you've claimed in its aftermath. You called in a death threat one time? I don't even know you anymore, Danielle.

Meanwhile, Caroline and Dina need to RELAX. They also need to learn how to EXPLAIN THINGS. They are so bad at explaining everything! One of my favorite moments came at the end of the first episode on Tuesday when Andy "When Face/Off Technology Becomes Real I Will Disappear" Cohen brought up the mob ties rumor, and Caroline acted so hurt and offended that the media would dare to spread such scurrilous, dangerous, hurtful rumors about her family, and then proceeded to tell a story about how her family TOTALLY has mob ties in such a way that her PRIDE could not be any more OBVIOUS. "My father-in-law was murdered and to this day we don't know why, and my husband proposed to me that very same night with a ring that fell off the back of a truck and he said 'I understand if you don't want to marry me. My family is in the mob,' and I married him like thieves because we are thick as them and that is how you apologize, Andy Cohen." Huh? And then back to the book for Dina with the whole "It was never in my hands," because we all know that HANDS are the key to GUILT. Dina rests her case.

But, of course, the moment they really want us to take away from the two-hours (like some kind of Bravo Double Dog) is that Danielle did something to Dina that is so despicable that it brings Caroline to cackling hyena tears of fakeness. What was it? Did she threaten her life? Danielle plays dumb! Andy "My Mother Thinks I'm Wonderful" Cohen can't get an answer out of anybody. And it's all out of respect for Dina, because Dina is the best person? Agreed! That's why I married her.

Enough with the drama, ladies. Go rest up. You've earned it!

Posted by Gabe at 11:30 AM in ,
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20 Comments

I couldn't even bring MYSELF TO WATCH this shit. Gabe, I'm OFFICIALLY SORRY that you had to, but I know it's your job, and WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU TOO.

Videogum has turned MEGA:( but keep the CHINS UP everyone...

I'm going to go cry..

Posted by: An American Patriot profile link at 06/26/09 11:49 AM  | Reply
Score = 7 Vote up Vote down

After Danielle's childhood explanation, I was like "called it!" on the sexual abuse and that seems really unfortunate. And I'd even like to say I have never done that before but I also watch Charm School.

Posted by: Whyareyouyelling profile link at 06/26/09 11:50 AM  | Reply
Score = 3 Vote up Vote down

I loved Carolin's story about her family not being in the mob. How her father-in-law was whacked, excuse me randomly murdered, and how that night her husband disappeared for a few hours then shows up with a ring and asked her to enter into forced silence, excuse me holly matrimony. I love you Caroline but that's a scene from every mob movie I've ever seen. After some horrific bit of violence the woman is taken aside and ooh ooh here's something shinny to distract you

Posted by: dualistic profile link at 06/26/09 11:55 AM  | Reply
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oops holy matrimony

Posted by: dualistic profile link  in reply to  dualistic's comment at 06/26/09 12:00 PM  | Reply
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Poor Jacqueline. Sweet, unassuming, retarded Jacqueline.

Posted by: Hannah profile link at 06/26/09 12:01 PM  | Reply
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Is anyone else going to the NYC screening of The Room tonight? I figured this would be an okay forum to post that question in...

Posted by: Bubbles profile link at 06/26/09 12:07 PM  | Reply
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"I married him like thieves because we are thick as them." Can't. Stop. Laughing.

Posted by: Detroit Dutchgirl profile link at 06/26/09 12:19 PM  | Reply
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Danielle, despite her craziness, is the only one of them that I can stand without wanting to punch one of them in the face.

Posted by: Chris at 06/26/09 12:46 PM  | Reply
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Yes, but she's also the only one you want to run away from her face.

Posted by: briewer profile link  in reply to  Chris's comment at 06/26/09 2:04 PM  | Reply
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I'm Team Danielle because she recognizes how awful she is and tries to cover it up - the rest don't try and cover their awfulness because they don't even know how awful they are. That is how awful they are.

Except for Jacqueline who is, like I said earlier, retarded. And I mean that in the most clinical way possible.

Posted by: Hannah profile link  in reply to  Chris's comment at 06/26/09 2:33 PM  | Reply
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Aww damn, out of all the "Real Housewives" this has been the most contrived, most producer manipulated, most faketastic of them all. Or maybe I was just naïve and gullible when I watched the others and now I'm dark and twisty like Teresa's inky squid hair. I never figured out if I liked anybody. I'm thinking I didn't. They're all too weird.

Posted by: Trubby at 06/26/09 1:34 PM  | Reply
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What happened to the part that was in the commercials where Caroline says " I hope my Bravo family shows this..."? Did I miss that? Or did her Bravo mama, papa, and nana really not have the balls to show it?

Posted by: Me at 06/26/09 1:53 PM  | Reply
Score = 3 Vote up Vote down

Dina did a "shame on you" saying during the mafia-whacking reports no one thought of the grand kids who didn't know about it. Maybe you could think of the grand kids before you go on a reality show? Especially when there's a dead body in your family tree. Think of the kids.

Posted by: elaine benes profile link at 06/26/09 2:18 PM  | Reply
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Why do I feel like Danielle is the best?
For some reason I feel she is the best. I could watch her give that disgusting, icy glare to Caroline a dead horse.

Posted by: lookie-here profile link at 06/26/09 6:47 PM  | Reply
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I was actually DYING with laughter at every mention of Andy "Insert Zinger About How He Is The Worst" Cohen. If everyone will excuse the NYC Prep reference, and allow me to suspend my self-respect, if you took Crazy-Eyed-Fag-Hag Jessie and cut off her face and pasted it under a mousy brown wig, I believe we would have ourselves an Andy Cohen. The voices match, too.
God, I hate myself.

Posted by: squink at 06/26/09 7:51 PM  | Reply
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I read great story about Real Housewives of New Jersey Reunion

http://taszara.com/the-real-housewives-of-new-jersey-reunion-what-did-daninelle-try-to-do-to-dina/721/

Posted by: Fernando at 06/28/09 12:46 PM  | Reply
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I think you are your own biggest fan. You think you're amusing by adding retarded quotes in the middle of Andy Cohen's name? Sounds to me like you're just wishfully longing for him to give you some fufillment that your daddy used to give you when you were little. I know, it's soooo sad that you grew up and became to old for him.... You're pathetic

Posted by: you're a retard "gaybe" at 06/28/09 8:46 PM  | Reply
Score = -2 Vote up Vote down

I think you are your own biggest fan. You think you're amusing by adding retarded quotes in the middle of Andy Cohen's name? Sounds to me like you're just wishfully longing for him to give you some fufillment that your daddy used to give you when you were little. I know, it's soooo sad that you grew up and became to old for him.... You're pathetic

Posted by: you're a retard "gaybe" at 06/28/09 8:46 PM  | Reply
Score = -2 Vote up Vote down

I think you are your own biggest fan. You think you're amusing by adding retarded quotes in the middle of Andy Cohen's name? Sounds to me like you're just wishfully longing for him to give you some fufillment that your daddy used to give you when you were little. I know, it's soooo sad that you grew up and became to old for him.... You're pathetic

Posted by: you're a retard "gaybe" at 06/28/09 8:46 PM  | Reply
Score = -2 Vote up Vote down

three times? really? that's just gay. And I don't mean "gay" homosexual, I mean "gay" retarded.

Posted by: Takashi profile link at 06/29/09 1:31 AM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

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