Social Media has it’s perks but can it be more harmful for the reality TV genre?
The Big Picture
- Social media creates unnecessary personal drama in The Real Housewives franchise, with unfollowing and likes/dislikes causing arguments and hurt feelings among cast members.
- The stars of the show are constantly attacked for their bodies, whether they have had procedures or are posting their natural figures, creating a toxic environment for both the stars and fans.
- The franchise has lost its organic storyline as everything that happens on the show is already known through social media, causing fans to lose interest and not watch new episodes.
Social Media is a prevalent reality of our society and most of us are forced to use them for one reason or another. A celebrity or a TV personality is naturally expected to be on these social networks and if they’re not, it’s considered weird. The Real Housewives stars are no different. The Bravo stars are forced to participate to keep the fans entertained and stay relevant in the trends. People have already discussed several facts that make social media harmful for us. Celebrities and artists unfortunately get the short end of the stick as they have to put themselves on the platforms for the sake of their work.
Some Housewives had to leave the show because they simply couldn’t handle the privacy and social media intrusion that is normalized within fame. Memes and intrusive fan behavior isn’t healthy for everyone. We have to remember that even though these women are sharing their personal lives with us on-screen, that doesn’t entitle us of their entire life. It is a fact that the franchise isn’t as relevant as back in the day. Many agree that social media might have added something to this. Here are some ways we think social media is ruining The Real Housewives Franchise.
Over the years, we have developed our own etiquettes on social media. Small things that shouldn’t mean anything, like unfollowing someone on Instagram, can create room for speculation. Who follows who and who liked or didn’t like what creates unnecessary drama in the celebrity realm. In an episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County, Heather Dubrow found herself in an argument with cast mate Emily Simpson and Gina Kirschenheiter because she had unfollowed them. Gina expressed that Heather unfollowing them felt like a personal move to hurt their feelings. While Heather said she was simply taking a social media hiatus and her actions held no meaning. This is an argument you couldn’t have imagined in pre-social media days. Viewers are tired of unnecessary personal drama and If things like this happen too often they are sure to lose interest.
The Real Housewives Attacked For Posting Their Bodies
No woman in the spotlight can escape the wrath of people pointing out small changes in her body, and then making assumptions about what might have caused that change. Even Ariana Grande addressed the issue in a video because she was sick of people constantly talking about her body. The Real Housewives are no exception. No matter what they post, their bodies are a point of scrutiny. They are attacked if they look like they had procedures done, and they are attacked for posting their natural body. Kyle Richards and Gina Kirschenheiter were accused of using Ozpempic to the point they have to defend themselves. Garcelle Beauvais also was forced to make a tweet about it. This kind of behavior makes a toxic environment not only for the stars but also the fan community. Fans are discouraged to involve themselves with the franchise.
Who Needs Real Housewives If Everything Happens Live
Fans are calling that the show doesn’t have the organic storyline that it started with. Everything documented on the recent seasons are the same as what people already saw trending on social media. The franchise has lost the touch of surprise because everyone already knows what happened through social media sharing. Fans on Reddit said they don’t watch the new episodes as they “already know what’s going to happen because it plays out on IG, TMZ, RadarOnline months before the seasons air”.
