Susan's Blog » Real Housewives?

I love Bravo TV. If time allowed, I could happily while away the hours watching marathon episodes of Top Chef. Well, last night, I watched “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” at the behest of my good friend, Barbara Barna (who is a casting agent and much hipper than me.) Okay, I was hooked and watched two episodes in a row from season one.

Having caught a couple of past episodes of “Real Housewives of New York” and “Real Housewives of Orange County,” what first struck me were the regional differences in the characters’ overall appearance and apparent value systems. The New York, Orange County, and Atlanta women are strikingly different from one another. Yes, I'm trying to be non-judgy.

Next, the misnomer in the naming of the show is curious. Webster’s, American Heritage, and Dictionary.com define “housewife” essentially as a married woman whose main occupation is caring for her family, managing household affairs, and doing housework as her main occupation. I'm not sure if any of the characters really meet these criteria.

What do I like about these shows? I appreciate the voyeuristic ability given us all to focus in on other lifestyles and to be provoked into reevaluating what does and does not work for us. This is part of what nudges us into further self-discovery. Certainly, these shows prompt me to consider if some of the value based behaviors of the “housewives” are consistent with Global Manners.