Anyone feel that "Real Housewives of Atlanta" stereotyped the city? (Sandy Springs: rent, house)

[BringBackCobain]

Originally Posted by AtlantaGuy404

4 out of the 5 women on the show were black, which is 80%. I think its great that black woman are getting a larger role in televison but considering the city of Atlanta is 55% black and the northern suburbs where the woman lived are much less black than that do you think that the producers were trying to mislead viewers by making atlanta seem much blacker?

I do think they were trying to make Atlanta seem blacker. The media always does this. Whats annoying with the media portrayals of Atlanta to the rest of America is that they ignore white Atlantans. When I visit places outside the south and say I am from Atlanta they say, "But your not black!" Atlanta has a lot of black people, but like you said its not 80% (35% of the whole metro).

I would have been a lot happier if they had done the show on Buckhead housewives living off West Paces Ferry or something so it was actually in Atlanta. They also should have made 3 women white and 2 women black. Now that would have been the real housewives of Atlanta, and it would have shown that there are actually white people living in Atlanta.

[WilliamM]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

I would have been a lot happier if they had done the show on Buckhead housewives living off West Paces Ferry or something so it was actually in Atlanta. They also should have made 3 women white and 2 women black. Now that would have been the real housewives of Atlanta, and it would have shown that there are actually white people living in Atlanta.

Is an interesting idea. Housewives of Buckhead would have had a nice ring, and even had some name recog going in.

[WilliamM]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Bravo has caught a lot of hell from even local businesses that were shown on the "Atlanta" version - they didn't want their names associated with it once it got on broadcast and they saw how trashy this version was. My coworker who is HOOKED on all the damn housewives shows found some blog where one of the NYC housewives was really trashing the Atlanta ones or something. So heck, even the women from the other housewives versions of the show thought it was junk. LOL

But yeah, they record it and bring it in to work and watch it on the lobby TV. I sometimes hide their disks. It makes me want to regurgitate.

Hey, at least those ladies in the OC and NYC ones mostly have JOBS. A lot of realtors, insurance saleswomen, etc. Heck, one of the Atlanta women had a job. The rest were just married to athletes, divorcing/suing them, or having affairs with a married guy who was keeping them? I mean geez - it was like an episode of Good Times meets Diaries from the Trailer Park.

And yes, there will be a season TWO according to the ladies at work. Yippie. I'm off to buy a shredder that can shred DVD disks to have an "accident" with theirs.

Too funny. I think they hit the mother lode with the Atlanta version. It was the real stuff and damn near blew up their black box.

Hey, anybody hear how the ratings were nationwide for the show? Seems it was a hit here, but I'm curious about outside Atl.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

I do think they were trying to make Atlanta seem blacker. The media always does this. Whats annoying with the media portrayals of Atlanta to the rest of America is that they ignore white Atlantans. When I visit places outside the south and say I am from Atlanta they say, "But your not black!"

I would have been a lot happier if they had done the show on Buckhead housewives living off West Paces Ferry or something so it was actually in Atlanta.

The housewives shows are always stereotypes. But then so are others.

I know the real estate shows on HGTV bore the hell out of folks, but I do watch some of those like "House Hunters" when I'm eating dinner. Beats the news, most nights. Well, those shows are just as bad. Whenever they show an episode of a couple in Texas or North Carolina looking for home, 9 out of 10 times - bingo - White. A Florida couple looking around? Poof - they speak Spanish! The Atlanta home seekers? Yep - almost always Black. You have to watch a few episodes to pick up the trend, but it's there. It's no wonder people who live in other regions stereotype other regions like they do - shows like this make it look like only one group of people live in each area. It's grossly inaccurate.

For example, the OC and NYC "housewife" shows from what I've seen, have zero black women in them. I think one of them had a woman who was Latino (?) once, but otherwise, White women. I find it hard to believe that in all of Manhattan, and all of Orange County California, there were no other women who were Black, Latino, Asian, etc., who were well-to-do "housewives" to feature on those shows? So they do an Atlanta show and I dunno, I guess they decided to make up for all the previous booboos and made ALL the housewives Black, except one who says she wishes she was (?).

Yes, it would be more accurate to have gone down to Buckhead and West Paces Ferry to gather up this season's women. But the thing is, wealthy old-South, old-school women are different than those in the OC and NYC - they don't get out there and broadcast their wealth as openly and almost NEVER discuss it - especially on TV. They probably couldn't find five Buckhead Betty types who were actually willing to air their dirty laundry and drama on national TV. LOL

Watch more realty and reality type shows though.. any show - you will definitely see huge amounts of racial stereotyping in place when they show Atlanta, Miami, areas of Texas, etc etc.

[WilliamM]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

For example, the OC and NYC "housewife" shows from what I've seen, have zero black women in them. I think one of them had a woman who was Latino (?) once, but otherwise, White women. I find it hard to believe that in all of Manhattan, and all of Orange County California, there were no other women who were Black, Latino, Asian, etc., who were well-to-do "housewives" to feature on those shows? So they do an Atlanta show and I dunno, I guess they decided to make up for all the previous booboos and made ALL the housewives Black, except one who says she wishes she was (?).

Yes, it would be more accurate to have gone down to Buckhead and West Paces Ferry to gather up this season's women. But the thing is, wealthy old-South, old-school women are different than those in the OC and NYC - they don't get out there and broadcast their wealth as openly and almost NEVER discuss it - especially on TV. They probably couldn't find five Buckhead Betty types who were actually willing to air their dirty laundry and drama on national TV. LOL

Watch more realty and reality type shows though.. any show - you will definitely see huge amounts of racial stereotyping in place when they show Atlanta, Miami, areas of Texas, etc etc.

OMG, reminds me, didn't they stick a caricutured holy roller type on that show the Real World whenever they had people on it from the South? I think you're on to something.

Btw, the stereotyping in California gets into some weird time warps. Because you're making a show about a place in SoCal you have to have frickin blonds! It's ridiculous. But if you really wanted a true reflection of the OC you should make your cast about 70% Hispanic! That would have been the true reflection of the California of today, even the affluent one, but it wouldn't have fit into the packaging we have of sunny SoCal w/blonds running around (which goes back all the way thru David Lee Roth and on back to the 60s w/the Beach Boys). My god there are a lot more blonds running around any day in Atlanta or Minneapolis or Chicago than in LA!

[FromCLTtoATL]

I haven't seen any of the *Real Housewives* incarnations. Especially in this lousy economy where so many good people are on the brink because of the actions of reckless, wealthy people, I have zero interest in watching self-absorbed, trashy, bitchy women (or self-absorbed, trashy, aye-hole men) spend gobs and gobs and gobs of money on overpriced, needless luxuries, wax MELOdramatic about their ridiculous lives and still remain pathetic, loathsome, miserable creatures.

There, I feel much better! LOL. (I also dislike that a basically fine cable station like Bravo shows such trash).

Give me a Waltons or Cosby or King of the Hill rerun any day.

[WilliamM]

Originally Posted by FromCLTtoATL

There, I feel much better! LOL. (I also dislike that a basically fine cable station like Bravo shows such trash).

I think you're overestimating the lofty principles of a network like Bravo. This is a network that broadcasts Project Runway. I mean, their reality shows are well done (I loved Top Chef!) but they're still a low level of entertainment when you get down to it.

[Noc]

Originally Posted by WilliamM

Too funny. I think they hit the mother lode with the Atlanta version. It was the real stuff and damn near blew up their black box.

Hey, anybody hear how the ratings were nationwide for the show? Seems it was a hit here, but I'm curious about outside Atl.

BRAVO’S REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA POSTS HIGHEST TELECAST IN FRANCHISE HISTORY

[RoslynHolcomb]

I don't watch reality t.v., certainly I've always felt that in Atlanta money is everything. It's the major reason I've never cared for the city. I don't see Atlanta as working class. Perhaps compared to LA or NYC it might be, but certainly as a southern city it's anything but working class.

[clevedark]

I think most people who watch these "real housewives" shows understand that it's entertainment and not a window into any kind of society, or a true picture of any city. What kind of person would ever allow themselves to be filmed this way? Not your average run of the mill housewife, I'll tell you that much! A social climber or someone who wants a boost or a beginning to their career....

I will be very surprised if Sheree signs up for the next season, BTW. She seemed completely out of it during the reunion show, just biding her time till she could run out the door and never come back.

I'm from NJ and hear that there is a real housewives of NJ brewing. Now, we NJ people are used to being the butt of everyone's joke, so we don't spend much time getting upset about how other people perceive us and our state. Somehow I'm sure the women who sign on will have the whiniest accents, the flashiest clothes, the most messed up kids, etc... And we'll probably watch it and laugh and laugh.