Shahs of Sunset - Let the Girl Apologize

This week's Shahs of Sunset made me really sad, I don't like seeing this group fracture off into cliques. It's not cool and although I understand where everyone is coming from, it's not fun to watch. This week, the gang (minus GG) heads to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and even though GG is not there, a fight erupts between MJ and pretty much everyone else. Sammy was there to back MJ up, at least. The issues within this group of friends are getting deeper and deeper, and each one is getting more and more entrenched in their own point of view. The communication skills on display this week were atrocious.

Let's get into the grades and brace ourselves for next week's episode.

Asa: Ok, hun, I gotta call you out. You know I love you. But it was a weak move not going to speak to GG and MJ. You had no idea where the conversation would go, and you could have always gotten up and walked out if the situation got out of control. When GG attacked you at the pool party, you laughed it off, but now, you seem to use it as an excuse to blacklist her from every event you go to. I'm not saying to give her a free pass, but you could have let her apologize to you, and THEN kept your distance. I see what you're saying about consequences, but seriously, not being a part of MJ's birthday party really shook GG up. Now, let's move on to Cabo. I'm hoping you're the victim (one of many) of shitty Bravo editing (probably not), but tell me that scene where you were laughing while MJ was talking wasn't as bad in real life as it looked on TV. Because it looked really bad. You may not have thought it was a big deal to laugh MJ's speech off, but it was kinda rude. And then, when she starts to get pissy with you, you pull out the big guns and out her for being a pill popper. I really don't know what you were trying to accomplish with that accusation, but it only made matters worse. You were supposed to be the calm, rational one! Asa's grade for the week: D (didn't agree with her not showing up to talk to GG and the way she treated MJ at dinner was uncalled for and unnecessary).

GG: I give you a lot of credit for wanting to apologize to Asa and for going back to therapy. It shows you're growing and learning from your mistakes. When Mike told you over the phone that you were uninvited to Cabo, you were upset but you didn't freak out, and that spoke volumes to me. It means you CAN control yourself, and therefore, sometimes you just don't want to. One of those times being when you attacked Asa. You were absolutely right when you said your friends should support you, not exclude you. At least not forever! Once or twice to prove a point, ok, but you wanted to apologize and Asa couldn't be bothered to even hear you out. Believe it or not, I'm with you on this one, and you know how hard I've been on you in the past. About the business meeting with your sister, you were once again more in control of yourself and didn't blow up at her when she made her rather nasty comments about you and the business. The problem is, you two don't agree on what your role is. If you're advertising and marketing, she should let you do that. She needs to back off and let you do this party and if she's so worried about it, she should work with you instead of against you. I was proud to see you preparing for the launch party and wish you well with it. I can't wait to see how it turns out. GG's grade for the week: B (she's trying to get better and no one is really giving her credit for that).

MJ: You were straight up with GG and told her like it was and that's why I feel you are a good friend to her at this point. You did not agree with Asa not showing up and you told her so. You did not agree with uninviting GG to Cabo and you made your opinion known. Some might say you shouldn't have gone to Cabo to show GG some solidarity, but hey, that was your choice to make. You immediately objected to having Lilly on the trip, but as usual, you were overruled. I totally agreed with you when you asked who made Asa and Reza the bosses of this group! What the hell? I don't see Lilly quite the same way you do, but not everyone has to like each other. It's not the end of the world as long as you're able to be civil and not cause problems. Speaking of Lilly, I do think her gifts were sincere. That white bathing suit didn't do you any favors at the pool party and it still didn't in Cabo. Lilly told you to wear the other suit in a very kind way and she was VERY kind to you. She could have been MUCH cattier and she wasn't. So, don't be so suspicious of her. Those gifts were given from a positive place. Now, regarding dinner, I could see where you were going with the conversation and it went terribly wrong because that group was not about to listen to your therapy breakthroughs. Just like you were annoyed with Lilly for not drinking on the trip, the rest of the group was annoyed with your chosen topic of conversation because it was ... for lack of a better term, killing their buzz. Now, when you started mocking Asa and her pop priestess persona, she fired back harder than you anticipated. You lashed out and cussed her out. It wasn't even about whether or not you said those things about Lilly anymore. PS - we all know now that you have talked shit about her. So, although I reprimanded Asa for bringing up the pill thing, you went after her first and she retaliated. It was harsh and we don't know if it's true or not, but you really went off on her and I didn't like that it went to such a bad place so fast. MJ's grade for the week: C (she was great with GG but the fight with Asa escalated way too quickly and got way too ugly).

Reza: I'm so disappointed in the way things have gone down on this episode. You and Asa have become like the Mean Girls in the sense that you feel you can pull rank and force people to do what you want no matter what. That's just not cool with me. It was so sad to hear you make Mike choose between you and GG, because you knew that wasn't a fair choice. Of course, Mike's going to choose you, and you win and GG loses. Not only that, but then, you have to order Mike to call GG and "do it", "uninvite her". I just don't understand why you couldn't have a conversation with GG and let her apologize and see how you felt after that. I have to address the "dark" comment about how you don't like your men dark. Look, you're attracted to what you're attracted to and that's no one's business but your own. Which is why you shouldn't make jokes like that when there's a camera in your face. Just saying. It was fun watching you have a good time with MJ and I really hope she doesn't mind you crowning her as the reigning expert on penises. At dinner, you did ask her to lighten up the conversation but when she wouldn't you joined in with the others and outed her for talking shit about Lilly. Yes, you were telling the truth, and yes, you have a point - MJ should address her issues with Lilly to Lilly's face - but you know MJ was not about to do that and especially not after being antagonized. Reza: D (I don't know why he's being so mean at certain times during this season, but I don't like it. I don't mind him being feisty, but the whole vibe I'm getting from him right now is very negative).

Mike: I so have an issue with you appeasing Reza and Asa. Again, if GG was allowed to apologize, things would have been different, but Asa didn't give her the opportunity. Why did you let Reza run over you like that? You could have said, "This is my trip and everyone is invited. Whoever wants to come can come." You should have totally taken yourself out of it at that point. If Reza and Asa weren't going to go, that's on them. In Cabo, you had a drunken blast but you clearly paid for it the next day. And I was dying laughing when you stared straight into Lilly's boobs. Hilarious! Another funny moment was you referencing the fact that MJ was lucky it wasn't warm when she saw your "business". LOL! Mike's grade for the week: C (I didn't agree with how he handled the whole Asa/Reza/GG thing, but he's hilarious and I can't stay mad at him).

Lilly: Gurl, I love you, but why on Earth would you go on a vacation with people that like to drink (you knew this going into it) when you aren't about that? Don't get me wrong, I totally respect you for not drinking and not needing to drink to have fun. I actually love that. And you're right, alcohol makes people do stupid things. Absolutely. But why would you put yourself in a place where that's all you're going to be surrounded by? Doesn't quite make sense, unless Reza ordered - I mean, asked - you to go. I feel like you were pretty miserable the whole time and uncomfortable to say the least. I loved that you gave the girls gifts, though. That was a really nice gesture and I think you were sincere about it. You were totally nice to MJ and didn't say anything mean to her when she was asking about her bathing suit. I mean, if you wanted to be mean to her at that moment she left the door wide open for you to do so, but you didn't. That says a lot. You toasted to MJ and encouraged her to open up to you even though you two have had your differences, and unfortunately, that's when other people got involved in the conversation and blew it up out of proportion. You did speak up and let MJ know that you realize that she just doesn't like you, but I didn't think you were being mean about it. You were just stating facts and letting her know it doesn't bother you. I did think it was funny when you said MJ told you she took an Ambien, I have to admit that. Lilly's grade for the week: C (she should have never went on this trip, but she tried to be cool with MJ and I give her credit for being honest at dinner).

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RHOBH - Oh Hi, Ojai!

I hate these kinds of episodes, because you know they're just ramping up the the real drama that's gonna happen next week. It's all the setting up before the big party, you know? Anyway, Monday's RHOBH was a lot of prep work, not so much pay off. I mean, we did get the rest of Adrienne and Lisa's talk, which was good and we got the drama at dinner at the end. But it was a whole lot of filler in between. And these ladies know about filler. But, let's get to it. And from now on, I'm only addressing the key players in the episodes, so if someone isn't mentioned, they didn't make the cut. 

Let's grade these HW's!

Kim: This trip to Ojai was totally your idea, which is great, because in other seasons you were very anti-social. So, seeing you get everyone together was very refreshing to watch. You were an awesome hostess and you kept it together even when some of the girls were bitching about the bedroom situation. You looked calm and happy. I'm really happy for you. The moments with you and Brandi talking at dinner were really touching. You recognized that even though she's not your favorite person, you had to make an effort, and you did. When you two really came together in this totally genuine private moment, you got emotional, which is totally natural. Kim's grade for the week: A (I like her a lot and I think she's come a long way).

Kyle: You kind of got slammed by Lisa at dinner for imitating her. Here's what. It probably got old, and she told you so in her way. I don't know what it is about you and Lisa this season, but there's definitely a change. You being in the middle of the whole Adrienne/Lisa thing isn't working. And I have to point out that you do an awful lot of commenting about Lisa to Adrienne and the other ladies. Not sure what that's about. Why did you feel like you had to speculate about how Lisa felt about sharing a room with Brandi? I do agree with you about Brandi telling Adrienne to shut the f*ck up at dinner. You're right, she should have said something else. Kyle's grade for the week: C (I'm not sure why she feels like she has to imitate Lisa (or mock her) and then crack jokes about her, it's making her look like a crappy friend).

Brandi: Congratulations on the book, but that title is no bueno. I think you could come up with something much better. And unless your book is about cancer, you shouldn't put the word "cancer" in the title. That's just my opinion. I do like the idea of the book, though. You're telling us how you got through all the mistakes and ups and downs in your life; and I'll probably read it just because I do like how you tell it like it is. No matter the words you choose, you do tell it like it is. I loved your photo shoot for Beverly Hills Lifestyle magazine - you looked gorgeous, thumb wrinkle and all! But seriously, you can't be so hard on yourself when it comes to your looks. I really appreciated how sincere you were with Kim at dinner on the trip and I think you two were genuinely bonding at that table. When Kim got emotional, it was real. So, I understand why you were upset when Adrienne announced it to everyone. I don't agree with the way you said it, but you were almost protecting Kim in a way. You knew what Adrienne was doing by pointing out that Kim was crying and you weren't having it. Brandi's grade for the week: B (she says it like she means it, but I wish she could choose her words more wisely!).

Lisa: I loved that you thanked Adrienne for the flowers during your sit down. I just think you're super classy, and again, you can adopt me whenever you want. I get your humor. So when you say that you didn't mean to make Adrienne that nervous or refer to the whole "hoof" thing, I know you're making light of the bullsh*t because it's so ridiculous, how can you not make fun of it? But some people will take offense to it and say that you're mean. I think you can see the humor in those incidents and laugh them off. Your conversation with Adrienne was a success for you because you got the apology you wanted (finally). And I don't blame you for not wanting to be BFF with her again, or for keeping your distance. You accepted the apology and that's that. It helps you two be civil with each other, that's all. The trust was broken and it's probably never going to be repaired. But at least you're not at war - for now. I like your friendship with Brandi and the way you encourage her. It was so generous and nice of you to have her pose for Beverly Hills Lifestyle magazine - such a sweet gesture on your part. Now, as for the trip to Ojai - you did look perturbed about the roommate situation. And you are a little bit of a diva, that's why we love you! At dinner, you snapped at Kyle, which I wasn't really expecting. But when I stopped to think about it, I would be irritated by the whole accent thing too after a while. Lisa's grade for the week: A (she has her guard up with certain people, but I don't blame her, and she seems genuine to me).

Adrienne: I applaud you for apologizing to Lisa. You knew it was the right thing to do and you did it. I don't think you really meant it, though, because you had to remind us that Lisa didn't apologize to you. She didn't apologize because she didn't spread a vicious rumor about you, she made some stupid jokes that you took way too seriously. Unless I'm wrong, in which case, please correct me. And then in Ojai, you had to make a point of saying you're getting a "better bedroom" than Lisa. Petty, petty, petty. Do you hear Lisa talking about you like that? No, because she's an adult. Why are you constantly trying to prove how much better than Lisa you are? Let's talk about the dinner. You see Kim crying and immediately announce it to the group. Why? What were you really trying to accomplish by doing that? Were you trying to imply that Brandi must have done something wrong to make her cry? But you weren't counting on Brandi actually being on Kim's side and telling you to shut the f*ck up. So you ended up looking stupid. Because you inserted yourself into a conversation that had nothing to do with you and you made it awkward for everyone. It's time for you to focus on yourself and why you feel like you need to tattle on Brandi and one-up Lisa - because it's not about them, it's about what's going on with you. Adrienne's grade for the week: D (she is looking so childish right now).

Taylor: You say Brandi is toxic because you never know what she's going to say or do. Pot, meet kettle. Taylor's grade for the week: F (you better check yourself before you wreck yourself, gurl).

Camille: Give it a rest about Frasier Crane's privates, already! (No grade, I just wanted to tell her that!)

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Lawyered Up

It's taken me this long to blog about this week's Basketball Wives because, frankly, I'm kind of sick of all of them. With the exception of Royce and Kesha, who weren't on the episode this week. I mean, it's a little frustrating for these ladies to be in such a beautiful location and focus on nothing but drama. I did appreciate the jet skiing scene, just because it was fun and devoid of any arguing. For once. I will say, I can look at the Tahitian scenery all day. Just show me where to download some wallpapers for my laptop and I'll be a happy girl. But, let's talk about the foolishness because that's what we're here to do.

Jennifer: First of all, I truly respect your resolve and determination to not fight with Evelyn anymore. I don't know what your motives are, but you're sticking to your guns and not engaging with her in any way. Which means you aren't fighting (which is good), and the bonus is, you're making Evelyn furious in the process. So, technically, you're winning at this point. I think you're right to say that there's nothing else to discuss because every conversation ends in a fight with you two, but clearly Evelyn isn't done for some reason. So you may want to cool it with the lawyer/attorney talk. It's just going to get back to Evelyn (you ARE talking to Suzie, after all) and keep the whole mess going. So, my advice is to be quiet and stop talking about your legal team. You've decided to go a certain route with this, and that's your decision, but talking to Suzie isn't helping your cause at all. I thought it was rude of you to not tell the girls you had arrived. Seriously, if you didn't want to be there, or if you didn't want to be with the group at all, then why waste your time going? There is no reason you couldn't have taken a different trip with your other friends and called it a day. Unless, you were contractually obligated to be there, in which case, the fact that you didn't say anything to the girls could have been your way of showing them that you didn't want to be there. Which is just childish. And yes, your voice is annoying and you do have a superiority complex. I have not forgotten all of that. Jennifer's grade for the week: C (because I applaud her for not getting into fights, but her ego is getting out of control).

Kenya: I don't think you're crazy. I think you're a terrible actress. You needed to pull a stunt because you got yourself into a mess with Evelyn. And you were in Tahiti, so you knew you were going to see her. So you played the "I'm crazy, don't mess with me" card (that we all remember Will Smith teaching little Ashley on Fresh Prince of Bel Air) to get Evelyn to leave you alone. Not that it's a bad plan. It's actually very smart. It was the execution that was all wrong. Let's just leave it at ... Overactors Anonymous is waiting for your call. I love how you're the new Suzie. Just chopping it up with everyone and anyone that'll have you. But hey, it beats getting a bottle thrown at your head. For the record, I don't think the fish was ever in Kenya's room. I think they're just saying it was, because like I said last week, they went to a totally different bungalow. I'm standing by that. The producers are using it for laughs, but it's just coming across as mean and unnecessary. Kenya's grade for the week: D (for the overacting).

Suzie: You know what's coming. You have a major case of diarrhea of the mouth. Whoever comes by, bleh! You just vomit out every detail from your last interaction with a human being. I think you should be studied. I'm fascinated by what compels a person to constantly spill every word of a previous conversation to each person they encounter. I'm gonna chalk it up to immaturity and no real social skills. This is your bag, baby. But that doesn't mean you can't learn how to keep things to yourself at some point. Suzie's grade for the week: F (because she's the mouthpiece and that does nothing for me).

Tami: You had some funny lines and faces this week, which you know I appreciated. Especially the looks you were giving Kenya when she first came to the table and throughout her whole "I'm crazy" scene. I could watch that forever just for your reactions to her. Also, on the boat, you actually said you would hash things out with Kesha and that made me happy. I think you realized your attack on her was not ok, and maybe that realization was short-lived, but at least you thought about it. So, I give you credit for that. I also respected the fact that you got in between Evelyn and Jen again. You don't want them to fight physically, but I'm pretty sure you're ok with them going at it verbally. I mean, you always say you like to be nosy and hear all the juicy details. I love that you're honest about that! I'm glad you're back on Twitter, by the way. All I need from you now is a sincere apology at the reunion. Tami's grade for the week: C (for starting to go back to being fun and funny, just like I like her).

Shaunie: I understood why you were miffed at Jen for not saying anything to you when she got to the island. You're not the one she's mad at. So, there's no reason for her to avoid you. Especially when you invited her. We're on the same page on that one. I have to ask, though, did Kenya hear you say "she scares me" when she was doing her best mean mug at the table? Because that was hilarious. I loved that you girls had fun jet skiing, that to me was a great scene of everyone just having a good time on vacation. I want to see more of that. Other than that, you let Jen know how you feel and there was really nothing else to say. I'm glad you didn't instigate anything, either. Evelyn came to the table on her own. Shaunie's grade for the week: B (because I could see where her frustration with Jen was coming from).

Evelyn: You never learn. But at least you apologized. Sort of. At first it wasn't an apology (to Kenya) but after a little while I could see you really were sorry for throwing a wine bottle at her. Now, when it comes to Jen, you're still not thinking clearly. The whole problem is - you took offense to what Jen said about you and Chad in public interviews and the fact that she continued to say things after you told her not to. I understand that. But once you've had two, three, four bad conversations that don't resolve anything, it is time to let it die. Jen has been clear since the meeting at the restaurant in the beginning of the season that the friendship is done. You are the one still coming at her. So, you must want the friendship to survive somehow. Well, it's not. Not the way you're going about it. You want Jen to admit to certain things and it's never going to happen. Therefore, let this go. Focus on you, your wedding, and your future. Stop trying to talk to her. It's over. And you shouldn't even care at this point! You have nothing but bad things to say about her anyway. Evelyn's grade for the week: D (because she isn't letting this bullsh*t go and it's annoying already).

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I Heart NY

So, as most of you already know, I went to New York last week, which is one of the reasons why I'm so behind on all my shows. I've been to New York about 4 or 5 times before, but the last time I was there was October of 2002. Needless to say, it had been way too long.

I must explain that my love of New York is inherited. My mother was born in the Bronx, and raised in the projects on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She is a true New Yorker, and she passed the New Yorkiness on to me in several forms, including colorful language and extreme pickiness with pizza. Every time we'd go to New York, my mom would slip back into her accent and I'd just listen to her in awe because I just want to talk like that so much.

My New York accent is getting better, by the way.

This time around, I went with my sister and some friends. We did some tourist-y stuff like the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (where I met boxer Antonio Margarito's trainer, Robert Garcia).

But my personal highlight was being a part of the audience at Wendy Williams.

I requested tickets for the Wendy Williams show on her website, and waited for an email back confirming that my request had been granted. Exactly one week before the date I requested, I got a call and an email - I was so excited!! There were some instructions, I had to email them back with some information, and there is a dress code. We showed up before 8 am and there was already a line, and we checked in with a very nice lady who gave us blue cards. We then waited in line for about an hour outside. Good thing it wasn't raining yet!

When we finally got inside, the audience holding room was packed. I mean, shoulder to shoulder. Everyone was super nice, and we all had to fill out "Ask Wendy" question forms. I couldn't think of a single question to ask her! Go figure!

Then they lined us up to go into the studio, and the producers seat you where they want you to sit. We got lucky and got seated in the center section, second row from the front.

The warm up guy, Kevin Thompson, was SO much fun! He sang, danced, flirted, and cracked jokes with the audience. We had an especially rowdy crowd, which just made the whole experience even more fun.

One of the producers came out and gave us instructions on what to do - when to applaud, don't look at the mounted monitors, smile a lot, etc. And we practiced our cheering a couple of times. I was so excited to just be there. Everyone around us was just as excited, so we just fed off each other's energy.

Wendy came out the double doors and the rest was a blur, really. You can watch a clip of the show I was on here. I'm in the second row from the bottom, center section, dark red hair, glasses, a fur vest with a black top underneath and a black belt. We won an iPod Boombox, a Roku, and a Carlos Mencia DVD. Wendy did say that she was feeling down because of the rain, but she still gave us a great show. It was so much fun, and during the commercials, the DJ played dance music and we danced and had a blast. I got on camera a bunch!! My DVR didn't record the show for some reason, so that clip is all I got. (Sad face.)

When the show was done taping, Wendy said thank you to the audience and posed for pictures. She is so beautiful - inside and out. 

Then, Wendy taped some promos for the next show and we taped some audience stuff. Oh and they kept shooting this snow stuff that made your hair and skin all sticky! I didn't care, though. I was on cloud nine ...

Another really special moment was when we visited the 9/11 Memorial. It was really emotional. There's still construction going on, but what they've done so far is so amazing. There are reflecting pools where the Twin Towers once stood and the pools are surrounded by the names of the victims.

The surrounding buildings are supposed to be for business, but they're not ready to be occupied yet, according to a guide at the memorial.

There is a preview site, which I really liked. There's a model of what the area will look like once the construction is done, merchandise such as t shirts and books, displays of items left at Ground Zero, and a timeline of the events of 9/11. 

It was such an emotional experience.

The rest of the trip was basically running around trying to fit 50 different things to do and places to see in a short amount of time. We ate at Tom's Restaurant, of Seinfeld fame:

We walked around Times Square, Tiffany's, Macy's, FAO Schwarz, and what seems like a million other places.

I think what I love the most about New York is exactly what other people hate about it: the pace. I love that you're expected to get where you're going, and get out of everyone else's way while you're getting there. I love feeling like everyone is so busy, you're just part of this big buzzing city that's so alive with energy. I also love the fact that New York is the place where dreams come true. SNL, Madison Square Garden, Rockefeller Center, Lincoln Center, and countless other landmarks are iconic and thousands of dreams have come true in those very places. I like to think that New York will be where my dreams come true as well.

I hope so.