Off to our third housewife who neither stays at home nor is a wife. Bethany has a health food business and wants to be a modern healthy Martha Stewart. Some of you may recognize her from that other reality show "The Apprentice". That poor casting director was definitely having a tough time if he had to recycle a slightly used reality contestant.
Bethany tells us that she's been called the runaway bride. She's been married once and engaged twice. After that, she was always getting in relationships to have the family she never had. (Okay time to grab your tissues her story goes on). She says "My friends think of me as an orphan. I pretty much raised myself. My mother was married 3 or 4 times and I was never in the same place twice." Apparently, her entire family consisted of horse trainers and exercise riders and she describes going up to the betting window at five years of age and hanging out by the shoeshine box. Listening to her I can't help feeling like I just fell into an episode of "The Little Match Girl" on PBS. Don't get me wrong I love the little match girl, but what the heck is she doing in the "Real Housewives of NYC".
Poor little match girl
Oh good, the match girl has a marital prospect and he's coming to dinner. Maybe we'll get to watch her become a legitimate housewife in the next six episodes of this show. Go little match girl! Get your man!
Were told in a voice over that Jason is the little match girls soul mate as she greets him at the door with an embrace and tells him, "I'm already drunk and the house is on fire." A little later she's shown sitting on the counter nuzzling Jason and telling him, "I love you, you're my best friend, and your bald too." Hmmmm, maybe Patty the matchmaker can help her out here. I might be wrong but I'm thinking this might not be the way to a man's heart.
I have to say that Jason seems really sweet and says nice things about her cooking before we leave the little match girl and head on to Alex.
Alex and her husband Simon Ben Campton have all the appearance of being couple from an Agatha Christie murder mystery. He's the butler/valet masquerading as a man of society and she's the small town pretty girl who's fighting her way up the social ladder. Of course they get married, obtain social status, are threatened with exposure from a jealous society matron who recognized them from back in the day, and promptly decide to poison her. Between these two and the little match girl's romantic struggles the next six episodes should be packed with action.
I always knew they'd find out he's really the butler
Alex and Simon met on an international dating site. It took two dates for them to recognize that they were soul mates and from that point on they embraced the codependent lifestyle whole-heartedly. Alex tells us that she and her husband are so close that, "sometimes it can seem like we are one person in two bodies." See, creepy, just like a murder mystery. Simon works in the luxury hotel industry and currently manages a small luxury hotel in NYC, kind of like a butler/valet.
They have two children Johann and Francois ages one and three and a French au pair to teach the kids French. I have to say it doesn't seem to be working, Francois doesn't seem to recognize a word of French.
Alex tells us that "in New York, status is everything to a certain group of people". Simon tells us thoughtfully, "Our role in Manhattan society is still getting there." They've been patrons to the Metropolitan Opera for the last three years and that's helped their cause. Simon adds a little sadly, "Obviously we'll never be old money or old family." And of course there's that small issue that they now live in Brooklyn, NOT Manhattan. But Alex knows her limits, she comes from a small town in Kansas. She might go as far as Brooklyn but she's adamant that she "doesn't ever want to live in the suburbs," followed by that famous grimace shown in the previews. Probably, not the shot she wanted to be known by. Here's a better one:
I've got a great ass
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Comments (13)
Manhatten?
Spell check?
1 of 13 | Posted by spacevenus | Posted on March 6, 2008 11:21 AM
Oh Dear,
I am so mortifyed--and I lived on the lower east side for years. Clearly recapping the show made me a little meshuggana. So thank you spacevenus and please consider all references to Manhatten to really be spelled Manhattan.
YentaPatrol
2 of 13 | Posted by YentaPatrol | Posted on March 6, 2008 11:49 AM
What can I say make that mortified.
3 of 13 | Posted by YentaPatrol | Posted on March 6, 2008 11:51 AM
Ramona a MILF? Do they not see the gut on her? Maybe they meant Man! It Looks Fat...
4 of 13 | Posted by trickydick | Posted on March 6, 2008 12:46 PM
the one thing, I will say about this show, is that they are definately richer than their orange county counterparts. So far Jill looks normal, and in reality is the one that is even featured on the NY social pages. The codependent couple, came of as social climbing wannabes, being on reality TV will definately not help their cause. The countess, is bitchy, and snubby, the preview when she says if you are going to introduce me to someone like a driver, it's Mrs Lesepps not Luanna, just ludicrous. and ramona oy vey, what can I say about her and her husband, other than the swingers comment sounds appropriate. The single gal, looks like a gold digger.
Having said all that, I will still watch this train wreck.
5 of 13 | Posted by nflow | Posted on March 6, 2008 2:30 PM
Was anyone else reminded of the Griswalds shopping in France in European Vacation when Alex and Simon were shopping?
6 of 13 | Posted by Allycatt | Posted on March 6, 2008 4:04 PM
Oh, Yenta, you are funny!
I was going to rag on your spelling of meshuggana (it's technically meshugener or meshuggener), but I googled it, and it's an acceptable spelling.
Yes, that's right. I don't feel like working. Have a great weekend!
7 of 13 | Posted by spacevenus | Posted on March 7, 2008 9:14 AM
This show is an affront to all that is good and decent in the world, but I'm going to watch it anyway just so I can read the recaps. Hope I don't gag to death!
8 of 13 | Posted by FreeSpirit | Posted on March 10, 2008 8:08 AM
I must say I cringed when I saw they were spinning off my favorite guilty pleasure, The REAL Housewives of Orange County; however, this show is a MUST SEE. What it's lacking in silicone and Sky Tops, it makes up with blatant social climbing,snobbery that would make a character in a Wharton novel blush, and positioning most marketing executives should take note of. I hope the recaps keep coming. I love them!!! I only wish more would have been written about the OC Housewives. These women make the Housewives of Orange County almost seem earthy and real -note I said 'almost'. Great Recap, and is it just me but a Countess named Luann? Good call on the social climbers!!!!! "like characters out of an Agatha Christie mystery" :)
9 of 13 | Posted by chask70 | Posted on March 19, 2008 6:13 AM
Just watched Real Housewives NYC for the first time last night. Had Tivo’d it but never sat down and watched it. Only had the last 2 episodes recorded so am really out of the loop. I was so blown away that as soon as I could this morning, I went looking for a someplace on the net to find out, what on earth, others were thinking about these women! Yenta, absolutely loved your recap and comments!! - couldn’t wait to register for the forum.
My particular fascination is with Alex/Simon. I am still reeling from their unabashed shallowness! They are living in a self absorbed fantasyland trying to fool themselves and others. I have met a lot of shallow people in my life but none so stupid as to let the whole country in to observe firsthand! Do they really think their fraud will go unnoticed? Not only, is it blatantly obvious that they are climbers but, they are the epitome of near do wells”. They seem so very self important for no reason that I can see – and how are they financing this? One of the other wives was spot on when she pointed out that Alex/Simon vacationed in St. Barths, as if they were part of the society crowd, but were actually there “off season”. Why, if all the trappings are so very important to them (i.e. clothes, status, vacation spots, private schools, etc.) would they be caught dead living in such a shamble of a house?!! - and without any apology/excuse. Don’t they realize that if they are trying to “play that game” one of the most important “trappings” of the crowd they want to run with is their home/address. I thought Bethany was kind to overlook their fraud – though I wonder if she won’t expose them to the others next week. Can’t wait to see!! Also, can’t wait for re-runs to see how this all began!
10 of 13 | Posted by tivofan | Posted on April 10, 2008 10:05 AM
I am originally from NY, live in the DC area now. Love this show, knew people like that, wow pretentious or what!!!!! Ramona is a piece of work and so is Alex. I like Jill, I think for the most part she is very real, but the countess, although she is pretty fair for the most part is a little plastic sometimes. Betheny is beautiful and although has issues, is fun to watch. The one that irks me most is Alex, just the fact that her and her husband are constantly trying to go up the social ladder is pretty sad.
11 of 13 | Posted by irishgal | Posted on April 14, 2008 11:24 AM
I am originally from NY, live in the DC area now. Love this show, knew people like that, wow pretentious or what!!!!! Ramona is a piece of work and so is Alex. I like Jill, I think for the most part she is very real, but the countess, although she is pretty fair for the most part is a little plastic sometimes. Betheny is beautiful and although has issues, is fun to watch. The one that irks me most is Alex, just the fact that her and her husband are constantly trying to go up the social ladder is pretty sad.
12 of 13 | Posted by irishgal | Posted on April 14, 2008 11:25 AM
I am originally from NY, live in the DC area now. Love this show, knew people like that, wow pretentious or what!!!!! Ramona is a piece of work and so is Alex. I like Jill, I think for the most part she is very real, but the countess, although she is pretty fair for the most part is a little plastic sometimes. Betheny is beautiful and although has issues, is fun to watch. The one that irks me most is Alex, just the fact that her and her husband are constantly trying to go up the social ladder is pretty sad.
13 of 13 | Posted by irishgal | Posted on April 14, 2008 11:25 AM