September 25, 2009
Why Housewives?
Real Housewives of Atlanta
I love the Real Housewives of Atlanta. I started watching out of curiosity about which of Atlanta’s locales or personalities I might recognize on the show. But now I’m hooked because those ladies are just damn entertaining.
My only problem with the show is its name. Housewives? Really?
See, I AM a real housewife of Atlanta. Well, the metro area actually, OTP, not within the city limits of the ATL per se. But my point is I am the definition of the word “housewife”, which per dictionary.com is “a married woman who manages her own household, esp. as her principal occupation.” I am a married, stay-at-home mom. I could be referred to as a housewife, although we will have words if you describe me that way!
Do any of the Real Housewives of Atlanta fit that definition? Only two are even married and it seems that neither of them spends too much time at home. Lisa is busy, busy, busy with all her business endeavors. I remember her holding a baby during the first season. I think he was hers. Whatever happened to that kid? And NeNe — well, she is a self-proclaimed socialite and proud of it! She’s always out and about, making sure she’s seen, hobnobbing with the who’s who of Atlanta.
Kim calls herself a good mom then entrusts the hiring of her children’s nanny to her personal assistant. Sheree and Kandi are both single parents working to further their careers.
OK, that was a bit generous to Sheree. She just wants to have a career. Well, to have the money and fame from the career really. In last night’s episode Sheree gets into her SUV shouting goodbye to her kids and telling them she’s off to her independence party. She doesn’t hug or kiss them goodbye, just calls out as she’s getting into the vehicle. Then we see quick shots of the two disinterested children — although I have to say her son had a curious expression on his face. Could it be that he’s not 100% in approval of his mom so blatantly celebrating her independence from his father?
Like I said, I love the show. All of these women are fascinating to watch, just like the three-car crash on the other side of the highway. But housewives? Come on! When was the last time any one of them ran a vacuum cleaner? Cooked dinner for their kids? Pulled weeds in the garden? (To be fair, I do recall Sheree folding laundry on one episode.)
The real housewives of Atlanta live in my neighborhood. We are hard working women, devoted to our families. We run our own errands, many times without wearing makeup. We spend our afternoons helping our kids with their homework and our evenings at baseball practice or attending the school talent show. We volunteer as room moms for our child’s class and organize fundraisers.
Guess we might be a little boring to watch on TV. Most of us have far fewer than eight kids. Only a handful of us have ever spoken to a celebrity face to face. We only have about ten minutes to do our own hair in the morning and we’ve worn some of the same clothes for the past five years.
You have to be a lot more glamorous to be one of the Real Housewives of Atlanta!
Chattahoochee River, aka "The Hooch"
