In chapter 16, The "Rich Bitch": Class and Gender on the Real Housewives of New York City, Michael J. Lee and Leigh Moscowitz analyze how the portrayal of women on the show can have an effect on its audience. This show is drama filled that "takes aim at the consumptive lives of its arriviste heroines." These heroines are generally white females of the upper class with thoughtless attitudes. These women "transgress the traditional gender roles of a supportive friend, nurturing mother, doting wife, and ceaseless caretaker." They neglect their private roles as mothers and their money destroys their self-awareness, friendships, and mothering duties. Viewers of this show feed off of the drama that these women create.
RHW-NYC uses ironic "winks," also known as "The Bravo Wink." These winks alert the viewers that they are about to be in on a secret or to indicate that the audience assumption is about to be violated. They can also indicate an irresponsible thing that one of the "rich bitches" have just done. These winks conclude that the show is filled with irony which allows the viewers to see things that the characters cannot see. The article continues to analyze the ways in which wealth and social class and wealth and social life are major ironies within the show.
The women on this show are seen as bad mothers who neglect their home life for social life. They outsource their motherhood duties to caretakers and nannies who provide meals, social activities, and nurturing behaviors to their children. In my opinion, I would hate to have grown up with a nanny rather than my mother. I would feel neglected and as a result have emotional issues. Television shows like these create horrible role models for their viewers. By watching RHW-NYC, viewers will set unrealistic goals for their families and try to mimic their behaviors. It is important to remember that these shows are simply for entertainment and should never be seen as informative.
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