Our Love Affair with Reality TV

I introduced my husband to reality TV shows, and now, I think I’ve created a monster. Seriously, he’s started to use everything he’s learning against me. On one hand, it’s cute. Like when a precocious four year old repeats everything adults say with just the right comedic delivery. But on the other hand, it’s also infuriating. We recently were in the middle of an argument and he told me to “stop creating a narrative” about him. That’s when I knew it was time to temper his reality TV watching. You see, we’d just finished the three-part Real Housewives of New York reunion. If you’re a Bravo-holic like me, you probably remember former BFFs Carol and Bethenny’s drawn out fight during which C blames B of creating “this narrative, this false narrative about me.” In our argument, Steve had become the Carol! Had he really stopped to think about it, he probably would have felt horrible about betraying his favorite housewife, Bethenny. Yes that’s right, we talk about favorite housewives when we’re not fighting.

We’ll even interrupt Bravo-lebrities at dinner for photos! Austen from Southern Charm was a complete charmer.

Ok, of course I’m exaggerating about reality TV shows’ effect on Steve and our relationship. In all honesty, aside from when he fights like a housewife, it’s quite fun that we can share some of my guilty pleasures! Sure, Steve swears he doesn’t like E! and Bravo reality shows, and I believe him….kind of. He’s never the one to say “New Real Housewives of Orange County on tonight!” (In all honesty, does anyone say that anymore?) But if a reality show is on and he’s in the middle of something else, I catch him staring at the TV and suddenly whatever else he was doing is put on pause. I’ve seen him Google “Why did the Hiltons turn down Family Feud?” after a recent episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. When Steve says things on the street like, “That girl we just walked by looks like a young Bethenny Frankel,” I know the shows have infiltrated his life in some way.

The silly things Steve says about my favorite reality stars makes me feel like a proud mom. He’s learning, I think to myself, he’s heads above others like him. But then he says something that makes me realize just how far we have to go in Steve’s reality TV education, if he’ll let me get him there. So far he hasn’t bit on watching Scary Island, even though I really think it’s pertinent to him understanding the ladies’ character arcs today. At least he agreed to watch a YouTube video of the best Real Housewives of New Jersey clips. How could you go through life without seeing Teresa’s table flip?

Watching #RHONY and my husband asked “what’s the countess?” Sometimes i forget how much he still has to learn about these ladies. pic.twitter.com/xGRYNYDqpE

— Sincerely Jennie (@JennieSzink) August 2, 2018

Steve entertaining joining my reality TV addiction is just one thing that makes me appreciate him as a husband. I know it’s not as interesting to him as other shows we’ve watched. But it’s something I enjoy so now we can share it. And seeing the way in which my reality TV shows have become a part of our inside jokes is cute. Whether it’s surprising me by blasting Ashlee Simpson’s new song through our speakers or making a joke about Eddie doing heart tests at a nearby hospital (that one was a stretch), I appreciate Steve’s effort. Although I’m telling you, I don’t think it takes too much effort because despite his protesting I can tell he’s enjoying the shows.

My husband and I just played a guessing game with an online list of the housewives ranked. Then we discussed them as I straightened my hair. This is what I imagined true love to be. #RealHousewives @Bravotv pic.twitter.com/OpD9fix7H6

— Sincerely Jennie (@JennieSzink) July 25, 2018

So I’m sending a thank you to Steve, on Real Housewives of Orange County day, for putting up with me watching reality TV shows, and even joining in. For a few hours a week it’s nice to lose myself in something mindless and doing it together is even more fun!