In 2006, the first city in The Real Housewives universe was released — Orange County. The premise of following around a group of wealthy women as they went about business, relationships, and friendships was fascinating, especially because of how ridiculously wealthy they really were. Along the way, 10 other cities were added to the franchise (8 of which are active), giving Real Housewives fans more to watch.
Diehard fans of the franchise know the drill when it comes to reunions, confessionals, and cast trips. What may seem like an upbeat and spontaneous reality TV show is actually quite contrived. Contracts are involved, interviews are held, and promises to Andy Cohen are made. But these things are only known to diehard fans instead of the average eye.
Housewives Can't Sue Other Housewives
As real as the friendships in The Real Housewives franchise are, there are moments where every Housewife says or does something outlandish. When arguments are surrounded by slander and defamation, the average fan may wonder why one Housewife doesn't sue the other, and that's because they legally can't.
In an interview with Buzzfeed, Carole Radziwill (RHONY) said, "There were several reasons" why they can't sue another Housewife. "One is we sign contracts, so we can't sue each other. So you'd have to break the Bravo contract." A Housewife can sue another Housewife but if she does, she's breaking a legal contract with Bravo that could have worse implications.
There's A Reason Housewives Always FaceTime
These days, people prefer texting over phone calls or FaceTime, but not the Housewives. During most phone conversations between Housewives, they're done via FaceTime. The thought of FaceTiming everyone all the time may keep certain fans awake at night, but true fans know the reason.
According to Women's Health Magazine, the women are encouraged to use FaceTime because "producers want to hear both sides of a conversation." Likewise, Business Insider noted that Housewives have to be okay with having their conversations (both personal and private) recorded on "concealed devices."
The Casting Process
It's not a coincidence that new Housewives, friends, or guests are friendly with those on the main roster. In fact, some friends of the series deserve a spot on the main cast.
Bravo knows that the series does best when there's history within the group. Andy Cohen told Attitude, "The show works so well because it’s all people who have long histories with each other. So it’s not just throwing people together in a Big Brother house and seeing what happens.” As far as the casting processes go, Cohen told a fan that he is "involved in all of it" and that Bravo has an entire team taking care of it.
Bravo Doesn't Pay For Glam Squads Like They Used To
Before having a "glam squad" was cool, it was rumored that Bravo would pay for glam for the women when they needed it for events and reunions. But that all changed when Erika Jayne came aboard. According to Cheat Sheet, a Housewives superfan mentioned that Erika's glam squad bill was so high that Bravo no longer pays for it. "Those arrangements are made on the women’s own dime," Brian Moylan said.
Although Erika Jayne's outfits are iconic and her glam squad does a great job, the idea of shelling out $40,000 a month on stylists and artists was obscene.
Most Taglines Reflect The Housewife's Season
Every Real Housewives introduction begins with the Housewives and a short tagline. The taglines typically revolve around their values, ideals, or personality. But real fans know that the taglines revolve more around the Housewife's storyline for that particular season.
There are some pretty iconic The Real Housewives taglines, and it's not an accident. Producer Doug Ross told E! News, "We actually start discussing what the potential tagline could be for each of the various 'wives pretty much at the beginning of the season." The women have two or three to choose from and then the producers choose the final winner.
Food Scenes Are Heavily Planned
If the Housewives are seen at a restaurant, the odds are that it's planned out in detail. Every restaurant Bravo films need to fill out waivers in advance. Every restaurant needs to give Bravo permission to appear. And because of this, production shows up at restaurants with the women earlier than typically lunch or dinner rushes.
Funny enough, when a Housewife is said to be running late, Cheat Sheet notes that the lateness is scripted because every Housewife is transported by Bravo. In short, every Housewife knows exactly where they need to be because they're driven by Bravo.
The Housewives Do Not Pay For The Cast Trip (Most Of The Time)
One of the best parts of every season is the cast trips. Some of the best The Real Housewives vacations are those that involve late nights, disagreements, and an overall good time. But who pays for the vacations?
According to an interview with OK! Magazine, Andy Cohen said Bravo foots the bill. Cohen said, "There have been some that have been generated by us and there have been some that have been generated by them. The women take the planning of the vacation really seriously and so it’s a case by case but we have paid for them, yes.”
Extensive Interviews
Just because a person is a friend of a Housewife doesn't mean she's a shoo-in for the series. According to Bustle, there's an extensive audition process that everyone needs to go through.
After a few interviews, the chosen few then do on-camera interviews before going to the potential Housewife's home to get a better sense of their home life. An executive for Bravo said they film at the Housewife's home for several reasons. "What does a day in the life look like for our top choices? You know [we] meet husbands, meet kids, meet friends ... You know what does that life look like?", he said.
Bravo Takes Confessional Looks Serious
Aside from reunions, vacations, and taglines, there's another part of the show that viewers go gaga for — confessional looks. A confessional is an individual interview where each Housewife can talk about the scene that's being shown. But more than their views, it's their looks that fans can't get enough of.
Each Housewife is in full glam, and according to one of the best OGs, The Real Housewives of Orange County's Vicki Gunvalson, "You get three looks [total]. But for three months, you have to wear the same outfit, same hair, same makeup. You can never cut your hair in the middle of it because you're supposed to look the same."
Some Moments Are Staged
Although The Real Housewives is reality television, not every moment is realistic or as spontaneous as real life.
Alex McCord from The Real Housewives of New York said in an interview that producers will sometimes tell certain Housewives to call other Housewives if they know it can be dramatic or imperative to the scene's success. Some of the best episodes were most likely orchestrated by producers until the Housewives take the reigns and do what they do best.