A late-season marathon sucked me into “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” last winter. I have zero interest in the other “Real Housewives” franchises, but I could relate to Atlanta. I couldn’t necessarily relate to the prolificate spending on clothes, jewelry and birthday parties, but that’s why it’s TV.
Last night was the premiere of the second season of “RHOA.” Let’s see what our girls are up to now:
KIM: The last time we saw Kim, on the reunion show, she was about to get her wig ripped off by pretty much the entire cast in between assuring us that her album would be coming out soon and that she and Big Papa were still going strong. Well, at least the wig is still here. In fact, it’s the wig that’s given Kim her latest money-making idea, now that her married BF is apparently out of the picture. Kim’s going to start a wig line. Not to be dissuaded by the fact that she knows nothing about making wigs, Kim sits in on a class at a beauty school, which nearly puts her to sleep. She’s inept with a curling iron. Kim interviews that she doesn’t need to know how to make the wigs, she’s just going to design and sell them. With no capital or business training. (I seriously want to see this woman’s tax returns.) It’s a shame they’re not closer friends, because Kim could really use some life guidance from…
LISA: I swear, I don’t know how the Hartwells manage to be so adorable without pissing me off. Lisa’s husband Ed was released by the Oakland Raiders, but I get the feeling that Lisa could support the family just fine with her real estate business, her baby clothes line, her jewelry line, etc. She’s my favorite, because when you see her out buying designer clothes, at least you know it’s her own money she’s spending. And she and Ed and their toddler are just gorgeous. The Hartwells are debating having another kid, to which I say… YES! Have 20! You owe it to the human race! Lisa’s also got to be the producers’ best friend, because she always manages to make the most expository conversations with other cast members sound totally natural. For instance, last night we saw Kandi (more on her in a second) visiting Lisa to talk about starring in a benefit performance of “The Pocketbook Monologues,” which we heard about only because Lisa asked Kandi, “And aren’t you doing that play?” I swear, she’s flawless. In addition to running her various empires and canoodling with Ed, Lisa is also hanging out a lot more with…
NENE: Nene, Greg and the kids have moved just around the corner from Lisa’s place. NeNe annoyed the hell out of me last season, but she grew on me as I got to know her better. Along with her new house and her new ’do, NeNe’s got a new zen-like position on avoiding drama with her female friends. She doesn’t get ruffled when she and Lisa see Kim at a party, and she takes seriously Greg’s advice that she and Kim and Sheree need to sit down for a glass of wine and a talk. But she’s still our NeNe, cracking slightly off-color jokes and getting a lap dance from Dwight in her new, as-yet undecorated home theatre. (That scene where Dwight taught her how to open a bottle of champagne was hysterical.) NeNe admitted that last season’s bury-the-hatchet talk with Sheree didn’t quite heal her, so she sits Sheree down for a deeper heart-to-heart. Whether it’s the editing or a genuine change, NeNe seems to have matured a little, while still keeping the outgoing warmth that’s her trade mark. She’ll need more of that dealing with her once and future buddy…
SHEREE: Oh, Sheree. Just when I start to feel sorry for her and give her the benefit of the doubt, she does something that leaves my jaw on the floor. Last season, Sheree was going through a bitter divorce, from which she was sure she’d get a seven-figure settlement. This season, she admitted that her house had been foreclosed on because the ex – despite a court order – hadn’t been paying the mortgage (and also hasn’t paid child support in over a year). So Sheree and her kids are also in new, more modest digs. NeNe nailed it when she said that Sheree had a hard time showing weakness. That I can identify with. But when Sheree overcompensates by throwing an “independence party” to announce her fabulousness to the world (which sounded a lot like her birthday party from last season), she goes a little over the line. Sheree insists that she’s classy and refined. Okay. But when I think of women who, to me, scream “classy” and “refined,” like Jackie O or Michelle Obama, I can’t picture them demanding a helicopter entrance and an original poem about themselves and their struggles. I really can’t see, say, Grace Kelly going off on that party planner the way Sheree did. (Although I have to say, that jerk deserved it.)
And now, let’s welcome the newest “housewife”…
KANDI: …who’s not really a “housewife” since she’s a single mom who’s owned her own house since age 19. Kandi is a successful Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter with an adorable six-year-old and a fiancé who has six kids of his own. That looks like it’s going to be the source of much of Kandi’s drama this season. She interviews that her mom doesn’t like the fiancé, Lisa seemed only cautiously optimistic, and the daughter flat out told Kandi she’s less than excited about having six new siblings. We’ll see how this one develops. It’ll also be interesting to see how this self-made woman jells with the more socialite-oriented housewives… and I have a feeling that aspiring singer Kim is going to try and be Kandi’s new best buddy.
Drama, drama, drama. Yay!
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