7 Oct, 2011

“Why’d they kill Jill?”

Posted by Stacy

While surfing the Internet on Yom Kippur I came across this post by Eve Marx.  Eve Marx  is a Die  hard Real Housewives of New York   fan. Eve Marx  is a writer for Bedford Magazine and the Bedford Record Review newspaper. She is a book author currently working on a novel about Bedford.

As a longtime fan of The Real Housewives of New York City, otherwise known as RHONY, you could have knocked me down with a feather regarding the recent news. For you strong minded individuals too snooty or sophisticated to revel in the petty world of the Housewives, fabric queen Jill Zarin, model Kelly Bensimon, socialite Alex McCord, and hair removal maven Cindy Barshop, have all been let go. Canned. Shown the door. Fired. The firings are not really surprising when you think how the entire last season was filled with crying, screaming, finger pointing and vitriol. Barshop told ABC News the women “genuinely didn’t like each other,” and Jill called the show, “toxic.” Even so, and what’s a little hatred between women who claim to be friends, why did the producers decide to kill Jill…and keep Ramona?

 

 

 

Jill Zarin is, if you haven’t already formed your own opinion, a major pain in the tuchis. Loud, obnoxious, an inveterate liar and gossip, Jill gives new meaning to the expression, “See You Next Tuesday,” an expression I first heard used among my horse back riding buddies years ago. Jill is awful but she has her strong points. Author of a book called, “Secrets of a Jewish Mother,” she has appeared on Wendy Williams, rung in the NASDAQ bell, and created a line of undergarments called Skweez Couture designed to slim and firm the body so it can look young and svelte and not like it’s 54.

 

 

After the axing, the show’s survivors are the Countess LuAnn DeLessep, “Satchels of Gold,” Sonja Morgan, and jewelry designer, wine hawker, and party girl Ramona Singer. Ramona, it is said, is responsible for bringing in new castmates/friends. Ramona must be one of the most talked about women on television. People either love her or hate her. This past summer she made an appearance at Cross River Wine to promote her Pinot Grigio from Opici Wine, whose grapes come from Italy’s  legendary Veneto region. It’s true that Ramona couldn’t pronounce the region’s name. My friend K. met Ramona at the wine shop and said in real life Ramona is “tiny and adorable, and about a size 0.” She doesn’t need Jill’s Skweez.

 

As a fan, I spent a ridiculous amount of time musing over the RHONY girls and which ones I liked least and most. At times it really was a toss up as I can’t abide liars and Jill lies like a rug. Ramona’s bug eyes and general rudeness to underlings really worked my nerves. Ramona has a lovely daughter and last season we got to see their relationship, even though the Sweet 16 party she threw for the girl was definitely for the mom. Jill loves her family and does her share of charity work, raising money for children with complex medical conditions, orphans, and people with creaky joints. I wonder if Skweez Couture could help there. Wearing it is kind of like wearing an ace bandage, something my stepfather strapped around his elbow to ease bursitis. Watching Jill and Ramona back stab each other and exchange brutal barbs, I could never decide which of the two was more malicious. Although their fight styles are very different, and they deployed different tools (including blogs and Twitter) as their weapons of choice, in the slugfest arena, both women are heavy weights. For 4 seasons, viewers faithfully tuned in to watch them go blow for blow. Not since “Dynasty,” which aired in the ‘80’s, and the fictional characters Alexis and Krystle (as played by Joan Collins and Linda Evans) has it been so entertaining to watch women duke it out.

I think of Jill’s comment after she was fired about the series as a whole. “You don’t get rich doing a reality show,” she said, although it’s been rumored the RHONY crew  received approximately $30,000 per episode. I appreciate how Jill’s using her Jewish saichel (common sense) to counsel Bev Hills Housewife Taylor Armstrong, whose husband recently took his own life. “I can’t imagine watching her crying as much as she does,” Zarin said. “But if she needs the money, she’s got to do what she’s got to do to support her family.”

Yom Kippur’s almost here. Jill and Ramona, you both have a lot to atone for.

 

 

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2 Comments »

  • Janet DeVito says:
    October 8, 2011 at 12:47 pm

    I too am an admitted Real housewives of EVERYWHERE viewer…or should I say addict! Love the article! But I must say, Jill annoyed the crap out of me! She showed her true colors with her relationship and back stabbing with Bethany and then she started to attempt to do the same to Ramona. I am glad she is gone.

    As far as the rest of them….I like Ramona. Yeah, she is a bit tactless now and then…But I find her amusing. I will miss Alex…but not Kelly. Kelly needs medication! She is weird, just weird, just weird! (as she repeatedly said last season to Alex!! LOL)

    I find all of this amusing and think these women truly earn every cent as they eventually end up making fools of themselves! But I will continue to watch!

    janet

  • Grace Bennett says:
    October 10, 2011 at 10:40 am

    I met Jill a couple times before Housewives fame and glory when our teenage daughters grew close one summer at camp together…not an inexpensive camp but actually one you choose for a more low key experience… She actually seemed very sweet and down to earth. One time we enjoyed lobster rolls together at Stu Leonards and she just struck me, well, as a regular mom. When my daughter visited some times after that (taking the Jitney to the Hamptons), and came home dazzled by a touch of lifestyles of the rich and famous, I was more fascinated than anything. I think I must want to remember her as just another mom I met on Camp Visiting Day since I have never watched a single episode of Housewives… reality TV: just not my cup of tea. (Life’s too short…but different strokes…) But just wanted to add something positive about Jill here. There are many dimensions to a human being and fame and fortune does have a way of bringing out some ugly stuff…especially when ratings positively reenforce bad behavior. Yuk.

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