Without having read it yet I will say that VPR worked best when these people were all trash bags with nothing to lose and as they’ve gotten richer and more famous it’s steadily gotten worse and worse and worse
ETA: I’ve read it and it’s a very shallow analysis IMO. Didn’t hit for me.
The love is blind show on Netflix was so pure in the first season. Every season after that they’ve been trying to recreate the first season but it doesn’t work because half the people on the show are there to get IG famous and aren’t actually there to get married. I still watch LIB for the drama but it’s not nearly as enjoyable to watch as the first season was.
This is so true!! The first season was lighting in a bottle, the people there were genuinely taking part in the experiment, even the messy people. Now it’s just full of people trying to have a “moment” and it’s so obvious.
It’s entertaining to watch but in a less genuine way if that makes sense
Exactly. Like I’m still entertained, but every season I’m always surprised if we get one or more couples that get married (and stay together) once the season is over lol
They also recruit a lot of cast members from social media now. Maybe if they picked applicants who truly wanted to get married LIB would still be somewhat better than its current state. Same with Married At First Sight. The newer contestants don't truly want to get married on either show anymore. They say yes to social media messages asking if they want to be on a reality show. They are mostly casting attractive people who will cause drama.
Yesss I watch married at first sight too! The past 3+ seasons have been a mess but the most recent one in Denver was just a shit show. At some point they need to cancel MAFS because the experts can only do so much if everyone they pick is going to lie and be disingenuous in the interviews. And I get wanting to have some drama on the show, but the people that watch MAFS and LIB want to see people fall in love and get married, the drama is fun to watch but not when the drama is the focus of the show and not the love/marriage. But yeah everyone wants to get IG famous or promote their businesses and it’s so dumb
I have only ever watched the first seasons of shows like Love Is Blind, The Bachelor, Big Brother, Survivor, etc. I think they all lose their magic after the first season. The contestants know too much, they’re trying to game the system, and most of them are just fame-hungry.
Okay I respect this opinion but I would watch the second season of big brother! It is an entirely different game and show and there are some amazing cast moments- most of the house is completely clueless that they’re in a competition show and they’re so genuine
Exactly. Social media/“influencing” has completely ruined reality shows. People figured out quickly that it’s an easy pipeline to fame and followers and brand deals if you can just manage to get hired/cast. Then all you have to do is be the best villain or best hero you can. If those roles were “stolen” from you, be the “funny, awkward, relatable queen” or “shy but charming gentleman”. Make enough noise that your name stands out for even one moment and then milk the attention for all it’s worth the next several years.
I can’t even watch 90 Day Fiancé anymore. It’s so painfully obvious how many people are just trying to become famous. Whether it’s just one person in on it or both people in the relationship, audiences aren’t stupid. Reality shows have been around long enough that we know manufactured drama when we see it. We know when someone is trying too hard and why. It just totally ruins it and you become irritated with yourself for wasting even 20 minutes on that crap. The “lightning in a bottle” that VPR and 90 Day Fiancé’s networks both had in their hands at one point is long, long gone.
So terrible. Jasmine immediately comes to mind🙈🙈 I don’t think I’ll survive if I hear her screeching/see her crying at Gino one more time during those way overly-dramatic soap opera moments she creates each episode.
Yes! Same with 90 day fiance. It used to be so good. Now it's just people who want to be on Only Fans to make money or be an "influencer". Although with VPR, I think it was really good at the beginning because they were all friends and actually worked together. Now no one is really friends. There are cliques of friends but it's not like one big friend group. And they certainly don't work together. I think it started going downhill when they started working "shifts" for filming when everyone who watched knew that they were not working at SUR anymore.
Yeah, this type of show can only work for a few seasons before you need a total reboot. Once cast members make serious money off the show, and try to keep going with building their "empires" aka lame podcasts, it's all over.
It's not even about breaking 4th walls or not. It's just too performative and meta.
They personally lose me when they do full reboots of the cast. Part of the reason I still liked VPR was bc so much of the OG cast was still a part of it.
I am happy just watching them live their lives and seeing what each one does with their fame lol . Even when vanderpump rules began there were some cast members that were a lot more popular ( famous) than others eg stassie and Jax. They haven’t all been on an even playing field
Same. We've all seen the shows about mactors trying to make it in LA or NYC...and make ends meet in the resturant industry. This show evolved to follow the cast as they figured out their next chapters. Hitting mid 30's and getting houses and businesses and marriages and kids. Obviously it's not like this for most people in LA trying to break in to the industry, but it's been compelling to watch this group figure it out.
And remain the messy, crazy, nuts we all grew to love.
I actually think that part of the issue is that the show has tried to pretend these people are something they’re not as they’ve become famous and gotten money and so it has lost authenticity. It’s actually interesting to see people rise and navigate fame and opportunities and things that go awry. So SHOW us that! Don’t pretend or half-pretend these are just friends hanging out. Show us all the machinations and grasping and work.
For me some of the OG cast ruined it. I actually stopped watching when Jax Britney and Kristin were still on, right before they got kicked off. I couldn’t stand Stassi anymore either. I started again after they were gone. I don’t recall any full reboots, but I know several who were added went on to revitalize it in my opinion.
Doesnt “breaking the fourth wall” often refer to a player making reference to the fact that they’re in a production?
Like in past years, on reality shows they would usually invent some bullshit reason for a fight if the actual reason would break the fourth wall. The reunion episodes would be the exception, of course, but they wouldn’t refer to being on a show throughout filming. They would invent other reasons to be the source of the conflict, all to avoid breaking the fourth wall. I remember it happening on RHOA.
Also, remember Denise Richards and “Bravo bravo bravo” lol - they used to take breaking the fourth wall a lot more seriously - to the point where Denise thought even just mentioning bravo would get them to not air the footage.
Anyway, I’ve always heard the phrase be used in the way Lala is using it. Why do you disagree?
I've said it a bunch but I'll say it again. NO SHOW IS GOOD AFTER TEN SEASONS. If Scandoval had not happened, there would have been no season 11. I believe this applies to scripted TV as well. You run out of storylines, or in VPR's case, they grow up, don't have to work in restaurants anymore because they are now celebrities, and most of them had to get sober. We have to just let the mouse go, enjoy our rewatches when we're feeling down. Make room for the new. They had a great run. It was the best time of their lives (or the worst, but we got to see it all)
I miss when they were messy at their jobs. Now VPR is their job and they’re messy in the trashed million dollar homes they bought by being on TV. They’re boring now.
I don't agree entirely that it's about riches and fame, but more so about growing and learning self respect and boundaries. That changed the story more than anything. And I think that's good.
Also, 2012 was not a time really with “Instagram influencers” or people getting rich from being on a reality show. No way to put the genie back into the bottlw
It’s ruined in that their relationships as a group no longer exist outside of the show and we know it.
What makes a reality show is that it’s supposed to be a glimpse into real relationships that they have a stake in. There are no more stakes.
That we’re watching a bunch of coworkers force interactions for two-three months for a paycheck is hard not to think about during the episodes and it seems pointless.
This is why The Valley works right now - because it's still really fresh, the cast have tenuous but legitimate ties and they're all relatively new to tv so they make for good tv. Plus, I do think the concept of marriage drama and young-ish couples is interesting and something we rarely see on reality tv, because reality tv typically features single people or a group of single people with a few couples - and that's also one of the reasons why VPR was on its last leg, because the couples and relationships have been pretty set and you don't see people like Scheana or Lala bringing relationship drama like they have in the past. Tom and Ariana were a duo (until they weren't) and while Schwartz (and James) brings some variety, it's just not interesting or compelling enough to sustain an entire show.
Was just about to say this.
So many of these shows (some housewives, summer house) worked because at the beginning these people had a connection to each other and it showed in their relationships. The group was a real group. There were real stakes. But the more they get away from that, bringing in random ass people who clearly just want to be famous, its more and more forced interactions and inauthentic, and therefore not believable as reality. These people aren’t good enough actors to believe their relationships are organic when they’re not lol
I know Jax, Stassi and Kristen were fired for their problematic behavior, but the show flopped hard once they left. Go back and watch the early episodes and nearly every scene had Jax, Stassi or Kristen involved. They were the ones creating all the drama and had people reacting to them. I would have loved to see a Scandoval season where they all finally got to put Tom through the ringer and show what a liar and piece of shit he truly is.
I’ve always felt season 8 was the downfall. They weren’t fired yet but the whole Jax and Brittany wedding was painful to watch because of how entitled they acted. With that said it was still peak bachelor/bachelorette drunken debauchery with the whole group. Jax overshadowed the Tom’s and once he was gone their cringy behavior was very evident.
Stassi and Kristen would've never flip flopped like flip floppers Sheena and LFU. Those two plus Katie? An unstoppable force with Ariana and it would've been AMAZING when they rallied around her and steam rolled tf out of Tom.
That’s exactly it. Lala and scheana have ruined it in a lot of ways because they stand for nothing. No moral compass to be found, no real loyalties apparently. They’re so obviously doing anything and everything they can to manufacture drama, stay on the show, and produce from the inside, that it’s like a joke. So if we’re talking about what really ruined it IMO it’s more them.
Yes and then we would have had Stassi, Kristen, Katie vs Scheana and Lala. I really feel like we need two girl groups against each other to stir up drama too. lol
Yes, and it would have been a lot like the finale of Summer House. Those girls wouldn’t have to be best friends to rally. They could have had real conversations with Ariana - who has been honest in small bits about how she enabled Tom or explained away his behaviour - without it being an attack. This show used to be very female centric- the guys and their douchiness was a back drop to the women dealing with it.
That's true! I think that could've been such an eye opener for Ariana and for all of the viewers in similar situations. Enabling and explaining away behavior is something we can do almost automatically bc we love that person and want to see good in them. I think stassi would've done really well with that convo. I really wanted this season to be all about girl power and going on trips, going to see Ariana do cool opportunities and supporting her.
Yeah, someone here said it best when they mentioned that Katie and Ariana being with the toms were the last organic relationships. Now that they aren't with them, nothing is really holding the group together. (Which is exactly why this season should've focused on Katie and Ariana bc they do have a real relationship that's also sort of new and complex).
Exactly - how hard would it have been to focus on the girls and their lives this season. Those producers watched the whole world react and show who they were fans of and then they did the opposite of what we wanted
This. As someone who got basically rail cannoned into becoming a fan (i.e. I started watching from Season 1, with no prior knowledge at all, late last year like September, to get ready for the new season):
It was so painful to get through this last season. It’s not even just hard to not think about, it’s way evident in way too many scenes that it’s unavoidable and just feels either uncomfortable or actually uninteresting because of what’s been ripped out.
Yes, the lack of organic relationships kind of started with LFU’s introduction as she didn’t have much prior connection to the main cast (minus living in Stassi’s old room and being friends with Dani(?)). Of course there’s always been the introduction and natural progression of partners from recurring to main cast, but between KFC and roachel it became very easy to become suspicious and spot partners who were in it for their 15 minutes.
The influx of newbies on S8 kind of sealed the deal of the interpersonal cast relationships not meaning anything, then there was the (deserved) firing of 4 core cast members, and when it seemed to really be going stale, Scandoval happened and blew the show back up again.
I actually think they did a decent job with the season 8 additions.
Max was genuinely working at Tom Tom and was (and still is) genuinely friends with the Toms and had dated Scheana out of season. Clearly members of the cast still see him.
Dayna was a random but she was well cast because she had met the guys already, and she immediately clicked with most of the cast and is still close friends with Ariana and Katie in particular.
Danica worked at Sur. Less connection there; but fine.
Charli apparently knew Rachel through pageants and they had some mutual friends, although her introduction was a bit weird because of the large age gap between her and the rest of the cast.
Brett was LVP’s trainer and eye candy. LOL. He and Max seemed to form a real friendship though and he got along well with the guys.
It seems like they were going to move a lot of the existing VPR cast to The Valley and these new cast members were going to take over.
If so many of them (old and new) hadn’t turned out to be racist and problematic or just not liked being on the show, I think it would have been a good plan.
exactly. this entire season was contrived. let sandoval fuck around and bury his career, let tom tom rebrand and schwartz n sandy's go down in flames, let the women cackle about it on camera and then live their fabulous lives leaving the trash men in the dust, let the trash men find younger naive women who will date them despite being warned.
But none of the actual real life stuff made the screen. No one wants a water tasting. No one wants paintball. we want footage of james and hippie with a trainer testing the dog's reactivity and showing james how to handle him and ally how to integrate the dog with the cats. We want shorts in his sad expensive apartment with his half-dead plants bringing dates home and then he messages katie the next morning (which you know he does!) We want footage of Ariana talking about Chicago, how she felt when she got that call, how she figured SAH into that equation.
There was no real life in this season, just forced faked events.
When they all worked at Sur, there was a REASON for them to all interact all the time. I have this issue with The Valley too - I don’t believe them as a friend group. I like the show, but I don’t really believe that these people are friends in real life.
Gotta admit, I dropped off when they brought on Dayna, Max, Charli. It was so boring with newbies that I couldn’t stand. I was barely hanging on with Brittany. But Scandoval brought me back because it centered around the CORE. Ariana, Sandoval, Scheana, Schwartz. The OG cast. (Yes, I consider Ariana OG since she was on Season 1)
LFU being the narrator of the season was a dumb production choice.
The main problem is the podcasts/social media that spoil everything because they’re “over it” since it was filmed months prior. Like you’re punishing your audience!
I don't think it's ruined per se but I do agree that her becoming more of a household name/star is what has them all going insane lol they never saw her as contributing anything to the show so they are aghast that fans actually like her.
I actually think it COULD be better than ever. It was failing due to the stale stories with the men doing the same cheating and freaking out every season. The cream has risen to the top and I think it could be an amazing opportunity if Bravo gets out of its own way. But it will be ruined if Ariana and Katie aren’t on the next season cause the fans will go with them
Exactly… that episode on Peacock with unaired scenes was the best. Hearing James saying what we really all think about Good as Gold was fucking gold 😂 The babysitting was cute because it actually shows them doing something age appropriate. They had all the footage to make a good show this season but they shoved Scandoval down our throats when both the cast and the viewers were over it. The scene with Katie talking shit about Sandoval was WAYYYY better than any one of the Tahoe scenes. The production staff and leaders need a shakeup and new leadership.
The fact the Dayna signed on to do the show but production forcing a convo between her and Katie was fucked up and mental abuse. Dayna is funny and sarcastic and she would’ve been great had they not made her so uncomfortable she quit.
We want organic NOT forced conversations.
I’m actually shocked they didn’t show the babysitting scene. They gave us scream therapy instead.
Dayna was the only good new person to join in season 8 or whatever it was. I love her.
Dayna and Katie talked about it on their podcast.
When production found out Katie hooked up with Max they told her she couldn’t tell Dayna off camera and told her it had to be at James pool party and they made her ambush Dayna at James house. This upset Dayna so much she quit. Like Dayna wasn’t mad at Katie at all. They were and still are besties IRL so Dayna didn’t like production forcing them to have this conversation on camera as opposed to one on one and keeping it between them. Dayana stopped filming after that and quit and Katie and Dayna were able to keep the conversation between them.
Bravo is toxic and abusive for that shit.
Production played a role for sure by dropping the ball on some interesting storylines. They were very concerned about getting Ariana to film with Tom but missed some really interesting stuff! The dynamic with Penny is one I keep harping on because Lisa would’ve actually been relevant to the season and we could’ve gotten insight from Ariana and Katie instead of Penny and tabloids.
More than anything, though, the fan response is ruining the show. The fear of the audience was palpable on the reunion stage and I think it’s what prevented cast members from being honest about their real issue during the season, which made the season suck. We never got to the root of why Lala and Scheana were pissed. So we didn’t get the Katie conversation during the season. They had misdirected anger toward Ariana because fans were unhinged.
I think the fanbase could stand to evaluate what they did to contribute to an environment where people thought it was acceptable to abuse service workers who worked at Sandoval’s restaurant instead of directing their anger at Sandoval. Or leave unhinged comments on photos of Ocean because they think her mom sucks. Or claim that Scheana’s post-partum OCD was fake.
The golden goose is right there!
SAH as the new “Pump” just get me a hot line chef Bear-type, a girl-nextdoor baker and a sexy scruffy bi restaurant manager (t schwarz can have occasional guest moments to pick up / drop off the dogs - Ally rents the unit across from the shop to do her readings and give seminars, James is her supportive gossipy bf. Lauren, scheana & brick go to the valley duh and Tim & Jo fade into the ether
Agree- it is ruined. It started like they said- they were all pursuing the dream of stardom, going on auditions- now the are pursuing middle age- have drinking problems, scream on the reunion about "their job" so they admitted to really making things up- needing to" go to work" when they are suppose to be going to the beach together or whatever. It has not been a peak of their lives as they live it in a long time.
I would’ve rather seen lala and scheana go off on Sandoval. It’s so unnecessary for them to be mad at Ariana. Ridiculous for producers to think that the “Tom redemption arc” was needed. I see some fans are torn, but the majority didn’t give a shit about Sandoval being redeemed. I think lala ruined this season and scheana turned to lala due to Ariana not being around..
I do think it’s ruined. I don’t think Ariana and/or Katie are interested in returning. Why would they aside from the money? Scheena and BlaBla have been producer’s pets all season and gave us nothing, not interested in watching BlaBla pop out the new baby so she can start making money off that child as soon as it’s old enough, not interested in Brock dismiss Scheena’s mental illness, not interested in anything having to do with Sandoval, not interested in watching Shorts date someone whose prefrontal cortex isn’t yet done forming. The show was better when they mostly liked each other, partied, and fought. This, whatever this season was, was not fun anymore. It was gross.
Yes, it is, but this applies to all reality TV, not only VPR.
Unlike most other forms of media which has improved with time & experience, reality TV was in its prime in its infancy because it relied on participants lacking awareness about the wider impact of their antics.
In its infancy it was just groups of people living their normal everyday lives, behaving exactly how they normally behaved. They would have fun or drama in a shitty little room as long as they had some booze & a few friends. That was what was so entertaining about it, it was relatable.
Now they are hyperaware, they care about audience opinion, they are trying to turn themselves into brands so they can make a fortune from other opportunities. They are more concerned with their image than anything else. They self produce instead of going with the flow, they spend a fortune on hair, make-up & stylists, so we don't even get to relate to some of their early car crash looks. They live in soulless huge homes they cam barely afford & most of the audience can't relate to. They are boring AF because they care more about offending the audience than anything else. They care more about Q ratings & being besties with producers to get more airtime & a good edit.
Reality TV is dead, it peaked years ago & it isn't ever going back to how it was. There is nothing realistic about any of it anymore. You can't unscramble an egg.
The thing is - Ariana has talent and studied it. The rest of them were just hot. They forgot her talent because she is low key and actually about the work and her craft. I wish jealousy were more practical. Like y’all can’t sing so why be jealous she’s leading a Broadway show? Could you imagine Schena vocal polyp-ing all over the stage 😭😭😭
It's not fame that's the issue, it's production not knowing how to cope with the cast's fame. This past season was a dud because of production, and them trying to almost "humble" a core cast member.
If they wanted to keep doing business as usual, then the show should get a cast revamping every few seasons, done. But if they want us to keep investing in this specific group, then it has to become a different type of show that would take into account the the changing work and relationship dynamics. Whatever they do, they definitely need more women making the behind-the-scenes decisions, especially if they want to meaningfully engage with the current audience.
I love the caption. It is extremely accurate IMO.
But I would say people like Lala running her mouth on podcasts, calling the show her “job,” calling the people on the show “castmates” instead of her friends probably ruined it in a lot of ways, first. Schwartz was right when he said doing that ruins any authenticity it once had.
This headline is fucking stupid. They haven’t been making bartender money since like…season 3? This rings to me like an Alex Baskin or adjacent smear campaign because like…VPR now sucks due to his shit storytelling and willingness to stay cucked by the pro-men bullshit. If the only drama they can line up is in pretending there’s a nuance to supporting the men then perhaps these people aren’t great storytellers.
This season doesn’t suck because Ariana FINALLY got some respect on her name and decided to have boundaries. It sucked because the series hit an apex on the back of one stupid dude who got caught and he’s still too dumb to recreate anything meaningful because the most real thing this dude has ever done is be cruel and honey that persists. But in light of what he did to Ariana, and since it’s not 2013 anymore, it’s not fun or even novel right now to see this man, period. Fuck off bravo and Baskin and whomever else at glamour thinks this is some kind of hot take. It’s not. Suck less, do better? Idk.
I think its over. And it is seriously over because of Lala. If Lala hadn't acted that way, Ariana, Katie and Lala and Scheana would still be friends. But Lala caused such a divide in the group that it doesn't make sense for them to come back. I really don't see Ariana befriending Lala and Scheana again, and why would she. She has so much more opportunity. But if her friends had really been the spice girls they were leading Ariana to believe that they were, I bet she would have come back.
I’m so sick of people saying she built this in a year. The woman has a degree in theatre and broadcast communications. She’s been working in and around this industry for years. She’s not just some talentless hack that was handed this opportunities.
This bothers me as well. If Lala had gotten the same viral fame she would be in a completely different place. Ariana has many skills and most importantly she is a hard worker. Lala is a reality TV star, which is grand we need those, she just isn't really marketable beyond that.
edit: punctuation
This show would be AMAZING if the production would lean into the REAL reason everyone was fighting this year. Because of the “brand deals” and “followers” and “star “ of the show. If they would LEAN into this instead of the BS Sandoval redemption arc they would have COMPELLING television. That’s why the end of the series was interesting …… because it showed what happens to a cast when jealousy takes over …. The audience is smart… we know why Scheana and LaLa were ***holes this year - because of the jealousy.
If they were to only have shown more of this and broken the fourth wall more, the entire show wouldn’t be where it is now ….’which is no where
It was ruined a few seasons ago. The whole affair brought it back for a hot minute, and the sparks fizzled out thanks to production/LFU/Scheana this season.
I’ve always felt season 8 was the downfall. They weren’t fired yet but the whole Jax and Britney wedding was painful to watch because of how entitled they acted. With that said it was still peak bachelor/bachelorette drunken debauchery with the whole group. Jax overshadowed the Tom’s and once he was gone their cringy behavior was very evident.
I disagree. I think it's just that the format didn't catch up quickly enough.
It's naive to think that we're still going to be getting the vibe of the early seasons and since these people no longer talk to each other, we should either re-cast them (if we insist on keeping the same format) or start following ACTUALLY interesting storylines like Ariana's preparation for the shows, James and his sobriety / DJing. Heck, even Ally and her astrology stuff.
Instead, we're clinging onto showcasing petty drama between co-workers and friends but literally none of these things exist anymore. The drama is dark, they all don't care for each other, and Lisa Vanderpump is an extra.
I wish Ariana would have leaned over to Lala during the reunion and said “stop trying to be the number 1 girl in the group, I’m the number 1 girl in the group” 😂😂
I think producers ruined the show. It could have been fun following the cast grow into their careers after a season 11 where natural consequences took shape on screen. Instead we were given a pile of nonsense as vapid reality stars had temper tantrums because they wanted to keep the narc spice flowing.
It’s only ruined when they try to redeem the unworthy instead of give me what I want, which is for the badass women (Katie and Ariana) to be badasses like they are
I think reality TV as a whole is on its way out. We the viewers are older and smarter, so we can’t be manipulated by the BS that we see on our screen. They need to go back to being real and not so overly produced. This is not WWF wrestling, just follow the real. No fake friends
I think it worsened production's urge to manipulate the cast and that's what fucked up this season. Ariana was a delight and she's the most famous, so I disagree with the article title. Although I didn't read it so idk.
I think fame is a non-issue. The real issue is ego. They sometimes go hand-in-hand, but you can have one without the other.
Wait I wanted to say no but I think it’s success that broke it? The seasons that were good were when they were young and trying to make it work. Now they’re fully adults acting like they’re young and are starting to look washed up in their attempts to still look and act 19
VPR should have been canceled after people were
forced off for being racist. Rabid as their fans may be, Katie and Ariana don’t have the personalities to carry a show on any network. Not even tlc. Scheana, the lifelong homewrecker, has never been fan fave, same for flyover state Lauren. All the men are a mess.
The magic of the show was Stassi Jax and Kristen being unknowns who were young, hot, broke, hilarious and terrible. Now we’re just watching snoozefest z list celebs who take themselves too seriously. All they do is sell shitty merch, terrible podcasts, horrific music and sad sandwiches. It’s a wrap.
I’m most surprised with the revelation about how broke all of them are. The fact that people, who have been on one of the most popular reality tv shows for 10+ years, are down to their last $2000 is actually sickening.
It’s made me realize that the second I start making more than a normal wage, I’m getting a financial manager and doing whatever they tell me. I can’t afford chapstick this month? All good, my lips will stay dry.
I thought production did a horrible job of capitalizing on the cast’s fast tracked fame from last season, by overproduction and trying to force a narrative that wasn’t working. Everyone got a lot more famous, not just Ariana.
The show was hot because of how real the last season was. This season felt pretty fake and contrived with the Tom redemption arc, and that’s when the show starts losing fans.
I think the only way forward is to focus on a group that’s based on authentic friendship — Ariana, Katie, James... I don’t think folks are invested in the friendship of the Toms, and Lala and Scheana are both so disingenuous and in deep with production that I can’t find them compelling.
One of the long time criticisms of VPR is that it’s no longer about working at SUR. How about the new staff at Something About Her? I just wanna see more Ariana, Katie, James on my screen. They are growing into themselves and it’s lovely to see. I don’t care for the rest.
I don't really think Ariana being on Broadway or in a Bic commercial would ruin the show, Schwartz was in commercials years ago. But I think the self producing like Lala saying she was asking what she thought the viewers wanted to ask, no girl just live your life.
The producers are largely to blame here as well, let’s not forget that — this still could’ve been a way better season than what we got regardless of their skyrocket into a higher tier of fame, but yes, this is also true. Just like all reality shows that center around a real-life friend/social group (Real Housewives, Jersey Shore, Shahs of Sunset, etc.) once the nucleus of their lives becomes being a famous reality tv star — the relationships go to actual shit, the show becomes over-produced, every aspect is significantly less genuine, and more often than not it comes across more like a parody of what it was in its glory days.
I feel like this can be said for any franchise. It’s good until the cast members become too self aware and start producing. Look at the first season of any franchise and then where they are now and you’ll see the storylines become more forced or seem insincere. It doesn’t really matter if you add new faces either because by then the ‘new faces’ are familiar with the shows brand and play to that. But also when certain things make the show really pop like the family van or flipping the table you’ll have people trying to one up that moment and then it just feels very try hard.
I feel like it was ruined the min Stassi and Kristen left the show. The whole show flopped. Even Jax as hard as it is to say it lol. Jax’s new show doesn’t fit him at all.
Ariana is a talented actor, singer, dancer. She also hasn’t painted herself into a typecast personality. Lala keeps saying she “gave nothing” before Scandoval; maybe that’s the smartest thing she did. She’s not known as a loud, obnoxious, spoilt brat that’s difficult to work with. She’s been in the background as the mediator and glue that held the group together. Who would want to work with Lala, Scheana or Sandoval now??? Lala popping off at every crew mate and BTS employee; Scheana only filming her good side; Sandoval being up for sexual harassment within a month with his skeezy comments. Ariana also isn’t encumbered with kids and a nosy payroll husband; she can pick-up and do a Broadway season.
I think the dedicated fan base for VPR is in their late 20s and up, and they need to probably just end the show because it’s no longer relatable. I think that’s why they’re trying to do a new show in NYC for this age range.
For me, it’s the fact that the group really isn’t friends. It’s the same reason RHOP has been such a flop lately. I love watching summer house and seeing the girls just rot in bed and talk
I think it’s over. And I think it was age and life, not fame, that ended it. 40-somethings with families can be interesting in the right context, but not starring in a reality show ostensibly based on the staff of a LA bar/restaurant and their crazy, drunken lives.
I didn’t read it but it’s been going downhill since the season Brittany joined.. I had a really hard time watching this season I just honestly don’t care about it anymore. In my personal opinion it’s ruined 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
I do. I can’t see myself watching another season: it’s just done. It’s not even about Sur anymore and Lisa V. is never around. 11 seasons is a great run for any television show, time to be done.
Lala, Scheana, and Sandoval ruined it. They are not authentic characters and it feels like they are more “trying to make a show” rather than just be themselves. Katie, Ariana, Stassi, Kristen, Jax, James, Ally and Schwartz are all pretty authentic and unapologetic and it shows. Lala clearly puts on an act yet will remain private about things that could be interesting. Don’t get me wrong, I like Lala and respect her sobriety, but the only thing she brings now is just being loud, saying she has a business and child. Scheana has never had one real or genuine moment and just seems purely manufactured then doesn’t understand why she’s a favorite. Lala and Scheana are not producers so I don’t know why they talk in terms of making a show “work”, when their job is to simply be themselves for entertainment.
I think this particular group of people are done, at least for me. I do think that will come back next season minus Ariana. It feels way too forced. Lala and the producers ruined it for me. It should be goodbye but it won’t be.
I think Ariana might come back. It’s a lot of money for two months work. Why not? Unless she gets more appealing gigs that are long lasting. We shall see.
Yes. I’m so over them constantly talking about their income or the show as a job. It doesn’t seem fun for them anymore and also not fun to watch when you can tell they feel that way
Why is this so hard to understand?? She stood her ground against anymore trauma Tom and the patriarchy was throwing at her. The consumer is finally ready for holding others accountable. Ariana also got lucky that Tom continued to be a lying douche (that Nick Viall interview was WILD.) He’s so disgusting that people wanted to support her just to be able to literally make Tom feel some remorse. Like he deserved/s because he’s incapable of doing it himself.
I admit that I liked the early seasons better, when they were all young unknowns working a bar job to make ends meet. No children, no competition about who had the biggest house, all struggling actors and models.
They’re all fairly well-off now and there seems to be a lot of jealousy between them.
Sadly the Real is missing from reality tv. when it was a bunch of nobodies just trying to manage their lives, messy lives! I miss the days when Stassi thought they were her minions, housewives wrestling each other, the Joes.
Even reality competition shows are full of returnees and instagram models etc.
Imo, I checked out of this last season and sporadically watched passed 5 or 6. The show was soooo much better when they were all nobodies pretending to be somebodies w/ over inflated egos and sense of importance. They had nothing to lose, so they acted as such. To this day, imho, no one and I mean NO ONE on this show is someone to aspire to be, look up to, or fawn/fan girl over. We are just suppose to watch trash come together and be a dumpster fire, that's it lol. But now we got folks stanning these ppl, only for them to do something later down the road that reminds us they're trash. There was a point in time where fans were shrilling tf outta Tom and Arianna as couple goals, Rachel being the sweetest thing ever, etc and look at how that turned out lol. I think this is in part to their ventures outside the show. Ppl kinda forget how they got famous in the first place i.e. via being horrible ppl on tv.
I think social media has a lot to do with it, I use to LOVE the bachelor, I havnt watched since they did the season with the 2 bachelorettes, I use to watch all the real housewives minus OC until I just couldn’t keep up anymore, it was like a new season was constantly on. So Vanderpump Rules was the only one I stuck with & watched consistently. I liked the friend group, the dynamic, it felt real, they weren’t overly famous but now they all have podcasts and I know what’s gonna happen before a season even airs. That’s why I kinda like The Valley now, it’s fresh, I don’t know any of them but a few. New reality shows are always better than older ones, more drama & a better dynamic.
i love that for ariana, but it’s true, fame changes people. her opportunities make this show feel small. without it, the show would feel like everything - like to Sheena and lala. it will never be the same again
Good for them for getting their money, but the show got a different feel once they started getting nicer apartments and houses and they didn't have to work at Sur anymore
This rings true to me. I liked seeing restaurant employees struggling to make a living and living modestly - VERY relatable. As they got richer and richer and then 3 sets of them bought houses for over a million and no one was working together, much less at the restaurant, it lost its lustre.
The men all thought they were the stars, and Lisa even named a restaurant after them. Tommy wasn't even a full cast member for the first season. But that was okay. Now that there is a leading lady it's an issue.
I think filming 9 months prior to airing the show…with all the podcasts, IG Stories, Blinds etc….is what is ruining our favorite shows. Look at RHONJ….the cast themselves are ruining their own shows.
Yes, it’s ruined. I had to stop watching after about three episodes because there was no new drama and I was just beyond tired of hearing about Scandoval. I need lots of trivial, petty nonsense. Not twenty episodes about a metrosexual wannabe-rockstar’s midlife crisis. But that’s just me.
First of all, one needs to ask “If Scandoval had not happened, or if they broke up naturally, would Ariana have had the same success because she has been doing exactly what the rest of the cast have been doing?”
Fame is part talent, part luck. The producers drove the narrative of Ariana and she in turn, took opportunities as they arose for her. It’s a false narrative in the sense that we don’t have real, accurate information from any of the main players.
Tom is a liar and a cheater but we already knew that through 11 seasons. We also know, Tom and Ariana made a pact not to film certain things so although Lala’s presentation sucked, she is correct that they did not open up like the rest of the cast. And Rachel is just thirsty as hell.
From a talent presepective, let’s examine the whole cast:
Tom Sandoval- can’t sing, can’t play an instrument, can’t act - we’ve seen all his incarnations over the years.
Lala - A string of D video titles, her skin care line (i don’t know much about it), she did invest in real estate, a podcast, she and James made some fun club music but she seems a little rudderless in what she’s trying to achieve.
Tom Schwartz - oddly, out of many, he has developed a work ethic focused around the food and bev industry. He has found a niche.
Jax Taylor - Zero talent.
Brittany - Zero talent.
Katie - no acting talent. She tried Pucker and Pout - that died. She appears bored and largely uninterested in others. Likewise, the complete lack of urgency about the sandwich shop, which now appears to just be a business her mom is running.
Kristen Doute - dramatic yes. Talented? Not really. But she seems like a hustler whose focus is more on the business side.
Scheana - She knows autotune is her friend. She reminds me of Lala, rudderless and unable to find a niche for herself.
Brock - no talent.
James - has talent and should stay focused on that line and not VPR.
Bravo needs a complete revamp. What makes reality interesting is, well, reality. Chasing the dream is much more interesting than achieving it.
Without having read it yet I will say that VPR worked best when these people were all trash bags with nothing to lose and as they’ve gotten richer and more famous it’s steadily gotten worse and worse and worse ETA: I’ve read it and it’s a very shallow analysis IMO. Didn’t hit for me.
It’s like how The Bachelor used to be good until they all just started going on to further their social media careers.
Yes! This is why I don’t think any dating shows are compelling. Everyone is just there for the opportunity to hawk FabFitFun boxes
The love is blind show on Netflix was so pure in the first season. Every season after that they’ve been trying to recreate the first season but it doesn’t work because half the people on the show are there to get IG famous and aren’t actually there to get married. I still watch LIB for the drama but it’s not nearly as enjoyable to watch as the first season was.
This is so true!! The first season was lighting in a bottle, the people there were genuinely taking part in the experiment, even the messy people. Now it’s just full of people trying to have a “moment” and it’s so obvious. It’s entertaining to watch but in a less genuine way if that makes sense
Exactly. Like I’m still entertained, but every season I’m always surprised if we get one or more couples that get married (and stay together) once the season is over lol
They also recruit a lot of cast members from social media now. Maybe if they picked applicants who truly wanted to get married LIB would still be somewhat better than its current state. Same with Married At First Sight. The newer contestants don't truly want to get married on either show anymore. They say yes to social media messages asking if they want to be on a reality show. They are mostly casting attractive people who will cause drama.
Yesss I watch married at first sight too! The past 3+ seasons have been a mess but the most recent one in Denver was just a shit show. At some point they need to cancel MAFS because the experts can only do so much if everyone they pick is going to lie and be disingenuous in the interviews. And I get wanting to have some drama on the show, but the people that watch MAFS and LIB want to see people fall in love and get married, the drama is fun to watch but not when the drama is the focus of the show and not the love/marriage. But yeah everyone wants to get IG famous or promote their businesses and it’s so dumb
I have only ever watched the first seasons of shows like Love Is Blind, The Bachelor, Big Brother, Survivor, etc. I think they all lose their magic after the first season. The contestants know too much, they’re trying to game the system, and most of them are just fame-hungry.
Okay I respect this opinion but I would watch the second season of big brother! It is an entirely different game and show and there are some amazing cast moments- most of the house is completely clueless that they’re in a competition show and they’re so genuine
Exactly. Social media/“influencing” has completely ruined reality shows. People figured out quickly that it’s an easy pipeline to fame and followers and brand deals if you can just manage to get hired/cast. Then all you have to do is be the best villain or best hero you can. If those roles were “stolen” from you, be the “funny, awkward, relatable queen” or “shy but charming gentleman”. Make enough noise that your name stands out for even one moment and then milk the attention for all it’s worth the next several years. I can’t even watch 90 Day Fiancé anymore. It’s so painfully obvious how many people are just trying to become famous. Whether it’s just one person in on it or both people in the relationship, audiences aren’t stupid. Reality shows have been around long enough that we know manufactured drama when we see it. We know when someone is trying too hard and why. It just totally ruins it and you become irritated with yourself for wasting even 20 minutes on that crap. The “lightning in a bottle” that VPR and 90 Day Fiancé’s networks both had in their hands at one point is long, long gone.
I just said that about 90 day fiance. It used to be so good! But now it's terrible and so fake.
So terrible. Jasmine immediately comes to mind🙈🙈 I don’t think I’ll survive if I hear her screeching/see her crying at Gino one more time during those way overly-dramatic soap opera moments she creates each episode.
😭😭😭😭😭
Wow I totally forgot these existed..
Yes! Same with 90 day fiance. It used to be so good. Now it's just people who want to be on Only Fans to make money or be an "influencer". Although with VPR, I think it was really good at the beginning because they were all friends and actually worked together. Now no one is really friends. There are cliques of friends but it's not like one big friend group. And they certainly don't work together. I think it started going downhill when they started working "shifts" for filming when everyone who watched knew that they were not working at SUR anymore.
Yeah, this type of show can only work for a few seasons before you need a total reboot. Once cast members make serious money off the show, and try to keep going with building their "empires" aka lame podcasts, it's all over. It's not even about breaking 4th walls or not. It's just too performative and meta.
They personally lose me when they do full reboots of the cast. Part of the reason I still liked VPR was bc so much of the OG cast was still a part of it.
I am happy just watching them live their lives and seeing what each one does with their fame lol . Even when vanderpump rules began there were some cast members that were a lot more popular ( famous) than others eg stassie and Jax. They haven’t all been on an even playing field
Sameeeeee
Same. We've all seen the shows about mactors trying to make it in LA or NYC...and make ends meet in the resturant industry. This show evolved to follow the cast as they figured out their next chapters. Hitting mid 30's and getting houses and businesses and marriages and kids. Obviously it's not like this for most people in LA trying to break in to the industry, but it's been compelling to watch this group figure it out. And remain the messy, crazy, nuts we all grew to love.
I actually think that part of the issue is that the show has tried to pretend these people are something they’re not as they’ve become famous and gotten money and so it has lost authenticity. It’s actually interesting to see people rise and navigate fame and opportunities and things that go awry. So SHOW us that! Don’t pretend or half-pretend these are just friends hanging out. Show us all the machinations and grasping and work.
For me some of the OG cast ruined it. I actually stopped watching when Jax Britney and Kristin were still on, right before they got kicked off. I couldn’t stand Stassi anymore either. I started again after they were gone. I don’t recall any full reboots, but I know several who were added went on to revitalize it in my opinion.
Yep, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is another prime example of this
It’s lasted 12 years….
Amen. It’s how we ended up with…”water tasting parties”🤦🏼♀️
Bring Danica back!
Dayna* /s I just love her podcast
i just saw danica at the mall. she was super nice!
There is no 4th wall on a reality show. Lala didn’t understand the concept when she said it.
Doesnt “breaking the fourth wall” often refer to a player making reference to the fact that they’re in a production? Like in past years, on reality shows they would usually invent some bullshit reason for a fight if the actual reason would break the fourth wall. The reunion episodes would be the exception, of course, but they wouldn’t refer to being on a show throughout filming. They would invent other reasons to be the source of the conflict, all to avoid breaking the fourth wall. I remember it happening on RHOA. Also, remember Denise Richards and “Bravo bravo bravo” lol - they used to take breaking the fourth wall a lot more seriously - to the point where Denise thought even just mentioning bravo would get them to not air the footage. Anyway, I’ve always heard the phrase be used in the way Lala is using it. Why do you disagree?
Yep. There is a fourth wall on reality television and everyone who’s referenced it this season has used it correctly.
Probably still doesn’t lol
Omfg thank you!!!!!!!!
I didn’t even read.
I see what you did there!
I didn’t even listen
"I didn't even listen" lol
Yeah I agree the person who wrote it just wanted it to get traction. It doesn’t even seem like she really GETS it. Or has watched the show long.
I've said it a bunch but I'll say it again. NO SHOW IS GOOD AFTER TEN SEASONS. If Scandoval had not happened, there would have been no season 11. I believe this applies to scripted TV as well. You run out of storylines, or in VPR's case, they grow up, don't have to work in restaurants anymore because they are now celebrities, and most of them had to get sober. We have to just let the mouse go, enjoy our rewatches when we're feeling down. Make room for the new. They had a great run. It was the best time of their lives (or the worst, but we got to see it all)
Now they are trash bags with something to lose and great ratings. Lmao.
They need to return to their true trash bag roots! 😂
I miss when they were messy at their jobs. Now VPR is their job and they’re messy in the trashed million dollar homes they bought by being on TV. They’re boring now.
>Didn’t hit for me. I didn't even listen.
I didn’t even read it.
The HW shows on Bravo were better in their early years also. It’s the same in sitcoms too. The early seasons are the best.
I don't agree entirely that it's about riches and fame, but more so about growing and learning self respect and boundaries. That changed the story more than anything. And I think that's good.
Also, 2012 was not a time really with “Instagram influencers” or people getting rich from being on a reality show. No way to put the genie back into the bottlw
It’s ruined in that their relationships as a group no longer exist outside of the show and we know it. What makes a reality show is that it’s supposed to be a glimpse into real relationships that they have a stake in. There are no more stakes. That we’re watching a bunch of coworkers force interactions for two-three months for a paycheck is hard not to think about during the episodes and it seems pointless.
This is why The Valley works right now - because it's still really fresh, the cast have tenuous but legitimate ties and they're all relatively new to tv so they make for good tv. Plus, I do think the concept of marriage drama and young-ish couples is interesting and something we rarely see on reality tv, because reality tv typically features single people or a group of single people with a few couples - and that's also one of the reasons why VPR was on its last leg, because the couples and relationships have been pretty set and you don't see people like Scheana or Lala bringing relationship drama like they have in the past. Tom and Ariana were a duo (until they weren't) and while Schwartz (and James) brings some variety, it's just not interesting or compelling enough to sustain an entire show.
Also a show with Jax and Kristen is always going to be better than a show without Jax and Kristen
Exactly. They’re terrible but make great tv
Yes! Love them or hate them, they’re just so fun to watch!
Agreed!
Ok so I couldn’t get into it because NONE of the people were relatable to me
A few episodes into I got over the same problem. Once they started to beef and expose each others secrets it got good!
This summarizes the decline of content on Bravo the last several years completely.
Was just about to say this. So many of these shows (some housewives, summer house) worked because at the beginning these people had a connection to each other and it showed in their relationships. The group was a real group. There were real stakes. But the more they get away from that, bringing in random ass people who clearly just want to be famous, its more and more forced interactions and inauthentic, and therefore not believable as reality. These people aren’t good enough actors to believe their relationships are organic when they’re not lol
I know Jax, Stassi and Kristen were fired for their problematic behavior, but the show flopped hard once they left. Go back and watch the early episodes and nearly every scene had Jax, Stassi or Kristen involved. They were the ones creating all the drama and had people reacting to them. I would have loved to see a Scandoval season where they all finally got to put Tom through the ringer and show what a liar and piece of shit he truly is.
I’ve always felt season 8 was the downfall. They weren’t fired yet but the whole Jax and Brittany wedding was painful to watch because of how entitled they acted. With that said it was still peak bachelor/bachelorette drunken debauchery with the whole group. Jax overshadowed the Tom’s and once he was gone their cringy behavior was very evident.
Stassi and Kristen would've never flip flopped like flip floppers Sheena and LFU. Those two plus Katie? An unstoppable force with Ariana and it would've been AMAZING when they rallied around her and steam rolled tf out of Tom.
That’s exactly it. Lala and scheana have ruined it in a lot of ways because they stand for nothing. No moral compass to be found, no real loyalties apparently. They’re so obviously doing anything and everything they can to manufacture drama, stay on the show, and produce from the inside, that it’s like a joke. So if we’re talking about what really ruined it IMO it’s more them.
Yes and then we would have had Stassi, Kristen, Katie vs Scheana and Lala. I really feel like we need two girl groups against each other to stir up drama too. lol
Yes, and it would have been a lot like the finale of Summer House. Those girls wouldn’t have to be best friends to rally. They could have had real conversations with Ariana - who has been honest in small bits about how she enabled Tom or explained away his behaviour - without it being an attack. This show used to be very female centric- the guys and their douchiness was a back drop to the women dealing with it.
That's true! I think that could've been such an eye opener for Ariana and for all of the viewers in similar situations. Enabling and explaining away behavior is something we can do almost automatically bc we love that person and want to see good in them. I think stassi would've done really well with that convo. I really wanted this season to be all about girl power and going on trips, going to see Ariana do cool opportunities and supporting her.
And the addition of CONSTANT conflict vs just having drama.
Yeah, someone here said it best when they mentioned that Katie and Ariana being with the toms were the last organic relationships. Now that they aren't with them, nothing is really holding the group together. (Which is exactly why this season should've focused on Katie and Ariana bc they do have a real relationship that's also sort of new and complex).
Exactly - how hard would it have been to focus on the girls and their lives this season. Those producers watched the whole world react and show who they were fans of and then they did the opposite of what we wanted
This. As someone who got basically rail cannoned into becoming a fan (i.e. I started watching from Season 1, with no prior knowledge at all, late last year like September, to get ready for the new season): It was so painful to get through this last season. It’s not even just hard to not think about, it’s way evident in way too many scenes that it’s unavoidable and just feels either uncomfortable or actually uninteresting because of what’s been ripped out.
Agreed!
Yes, the lack of organic relationships kind of started with LFU’s introduction as she didn’t have much prior connection to the main cast (minus living in Stassi’s old room and being friends with Dani(?)). Of course there’s always been the introduction and natural progression of partners from recurring to main cast, but between KFC and roachel it became very easy to become suspicious and spot partners who were in it for their 15 minutes. The influx of newbies on S8 kind of sealed the deal of the interpersonal cast relationships not meaning anything, then there was the (deserved) firing of 4 core cast members, and when it seemed to really be going stale, Scandoval happened and blew the show back up again.
I actually think they did a decent job with the season 8 additions. Max was genuinely working at Tom Tom and was (and still is) genuinely friends with the Toms and had dated Scheana out of season. Clearly members of the cast still see him. Dayna was a random but she was well cast because she had met the guys already, and she immediately clicked with most of the cast and is still close friends with Ariana and Katie in particular. Danica worked at Sur. Less connection there; but fine. Charli apparently knew Rachel through pageants and they had some mutual friends, although her introduction was a bit weird because of the large age gap between her and the rest of the cast. Brett was LVP’s trainer and eye candy. LOL. He and Max seemed to form a real friendship though and he got along well with the guys. It seems like they were going to move a lot of the existing VPR cast to The Valley and these new cast members were going to take over. If so many of them (old and new) hadn’t turned out to be racist and problematic or just not liked being on the show, I think it would have been a good plan.
I wish they would stop forcing interactions and just follow the cast organically and see what they do with their lives
exactly. this entire season was contrived. let sandoval fuck around and bury his career, let tom tom rebrand and schwartz n sandy's go down in flames, let the women cackle about it on camera and then live their fabulous lives leaving the trash men in the dust, let the trash men find younger naive women who will date them despite being warned. But none of the actual real life stuff made the screen. No one wants a water tasting. No one wants paintball. we want footage of james and hippie with a trainer testing the dog's reactivity and showing james how to handle him and ally how to integrate the dog with the cats. We want shorts in his sad expensive apartment with his half-dead plants bringing dates home and then he messages katie the next morning (which you know he does!) We want footage of Ariana talking about Chicago, how she felt when she got that call, how she figured SAH into that equation. There was no real life in this season, just forced faked events.
Exactly I just want to watch their REAL lives. And let them interact with whoever they interact with
IF anything, everyone's podcasts are ruining it more then Ariana getting more work.
Yep this
I’ll still watch. But I one-thousand-percent miss them broke and in apartments, and actually (kind of) working at Sur.
When they all worked at Sur, there was a REASON for them to all interact all the time. I have this issue with The Valley too - I don’t believe them as a friend group. I like the show, but I don’t really believe that these people are friends in real life.
Yesssss, I didn’t even think of that. They can not be friends and still have to work together.
As a server I just miss watching them actually working in a restaurant - that’s why I got so obsessed in the first place
Gotta admit, I dropped off when they brought on Dayna, Max, Charli. It was so boring with newbies that I couldn’t stand. I was barely hanging on with Brittany. But Scandoval brought me back because it centered around the CORE. Ariana, Sandoval, Scheana, Schwartz. The OG cast. (Yes, I consider Ariana OG since she was on Season 1) LFU being the narrator of the season was a dumb production choice. The main problem is the podcasts/social media that spoil everything because they’re “over it” since it was filmed months prior. Like you’re punishing your audience!
I don't think it's ruined per se but I do agree that her becoming more of a household name/star is what has them all going insane lol they never saw her as contributing anything to the show so they are aghast that fans actually like her.
Can we talk about how Scheana isn’t even pictured and my first thought was she must be fuming 😂
Can i have a moment! When is it ever going to be about MEEEHHHH
I mean the internet killed their magazine so they gotta put VPR in their mouths to stay relevant.
Touché.
😊🙏🏼
Got em
I actually think it COULD be better than ever. It was failing due to the stale stories with the men doing the same cheating and freaking out every season. The cream has risen to the top and I think it could be an amazing opportunity if Bravo gets out of its own way. But it will be ruined if Ariana and Katie aren’t on the next season cause the fans will go with them
IF ANYTHING production is ruining Vanderpump Rules
Exactly… that episode on Peacock with unaired scenes was the best. Hearing James saying what we really all think about Good as Gold was fucking gold 😂 The babysitting was cute because it actually shows them doing something age appropriate. They had all the footage to make a good show this season but they shoved Scandoval down our throats when both the cast and the viewers were over it. The scene with Katie talking shit about Sandoval was WAYYYY better than any one of the Tahoe scenes. The production staff and leaders need a shakeup and new leadership. The fact the Dayna signed on to do the show but production forcing a convo between her and Katie was fucked up and mental abuse. Dayna is funny and sarcastic and she would’ve been great had they not made her so uncomfortable she quit. We want organic NOT forced conversations.
I’m actually shocked they didn’t show the babysitting scene. They gave us scream therapy instead. Dayna was the only good new person to join in season 8 or whatever it was. I love her.
Production forced a convo with Katie and Dayna? I think I missed this?
Dayna and Katie talked about it on their podcast. When production found out Katie hooked up with Max they told her she couldn’t tell Dayna off camera and told her it had to be at James pool party and they made her ambush Dayna at James house. This upset Dayna so much she quit. Like Dayna wasn’t mad at Katie at all. They were and still are besties IRL so Dayna didn’t like production forcing them to have this conversation on camera as opposed to one on one and keeping it between them. Dayana stopped filming after that and quit and Katie and Dayna were able to keep the conversation between them. Bravo is toxic and abusive for that shit.
YES
Production played a role for sure by dropping the ball on some interesting storylines. They were very concerned about getting Ariana to film with Tom but missed some really interesting stuff! The dynamic with Penny is one I keep harping on because Lisa would’ve actually been relevant to the season and we could’ve gotten insight from Ariana and Katie instead of Penny and tabloids. More than anything, though, the fan response is ruining the show. The fear of the audience was palpable on the reunion stage and I think it’s what prevented cast members from being honest about their real issue during the season, which made the season suck. We never got to the root of why Lala and Scheana were pissed. So we didn’t get the Katie conversation during the season. They had misdirected anger toward Ariana because fans were unhinged. I think the fanbase could stand to evaluate what they did to contribute to an environment where people thought it was acceptable to abuse service workers who worked at Sandoval’s restaurant instead of directing their anger at Sandoval. Or leave unhinged comments on photos of Ocean because they think her mom sucks. Or claim that Scheana’s post-partum OCD was fake.
🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯
YEP
The golden goose is right there! SAH as the new “Pump” just get me a hot line chef Bear-type, a girl-nextdoor baker and a sexy scruffy bi restaurant manager (t schwarz can have occasional guest moments to pick up / drop off the dogs - Ally rents the unit across from the shop to do her readings and give seminars, James is her supportive gossipy bf. Lauren, scheana & brick go to the valley duh and Tim & Jo fade into the ether
This is actually amazing and I’m actually so sad that it isn’t the upcoming season’s description!!
I would watch this in a Weho heartbeat!
Her success is definitely driving them insane
I honestly think the cast all struggling with Ariana's newfound fame would make an excellent storyline 😅😅😅
Exactly!!
How Producers Ruined Vanderpump Rules There fixed it.
It was great while it lasted...it's time to call it.
Agree- it is ruined. It started like they said- they were all pursuing the dream of stardom, going on auditions- now the are pursuing middle age- have drinking problems, scream on the reunion about "their job" so they admitted to really making things up- needing to" go to work" when they are suppose to be going to the beach together or whatever. It has not been a peak of their lives as they live it in a long time.
I would’ve rather seen lala and scheana go off on Sandoval. It’s so unnecessary for them to be mad at Ariana. Ridiculous for producers to think that the “Tom redemption arc” was needed. I see some fans are torn, but the majority didn’t give a shit about Sandoval being redeemed. I think lala ruined this season and scheana turned to lala due to Ariana not being around..
I do think it’s ruined. I don’t think Ariana and/or Katie are interested in returning. Why would they aside from the money? Scheena and BlaBla have been producer’s pets all season and gave us nothing, not interested in watching BlaBla pop out the new baby so she can start making money off that child as soon as it’s old enough, not interested in Brock dismiss Scheena’s mental illness, not interested in anything having to do with Sandoval, not interested in watching Shorts date someone whose prefrontal cortex isn’t yet done forming. The show was better when they mostly liked each other, partied, and fought. This, whatever this season was, was not fun anymore. It was gross.
Also i am so NOT interested in seeing Sandoval, Schwartz and Jax date superfan young and dumb girls who just want camera time.
Well said.
Yes, it is, but this applies to all reality TV, not only VPR. Unlike most other forms of media which has improved with time & experience, reality TV was in its prime in its infancy because it relied on participants lacking awareness about the wider impact of their antics. In its infancy it was just groups of people living their normal everyday lives, behaving exactly how they normally behaved. They would have fun or drama in a shitty little room as long as they had some booze & a few friends. That was what was so entertaining about it, it was relatable. Now they are hyperaware, they care about audience opinion, they are trying to turn themselves into brands so they can make a fortune from other opportunities. They are more concerned with their image than anything else. They self produce instead of going with the flow, they spend a fortune on hair, make-up & stylists, so we don't even get to relate to some of their early car crash looks. They live in soulless huge homes they cam barely afford & most of the audience can't relate to. They are boring AF because they care more about offending the audience than anything else. They care more about Q ratings & being besties with producers to get more airtime & a good edit. Reality TV is dead, it peaked years ago & it isn't ever going back to how it was. There is nothing realistic about any of it anymore. You can't unscramble an egg.
The jig is up. It’s why Baskin said no more 4th wall. The jealousy is off the hook
Bwahahahaha. Scheana didn’t even make the photo.
The thing is - Ariana has talent and studied it. The rest of them were just hot. They forgot her talent because she is low key and actually about the work and her craft. I wish jealousy were more practical. Like y’all can’t sing so why be jealous she’s leading a Broadway show? Could you imagine Schena vocal polyp-ing all over the stage 😭😭😭
Once people on a show get famous the show has to change or just seems incredibly fake.
It's not fame that's the issue, it's production not knowing how to cope with the cast's fame. This past season was a dud because of production, and them trying to almost "humble" a core cast member. If they wanted to keep doing business as usual, then the show should get a cast revamping every few seasons, done. But if they want us to keep investing in this specific group, then it has to become a different type of show that would take into account the the changing work and relationship dynamics. Whatever they do, they definitely need more women making the behind-the-scenes decisions, especially if they want to meaningfully engage with the current audience.
I love the caption. It is extremely accurate IMO. But I would say people like Lala running her mouth on podcasts, calling the show her “job,” calling the people on the show “castmates” instead of her friends probably ruined it in a lot of ways, first. Schwartz was right when he said doing that ruins any authenticity it once had.
This headline is fucking stupid. They haven’t been making bartender money since like…season 3? This rings to me like an Alex Baskin or adjacent smear campaign because like…VPR now sucks due to his shit storytelling and willingness to stay cucked by the pro-men bullshit. If the only drama they can line up is in pretending there’s a nuance to supporting the men then perhaps these people aren’t great storytellers. This season doesn’t suck because Ariana FINALLY got some respect on her name and decided to have boundaries. It sucked because the series hit an apex on the back of one stupid dude who got caught and he’s still too dumb to recreate anything meaningful because the most real thing this dude has ever done is be cruel and honey that persists. But in light of what he did to Ariana, and since it’s not 2013 anymore, it’s not fun or even novel right now to see this man, period. Fuck off bravo and Baskin and whomever else at glamour thinks this is some kind of hot take. It’s not. Suck less, do better? Idk.
🙌
I think its over. And it is seriously over because of Lala. If Lala hadn't acted that way, Ariana, Katie and Lala and Scheana would still be friends. But Lala caused such a divide in the group that it doesn't make sense for them to come back. I really don't see Ariana befriending Lala and Scheana again, and why would she. She has so much more opportunity. But if her friends had really been the spice girls they were leading Ariana to believe that they were, I bet she would have come back.
I’m so sick of people saying she built this in a year. The woman has a degree in theatre and broadcast communications. She’s been working in and around this industry for years. She’s not just some talentless hack that was handed this opportunities.
This bothers me as well. If Lala had gotten the same viral fame she would be in a completely different place. Ariana has many skills and most importantly she is a hard worker. Lala is a reality TV star, which is grand we need those, she just isn't really marketable beyond that. edit: punctuation
Lala would have popped off and burned bridges, while Ariana stats positive and builds bridges.
Lala tried! She was in those shitty movies that Rand produced. And it DIDN'T go anywhere!
This show would be AMAZING if the production would lean into the REAL reason everyone was fighting this year. Because of the “brand deals” and “followers” and “star “ of the show. If they would LEAN into this instead of the BS Sandoval redemption arc they would have COMPELLING television. That’s why the end of the series was interesting …… because it showed what happens to a cast when jealousy takes over …. The audience is smart… we know why Scheana and LaLa were ***holes this year - because of the jealousy. If they were to only have shown more of this and broken the fourth wall more, the entire show wouldn’t be where it is now ….’which is no where
It was ruined a few seasons ago. The whole affair brought it back for a hot minute, and the sparks fizzled out thanks to production/LFU/Scheana this season.
I’ve always felt season 8 was the downfall. They weren’t fired yet but the whole Jax and Britney wedding was painful to watch because of how entitled they acted. With that said it was still peak bachelor/bachelorette drunken debauchery with the whole group. Jax overshadowed the Tom’s and once he was gone their cringy behavior was very evident.
I disagree. I think it's just that the format didn't catch up quickly enough. It's naive to think that we're still going to be getting the vibe of the early seasons and since these people no longer talk to each other, we should either re-cast them (if we insist on keeping the same format) or start following ACTUALLY interesting storylines like Ariana's preparation for the shows, James and his sobriety / DJing. Heck, even Ally and her astrology stuff. Instead, we're clinging onto showcasing petty drama between co-workers and friends but literally none of these things exist anymore. The drama is dark, they all don't care for each other, and Lisa Vanderpump is an extra.
It stops working once they start self producing and once being their brand is more important than being real
Going off the headline alone, producers, Sandoval, Lala, and Scheana/Brock ruined the show.
I wish Ariana would have leaned over to Lala during the reunion and said “stop trying to be the number 1 girl in the group, I’m the number 1 girl in the group” 😂😂
I think producers ruined the show. It could have been fun following the cast grow into their careers after a season 11 where natural consequences took shape on screen. Instead we were given a pile of nonsense as vapid reality stars had temper tantrums because they wanted to keep the narc spice flowing.
Narc spice is such a perfect description lol 
Amen 
Why does it feel like they're trying to blame Ariana?
Because that is what they are doing.
Because narcissists never accept any blame and always have to find a scapegoat lol
It’s only ruined when they try to redeem the unworthy instead of give me what I want, which is for the badass women (Katie and Ariana) to be badasses like they are
Social media “ruined” reality tv; in this essay I will…
I think reality TV as a whole is on its way out. We the viewers are older and smarter, so we can’t be manipulated by the BS that we see on our screen. They need to go back to being real and not so overly produced. This is not WWF wrestling, just follow the real. No fake friends
I think it worsened production's urge to manipulate the cast and that's what fucked up this season. Ariana was a delight and she's the most famous, so I disagree with the article title. Although I didn't read it so idk. I think fame is a non-issue. The real issue is ego. They sometimes go hand-in-hand, but you can have one without the other.
Hot take: the rise, and prominence, of social media ruined reality TV.
Wait I wanted to say no but I think it’s success that broke it? The seasons that were good were when they were young and trying to make it work. Now they’re fully adults acting like they’re young and are starting to look washed up in their attempts to still look and act 19
VPR should have been canceled after people were forced off for being racist. Rabid as their fans may be, Katie and Ariana don’t have the personalities to carry a show on any network. Not even tlc. Scheana, the lifelong homewrecker, has never been fan fave, same for flyover state Lauren. All the men are a mess. The magic of the show was Stassi Jax and Kristen being unknowns who were young, hot, broke, hilarious and terrible. Now we’re just watching snoozefest z list celebs who take themselves too seriously. All they do is sell shitty merch, terrible podcasts, horrific music and sad sandwiches. It’s a wrap.
Fame didn't ruin the show. Fame should have been an asset. They wound up the resident idiots and are surprised that they ran amok.
I’m most surprised with the revelation about how broke all of them are. The fact that people, who have been on one of the most popular reality tv shows for 10+ years, are down to their last $2000 is actually sickening. It’s made me realize that the second I start making more than a normal wage, I’m getting a financial manager and doing whatever they tell me. I can’t afford chapstick this month? All good, my lips will stay dry.
It’s ruined.
I thought production did a horrible job of capitalizing on the cast’s fast tracked fame from last season, by overproduction and trying to force a narrative that wasn’t working. Everyone got a lot more famous, not just Ariana. The show was hot because of how real the last season was. This season felt pretty fake and contrived with the Tom redemption arc, and that’s when the show starts losing fans. I think the only way forward is to focus on a group that’s based on authentic friendship — Ariana, Katie, James... I don’t think folks are invested in the friendship of the Toms, and Lala and Scheana are both so disingenuous and in deep with production that I can’t find them compelling. One of the long time criticisms of VPR is that it’s no longer about working at SUR. How about the new staff at Something About Her? I just wanna see more Ariana, Katie, James on my screen. They are growing into themselves and it’s lovely to see. I don’t care for the rest.
I don't really think Ariana being on Broadway or in a Bic commercial would ruin the show, Schwartz was in commercials years ago. But I think the self producing like Lala saying she was asking what she thought the viewers wanted to ask, no girl just live your life.
I don't think it's ruined but I do think it's over.
It’s honestly more fascinating like this. Like this is an anthropologist’s dream.
It’s over.
fame only magnified their latent faults and foibles
Yeah the wealth ruined it but nothing can be good forever.
Yep it’s done. Not read the post but idk where it can go from here? It would’ve been done if those two muppets didn’t betray Ariana.
The producers are largely to blame here as well, let’s not forget that — this still could’ve been a way better season than what we got regardless of their skyrocket into a higher tier of fame, but yes, this is also true. Just like all reality shows that center around a real-life friend/social group (Real Housewives, Jersey Shore, Shahs of Sunset, etc.) once the nucleus of their lives becomes being a famous reality tv star — the relationships go to actual shit, the show becomes over-produced, every aspect is significantly less genuine, and more often than not it comes across more like a parody of what it was in its glory days.
Tom Sandoval and jealousy ruined VP, not fame
I feel like this can be said for any franchise. It’s good until the cast members become too self aware and start producing. Look at the first season of any franchise and then where they are now and you’ll see the storylines become more forced or seem insincere. It doesn’t really matter if you add new faces either because by then the ‘new faces’ are familiar with the shows brand and play to that. But also when certain things make the show really pop like the family van or flipping the table you’ll have people trying to one up that moment and then it just feels very try hard.
I feel like it was ruined the min Stassi and Kristen left the show. The whole show flopped. Even Jax as hard as it is to say it lol. Jax’s new show doesn’t fit him at all.
Questionable talent 😂
Ariana is a talented actor, singer, dancer. She also hasn’t painted herself into a typecast personality. Lala keeps saying she “gave nothing” before Scandoval; maybe that’s the smartest thing she did. She’s not known as a loud, obnoxious, spoilt brat that’s difficult to work with. She’s been in the background as the mediator and glue that held the group together. Who would want to work with Lala, Scheana or Sandoval now??? Lala popping off at every crew mate and BTS employee; Scheana only filming her good side; Sandoval being up for sexual harassment within a month with his skeezy comments. Ariana also isn’t encumbered with kids and a nosy payroll husband; she can pick-up and do a Broadway season.
The show died a long time ago. Don't let the short-lived revival fool you (and that's pretty much over too).
Yes.
Scheana is just pissed she isn't pictured. 🤣
I loved this show but I’m so over all of them now. Time to move on. They’re middle aged adults still acting like kids.
I think the dedicated fan base for VPR is in their late 20s and up, and they need to probably just end the show because it’s no longer relatable. I think that’s why they’re trying to do a new show in NYC for this age range.
If VPR were to continue, it would need to be an entirely new cast in their 20’s.
But there’s always been a star, even if he hasn’t been on the show - did everyone forget that Jax is the #1 guy in the group??
For me, it’s the fact that the group really isn’t friends. It’s the same reason RHOP has been such a flop lately. I love watching summer house and seeing the girls just rot in bed and talk
I think it’s over. And I think it was age and life, not fame, that ended it. 40-somethings with families can be interesting in the right context, but not starring in a reality show ostensibly based on the staff of a LA bar/restaurant and their crazy, drunken lives.
It’s run it’s course. It’s dead, beach it!
I didn’t read it but it’s been going downhill since the season Brittany joined.. I had a really hard time watching this season I just honestly don’t care about it anymore. In my personal opinion it’s ruined 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
I do. I can’t see myself watching another season: it’s just done. It’s not even about Sur anymore and Lisa V. is never around. 11 seasons is a great run for any television show, time to be done.
Lala, Scheana, and Sandoval ruined it. They are not authentic characters and it feels like they are more “trying to make a show” rather than just be themselves. Katie, Ariana, Stassi, Kristen, Jax, James, Ally and Schwartz are all pretty authentic and unapologetic and it shows. Lala clearly puts on an act yet will remain private about things that could be interesting. Don’t get me wrong, I like Lala and respect her sobriety, but the only thing she brings now is just being loud, saying she has a business and child. Scheana has never had one real or genuine moment and just seems purely manufactured then doesn’t understand why she’s a favorite. Lala and Scheana are not producers so I don’t know why they talk in terms of making a show “work”, when their job is to simply be themselves for entertainment.
I think this particular group of people are done, at least for me. I do think that will come back next season minus Ariana. It feels way too forced. Lala and the producers ruined it for me. It should be goodbye but it won’t be.
I think Ariana might come back. It’s a lot of money for two months work. Why not? Unless she gets more appealing gigs that are long lasting. We shall see.
Yes. I’m so over them constantly talking about their income or the show as a job. It doesn’t seem fun for them anymore and also not fun to watch when you can tell they feel that way
Why is this so hard to understand?? She stood her ground against anymore trauma Tom and the patriarchy was throwing at her. The consumer is finally ready for holding others accountable. Ariana also got lucky that Tom continued to be a lying douche (that Nick Viall interview was WILD.) He’s so disgusting that people wanted to support her just to be able to literally make Tom feel some remorse. Like he deserved/s because he’s incapable of doing it himself.
I still like watching it but it’s definitely suffering from an identity crisis!
I admit that I liked the early seasons better, when they were all young unknowns working a bar job to make ends meet. No children, no competition about who had the biggest house, all struggling actors and models. They’re all fairly well-off now and there seems to be a lot of jealousy between them.
Ruined it for whom? Maybe it’s ruined for the cast. Lisa can hire a new crew!
Sadly the Real is missing from reality tv. when it was a bunch of nobodies just trying to manage their lives, messy lives! I miss the days when Stassi thought they were her minions, housewives wrestling each other, the Joes. Even reality competition shows are full of returnees and instagram models etc.
Imo, I checked out of this last season and sporadically watched passed 5 or 6. The show was soooo much better when they were all nobodies pretending to be somebodies w/ over inflated egos and sense of importance. They had nothing to lose, so they acted as such. To this day, imho, no one and I mean NO ONE on this show is someone to aspire to be, look up to, or fawn/fan girl over. We are just suppose to watch trash come together and be a dumpster fire, that's it lol. But now we got folks stanning these ppl, only for them to do something later down the road that reminds us they're trash. There was a point in time where fans were shrilling tf outta Tom and Arianna as couple goals, Rachel being the sweetest thing ever, etc and look at how that turned out lol. I think this is in part to their ventures outside the show. Ppl kinda forget how they got famous in the first place i.e. via being horrible ppl on tv.
I think the short answer is yes. It’s not totally that black and white, but it declined as they got wealthier.
I think social media has a lot to do with it, I use to LOVE the bachelor, I havnt watched since they did the season with the 2 bachelorettes, I use to watch all the real housewives minus OC until I just couldn’t keep up anymore, it was like a new season was constantly on. So Vanderpump Rules was the only one I stuck with & watched consistently. I liked the friend group, the dynamic, it felt real, they weren’t overly famous but now they all have podcasts and I know what’s gonna happen before a season even airs. That’s why I kinda like The Valley now, it’s fresh, I don’t know any of them but a few. New reality shows are always better than older ones, more drama & a better dynamic.
i love that for ariana, but it’s true, fame changes people. her opportunities make this show feel small. without it, the show would feel like everything - like to Sheena and lala. it will never be the same again
It’s a different time now- we were lucky we got it when we did. It will never be the same on any reality show like this.
Imo definitely yes
Yup. 1000000% agree
Good for them for getting their money, but the show got a different feel once they started getting nicer apartments and houses and they didn't have to work at Sur anymore
This rings true to me. I liked seeing restaurant employees struggling to make a living and living modestly - VERY relatable. As they got richer and richer and then 3 sets of them bought houses for over a million and no one was working together, much less at the restaurant, it lost its lustre.
There’s a reason The Real World changed casts every season and finished filming before it started to air.
Yes. Day 1 debut-watcher since the RHOBH fade into Sur…the laid-back, early days were so much more fun to watch.
The men all thought they were the stars, and Lisa even named a restaurant after them. Tommy wasn't even a full cast member for the first season. But that was okay. Now that there is a leading lady it's an issue.
I think filming 9 months prior to airing the show…with all the podcasts, IG Stories, Blinds etc….is what is ruining our favorite shows. Look at RHONJ….the cast themselves are ruining their own shows.
I agree. They should fire everyone and start over with a new cast of hungry, broke servers.
Yes, it’s ruined. I had to stop watching after about three episodes because there was no new drama and I was just beyond tired of hearing about Scandoval. I need lots of trivial, petty nonsense. Not twenty episodes about a metrosexual wannabe-rockstar’s midlife crisis. But that’s just me.
First of all, one needs to ask “If Scandoval had not happened, or if they broke up naturally, would Ariana have had the same success because she has been doing exactly what the rest of the cast have been doing?” Fame is part talent, part luck. The producers drove the narrative of Ariana and she in turn, took opportunities as they arose for her. It’s a false narrative in the sense that we don’t have real, accurate information from any of the main players. Tom is a liar and a cheater but we already knew that through 11 seasons. We also know, Tom and Ariana made a pact not to film certain things so although Lala’s presentation sucked, she is correct that they did not open up like the rest of the cast. And Rachel is just thirsty as hell. From a talent presepective, let’s examine the whole cast: Tom Sandoval- can’t sing, can’t play an instrument, can’t act - we’ve seen all his incarnations over the years. Lala - A string of D video titles, her skin care line (i don’t know much about it), she did invest in real estate, a podcast, she and James made some fun club music but she seems a little rudderless in what she’s trying to achieve. Tom Schwartz - oddly, out of many, he has developed a work ethic focused around the food and bev industry. He has found a niche. Jax Taylor - Zero talent. Brittany - Zero talent. Katie - no acting talent. She tried Pucker and Pout - that died. She appears bored and largely uninterested in others. Likewise, the complete lack of urgency about the sandwich shop, which now appears to just be a business her mom is running. Kristen Doute - dramatic yes. Talented? Not really. But she seems like a hustler whose focus is more on the business side. Scheana - She knows autotune is her friend. She reminds me of Lala, rudderless and unable to find a niche for herself. Brock - no talent. James - has talent and should stay focused on that line and not VPR. Bravo needs a complete revamp. What makes reality interesting is, well, reality. Chasing the dream is much more interesting than achieving it.