The Housewives are Feminist Icons

Many people poke fun at Reality TV stars and their fans. When asked what my favorite show is, I always feign an obligatory cringe before I admit that it’s The Real Housewives. But I don’t actually feel guilty or cheugy (hi Gen Z! Love me plz!) at all. I love The Housewives proudly. HRH Daddy Andy Cohen’s creation has brought me friends and community atop hours of entertainment and self-care. 

Don’t worry, this is not an announcement that I’m starting a recap podcast (not yet, at least). My purpose in declaring my love for the housewives is (if you read my last piece, you probably guessed it) to explain why; and to share some thoughts on why marketers (and you, whatever you do TBH) should care. Without further adieu, here are my hot takes. 

The Housewives are perhaps the greatest intersectional feminists of our time. OK even I don’t believe that but how many other shows (on air for 16 years) are centered around (mostly) 45+ year old women, whose stories and drama very often have nothing to do with the men, or romantic partners of any gender  (which brings up another point on intersectionality - finally we have queer housewives!) But my real point here is that The Housewives, unlike many others including prestige TV, passes the Bechdel test. Of course romantic relationships come up from time to time but the conceit of the show is the relationships amongst the (again, mostly middle-aged) women. 

DRAMA!!!! Cynically speaking I could say that I just watch these shows to escape my own reality. No one would really question it - of course watching the TV dramatization of dissolving relationships, financial woes, even (Shahmazing!) federal fraud charges would make one feel better about their own lot in life. However, I mean the deep, been-there-since-Season-One drama. No one really makes fun of dudes (and Cool Girls™) for getting REALLY INTO SPORTS RIVALRIES so, what makes housewives fans any less cool or intelligent than sports fans? At least if my favorite housewife (#BassettHound for life IYKYK) loses a fight one week and is forced to concede, I don’t scream and throw things and avoid talking to my family. 

And if you are looking for the intelligentsia of the Bravo world, look no further than the network's own Watch What Happens Live. It bosts guests from the highest echelons of Hollywood, Politics and Journalism. If you don't believe me, do yourself a favor and watch Jon Hamm and John Slattery reenact this iconic scene from the Vanderpump Rules S10 Reunion.

Depth. No seriously. The Bravo cinematic universe is massive, layered and unbelievably sticky. There are spin-offs and crossovers and even elusive breaking of the fourth wall. On top of that there are infinite Bravo podcasts, fan accounts on social, private paid communities (What up Casey and Danielle’s Garbage World! I’m a Bougie Bitch! I love you!) and massive events like BravoCon. And the events have sub-events, like fan accounts scheduling happy hours for creators to meet each other and their fans. Bravo shows create culture. Even if you don't watch, you've definitely used a HW meme.

After the #scandoval (Team Ariana, obviously) there were some notable, relevant brand deals (i.e. Ariana Maddix and Duracell) but the advertising on all this content is still relatively generic, presumably just targeting women 25-54. 

This post was initially intended simply to pay tribute to my favorite women to ever grace our TV screens, and of course to thank Daddy Andy Cohen for the blessing he’s bestowed on us all. Thank you all, you've given me so much.

However, something came to me in writing that last point. EMBRACE THE NICHE! Rather than watching Twitter die a slow death in real time looking for a legit mass-trend to hop on, why not prioritize microcosms of fandoms that align with the audience for your brand/service/product? Mass marketing has become so predictable. Fandoms is where there’s still a real opportunity to Surprise and Delight™ TRUE FANS. Sure you might have to do a little more work but wouldn’t the return be higher than on a Sunday NFL spot when most of the audience is taking advantage of the break to get a snack/drink or take a bathroom break?