The Real Housewives of New York City

[TeeVeeThree]

I've read and love all 70-something pages of this thread...

I can deal with all the "housewives" but really Alex and Simon just get to me. I'm from NYC and I call BS. I have friends who own similar brownstones in Ft. Greene and in Cobble Hill (my friends own the buildings, where I don't think it has even been established that Alex and Simon own more than an apt, but either way--). My point is, if you have two working partners making decent NYC salaries, you don't have to be "rich" to buy one. Especially if it is a craphole like Alex and Simon's. They didn't rip up that floor. They bought it like that. TRUST ME. And they don't have enough dough to even get the project started because they have AWFUL priorities.

How do I know this? Because if you bullsh*t about some things, you bullsh*t about everything! Case in point: When Simon showed the tour guide at Claremont the pics of Francois and Johann "at blah blah blah airport" (how gratuitous), he followed it with "they just finished running around on the beach in St. Barts speaking French"... Ummm.... yeeahhhh.... no. No they didn't. First of all Francois DOES NOT SPEAK FRENCH. And second of all, Johann will never even learn to speak ANY language if he continues to be COMPLETELY IGNORED.

Oh BTW, apparently only desperate losers send their kids to Claremont. Hey NY Mag said it, not me:

(this forum won't let me post a link 'cause I'm new, but Google "claremont school new york" and it is the NY Mag article titled "Snobby New York Parents Destroy New Private School")

[Google]

 

[Juliana]

They were late for the cocktail hour, but not the dinner.

But why? There was no emergency and they sure paid enough for the tickets.

Does Alex' makeup take that long?

I've been to some galas at the Waldorf, etc. I don't miss cocktails, that's the fun part.

Unless, I am exhausted--but I'm not a social climber trying to glom onto everyone I can and get my picture taken.

Thanks for the links.

[Juliana]

This is from an article written in 2001.

A snob is defined as "one who affects an offensive air of self-satisfied superiority in matters of taste or intellect." The underlying commonality between all the aforementioned categories of snobs is shallowness coupled with a consummate insecurity, the need to constantly belittle others in a myriad of ways to make one feel better about oneself.

It is often stated that the measure of a person's character or class is how they treat those who either are beneath them in a social situation, like a person in the service industry, or those from which they can derive nothing. People of class, of character, treat everyone equally, not based on fame, wealth, intellect, social standing or the pretence of such.

In essence, that is what being a snob is all about, a lack of class. Lizzie Grubman, despite all of daddy's money, couldn't buy an ounce of dignity, not that she probably tried. Ironically it was dear Lizzie that wound up acting the part of the 'white trash' in the mess the little brat created, despite her snobbishness of coming from a family with a lot of money. That Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston are a famous couple is one thing. They are. But how classless, let alone obnoxious, is it to have to announce it to everyone?

The very idea of living one's life in a constant state of superficial comparisons with others to prop up one's frail self-esteem seems to the more secure casual observer to be somewhat ridiculous. While that may be so, it is the Duh and Igno approach to prove to the world, and to themselves, a reason for self-worth. It is at best highly immature, but don't expect those who stumble through life acting this way to easily surrender the pretense of their own importance in society. For all the ridicule that snobs rightly deserve, apparently it is better to be known as a snob than a Duh.

Gregory J. Hand is currently a weekly columnist with NewsCorridor.com

[Kao]

Thank you, Juliana. You hit it right on the head.

[candor]

I've got to say, I'm loving the comments on this thread. The show is bringing lots of smart newbies to FORT!

Simon makes my skin crawl. I find myself reaching for the fast-forward button when he's talking, like I do when something's too uncomfortable to watch. (But then I remember it's not an ugly medical procedure, so I rewind.) That slight camera cut of him interrupting Alex and Bethenny's conversation said volumes. The man is an absolute control freak. If Alex ever left him, he'd probably stalk her.

[luvsginger]

Originally Posted by TeeVeeThree

I've read and love all 70-something pages of this thread...

I can deal with all the "housewives" but really Alex and Simon just get to me. I'm from NYC and I call BS. I have friends who own similar brownstones in Ft. Greene and in Cobble Hill (my friends own the buildings, where I don't think it has even been established that Alex and Simon own more than an apt, but either way--). My point is, if you have two working partners making decent NYC salaries, you don't have to be "rich" to buy one. Especially if it is a craphole like Alex and Simon's. They didn't rip up that floor. They bought it like that. TRUST ME. And they don't have enough dough to even get the project started because they have AWFUL priorities.

How do I know this? Because if you bullsh*t about some things, you bullsh*t about everything! Case in point: When Simon showed the tour guide at Claremont the pics of Francois and Johann "at blah blah blah airport" (how gratuitous), he followed it with "they just finished running around on the beach in St. Barts speaking French"... Ummm.... yeeahhhh.... no. No they didn't. First of all Francois DOES NOT SPEAK FRENCH. And second of all, Johann will never even learn to speak ANY language if he continues to be COMPLETELY IGNORED.

Oh BTW, apparently only desperate losers send their kids to Claremont. Hey NY Mag said it, not me:

(this forum won't let me post a link 'cause I'm new, but Google "claremont school new york" and it is the NY Mag article titled "Snobby New York Parents Destroy New Private School")

I read the article, it was very interesting. I am surprised Claremont snagged the admissions director from Horace Mann. Jill mentioned to A and S over dinner that her friend owned Claremont and they offered the International Baccalaureate degree. She was mistaken, for one thing you dont need to be fluent in French for the IB, only for the French Bacc. After reading the article, Claremont only goes to 8th grade so Jill needs to get her facts straight before soliciting the school to her so called friends. I can see Simon and Alex sending their kids to Claremont but since it is a new school they probably dont have much of an endowment so no financial assistance for Hans and Franz!

[Jupiter]

Well Gawker's site is at it again. More comments on our good buddies Alex and Simonite. (For some reason when these folks talk they remind me of Mr. and Mrs. Thurston Howell III.....I mean in a very bad way).

[taffina]

Originally Posted by Martine540

I don't know if Ramona's problem is chemical, emotional or just plain self-delusion, but I do think she is so very insecure of her position in the stupid social ranking that these so called friends of hers have that she over compensates and slits her own throat.

I believe she's aware that Jill and Luanne feel that they are on a higher level of society than she currently occupies and it drives her nuts. It is probably the source of her passive/aggressive behavior toward Jill. And it's all so trite, empty and just plain pathetic. With the exception of Elliott Templeton, in 'The Razors Edge', no one gives a damn about their social standing when they are on their death bed. I've been there and believe me it's not what you think about.

There are so many things about Ramona that I find appalling, that I can hardly believe that in my first post on this board I'm going to admit that for a moment at that dinner party, when she first questioned Simon's being there when it was supposed to be females only, I liked her. OK, she quickly carried it too far and she could have phrased it better but the fact is she stated what everyone else thought but was too socially constipated to say. The Emperor has no clothes, Simon is not a woman, no matter how often he likes to slip into Alex's leopard/zebra/guinea pig themed gowns.

Too bad she doesn't know when to quit and soon became her obnoxious self. But for a brief, shining moment I liked her, I really liked her. I don't expect it to happen again.

And I'm grateful that I have the kind of friends I can depend on to inform me if and when I am making a horses-a** of myself, (It has happened) and not smugly and scornfully enjoy themselves at my expense. That was not classy behavior either.

Emily Post must be grinding her teeth.

Yea, except LuAnn did try to tell her enough is enough when she said, "Ok, well now that Simon is here we should make him feel comfortable, right?.....right?"
Then Bethenny pulled Ramona into the kitchen to "help" so things could calm down. I consider both examples of people trying to get Ramona to stop with her rant.
Anyway, I don't get the feeling LuAnn, Jill, and Bethenny are that close to Ramona, so I don't think Ramona would have been too receptive to them calling her a horse's ass.
I think any attempt to address Ramona bluntly about her rudeness would have caused her to be even more belligerent and totally ruined everyone's evening before it started.

ETA.

I still do not think it's the end of the world that LuAnn prefers people in the service industry to address her in a formal manner.
Maybe LuAnn could've just let it slide this one time and not mentioned it to Bethenny.

[Poohtz]

Originally Posted by izdatayat

The New York Times > Arts > Slide Show > Opening Night at the Metropolitan Opera > Slide 1 of 18 Opening night at the Met photos

I'd love to find the photo of Alex's back. lol

Has anyone considered that perhaps Alex and Simon really didn't attend opening night? If you look at the slideshow of that night, there were so many people, it looks to be a very huge event, yet that really doesn't come through when you see them arriving or even inside. I know they were running late, but how late were they?

[luvsginger]

good point, but what red carpet were they on when their photos were NOT being taken? Do you think perhaps it was edited in? They are so strange!