9/18 Show Discussion **Spoilers**

[ness]

Melissa Gorga was not a stripper at Lookers. She bartended there for a couple of months, and was never a dancer there.

Former Boss: Real Housewives' Melissa Gorga Was Never a Stripper! - UsMagazine.com

The article also implies that Teresa was definitely in on the set-up with Bravo.

If THIS particular article is true, then Teresa is even MORE messed up than I thought she was. And I feel sorrier for her girls than I already do.

And with THAT said . . .

I'm curious as to why: " . . . Melissa ran away from him and refused to film with him."

I can honestly see refusing to film with him (shoot, if I'd been blindsided like that, I can't truthfully say I'd want to be/WOULD be seen skinning and grinning next to this guy ON TAPE, either).

But to "run away" (IF that's what she did)?

Hell, no, stripper or bartender, I ain't ABOUT to take to my heels and run away from NOBODY. ESPECIALLY since I was the one who bought and paid for a ticket onto this Ship of Fools, in the FIRST place.

I mean, again, if she WAS a stripper, so the hairy WHAT? And even just a bartender IN a strip club? An even BIGGER so the hairy what!

And if she DID go running to Caroline and Jac to plead her case, lick her wounds, and get brownie points in with them against Teresa, then I still think she's just as shabby for doing that as Teresa is (if the implication about Teresa being in on this mess is true). I can still see how she'd be hurt if she thought Teresa had a hand in it, and would want to strike back at her, though.

And, yep, for my money, Jac going after Teresa --- ESPECIALLY on Twitter and with (allegedly) leaking the photo --- is just as smarmy as anything else going down here.

But, prior to that, I still have to give Jac at LEAST half a thumbs up for cruisin' up out of this mess (even though what I'd LIKE to do is take that half thumb back, too, for her going after Teresa and keeping s**t going in her own fashion).

Just sayin.'

[SugarMama]

Melissa Gorga was not a stripper at Lookers. She bartended there for a couple of months, and was never a dancer there.

Former Boss: Real Housewives' Melissa Gorga Was Never a Stripper! - UsMagazine.com

The article also implies that Teresa was definitely in on the set-up with Bravo.

so what to make of it all?

I read the article referenced above, and this was one of the comments made, which I found interesting and makes a couple of good points...

So let me get this straight....Melissa's ex boss says that she was never a stripper and that this manager that came to the show didn't know mel and worked a different shift.....YET MELISSA RUNS AWAY as Soon as she spots him??? For someone that has nothing to hide why run? if this guy barely knew Melissa...why did she recognize him soo quickly? This source is clearing from Melissa's camp..trying to clean up the story. I doubt Mel was a full time dancer..however i do bet she did a few extracurricular activities at the club and that is why so is runnin scared. Spin the story all you want...but the real truth will come to light.

I hope the truth comes to light soon - this will be a good one either way

[Poppy Fields]

I think Bravo staged the whole thing. That would include the guy with the mic, Melissa freaking out, and the drama in the bathroom. I do not believe for a second that it was a surprise to any of the cast members.

The resulting gossip headlines, however, are another issue entirely. Headlines stating "stipper past revealed" are bogus, and actionable imo.

[Dragonlady]

Let's just look at the obvious.
- Milissa immediately runs away from this former boss. Why? If she worked for him as a bartender, her first reaction would be maybe "long time, no see" and wonder why he was there. Why would a bartender run away?
- If Teresa had been at the bottom of this, human instinct would have taken herself as far away as possible from the inital contact so no one would relate her to the man.
- as much as we'd like to think "so what if she was a stripper? There's nothing wrong with that." that's not how most of the world views a stripper. If it wasn't a big negative no-no for a woman, Melissa wouldn't be so upset, Teresa wouldn't have be able to do anything that was upsetting.

- If Melissa was a bartender, she would have told this man that and told him off. She's not the type to run away from confrontation.
- If she was a bartender, an innocent worker, why would she run to Caroline and Jacq to say that Teresa was at the bottom of this....of what, if she was a bartender?

Funny how Melissa seems so appalled at being called a stripper but she has not problem having big plastic implants, showing them off as much as possible and as often as not, wear as little clothing as possible. I grant that she has a great body but she seems to prance around in a most un-Christian like way.
JMHO
Oh, and maybe Jacquline is leaving because she sees how your past can come back to haunt you on this show and there's something in her past she doesn't want told to the whole world. Just a thought.

[ness]

Let's just look at the obvious.
- Milissa immediately runs away from this former boss. Why? If she worked for him as a bartender, her first reaction would be maybe "long time, no see" and wonder why he was there. Why would a bartender run away?
- If Teresa had been at the bottom of this, human instinct would have taken herself as far away as possible from the inital contact so no one would relate her to the man.
- as much as we'd like to think "so what if she was a stripper? There's nothing wrong with that." that's not how most of the world views a stripper. If it wasn't a big negative no-no for a woman, Melissa wouldn't be so upset, Teresa wouldn't have be able to do anything that was upsetting.

- If Melissa was a bartender, she would have told this man that and told him off. She's not the type to run away from confrontation.
- If she was a bartender, an innocent worker, why would she run to Caroline and Jacq to say that Teresa was at the bottom of this....of what, if she was a bartender?

Funny how Melissa seems so appalled at being called a stripper but she has not problem having big plastic implants, showing them off as much as possible and as often as not, wear as little clothing as possible. I grant that she has a great body but she seems to prance around in a most un-Christian like way.
JMHO
Oh, and maybe Jacquline is leaving because she sees how your past can come back to haunt you on this show and there's something in her past she doesn't want told to the whole world. Just a thought.

ITA with everything you've said . . .

Sure and ABSOLUTELY, generally speaking, a lot (perhaps most) of the people in this country DO view strippers in a negative light, without being privy to or seeing whatever there may be that is going on behind the scenes in their lives that made them choose to take that route.

Like it or not, it's a fact of life that people ARE going to judge you without knowing you, or anything about your behind-closed-doors life.

For Melissa, ESPECIALLY now that her life, face, voice, etc., are "On Display" in a national way every week --- not to MENTION the fact that SHE was the one who CHOSE to put herself out there, in the first place --- this guy (owner/manager/whatever) showing up unannounced to her prior to her appearance, then trying, apparently, to talk to her, sent her into a tailspin.

As I'm pretty sure it would with most people.

So regarding: "She was a stripper . . . So what?", that is completely my personal view and take on the situation. It is not the view of most people, and I'm aware of that.

Do I think it more likely than not that she probably WAS a stripper? Yep. Because I agree with every point you've made above:

1. - Milissa immediately runs away from this former boss. Why? If she worked for him as a bartender, her first reaction would be maybe "long time, no see" and wonder why he was there. Why would a bartender run away?

2. - If Teresa had been at the bottom of this, human instinct would have taken herself as far away as possible from the inital contact so no one would relate her to the man.

3. - If Melissa was a bartender, she would have told this man that and told him off. She's not the type to run away from confrontation.

Hell, NO, she's not!

4. - If she was a bartender, an innocent worker, why would she run to Caroline and Jacq to say that Teresa was at the bottom of this....of what, if she was a bartender?

I think I've said similar (if not, perhaps, the SAME things, with different wording) in at least ONE post that I did, upthread.

To me, there is way too much going on here that is logical and obvious, and therefore, simply cannot be ignored, for those reasons.

Again, I think it most likely that she probably WAS a stripper in this bar.

Do I, myself, look down on her and make a negative judgement against her for that?

No.

But she DID put herself out there ("We have bills, and we PAY our bills!"), and now, it seems as though the piper is coming back with his hand extended for payment.

Frankly, I bet she wishes now that she could take back her decision to put herself and her life "On Display" in the public arena.

JMHO.

[Poppy Fields]

We won't see exactly what's been described as Melissa's "running away" until Season 4. I think it's likely that it's what she was instructed to do - per Bravo, who pinned that guy's mic on him. In essence, to set the stage for more salacious (but stupid) HW drama. Since her actual manager at Lookers said she wasn't a stripper there, I'm going with that until I hear further.

Of course, I doubt they expected that Jacqueline would wind up call Teresa "scum" on Twitter over the incident. I think there must be some off camera drama playing out over this.

[KatesMom]

I fully admit this is way out there, but it came to me while I was reading this, so I'm throwing it out there to see what everyone else thinks:

Wasn't there a history with Melissa and Theresa - that, prior to this season, everyone thought Melissa was the problem? Then she gets on the show this season and starts playing nice on screen - to try and change the public's image of the rift being her fault. Then this situation happens, with everyone blaming Theresa and Melissa running to Carolyn and Jaq (Theresa's closest friends). Any of it seem a little coincidental - like maybe Melissa staged it?

Reason I'm asking is I agree with quite a few things you all have said so far:

1. Theresa is in a tough place, but I just don't see her doing this. And if she did, she's going to sit there and watch it happen? If there was ever anyone who had an image to repair, it is Theresa after this season. Doesn't make sense.

2. Why the reaction from Melissa if not for drama? Many people have said it - Melissa is not a wallflower and one who runs from confrontation. It also seems very weird that she ran from this person.

Jaq releasing what she did in my opinion is childish and goes to some issues we have seen from Jaq. Based on some past posts, I think this rift with Theresa has been coming all season.

I don't know, I could be completely off here - but based on the story we are getting - I am actually starting to wonder if this was Melissa's doing - to increase public sympathy for her right before her music drops, and to further make Theresa look like the bad guy. I mean let's face it, his sister blindsiding his wife about his past on national TV is probably something that would make Joe Gorga walk away from his sister without looking back.

The other interesting piece of this is Juicy Joe. He would know everything that Theresa knows. And we have already seen he has no interest in getting these siblings back together. We have also seen there is very little he apparently cares about - maybe he is the one who is behind it.

[Prism]

These people are mostly lowbrow celebrity-mongering heathens, who collectively have managed to use their buffonery to make one another - and themselves - appear less and less civilized as episodes progress. They not only aren't wealthy aristocrats with pedigrees and power; they're lowlife bottomfeeders who choose to trash one another in the ugliest ways. It's fascinating to see them drag their families through their gawdawful scenes; I do hope they're learning to keep the children out of the worst of it. What in the world are Albert and Caroline and family doing with this bunch anyway?

[SugarMama]

... What in the world are Albert and Caroline and family doing with this bunch anyway?

Well, looks like it won't be long for Caroline...web says today she's leaving, too.

[candor]

Darn. I like both of them. Bravo needs to learn that conflict doesn't necessarily equal entertainment. This became my favorite Housewives franchise this season because it had some fun to it.