Tuesday, October 7, 2008

The Real Housewives of New York City - Is There A Liberal Party Candidate In The Cast

Political parties love star recruits be it former rock stars, football players or actors. Will reality TV stars be the next ones political parties will try and tempt into public life?

Tim Brunero who was on Big Brother could be a potential reality TV candidate for the Labor Party.

However the Liberal Party may also have a potential candidate in Simon van Kempen, the husband of The Real Housewives of New York City Alex McCord. Simon an Australian was a member of the Young Liberals, and still keeps an eye on Australian politics as can be seen in this post on an opinion forum here.

The Real Housewives of New York City is a show on Arena which shows New York so called 'socialites' going about their daily lives - with some set up situations of course.

Alex and Simon are the co-dependent couple who do everything together and could be described as social climbers.

Personally I find them a little bit creepy.

There are somethings I just don't get about them this includes:

  • Why would you wear a his and hers matching g string swimmers when you are over thirty?

  • Why you would spend so much money on clothes when you house needs a lot of renovations, also new furniture would not hurt one of the sofas looked like it was from Fantastic Furniture?

  • When she said I couldn't live in the suburbs and pulled a face didn't she think it was ironic she lived in Brooklyn (I know it is not suburban but it is not Manhatten)?
  • Why would you invite your husband along on a girl's night out, and why would you want to go if you are her husband?

  • Why the big deal about speaking French, I would have thought Spanish to be the more practical language to learn in the US?
Regarding the thong swimmers apparently we were lucky they were wearing any at all. Gawker reported Alex and Simon had been spotted on St Barts in all their naked glory. Obviously he has not got the Australian paranoia of the sun and does not slip, slop, slap.

NY Mag has a article on their assessment on how far up the social scale these New York housewives really are.

I must confess I am loving the show, and I am disappointed the final episode of Season 1 will be shown this Monday at 9.30pm on Arena. Though apparently there is now a series called The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

This makes me both sad and relieved that I don't have cable. Sad, because I think I would become hopelessly addicted to this show and relieved, because I really don't have time in the schedule for another TV show (or two - Atlanta looks like a very entertaining trainwreck).

Good wrap-up. I am wondering, though, whether matching g-strings are ever ok!

Reality Raver said...

This show is a cracker - close to my favourite at the moment.

My dream job would be working at Bravo TV in New York. Of course on some impossibly high salary.

Anonymous said...

It's unlikely I'd ever run for politics in Australia or anywhere else, however in February 1999 I returned to Australia intending to live there permanently and during that time I joined and volunteered for the Labor Party.

In the 13 years I'd been away the Liberal Party had lost any semblance of liberalism and for a political centrist like me the Labor party was the only party to join.

As things turned out I left Australia in May 1999 for what I thought was a 3 week trip and 9 years later I'm still in New York.

Simon van Kempen

Reality Raver said...

Thanks Simon for clarifying that, just in case Michael Kroger was going to pick up the phone.

As you do have an obvious active interest in politics, are you involving yourself in this years US election?

Anonymous said...

Since July of this year we have been filming Season 2 of the show which combined with our work and home lives doesn't leave much time for anything else. I have been fervently following the election and voted (as I am now a US Citizen) in the primary earlier this year between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. (I am a registered Democrat).

Here's hoping for both the US's sake as well its reputation across the world that we do not commit the same mistakes as we did in 2000 & 2004.

During filming of Season 1 I spent a week in Australia (November 2007) which was during the Federal election campaign that finally saw Howard defeated. Here's to a similar result on this side of the Pacific.

Simon van Kempen

Reality Raver said...

Thanks Simon.

Good luck with Season 2. I look forward to seeing it.