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December 11, 2009

'Real Housewives' minus NeNe and Kim?

Posted: 04:21 PM ET

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Might the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" be losing two of its Georgia peaches?

The New York Daily News is reporting that best frenemies NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak may not be returning for the reality show's third season.

Sources are claiming the woman are demanding pay increases for their appearances on the top rated show and that producers are balking.

Both were the center of plenty of drama last season and have been fan favorites, but it's not as if Bravo hasn't recast its popular franchise before.

Just this season, the "Real Housewives of Orange County" bid farewell to original cast member Jeana Keough and over the years the show has seen other (often blonde) cast members come and go.

Would you want to watch the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" without the bombastic NeNe and the musically challenged Kim? And if they do leave, who do you think should take their place?

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Filed under: Real Housewives of Atlanta • television


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November 6, 2009

Dwight grabs attention on 'Real Housewives of Atlanta'

Posted: 12:07 PM ET

Thank you Dwight!

The “sixth housewife” said what so many were thinking Thursday night on part two of the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” reunion when he remarked on the ladies' decidedly low-key manner.

After quipping that he felt like he was in church, he called the peaches out for their new it’s-all-love-spiel. Now while I don’t necessarily want to see the women at each other’s throats constantly, I agree with Dwight that they seemed to be almost suppressing their natural personalities to keep the peace.

The only time things got even mildly spicy was when Lisa took on Dwight and Sheree for their comments about her fashion show, which she insisted was not a runway show (despite the presence of a runway).

The only redeeming moment came for me when the camera caught Dwight’s face as Kim casually mentioned his new penile implant. I love that he shrugged it off, but for a minute there I thought he was going to leap over and test her new “can’t be pulled off” wig!

At the very least I would have liked to have seen him come out and pull a Kanye West-type interruption while Kim sang “Tardy for the Party.”

Did you like the show or did you fly above it?

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Filed under: Real Housewives of Atlanta • television


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November 4, 2009

Stars turn out for the Soul Train Awards

Posted: 06:02 PM ET

Celebrities packed the red carpet at the 2009 Soul Train Awards at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta on Tuesday evening.

In attendance were stars from the past, present and future.

Hosted by Academy Award nominated actors Taraji P. Henson Terrence Howard, this year's show honored the careers and musical influences of Chaka Khan, Charlie Wilson, L.A. Reid, and Kenny"Baby Face" Edmonds.

Singer Charlie Wilson made a courageous appearance on the red carpet after recently recovering from early-stage prostate cancer. He encouraged fans to “get tested and learn your status.”

Beyonce, Maxwell and gospel group Mary Mary all won awards but were no shows at the event.

Famed crooners Boyz II Men were down to just two members after Shawn Stockman contracted the H1n1 virus. Were told it left the group scrambling to find replacement since the group was slated to perform.

Lisa Wu Hartwell of the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" shared some advance scoop on Thursday’s reunion show, dishing that the final episode will include more drama and she is a possible target.

Twitter was also in the house with celebrities like Claudia Jordan, Latoya Luckett, and Ginuwine all admitting to being just a little addicted to the micro-blogging site.

The 2009 Soul Train Music Awards is slated to air at 9 p.m. November 29 on BET.

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Filed under: Real Housewives of Atlanta • celebrities • music • television


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October 30, 2009

Atlanta 'Housewives' reunion bored me

Posted: 01:22 PM ET

Was I the only one bored to tears with Part 1 of the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" reunion Thursday night?

Other than having the opportunity to hear from Kandi about how she's doing in the wake of A.J.'s death, the event was rather dull for me.

Perhaps it's because the "Housewives" so often bring the drama, that this season's sit down of the Georgia peaches came across as almost staid.

Kim and NeNe are cool again after Kim accused her of choking her at the mall? Really? Like reunion host Andy Cohen said, I'm not buying it.

I've gotten into it with frenemies before – though not to the extent of an alleged almost beat-down – and I can't see that all it takes is a two-and-a-half hour phone call to "clear the air" and now we are chums again.  If two people are that reasonable to start with, there never would have been that type of beef in the first place.

I know Kim and NeNe often break up to make up, but this latest incident is a tad suspect to me.

Everyone seemed like they were just so over it and couldn't be bothered to rise to  the occasion, not even when it appeared as if Cohen was baiting them.

And what's up with Big Poppa just "dropping by" during the commercial break?

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Filed under: Real Housewives of Atlanta • television


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October 23, 2009

'Housewives' NeNe rubs in finale

Posted: 11:58 AM ET

I used to be a die-hard NeNe fan, but after Thursday night’s finale of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” I may be looking for a new team.

Not that I am completely buying Kim’s story about NeNe randomly choking her at Atlantic Station (an upscale Atlanta development). Do I believe they got into it? Yes. Do I think NeNe was the only aggressor? No.

However, I keep coming back to the fact that NeNe is starting to become the common denominator in lots of arguments and drama. About the only woman she hasn’t had it out with yet is Lisa (and kudos to her for reportedly getting her Closet Freak fashion line into stores before “She by Sheree,” given all the smack that Sheree has talked about her).

I definitely didn’t agree with her decision to demand an apology from Kandi. Who in their right mind believes a person is going to apologize for believing reports that you were bad-mouthing them when you are standing in their face bad-mouthing them?

Speaking of Kandi, how sad was it to watch her mother apparently begin to warm towards AJ? It was a tender moment and one I am glad he was able to enjoy before his untimely death.

So what did you think of this season? Are you looking forward to a return of the Georgia peaches next season or are you over it?

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Filed under: Real Housewives of Atlanta • television


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October 16, 2009

Sad night for 'Real Housewives'

Posted: 10:32 AM ET

While I was prepared to be uncomfortable watching Thursday night’s episode of the “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” for me it was worse than I had imagined.

Kim and Sheree planned a surprise engagement party for Kandi and A.J. since their original party plans had been derailed due to a relative injured by a drunk driver.

It is always strange to watch a deceased person alive and well in footage, but in this case it was all the sadder because what should have been a happy time was made so incredibly stressful by the bad blood between A. J. and Kandi’s mother, Joyce.

When the three of them got together for a session with a Christian counselor, I felt torn between understanding Joyce’s desire to protect her child, and my wish that she had cut A.J. some slack – especially given the unhappy ending none of them knew was coming.

The tension at the engagement party made the rest of the show seem even more superficial to me. Who cares about Sheree’s fashion line or Kim’s wig business when watching A.J. try and get his future mother-in-law to toast her daughter’s happiness highlighted how fleeting life can be?

I hope NeNe, whose meeting with a man who may be her biological father also played out on the episode, takes a lesson from A.J. and Kandi’s situation on the importance of family ties and making peace.

What did you think of the show?

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Filed under: Real Housewives of Atlanta • television


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October 9, 2009

First 'Housewives' after the death of A.J.

Posted: 11:18 AM ET

In a way, it was almost a relief that Thursday night’s episode of the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” didn’t feature any scene with Ashley "A.J." Jewell.

The death of Jewell, whose engagement to new cast member Kandi Burruss has figured prominently in this season’s plotlines, took viewers by shock.

Fans of the show know that Kandi’s mother objected to their relationship and that tension has caused a great deal of stress for the singer/songwriter. I braced myself for more scenes of Burruss being torn between her man and her mama.

But thankfully, none of that occurred on Thursday night. The show instead focused on Sheree and Dwight’s tug-of-war over her fashion show, NeNe’s campaign against domestic violence and her search for her biological father, Lisa and her husband’s attempts to deal with his retirement from the NFL and get pregnant and Kim’s shopping habits.

A.J. was only mentioned during a discussion Kandi had with Kim about the future of the relationship and whether she was pushing so hard to make the relationship work so her mother wouldn’t be proven right. Very sad given that we all now know.

The tease for the following week’s show features Kandi, her mother and A.J. in therapy. The session does not look like it goes well and might prove to be uncomfortable, as the now deceased A.J. appears to come off like a lout.

Will you be watching?

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Filed under: Real Housewives of Atlanta • television


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September 11, 2009

'Housewives' great...on 'Ellen'

Posted: 03:20 PM ET

As far as I am concerned, Bravo could have run the episode of the "Housewives" on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" instead of Thursday night's episode.

The five cast mates reportedly taped the show on Tuesday and Kim and Sheree got into it.  Sheree kicked it off my calling Kim a "habitual liar" and Kim responded by going off about Sheree allegedly bouncing checks.

Initially, the new judge of "American Idol" seemed amused, but she quickly realized she lost control when Sheree started calling Kim a "prostitute. "  Ellen had to eventually crawl between them before the women played blindfolded, musical chairs to Kim's new "single" "Tardy For The Party."

The whole thing was way more entertaining than Thursday night's episode, which focused on Lisa's fashion show, Kim's new wig line and NeNe's attempts to get her son to get his act together.

I was amused by Kim's assertion that she wanted her wigs to be "volumptious."

How was the show for you?

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Filed under: Real Housewives of Atlanta • television


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September 4, 2009

Alter egos on 'Real Housewives of Atlanta'

Posted: 11:23 AM ET

Thursday night's "Housewives" episode had me wondering why, even though I, too, live in Atlanta, I had no idea that alter-ego photo shoots are apparently all the rage.

NeNe appointed herself art director as the ladies posed as two different personalities. I am still trying to figure out what made her think she could go all Tyra Banks and dictate who portrayed what.

I loved Lisa as the good girl/bad girl, and Sheree as the robber/victim who is after the "seven figures" turned out well in my opinion. My "mucho kudos award" goes to Khandi for choosing the drunk driver/pedestrian to make a statement after an accident that injured her relatives - and Kim for refusing  to be painted up as a black girl.

Khandi's sorrow over the accident and Sheree's genuine concern was the most touching moment I can ever recall on the "Real Housewives of Atlanta." It allowed viewers some actual "reality" in a reality television world that has provided less and less.

And as amusing as the black Kim/white Kim photo shoot might have become, there is no way Ms. Kim could have come out of that without being slammed by viewers as, at best, ignorant for going there, and at worst a racist bringing back the minstrel look.

I found it interesting that NeNe criticized Kim for not stretching by choosing a housewife/mistress theme when Ms. NeNe looked quite comfortable on the pole portraying a stripper.

We won't even discuss the drinking game one could start every time Dwight refers to someone's "melons."

For more on the "Real Housewives of Atlanta," visit Essence.com.

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Filed under: Real Housewives of Atlanta • television


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August 28, 2009

Family ties on 'Real Housewives'

Posted: 12:42 PM ET

Please tell me the producers forced Lisa to take NeNe with her to visit the family on the West Coast.

Otherwise I am at a loss as to why the boisterous NeNe at all needed to come along to celebrate Lisa’s grandma’s birthday. I suspect that even with grandma being in her 90s, she's still never met the likes of NeNe.

Thursday night’s episode didn’t quite suck me in, though I felt some sympathy for Lisa as she struggled with visiting her brother’s grave.

I was slightly annoyed that her family felt so driven to push her to do it when she was clearly not comfortable with the situation. The fact that her dad refused to allow her a few minutes alone at the site as per her request was just the icing on the cake.

But back to grandma. She looked fabulous for her age! If, as she asserted, Vaseline played a role in her looking so young then sign me up.

Back home in the ATL, Kim spent time with new cast member Khandi who is going to try and help Kim with her music career (good luck with that). As Kim goes on and on about how much alike the two of them are, I had a moment of deja vu.

Didn’t she say the same thing about Sheree last season? And we all know how that turned out.

For more on the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" visit Essence.com.

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Filed under: Real Housewives of Atlanta • television


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