The Real Housewives of Atlanta Review: A Peak At The Bourghetto

If last week was an all about Kim episode, this week was very Nene and Phaedra centric. I swear it was like watching an episode of House, with Nene as the patient. Never before has plastic surgery been so gripping and heartbreaking! So while Nene showed a little bit of what lay underneath her armor, under the influence but that still counts, Phaedra came off as ignorant and narcissistic. It’s all going fantastically downhill for her. Television gold!

NENE

Though quite beautiful, Nene felt that some liposuction, a breast reduction and a small nose alteration would do wonders for her mind when she’s going through such a hard time with her family. A friend stood by her side from beginning to end, and thankfully, she was there because I didn’t see any housewives waiting in the hospital. Gregg didn’t even show up, which no matter what they were going through, is pretty horrendous for a husband. She also repeatedly called out for her husband when she was going under. He didn’t appear on TV once, and it was evident that he didn’t agree with her decision, but pride does not trump caring for someone enough to support them when they’re going under the knife, electively or not. After the surgery, it broke my heart to watch her reach Kim and Sheree easily but Greg’s phone went to voicemail. If I were Nene, I wouldn’t want to look back at these episodes, slurring phrases like “I’m going to wear your bra” and “I thought you’d bring wine” and also having to watch yourself call out desperately and futilely for your husband. And, where was he lately when she was doing all the parenting?! I’m starting to really hate Greg, a big turnaround from previous seasons.

PHAEDRA & CYNTHIA

The two newbies headed to the Steeplechase, very similar to the Derby. Phaedra was annoying from the first moments that she appeared on screen in her kitchen, bragging about her special “wonderful, blooming peach tea.” Who cares?! Then, she couldn’t convince Apollo to go with her so she brought Dwight instead. This didn’t make Cynthia’s boyfriend Peter too happy since he was the odd man out. Then to through salt in his wounds, Phaedra started going on and on about how she couldn’t deal with a man who had baby mamas. Peter happens to have five children, though the number of baby mamas remains unknown. He was offended as I would have been too. She basically went off on a ridiculous diatribe about his life circumstances and how much her ex-con husband is still cleaner than men like him because Apollo has no baggage like that. I’d love to really hear her explain the definition of baggage. One horrible ex can be considered baggage. What would 5 years in jail be considered?! Cynthia showed some personality in all her mocking of Phaedra and her narcissism. Yes, she bragged about her job, what school she graduated from and how many degrees she had. So Cynthia went to town. She’s officially growing on me. Now if she’d just go ahead and marry this successful man who magically managed to hold his temper the entire outing. Seriously, brava Peter! Still, Cynthia attended Phaedra’s overly ornate baby shower which looked more like a wedding, from the Dwight-Phaedra ballroom dance to to the dozen ridiculous white flowers in Phaedra’s hair, to the freaking ballerina. And I can’t forget the dress code of hats and gloves. It showed me that Cynthia can set drama aside, so that’s another plus in my book. All the other ladies attended as well, and even Lisa showed her face, looking as beautiful as ever. 

KIM & KANDI

Kim’s parents came into town, and a lot of things became clear about what made Kim…well Kim. Dad likes to drink and seemed ay-okay with Big Poppa’s extramarital affairs as long as they also get an invite to one of his two hot tubs. At this point, Big Poppa has returned to Kim’s life which she feels means they’re destined to be together. Funny, how she’s not saying that to Kroy Biermann nowadays. Kim’s parents were charged with organizing Arianna’s baptism, but no church will take her since Kim hadn’t attended in decades. This is probably a good thing seeing as Kim is a self-proclaimed adulterer! Moments later dad coined her a “class individual” and a professional in response to her White Party performance on YouTube. I’d be excited to hear what he has to say after watching her harass her assistant and multiple gay men in that same episode.

Kim is also ready for her next single to be created out of thin air for her, titled “The Ring Don’t Mean A Thing,” and she wanted some help. Of course, she won’t sing or explain at all what she envisions in that crazy head of hers, but at least Kandi’s not going to do this one for free. Kandi also had an idea about going on tour with Kim to promote her new album since she’s putting the finishing touches on it. I don’t really get it. When Kandi phrases this tour as her idea, it’s genius, but last week, it was all about the laughs. Is she just playing smart, riding the coattails since Kim is “musically” hotter than you at the moment? (Wow, did I put Kim, music and hot in the same sentence?!)

SHEREE

Sheree followed through with her promise to go on a second date with Tiy-E, aka the Love Doctor, though it was quite the informal one. He invited her to one of his seminars on love and relationships then placed her up on stage with a few other random girls to question her about her own views and opinions on relationships. I liked that he was challenging her, in a positive way. I’ve gotten to see a more mature side of Sheree that doesn’t seem so petty. I guess that’s what happens when you aren’t the most conceited or villainous person on the show. Thanks, Phaedra! Still, she made it clear that love and money are equal when it comes to importance, and she also doesn’t find herself meeting many men who are broke because she doesn’t end up in the same places. I assume those places are anything having to do with public transportation, libraries or jail. See, she’s still Sheree.

What’d you think about this week? Yay or nay for plastic surgery? Isn’t Cynthia making a name for herself, outside her looks and based on her personality, fantastic? More important, would you buy tickets to a Kim & Kandi tour?

QUOTABLES

“Do you sleep with a dollar bill?” – Kim / “No, but the house that you sleep in cost dollar bills, so…” – Kandi

“A clean man? Apollo taking showers in prison is the only way that he could be cleaner than my man.” – Cynthia

“With those matching pink hats, Phaedra looked like a black Tammy Faye Baker and Dwight looked like Willy Wonka. – Cynthia

“If I had gotten plastic surgery every time I had marital problems, I would look like Dwight.” – Sheree

“Someone stab me in the neck and put me out of my misery.” – Cynthia

“Bourghetto. Bourgee (aka bourgeois) and ghetto at the same time.” – Kandi

Season 3, Episode 4: Petty Boughetto (originally aired October 25, 2010)

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Photographs courtesy of Bravo and Wilford Harewood.