The following podcast contains explicit language.

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I'm Stephen Metcalf, and this is the Slate Culture Gab Fest Biometric Barbie Edition.

It's Wednesday, August 4th, 2010.

And on today's program, Real Housewives of Washington, D.C., with Slate's very own, Dahlia Lithwick.

Andrew Wiley goes nuclear on book publishing and Louis C.K.'s new show with Troy Patterson. Joining me is Slate's deputy editor, Julia Turner. Hello, Julia. Hi, Julia. Hi, Steve. And our foreign editor, June Thomas. Hey, June. Hey, Steve. Thanks so much for joining us. Thank you for having me. From the O.C. to New York to Atlanta to New Jersey, the owl of pathetic Minerva has now alighted on Washington, D.C., the Real Housewives franchise has gone to Foggy Bottom.

Dahlia Lithwick is a senior editor and legal correspondent for Slate magazine. She's here to help us come to grips with Real Housewives of Washington, D.C., a new reality television show on Julia, I'm going to say Bravo.

It's on Bravo. It launches Thursday. Nailed it. All right. Let's listen to a clip.

This city is filled with galas and events. It's important to know which ones to attend.

This town is small. Everybody has an agenda and there's social climbers everywhere.

To make it here, you have to watch what you say and watch what you do. Everyone knows your business

and they will talk about it. It is not a very forgiving city.

Dahlia reviewed the show for us this week.

Dahlia, what is your take on this?

You just have to explain this to me.

It's a very, very sad.

I think the whole project is kind of said.

I confess I kind of like the Real Housewives franchise,

just because I've always sort of felt as though these women have such low aspirations.

...