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Hey hey I'm Brittany Loose and you're listening to it's been a minute from NPR

and this week is a big one for fans of reality TV because if last year is any indication of

what to expect this year I am going to be glued to social media for all the gossip and mess

coming out of bravo con. This year it's in Vegas can you imagine? And I'm honestly kind of bum

that I wasn't able to attend but I did go last year with my producer Liam McBain. So in anticipation

here's our episode from last year's bravo con which turned into kind of a philosophical study

of what it means to be a housewife and why they've got such a hold on us culturally. Enjoy.

I think like good housewives are messy, transparent, the best ones are delusional.

Today our episode is about a cultural juggernaut. An institution big enough for its own convention

with 30,000 attendees. It's not comics or drag it's bravo.

Bravo is a dynasty in the world of reality TV and its flagship franchise is the real housewives.

The real housewives alone has over 50 total programs that includes former shows

international installations and spin-offs. If you're not already a reality TV trooper this train

is coming for you. Half of American adults watch at least one hour of it per week.

So in case you don't know what the real housewives is it's a docuseries about a bunch of rich women

many of whom are already kind of famous who invite us into their lavish lives.

Can't throw her tennis bracelet. How much do you think that bracelet is worth?

Oh 70 grand and minimum $70,000. It's like $70,000.

They go on extravagant trips with each other. Paris Amsterdam. Arizona? You don't see

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