Let’s face it, fans of Bravo’s “Real Housewives” franchise as well as most other reality shows really aren’t watching for any enlightening story lines. They’re watching for the heated verbal outbursts, action-packed drama and explosive fistfights provided every week. But according to Phaedra Parks, a star on the ratings titan “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” the drama-filled world of reality television is hurting not only its stars, but its fans as well by creating a new generation of bullies.
“Unfortunately I do think that reality TV has spawned a whole culture of bullying,” said Parks in an interview with The Associated Press. “I believe that the behavior you see on reality TV does not exactly exemplify how adults should be conducting themselves.”
Parks herself has been involved in some heated altercations both on and off the screen with cast mates NeNe Leakes, Kim Zolciak and Cynthia Bailey, but fellow cast mate Kandi Burruss, considered by many to be the most mellow of the cast, disagrees with Parks, saying that bullying is a problem that predates the explosion of reality TV.
“A lot of people try to find reasons or ways to blame people or situations for their grief or sadness,” Burruss said. “Personally, I think reality TV is a mimic of what’s happening in real life, not the other way around. People have always had arguments, and there’s always been cliques.”
While the two women may disagree on the sources of bullying, Parks ultimately contends that senseless violence and abuse should never be tolerated.
“We have to say that violence is unacceptable,” Parks said. “We have to learn to resolve our issues by communicating effectively.”
However, looking at the previews of the new season of RHOA, it looks like Parks and her fellow housewives still have a ways to go when it comes to properly handling their aggression. “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” returns to Bravo for its fourth season on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 9 p.m. EST. –nicholas robinson
