LynnNChicago Watch What Happens Live Air Date: Oct 21, 2010
Host: Andy Cohen, Bravo Executive
Guests: Hoda Kotb, Today Show
Patti Stanger, Millionaire Matchmaker
As most of you know, I absolutely detest Patti Stanger and found it difficult to watch this show with her horrible butt parked in one of Andy Cohen's chairs but my admiration for Hoda Kotb won out and I watched.
Like Jill Zarin there are two faces of Patti Stanger, the well behaved and professional Stanger that appears on Watch What Happens Live with her boss Andy Cohen. Then there is the real Stanger, the one who appears in a You-Tube video with mistress Kim Zolciak of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, lunching in Los Angeles. For those who haven't seen this video or can't stomach it, Stanger is shown on her cell phone with Jill Zarin discussing Bethenny Frankel's new show and saying, "she's not a friend" as well as calling Bethenny a "C-U-Next Tuesday". Stanger inserts her foot into her mouth by telling the camera the in's and out's of how television pilot's work and that Bethenny's show is certainly not anywhere near to being produced at this point. When Patti says she wishes Bethenny all the best, Kim questions that statement and Stanger ensures everyone that she was being sarcastic. This 6+ minute video is a complete embarrassment for Stanger and doesn't do much for Zolciak either but big mouth Stanger definitely comes off worse in the end.
In case anyone hasn't seen the You-Tube fiasco, Stanger insures everyone knows her stance on Bethenny by tweeting nasty items asking fans why they're all on Team-Bethenny and her famous line, "any cow can give birth". For months fans have wanted someone to confront Patti Stanger and finally, Cohen asks the question repeating the horrible line about a cow giving birth.
I loved how Stanger tries to talk over Andy's words in hopes no one will hear but instead forcing him to repeat "any cow can give birth" twice to ensure the question is complete. Even Hoda asks Patti, "did you really say that?" The cowardly Stanger back peddles and goes into the garbage that we all know is an extreme exaggeration of Jill's accusations that Jill gave Bethenny a roof over her head and food to eat implying that Bethenny was destitute and homeless.
This is another instance where a Bravolebrity tries to act as though the viewers are idiots. We all know that Jill's statement of how much she helped Bethenny that summer was just to try to make Bethenny look bad and was an extreme stretch of the truth. Apparently Stanger didn't watch the Real Housewives of New York reunion show and failed to keep up with Jill's latest apologies.
Stanger then says that she used to be friends with Bethenny adding, "you know that, Andy" as Cohen mumbles, "no, I didn't know that". So it appears that Stanger's only issue with Bethenny was Jill and Bethenny's argument. As Patti wanted to confirm her place on Team Jill, which could have easily been done without bashing Bethenny, the brash and disgusting Stanger takes it way too far and although she has no personal issues with Bethenny, Patti Stanger goes postal on Bethenny for no reason.
Hoda is clearly disgusted with Stanger and praises Bethenny, confirms that they're good friends and that attending Bethenny's wedding was incredible. Patti jumps in saying how beautiful the wedding was and how great Bethenny's husband Jason is all in an attempt to right her wrong but I wasn't buying a word of it. Just as Jill says one thing and her actions contradict her words, Stanger is cut from the same cloth and lies to try to improve her reputation and gain back fans that she's lost. I'm honestly surprised that Stanger even admitted to watching Bethenny's show.
I would have respected Patti Stanger a whole lot more if she'd just said that she's not a fan of Bethenny's and while she realizes her words and her tweets went too far, that is how she felt at the moment, annoyed that Bethenny had hurt her friend Jill, she lashed out. Stanger is a coward and I refuse to watch her show, besides her unprovoked attack on Bethenny, the entire premise of the show is absurd! I plan on somehow finding the results of her "matches" each week this season and keeping score to see how close she is to her 98% success rate that she's now changed to a "high" success rate.
If this woman was so successful in creating love matches, wouldn't we see more follow up segments on her show, or possibly even a wedding that she is responsible for creating? How many times has Stanger said she is going to dance at someone's wedding, yet her dancing shoes remain in her closet gathering cobwebs.
Stanger furthers her reputation for being a piece of garbage by choosing to slam her ex-fiance telling us that not only did they grow apart but he hated the entertainment business, decided to punish Bravo by signing on to appear on Tori and Dean but had to also throw in that he liked the "free money train". Once again, Stanger opens mouth and inserts foot really only making herself look bad by slamming this man that she was once engaged to marry.
Hoda was a gracious guest who was on the show to promote her book but took her humiliation of stooping to this particular show as well as could be expected. I would bet that had Bravo and NBC not been affiliated, Hoda would not be sitting in that chair. I did enjoy the little bit of Kathie Lee banter and even bashing throughout but as always, Cohen's ego wouldn't let him move forward without showing a little montage of himself appearing on Hoda's show and the odd interaction between him and Kathie Lee.
I also loved that Andy called Patti Stanger, Patti Lee as it seemed to imply that Stanger was second fiddle to Hoda, as it should be! Cohen pushed both ladies books, even the moldy old Stanger offering that was released years ago, so if you purchase a copy and it's a bit dusty, don't worry about it.
For some reason Andy thought that we needed Stanger's insight into the demise of the marriage between Orange County housewife Vicki and her husband Donn. Stanger feels that the divorce is the result of Vicki making more money than Donn and threw in there an accusation of Donn's excessive drinking. Stanger fuels the fire of rumors and gossip having no real confirmation of any of this.
Both guests are asked who they feel is the hottest Housewives' husband, Stanger (as if we care what she thinks) chooses Rich Amons, husband of DC Housewife Mary and Hoda is quick to choose Bethenny's husband, Jason. Both great choices! Personally I think the hottest of the hot is still Cat's soon-to-be ex husband Charles.
I can tolerate just about anything for 30-minutes and Hoda made the show watchable, the after show was released on Bravotv.com and can be seen here:
Thankfully Hoda showed absolutely no interest in Stanger helping her find a man, but graciously declined.
Cohen had tweeted earlier in the day that he did not have a "Jackhole of the Week" and many suggestions were tweeted back to him but while the overwhelming vote was for Jill Zarin to get the Jackhole, he chose Clarence Thomas' wife Jenny for "drunk dialing" Anita Hill demanding an apology for the fiasco that happened 14+ years ago.
This week's poll asked which Beverly Hills Housewife you would rather have as a sister, Kyle or Kim Richardson. Kyle = 70% and Kim = 30%, no surprise there as Andy reads a tweet he received from Kyle expressing her displeasure with this poll.
Until Next Time....
