Bethenny Frankel is desperate for ratings. Her show is tanking, and she’s trying to drum up controversy. I guess that means I should ignore her, but she’s like a train wreck of Disney villains. You want to look, and you get a perverse pleasure out of looking. Earlier this week, Bethenny had on adult film star and Teen Mom Farrah Abraham. Farrah of course later trashed Bethenny and complained bitterly about being asked questions regarding her current career choices.
On yesterday’s show, Bethenny had on her rival, fellow reality show staple Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth. Omarosa went off on a tirade about her career and her religion or something. I don’t really know what she was talking about except that she was trying to grandstand and Bethenny was hating it.
When Omarosa Manigault appeared on her archrival Bethenny Frankel’s talk show on Wednesday, confrontation was expected – and viewers weren’t disappointed.
The pair – who’ve been feuding for more than three years since Frankel dismissed The Apprentice star as nothing more than a reality TV villain – didn’t hold back. In the segment, Manigault suggested that the reason why Frankel had been successful was because she was white.
“It’s different for you and I,” she told the talk show host. “I am an African-American woman. You get to walk around and be mediocre and you still get rewarded with things. We have to be exceptional to get anything in this business.”
But the 39-year-old quickly backtracked, pointing out that clearly Frankel was doing well because she had her own talk show, which prompted Frankel to say that Manigault was now $10,000 richer thanks to her appearance fee.
Manigault then explained that she was just as successful as Frankel – saying that she had her own brand.
“I don’t think you have a brand,” Frankel said.
“You make cupcakes, I worked in the White House,” Omarosa snapped back. “Get a grip.”
She then tried to explain what her brand is. “I am a smart businesswoman who celebrates being smart and there is a brand in being smart,” she said.
“Your brand is smart?” Frankel queried. “That’s in your business plan?”
“Absolutely,” Omarosa replied. “I have an accomplished career. I teach young people … I hope they don’t get discouraged from watching two women who have an opportunity to put things behind us. We have a chance to turn this thing around.”
To which Frankel replied: “No, we don’t.”
Frankel then took to Twitter to share her feelings about the interview. “I haven’t experienced anything like it since Real Housewives,” she Tweeted, later explaining why she invited Omarosa on the show: “I like talking to controversial people. I’m intrigued by human behavior. More interesting than ‘celeb gossip.’
Here’s the thing. While producers may have told Omarosa to be confrontational with Bethenny, that’s Omarosa’s default setting. Omarosa is popular on reality TV because she plays a nasty person who takes offense at every perceived slight. I’m basing my opinion on her first-ever reality show gig on The Apprentice, I watched that season in 2004. She was a piece of work before she had a chance to hone her reality show personality. That’s probably just how she’s always been. So Omarosa being rude and grandstanding with Bethenny isn’t so far from the truth.
Radar is questioning whether thos whole thing was staged for ratings, and I believe it could have been, but I also think that Bethenny was taking it personally regardless. In the video clip of the show below, Bethenny’s eyes get all narrow like she’s mentally stabbing Omarosa in the throat. While Omarosa is blabbing on about her brand and using her religion as an appeal to authority, you can see Bethenny struggling with homicidal urges before she tells Omarosa she’s full of it.
Bethenny’s brand is being controversial in a way that’s much sneakier than Omarosa, and she plays it much more subtly. She doesn’t like competition, either, hence all these desperate bids for publicity.
Here’s the video clip of Omarosa insulting Bethenny and Bethenny trying to call her out on her BS. The $10,000 reference is about a bet Bethenny made with Omarosa about whether or not Bethenny made a specific rude comment to Omarosa on their joint Celebrity Apprentice season. It turns out Omarosa was right and Bethenny said that (I can’t figure out what it was and there’s no way I’m watching more than this clip to find out.) Omarosa is now complaining to media outlets that Bethenny hasn’t yet paid up.
Here are photos of Bethenny Frankel’s two Halloween costumes. Ummm… maybe she did it for her daughter?
Photo credit: The Bethenney Frankel show and FameFlynet
and viewers weren’t disappointed.
So three people enjoyed the controversy? Bethany, Omarosa and the viewer?
I dont see anything crazy or absurd about what Omorosa said, if people actually paid attention, what she said actually makes sense; she mad comments about White privilege and clled Bthanny out abut some shit she said and Bethanny was salty about it (surprise, surprise).
‘You’re entitled to your opinion, but you’re not entitled to your own facts’ THIS.
What Omarosa said is no different than what’s s said every day amongst minorities in a normal workplace. Minorities have to be exceptional, whites mediocre. Even today, there’s still that White man entitlement. I’m speaking about NYC, not the South.
I guess some will get it if they had to walk around in “Blackface” for a few weeks. I remember watching a 20/20 special about a White man who went out in Blackface and put on an afro wig. He saw how people treated him differently in a matter of few hours while shopping in department store.
I have a friend who happens to be white works in security and was told by her bosses to watch the Blacks/Hispanics that enter the store. To her amazement, it was always the young white girls that she caught stealing the designer clothing. “Winona Ryder” style.
I probably shouldn’t get into this, and I’d like to say first that I agree with much of what you say. The only part that bothers me is your statement sounds like you think all white people get to their job positions by being mediocre. A lot of white people get into good jobs because they work hard and they’re good at what they do. And some minorities are mediocre at what they do, and that’s why they don’t excel. Some minorities are overlooked for promotion because they’re minorities, but some are promoted over more qualified white people because they’re minorities. Is it harder for minorities and often women to progress in the workplace? Probably, usually, yes. But it’s not as simple as you make it sound, or as one- sided.
@GoodNamesAllTaken
You’re absolutely right. I was generalizing. There are many white people that work hard. But the point I was trying to make is that Blacks who are college-educated professionals have to work extra hard to get promotions. They are treated no differently walking in department store than the stereotypical teenage boy walking in with a hoodie. It is especially bad for Black males. I consider my husband a very handsome, well-dress articulate, college educated Black man. But it pains me when he says I walk down the street and I can hear doors lock on the car and women holding tight to their purses when he enters an elevator. Or when friends discuss losing out on a promotion to a white employee that they trained.
Thank you for clarifying. You make some excellent points, and it makes me very sad that your husband and men like him are treated that way.
Bethenny continues her parade of Zlist reality guests. Good God. Her show is a sad case. Jerry Springer can get better guests!
omarosa wishes it was because she was black that people don’t like her and she’s not as successful as she’d like. Because that way she doesn’t have to admit to herself that she’s a bitter, defensive, impossible to get along with human being.
I couldn”t care less about Frankel but Omarosa is appalling. I can’t believe the late great Michael Clark Duncan was engaged to her.
Completely agree. I don’t dislike Omarosa because of her skin color. I dislike her because she is an absolutely horrible person, and throwing the race card into it is her way of avoiding having to accept how horrid she is.
Omarosa always has a thousand excuses. Most of what spews from her mouth after people ask her a pointed question is a lot of time killing trying to come up with an answer and pretending she likes that she has made a “career” out of being a psychobitch. She is beyond horrible, and stupid to boot. The only thing she does well is put-down arrogance and boosting her own ego. She also lies hugely about her prior work accomplishments, it has been said by researchers.
“She also lies hugely about her prior work accomplishments, it has been said by researchers.” – *solemnly* It is known.
People magazine says she was let go from four jobs in the two years she worked for the Clinton administration. Omarosa worked in the office of then-Vice President Al Gore as a scheduling correspondent. Omarosa has since falsely inflated her role in interviews to have the title Deputy Associate Director of Presidential Personnel. One official said Manigault-Stallworth was asked to leave her last job “as quickly as possible” because “she was so disruptive.”
What Omarosa said is true for minorities, they are treated vastly different than whites & to say otherwise, is completely ignorant. It is not playing the race card, whatsoever. Omarosa was not talking about whether she is popular or not, or whether people like or her not, she was talking about how difficult it was for blacks be rewarded for their success. And if they are successful, they are still viewed differently…just ask any prominent black figure that has been pulled over by the police.
@Tammy No one is arguing that what she said isn’t true. They are simply saying because it’s coming from Omorosa its a bit harder to throw sympathy her way. This woman says or do nothing unless she has an ulterior motive behind it. She has been known to constantly play the race card when it has had nothing to do with race but her character. She lies about her accomplishments. Lastly she’s an arrogant down right rude bitch.
As I person of color, I agree with you some extent Tammy, but assholiness knows no color boundaries, and Omarosa is hardly the spokesperson for treatment based on the quality of character vs the color of skin. We have plenty of amazing role celebrity models (Viola Davis, Jennifer Hudson, Kerry Washington, Oprah) to look up to without having classless wannabe’s screaming about race in order to get headlines
“It’s different for you and I,” she told the talk show host. “I am an African-American woman. You get to walk around and be mediocre and you still get rewarded with things. We have to be exceptional to get anything in this business.”
Ugh. While I thought that this quip was unnecessary, she has a point in to a certain extent. Honestly, I think Bethenny is successful b/c she has a likeable personality and is pretty smart. Perhaps she should have reserved that comment for someone more appropriate, like Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian. I probably would have high fived her if she had said that to one of them.
I think what made this a big so-called “to do” is not just that she said it at all, but that she put it on Betheney. While what she said is true in general, the irony of the accomplishments of the two sitting on that couch isn’t lost on me at all. Betheney is indeed a brand, and not mediocre. If anything, I don’t see why she proceeded with a talk show which was unecessary to her brand/empire which Omorossa doesn’t have. If anything, Omorossa is more in the category of “paycheck chasing” while Beth, like her or not, has worked her ass off and got opportunities that afforded her the brand she is now. Sure, you can make the point that african american women have to in such a case as Betheney’s work alot harder, and will possible endure alot more hardship in the process, but in this case the message put forth the way it had been by the messenger made that a mute point in this situation.
(moot point) 😉
Oh, I don’t know, gg. It could have been a very quiet point. If the point was so quiet that it was no longer considered ‘a talking point’, then the point was rendered mute.
*joshing*
I completely diagree that white women are given a pass for being mediocre and African American women have to be extraordinary to get the same rewards. Race baiting, blame game, whatever you want to call it. Through the whole interview I still didn’t get what Omarosa’s “brand” is. Still don’t like Bethenny tho.
@ BravoCueen What? Do you not understand what white privilege is? Do you not understand the history of racial inequality that undergirds America? How can you say that what Omarosa says holds no merit? It is ignorant for any individual to say that someone is “race baiting” if they address instances of racism. Racism is pervasive and permeates our society and institutions and it is foolish not to acknowledge that.
Um…are you new?
“I completely disagree that white women are given a pass for being mediocre and African American women have to be extraordinary to get the same rewards.”
BravoCueen, are you by any chance Caucasion? You might find the concept of ‘White Privilege’ new or interesting, and maybe you could consider asking yourself “Could it be possible that black women are are held to higher standards than white women professionally?”
The book, “Our Separate Ways: Black and White Women and the Struggle for Professional Identity”, explores the numerous ways black and white women ARE being held to different standards. Sometimes, it’s right in front of your face like when Karen Brown, (one of the highest level African-American women in corporate America), had her boss ‘compliment’ her saying “Karen, you know Ken just wears his blackness”.
On a much broader scale, a national eight year survey revealed the higher standards women of color managers must meet to even be considered on the same playing field as white women managers. These differing standards were so extensive that the study’s black women, (but not their white women counterparts), reported widespread race based challenges to their authority from bosses, subordinates, and colleagues. The study found that ONLY 21% of black women who completed the survey felt their companies were committed to the advancement of POC in management. In contrast, white women were much more positive about the efforts of their companies to advance women and minorities.
The above points from the book are only a mild, tiny slice of horribly vivid descriptions of the daily doses of racism black women have to endure, even at the executive level. While the glass ceiling does hold back white women too, women of color have to deal with sole deadening racism on top of that every day. The excerpts found in the following link are truly eye opening.
http://books.google.com/books?id=xoN5BJa4wvoC&pg=PA145&lpg=PA145&dq=white+women+are+held+to+higher+standard+than+black+women&source=bl&ots=xlx2w2-kEJ&sig=j8-aMTjm8Iykdu7peGXnixld1VQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=GLlyUoGkB-b54APn0IDoDg&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=white%20women%20are%20held%20to%20higher%20standard%20than%20black%20women&f=false
Numerous movements against one ‘ism’ or the other fail to recognize how connected these problems really are because there are a great many people who are experiencing several of these struggles at once. Oftentimes, they’ll be marginalized within a group that is supposedly fighting for them -homophobia in racial struggles, racism in feminist struggles, Classism in Queer struggles, the list goes on.
http://whatprivilege.com/we-do-what-we-can/
http://www.techyville.com/2012/11/news/unemployed-black-woman-pretends-to-be-white-job-offers-suddenly-skyrocket/
Typical. Idiots of all color always have an excuse as to why they didn’t get what they thought they deserved, due to some sense of entitlement on their part. Her grammar is poor. What does that tell you about how she got into the schools she attended? The standards were lower for her since she was an unrepresented minority. That’s a fact.
NOBODY should think they’re going to get a job or promotion if they have an attitude, cannot speak properly, and are filled with anger. I have heard just as many white people complain they were overlooked for the same reasons, but instead of finding out what they could improve and working on it they continue whining like they were wronged.
Yep, racism must be it. Hahaha…get a clue, people, nobody would touch this piece of garbage no matter what color she was.
I’m no fan of Bethenny’s but I wanted to stab Omarosa, too. How smug and dismissive and arrogant. Say what you want about Bethenny’s personality, but she went from a nobody to a housewife to a brand and her own show, all of which she used to promote her Skinny Girl products, and she sold her business for millions of dollars. I think her time in the sun is over, but she worked hard for it and she was smart as a business woman, if not in her personal life. To say she got where she is because she’s white is not true or fair.
That’s not what she said, though. The statement she was rudely and clumsily trying to make was that in this country, minorities have to be twice as good as their white counterparts to get half as far. I think there is SOME truth to that, it’s a much more complex issue. Y’all got me defending Omarosa. I need a cocktail.
Yes, I have to agree with your point. I wasn’t clear about why I wanted to stab her. I just found her so insufferably arrogant and dismissive in tone and attitude that I wanted to scream, whether she made a point or not. Her whole stand in your truth, let me tell you how to live, let me tell you some religion, I worked in the Whitehouse and you make cupcakes thing wasn’t fair to Bethenny. So now I’m defending Bethenny, so I’ll join you for that cocktail.
There’s A TON of truth in it, but Omarosa was quite uncouth about it, yes.
I was home on Monday this week and I have in and watched bethennys show. It’s so boring I can’t even tell you. She has bullshit segments. Her transitions and questions are so stiff and she’s always looking for the camera. They should just give the job to a mannequin.
Bethenny called her guest a prostitute. On air. Behind her back.
So, though I’ve given her show a fair shake, I’m done. It’s just hateful.
Whoa! I guess she earned her comeuppance, then. How quickly she squandered that Teen Mom mediation esteem.
i think shes trying to be (a hybrid version of new & old) princess lolly from candyland!!???
NEW VERSION: goo.gl/Dr0TaQ
THROWBACK: goo.gl/kHY0Dd
I CANT! now shes ruined a childhood game loved by all.
DONE.
When I first saw Bethenny in costume I thought it was a man in drag.
I watched the whole interview yesterday so I was able to get the background info… as much as it pains me to defend Omarosa, there was truth to much of what she was saying. I suggest people watch the whole clip before assuming she was race baiting or playing the black card. Do not minimalize what she said because of who she is. To the person above that said Bethanny worked hard to get where she is, that is true. Her Skinny Girl brand has flourished because of her hard work. But Bethanny was also BORN rich and privileged, which presented her with different opportunities. She was very condescending toward Omarosa and considered herself better because of her accomplishments, while Omarosa too has worked hard. I think that’s really the point Omarosa was trying to make.
Okay. I didn’t watch the clip because I didn’t want to, and I really don’t know either of these women from Adam, so I didn’t know if she was insulting the host specifically (which is incredibly rude, even if–as far as I can tell from comments about this Frankel person–it’s largely true because that’s a level of meanness akin to releasing the Kraken on a drunkard with negligible water treading skills who’s wearing a pricked water wing while quickly approaching Jellyfish Lane), or the notion of privilege in general wherein minorities have to be better to be considered average.
Also, its never ok to tell someone that they get to be mediocre. Her delivery wasn’t the best but there was truth in some of her statements.
Even though I think Omarosa is an idiot, I agree with her. That’s something that my mom has told me since I was young. I live in a pretty much all white area–I was the only black female in my high school. And over and over again, my mom used to tell me and my brother that you are going to be held to higher standards. That if you aren’t good in math, and you aren’t trying then you’re not going to be seen as that kid who can’t do math, you’re going to be seen as that stupid black kid who’s too lazy to do your homework.
I remember what Chris Rock said about this, in his standup. That white people can be average–he used George W. as an example–that he made C’s in college or something. But when it came time to have a black president, he had to be an honor student. He had to be really intelligent, etc. And Chris was saying that people always told him that to get ahead you have to be educated, and so on–but you shouldn’t have to be. The perception of my race as a whole, shouldn’t be based on whether or not I have good grades or not. I shouldn’t be judged because the black kid next to me is lazy. I should be judged based on ME. Not someone else. But that still happens.
@Virgilia love your comment! So true
I watched the show for the first time (home sick), and Omerosa made some good, true points, but there is a better way of saying it, it’s her delivery that sounds bitchy, but that’s her schtick (or brand lol?!). But Bethanny is annoying, so was kind of funny to see her seethe, but Omerosa was right they INVITED her on her show, so B knows Om’s bitchy brand, what did she expect?! And Bethanny is mediocre as a talkshow host lol!!
‘“It’s different for you and I,” she told the talk show host.’
I don’t like either of these women, but, Omarosa, if you are trying to appear more intelligent, it would be wise for you to utilize proper grammar to make your point.
“It’s different for you and ME.”
What work does she perform for income????
LMAO thank you! I am sick of people always thinking “I” works in any sentence. (I compose and edit for a living, basically.)
The work Omarosa performs for income (besides lying like a rug about her past elevated position jobs in the White House and education achievements) is finding reality shows to be the villain on, which is the point Bethenny was trying to make. I don’t have a dog in this fight but Bethenny was right on that point, while Omarosa was right on the minority point.
That made me teeth grind, too.
Turned on Bethenny for about two (2) minutes…all I could take…and it was just to see her Halloween costume.
She’s so manic I can’t listen for more than a few seconds. Oh, and I LIKE Omarosa.
I felt really bad for her, when Michael Clarke Duncan died. Right after he died, the paps were all over her. I saw on the Dailymail, she was going through an airport (this the day after he died), and she was crying, her face was all balled up–she looked like she wanted to die–and there were cameras all up in her face. I felt really bad for her.
And I remember when she got into the fight w/LaToya Jackson–apparently LaToya was saying crap about Michael, and she was p-ssed. She went on Wendy William’s show to talk about it…..that’s sad. She still has a soft spot for him, which is good.
Great costume…The Cotton Candy Hooker.
Said no one ever.
They are both self absorbed idiots (but Omarosa has a point about white privledge)
Bethany is LA LA LOOPSY, the cartoon character. ..I have two toddlers lol
Two idiotic loathsome women. Ellen should be punished for unleashing “THE COTTON CANDY HOOKER” onto humanity. As for Omarosa, she has had more opportunities than most black women….all of which she has squandered for fame.
“…she has had more opportunities than most black women…”
NO:
“…she has had more opportunities than most women…”
FTFY
I watched it and I felt bad for Bethenny. Omarosa would hardly let Bethenny talk much less breathe. I’m not even a Bethenny fan but Omarosa was a b*tch.
About the whole “white girl privilege”. Omarosa, tell that to Oprah. Look how successful Oprah is.
More insights from the Ann Coulter of reality TV ?
Back door teen mom one day, Omarosa another? Betheny is really scraping the bottom of the barrel for guests.
The way I see this is that what Omarosa said, in context, is very true but it’s a tough pill to swallow from someone who is such an entitled bitch. The fact that she was saying it to someone who is an abrasive bitch (but yeah, probably did some serious work to get where she “is” herself) makes it the perfect emotional storm to quibble about for us, doesn’t it? Overall, had this conversation taken place between Meryl Streep and Viola Davis, it might have been more defensible from either point-of-view.
I’m not interested in either of these women. The thing that is head scratching to me is how in the world did Ellen D think that putting Bethenny on the air was a good idea. What in the world was Ellen thinking. I just don’t understand that thought process. There is nothing about Bethenny that is appealing. I really think people overestimate the appeal of these reality stars. Thing is when their shows are over the interest in them is over as well. Kate Gosselin is a prime example of the Reality Show trek.
They have a place and need to stay in it.
Keep omarosa off tv please!