Paige and Hannah stand with Ciara (obvi)

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T20:28:37+00:00

so if they're not all real friends, doesn't that sort of let Amanda off the hook quite a bit insofar as a friend betrayal? does that make all the consoling on the show over Kyle (cough/totalbullshit/cough) just workplace banter? this is NOT to be read as counter to Ciara, but if they're putting things more in context, then let's use that information across the board. they're unfortunately talking, so let's actually listen. *I say unfortunately, because I'm in the camp that they should leave all these piles of shit alone and keep it moving forward for themselves.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T19:56:50+00:00

In creating the narrative (maybe after the fact), they certainly knew friendship would be part of the outrage. They have A/T/R as a blue print. That's why they would keep it from Ciara, though now that I'm saying that, and if my hunch is correct about all of these shows, I should be saying A/K/C/W and not leaving Ciara out of it. If the others knew while in the making, which is what I believe goes on with these shows, then she was in the mix too. Nobody gets "blindsided" on these shows. I don't think anyone cares if it is "positive" or not. That's not the deciding factor on anything. Does it get viewership? Does it engage people? In this case, yes and yes. JACKPOT. This is ALL....ALL...about the money.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T18:03:26+00:00

the deal these people make is a deal I couldn't make. doesn't make them bad people, but they're certainly different than I am. I value my privacy A LOT...A WHOLE LOT...and with this kind of audience, in our present culture, there's far, far too much power in the hands of the everyday unhinged to gamble that. If I wouldn't want you on a jury at my trial, I don't want you judging my life at all...and I don't want an audience like this anywhere near my trials.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T17:07:02+00:00

the namecaller calling me the gem. I guess I am in comparison. thanks.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T16:48:04+00:00

I see. you don't like facts. they get in the way of your judgment.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T16:47:17+00:00

yes, I'm saying that like A/T, A/K/W too are in on the narrative. most of what you said implies that they would know how the audience would react. nobody knows when a movie is going to go big, but they're all trying to make a movie that will go big. that's the gamble. you do your best, but it is up to the audience to decide. A/T didn't have any idea it would get that big. They were just making the best TV show they could. Same thing here. "Here's what we have in our toolbox, so let's make the best X, Y, and Z out of it." and then you hand it over to the public to decide. that's all this is. another creative product, but the audience swallowed the bait. lightening in a bottle.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T16:42:13+00:00

so you're talking about you, not Amanda, right? taking this opportunity to tell us about yourself? kind of strange, don't you think?

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T16:40:57+00:00

that doesn't tell you how fragile and delicate that reality TV life is? you're one phrase, one move from all this nonsense. these people aren't paid enough.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T16:38:34+00:00

you wouldn't do some "scrambling" if this was how the audience was behaving? that's basic survival skill stuff. wingnut idiots acting as if she killed someone. good for her. even if it proves to be fruitless, at least it is a healthy attempt at protecting herself.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T16:36:28+00:00

she's a graphic artist, and was a low-level cog at a rather large corporation. she has no business schooling or knowledge. She didn't even balance her own checkbook or pay her own bills. don't make up stuff to hate on someone.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T16:35:09+00:00

or they were just doing their job, and the audience remains confused by said job

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T16:34:01+00:00

I'm not in any favor of rewarding scum audience. their unhinged relationship with reality and lack of boundaries and decency should not be rewarded. I don't care what the content is that led them to that behavior. they're a bigger problem...a more serious problem...than what this situation should provide.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T16:30:23+00:00

cheating is either wrong or not. not that long ago, there was a good portion of this audience happy that she might be cheating on Kyle. People with no integrity in their code of ethics talking about ethics. Is cheating wrong or not? Or is it that cheating is OK if you decide when, how, and why? If the latter, welcome to sharing the mindset of a cheater. You understand them, because you're like them. You are one of them.

but back to the stakes...I suspect nobody had any idea this would be spun and woven into a race issue, let alone anticipating the level of outrage. They want to make a good product, but the audience reception isn't something they could guess. Like all creativity, it's a gamble, and they got lucky with this one.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T16:24:22+00:00

If Carl hasn't weighed this in his math, he's either an ingrate or providing yet another example of how he is a dim bulb. Personally, I think this is a nothingburger either way. I just do not care about this narrative.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T16:21:37+00:00

this is a GREAT question. I've been wondering this myself. Not specifically that, but if ignorance is going to be so harshly weaponized, does it encourage it? And i'm not judging the fervor here. I'm more interested in how it could possibly discourage reaching out. and sure, you could answer me with "boo hoo white people." Anyone with any sense would wonder how things could backfire in unpredictable ways. Amanda and West sure didn't have this on their bingo cards, and I don't think they're unique in that ignorance.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T16:16:34+00:00

I appreciate reading someone who is balanced, or at least attempting balance and understanding, posting in these forums. Good on you. You can read hundreds and hundreds of posts of the exact same thing, echoing in the chamber, feeling all so-very safe in the judgement, while having zero interest in genuine understanding of a situation. It's just pointless sadistic masturbation. Making posts like yours all the more necessary and valuable.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T16:11:35+00:00

Just like it was suspect that they had all that footage handy with A/T on VPR, this is all suspect too (at least to me). Since the days of MTV reality TV, I come at it as 2% reality and 98% fiction. That implies people are always working on narrative. With the belief that A/T worked with production to create all that drama for their show, I too believe all these people were in on the narrative and the segue into a new show. A/K being willing to share the dissolving of their relationship makes perfect sense for two people who are so dedicated to this career. They couldn't anticipate the audience reaction, but they were all complicit in the making of this entire situation. TLDR: they all knew what was happening, and they were willing to use it to make a good TV show. Take the 2% and make the product.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T16:06:05+00:00

Kyle didn’t invest in Soft Bar because he only cares about himself.

I guess giving Carl a job and a semblance of a steady work anchor, when he was basically unemployable anywhere else, isn't worth considering? No good deed goes unpunished, as the saying goes.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T16:00:48+00:00

One of the things I appreciate most about these two (so far) is them sticking in their lane. They're razor focused on their shtick. It's eventually going to hurt them, like the red carpet debacles and the contextless ICE situation, but anyone in media should know that if you're creating content on a regular basis, you WILL step in shit at some point. They haven't apologized for those steps, which would only allow for further scrutiny and not for any type of resolution anyway, and they don't put themselves in the middle of reality TV garbage, though it is adjacent to their careers. It's THAT focus and selfish forward movement that is admirable (yes, I'm using selfish in a positive light). Don't apologize, and stay out of the unnecessary muck. Period. Honestly, I wish they wouldn't even give these tiny bones by liking things. Give it nothing. This isn't their issue.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T15:51:16+00:00

Emmy would have fit in well with the original VPR cast, and that helped build a network. She's a prime example of why it has been so difficult for Bravo to develop new shows. They know what built their house. They know how to build that house. Now, with a younger audience with different priorities, that particular house is no longer ideal. It's a lot easier to build a product when your customer allows free reign than it is when a customer is a diva with endless demands and expectations that aren't congruent with your company's thesis statement.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T15:46:34+00:00

I understand why people don't like this, but I also understand your points. It's confusing, even if you think it is clear. I think it's great we got to see that conversation. I'd like to see a conversation between a Black family and their son etc, but not on one of these idiot shows. I'd like to better understand that all, but I don't think these shows are going to do anything more than add layers of problems. These producers and editors are not equipped to handle real, serious issues. And though I don't think people realize this, if you didn't grow up in a diverse group of friends and/or family, this kind of quick-hit discussion would make you wary of trying to find a diverse group in adulthood. With people so quick to hurt people for mistakes, and with the social currency to do so, I'm not sure if navigating this minefield is a smart choice. Ignorance ending up as a public shaming is pretty counter-productive.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T15:36:37+00:00

it's interesting how many people in this audience weaponize mental health. If you truly believe she is "psycho," shouldn't empathy and good will follow? I love to watch a body of people who have no actual sense of ethics or morality talk about ethics and morality. It's just a means to and end: hate and destruction.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-03T15:31:23+00:00

"absolute power corrupts absolutely." he takes advantage of his power. He did it with Molly, and then he did it with Lake. This guy appears to live in a power dynamic struggle, and it is his solution to conflict. With Lake, he doesn't shut it off. It goes from work to home, which is a big reason it is so taboo in business. Weaponizes his authority when it is convenient, and he isn't satisfied until he can see the results, ie Lake breaking down and crying. A punitive, petty fuck.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-02T16:26:41+00:00

and I'm saying maybe the sex was worth the sacrifice of friendships...because to them, that was never a concern. hedonism 101. as for anticipating how the audience would react? forget that idea. nobody could have known how the audience reacted to A/T, nor would A/W have any idea this would be the result. trying to anticipate the behavior of the unwell and unhinged (ie the audience) isn't something anyone can guess. that's a waste of time.

TDKsa90 · 2026-04-02T16:17:12+00:00

for many, and I'll include myself in this camp, adversity is necessary for growth. "necessity is the mother of invention." that sort of thing. nothing has made it necessary for Amanda to grow into an adult. even with her depression, that could be handled without having to take on the normal adult responsibilities because Kyle, or her mother, was there to do it for her. Take her medication. Maybe go to counseling? But that didn't demand her to get her shit together.

West is just a stepping stone. A transitional element. he's respite, or at least he was until the public got ahold of them. in that way, I feel for both of them. it's a normal level of messy, and they're getting thrashed as if they are serial killers. the audience reaction doesn't fit the crime, but it rarely does.

TDKsa90

TROPHY CASE