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Dec 1, 2009 6 Comments ›› Pat Dollard
Crashing a White House dinner might be the worst thing to happen for Tareq and Michaele Salahi – and the best thing for the reality show they were courting.
Even before the social-climbing couple began auditioning for a spot on Bravo’s “Real Housewives,” the franchise was a big hit and part of the pop-culture lexicon.
The series launched in 2006 with a winning formula: following women in upscale communities who flaunt their bling, breasts and brats.
“The ‘Real Housewives’ had already penetrated the culture in a significant way, now this is just going to make it go further,” says Syracuse University professor and pop culture expert Robert Thompson.
“It is one of the pillars of [Bravo's] well-documented rise to success,” says Tim Brooks, co-author of “The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows.”
“The ‘Real Housewives’ is something they can plant in almost any community.”
Millions watch it – and now millions more will be curious because the Salahis were being filmed by Bravo when they showed up to the White House state dinner sans invitations.
Washington is the fifth location for the series, which started in Orange County, Calif., and was expanded with casts from Atlanta, New York and New Jersey.
When the fifth cycle of “Orange County” launched with a series record of 2.58 million viewers, Bravo General Manager Frances Berwick called it “remarkable and a testament to our viewers’ continued passion.”
The show is appealing to Bravo because production costs are low compared to the a $2 million price tag for an hour of scripted drama.
“It gets excellent demographics for them, and gives them an endless supply of stars,” Brooks said.
The stars are reportedly paid between $30,000 and $100,000 an episode – but the benefits go beyond the paycheck.
Stars have co-hosted the fourth hour of NBC’s “Today,” appeared on celebrity TV shows and the red carpet at countless events. They get free clothes, dinners and yes, invites.
“Everywhere I go, women ask me, ‘Who do I need to talk to to get a franchise in my state?’” a cast member from one of the “Housewives” series told the Daily News.
Thompson says the appeal of the “Housewives” show is the outrageousness of the characters.
“There is a sense that a lot of these shows present people for our amusement, and the good feeling we get from mocking them,” Thompson says. “And, it’s funny to watch bad behavior.”
