Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4 was incredible and instantly iconic. But, as much as Bravo fans may not want to admit it, the season’s success is, in large part, thanks to Monica Garcia. The Real Housewives newbie set off an atomic bomb with the reveal of her shady secret Instagram account, Reality Von Tease. In the finale and reunion, Monica’s betrayal of her castmates was riveting to watch. Truly, must-watch TV. However, Monica Garcia sets a dangerous precedent that could spell trouble for Bravo.
Most of us normies watch the Real Housewives as entertainment. But not Monica. She saw an opportunity. Viewers have heard recordings of Monica voicing her desire to be like Kim Kardashian and using her job as Jen Shah’s assistant as a “stepping stone.” In fact, fans now know that it was Monica who first reached out to Bravo and expressed interest in becoming a Housewife, and not the other way around.
Is the line between Bravo fans and carefully curated cast members blurring? For better or worse, Monica may have ushered in a whole new era.
Bravo Shows Are Easy To Infiltrate
It’s not too surprising that Monica managed to weasel her way into the RHOSLC cast. She already knew a lot about their inner workings—and not just because of her role as Jen Shah’s assistant. Some Bravo stars and shows have been on the air for many years. Hardcore fans have followed their journeys closely and some have developed encyclopedic knowledge of the Bravoverse.
Perhaps it’s my Slytherin sensibilities, but it seems like it would be remarkably easy for a fan to fit in with a Housewives friend group if they got the chance. And as Monica has proved, it is. Having in depth information about each cast member—their likes and dislikes, personalities, struggles—would allow a fan to know just what to say and do to seem like a compatible and appealing friend.
This seems to be exactly what Monica did. She got intel on the other ladies from Jen, and even did drive bys to scope out their homes. And there’s zero chance that Monica didn’t watch the first three seasons of RHOSLC at least once. She gathered her information, learned about her targets, and found a way to infiltrate the group. Monica knew exactly what sob stories to use on each woman to elicit maximum sympathy and evoke feelings of camaraderie.
Theoretically, any serious Bravo fan could do the same thing, given the chance. Now, in the wake of Monica’s controversy, more fans may try to follow in her footsteps.
Monica Opens the Floodgates
It’s true that Monica is pretty much a pariah with the RHOSLC gang, but in reality, she got exactly what she wanted. Monica is now one of the most talked-about Bravo stars of 2024. Granted, it’s still early in the year, but I’d venture a guess that she’ll still be included in everyone’s “Biggest Bravo Moments of 2024” lists.
The Reality Von Tease reveal was a massive Housewives scandal. Monica completely betrayed her castmates by being a friend to their faces while spilling all their tea on Instagram. It was a huge slap in the face to the RHOSLC ladies, but great television for the fans. It may have also sparked ideas. Unbalanced Some fans might think to themselves, “if she can do it, why not me?”
Bravo may see an uptick in the number of women reaching out to be Housewives (or a cast member on any Bravo show, really). There could be more opportunists using what they know about a cast as a way to become one of them. I don’t know about you, but for me? It’s giving Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Over in Bachelor Nation, it’s become practically a tradition for there to be contestants who go on the show “for the wrong reasons.” Now, thanks to Monica, that could become a common accusation on the Real Housewives and other Bravo shows. Though most Bravo stars’ intentions aren’t exactly pure, there’s something different about a concerted plan of infiltration and attack. Bravo is best when it’s lighthearted, but what Monica did feels sinister. Let’s hope she hasn’t started a trend.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK MONICA GARCIA SETS A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT? WILL THERE BE MORE SNEAKY BRAVO WANNABES?
