Every fan of the Real Housewives of New Jersey knows that Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga do not get along. It’s not a tale of David and Goliath. But rather a feud of the ages. One that almost surpasses the Hatfields and the McCoys. The rage that goes on between these two almost feels comedic at times, perfect for a reality TV show. But who knew a simple gift of cookies would literally put both of these women on the naughty list? Let’s say Santa wasn’t impressed.
‘Tis the season to disappoint Santa on RHONJ
It’s beginning to look a lot like Sprinkle Cookie Season! While most of us are more than happy to partake in the annual baking of holiday cookies, one particular cookie event lives rent-free in my head. Sadly, I can recite Teresa’s monologue word for word. Who could forget how Melissa offended the OG? During a tirade, Tre noted, “She came to my house Christmas day, and she brought me sprinkle cookies.” As a New Jersey native myself, I had no idea our state had a hierarchy of cookies. The cookie shame was unreal.
Tre continued, “Melissa. No one touched the cookies you brought. I threw them in the garbage!” At these words, Santa and the rest of the cast balked at the confession. Teresa would always be on the naughty list for this move. To add insult to injury, Tre noted, “You know what my favorite cookies are? Pignoli cookies. That’s what I said.” Poor Melissa was left shell-shocked. The Envy owner stated, “I’m sorry, throwing a pregnant woman’s cookies into the garbage is not funny. And it’s not a dig. It’s just plain stupid.”
There is a Real Housewives lesson to be learned
To this day, Season 3 still has me questioning these women’s holiday motives. I can’t get over how Teresa reacted so rudely. I was always taught that when somebody brings a gift or contributes to a meal, you accept it graciously, no matter what it is! Also, Melissa didn’t bring sardines or moldy cakes. She brought beautifully wrapped bakery cookies for the entire family to enjoy. Now, every year, I like to rewatch the episode to remind myself not to be such a Scrooge. The life lesson and worst part of the entire ordeal is the fact that Teresa bragged about throwing the scrumptious cookies in the trash. There is literally a Christmas song dedicated to starving children who don’t have any cookies.
The episode is basically a perfect reminder that Teresa and anyone else in her shoes could have just accepted the kind offer. She could have put them aside and quietly disposed of them later, never to be mentioned again. Instead, she made sure to ostracize her sister-in-law and hurt Melissa’s feelings. If you can’t be kind around the holidays, then I can only assume you are not nice the rest of the year. It takes nothing to spare a considerate word for somebody; kindness is free.
Melissa Gorga embraced the holiday spirit
Cookiegate is a timeless holiday classic that will resonate with almost anyone who comes across it. During a Watch What Happens Live episode, Andy Cohen asked, “Can you finally forgive Melissa for not knowing your favorite cookies are pignoli, not sprinkle cookies?” Without overthinking, Teresa said, “Yes.” In 2019, Melissa was invited over for Easter and once again showed up with cookies. However, Tre acknowledged the gag first and added, “They are just what I wanted.” Who knew a sugar top treat could be turned into an olive branch of peace?
Teresa’s taste buds prefer the more expensive cookies to their sprinkled counterparts. But the long-standing feud drove the point home that some families fight over the silliest stuff. As Santa readies his elves and toys on the sleigh, it is important to remember that cookies, the perfect gift, and expensive twinkle lights are all secondary to the true meaning of the holidays. So every year, when I may be getting a bit tired of the hustle and bustle, I like to remind myself of the true meaning of this time of year by watching this special Real Housewives of New Jersey episode.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey can be streamed on Peacock.
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