When I heard that Russell Armstrong, the estranged husband of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Taylor Armstrong, committed suicide, the first thing that came into my head was “the show killed him.”
I was discussing this issue with a pal, who pointed out that perhaps a majority of the Housewives (who I've given up watching) have been through some sort of financial ruin, whether bankruptcy or foreclosure, and another huge number have had their marriages ruined.
She wanted to understand who would put themselves up on tv, break the bank to show off imagined wealth, to prove exactly what?
I think it's a pure snapshot of America, where the American Delusion replaces the American Dream. The real estate bubble is mirrored here. People finally reach some height, have a fame-whore wish to show it all off to the world, and then roll back down the hill like a stalled car. Most of these people don't get their own shows, however.
We revel in watching the delusions of others, branded as real.
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