One thing about me, I love Stassi Schroeder. She has always been an unapologetic, basic bitch and that speaks to my soul. She was Vanderpump Rules and was someone who clocked bullshit immediately. I always say, if her, Kristen and Jax had been on season 10 of Pump, they would’ve sniffed out Scandoval in a heartbeat.
I understand the racist reasoning for her firings but I’ve followed her since then, read her books and truly think she has taken accountability and learned. Also, if Kristen could come back to TV and have fans love her again, why can’t Stassi? They were fired for the same reason…
Anyways…
I was excited when it was finally announced that she was getting her own show; finally, the queen was making her return! I wasn’t thrilled that it was on Hulu but I would suffer in silence.
When it was announced a few months ago that House of Stassi would be on Freeform, I was a little disappointed — it felt like a real step down, until I realized that it would also be a Hulu show. That felt more appropriate. I don’t touch on it in this post but I really want to do a deep dive into how Hulu is creating their own reality TV universe to compete with Bravo
I was also irritated by the fact that Taylor Strecker would be a main cast member. I find her to be beyond irritating and had to stop listening to Stassi’s podcast because of her. She seems like a social climber, someone who wants to worm their way into the fame machine and finally figured out how to do that via Stassi.
In my opinion, her role on the show solidifies that fact.
Up until last week, I was hesitant if I was even going to watch it because of her despite how much I enjoy Stassi on TV. Then, the reviews started to come in, it was revealed that Katie would be on the show, and my sister enjoyed the first episode.
Over the course of Thursday & Friday I binged it, and well… I have some thoughts.
The Nonexistent Fourth Wall
This is the main point of praise I’ve seen for the show — the fact that there is no 4th wall. This is a show about making a show, or directly looking in the camera and talking about how they got to the point of having a show.
Do I believe these things would be happening if there was no camera? Maybe not all of it but definitely some of it — like the whole sister storyline along with Stassi and Beau’s marriage problems.
This is the new way of reality TV. The audience is not dumb, the audience does not want to be insulted by networks when we know half of the stuff that happens is produced specifically to make good TV. The fourth wall should be broken when it makes sense.
In the Bravosphere, we only very recently started breaking the fourth wall and I think we owe that to Denise Richards and her ‘Bravo, Bravo, Bravo” outburst. The next major moment was probably Reality Von Tease on RHOSLC, and since then we get sprinkles of a broken wall here and there, maybe once a season.
Stassi doesn’t do that; they talk about test shoots, about convincing Katie to come on because she needs her ‘ride or die’ aka she needs another professional. They talk about going on cast trips or hosting dinner parties just for drama. They are not skirting around the fact that they are making a TV show, instead facing it head on.
It’s refreshing and interesting; Hulu is doing something Bravo probably never will.
Sister Sister
Both Stassi and Beau’s relationship with their respective sisters is a major plot point of the entire 8 episode season and it’s pretty insane.
We got a peek of it on Season 2 of Vanderpump Villa but Beau & his sister Georgia (the sisters being named Georgi and Georgia is also a hilarious, mind blowing coincidence) is weird as hell. It makes me deeply uncomfortable and feels very inappropriate, especially because they were not raised together and met as adults. I hate it.
Stassi has always has a fraught relationship with her mother and that played out numerous times on Vanderpump Rules, so it’s not a surprise that it leaks over to her relationship with her siblings.
Watching Georgi was diabolical. She is an entitled brat who feels like she is owed something from Stassi. Her attitude is heinous and the way she speaks to and about Stassi is vile. Stassi is by no means an angel but when it comes to her family, I’m firmly on her side.
The fact that Georgi was living rent free under Stassi and Beau’s roof and refused to even help with the kids is crazy. Yes, she wasn’t hired to be a nanny but you are unemployed and mooching off your sister. She gave you a reality TV job, you should be helping and trying to pay her back when you can.
It was hard to watch Stassi battle with her family between wanting to help them and have a relationship but also put boundaries in place for how she is treated and basically used.
The Supporting Characters
Despite what I just said, I’m happy to have the sisters on the show. It adds an element of seriousness to the show that otherwise might be lacking.
When it comes to the supporting cast, I’m conflicted.
I already said I don’t like Taylor, though her wife Teddy is fine to watch. I personally find Taylor grating in more ways than one. She comes off very desperate and gives off an overall vibe of ‘single white female’ to Stassi. Naming her daughter Beau is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard and I don’t care that it’s a family name. You choose something different!
Rob is a good buffer, someone who is going to be real but also provide conflict with Beau, bringing him more to center stage and giving him a purpose aside from Stassi’s husband.
Kristina Kelly has always been boring though a good voice of reason. She has the reality TV experience, whether she likes it or not, so it’s good to have her there. I always say you need someone very neutral and a little normal to counteract all the big personalities on screen. Kristina plays that role perfectly.
And then you have the big guns…
Katie Maloney.
This show is nothing without her. She was desperately needed and I’m so glad she is there. People online are speculating that the test shoot Stassi & co previously shot didn’t go over well and that’s why Stassi needed to bring in Katie. It makes sense and sounds pretty plausible because without Katie, we have nothing.
Stassi needs someone to play off of, someone who is going to stand up to her and call her out on her bullshit but also knows how to play the game. Watching her and Stassi circle their prey with a glint in their eyes before they pounce is pure poetry.
She got into the mix, she brought some drama and was able to turn the tides when needed. She was herself, as always, but also delivered when she had too.
“If they didn’t come out of you or they’re not married to you or they’re not on your f**king payroll, they don’t get to be in your life.”
This will go down as one of the most iconic lines in reality TV.
Katie is someone I could never form a clear opinion on but she always makes for good television, and that arc continues on House of Stassi.
Season 1 Stassi Has Returned
Vanderpump Season 1 Stassi was a hard watch but eventually, once we knew how evil Jax was, she became iconic. I would say after she came back from New York she became less mean and more snarky & funny.
Going forward, I thought this would be the path she stayed on but I think this season proved she is back to her old ways. However, to me, that only applies to her dynamic with Beau. As I said before, I think her feelings towards her
She was really hard to watch at times and perhaps it was being played up for the cameras but the way she spoke to Beau really rubbed me the wrong way. It was nasty and rude; she wasn’t being a partner and she’s well aware of that. From not respecting his desire to work, insulting him by saying she will pay him to stay home.
Her refusal to go to any kind of therapy is very hard to watch because she desperately needs it, if only to work out her familial and personal issues outside of her marriage. Something is not right and their constant outbursts and fights makes me really sad. These problems didn’t come out because they were on a show, they were already there lingering under the surface but I don’t think cameras are going to do them any favors.
There are a lot of issues in their marriage but Stassi also has issues of her own — her communication style is shit, she is clearly taking on too much work, she is struggles in taking accountability for anything and she does not know when or how to apologize, for anything. (Once again, this might be played up for the cameras but who knows…)
Everything came to a head during the finale when Stassi had a huge breakdown following her friends’ intervention.
Anyone who listened to Stassi’s podcasts, listened to interviews and followed her on social media could tell that Hartford was going to be a handful. She is Stassi’s daughter after all. But to hear Stassi admit, in a fit of tears, that she can’t handle her children was very sad. I’d bet my life she is not the first woman to think or admit that, but it’s not something mothers go around advertising.
Her reasoning for not wanting Beau to go back to work makes sense, and I can understand that. She’s also right when she says that if the tables were turned, no one would question her staying home with the kids.
I don’t love the excuse that she is emasculating Beau by being the breadwinner. It’s a very outdated, sexist POV and in general, I hate the word emasculating. It sets that preconceived notion that men are to be envisioned and perform in a certain way that isn’t fair to anyone involved.
While Stassi is making it hard to root for her at times, I also think Beau is being a little off putting for the cameras. They do have a full time nanny and Hartford is in school full time, so why is it that he thinks he can’t have a life? If you follow him on social media, he portrays himself as someone with an active social life.
My opinion on their marriage and how it was portrayed on the show is truly ever changing which I think makes for a better viewing experience.
At the end of the day, Stassi is an excellent reality TV star. She has a producer credit on the show and she knows what needs to be done to both move a story along and get a great, iconic moment.
I thought season 1 of House of Stassi was a stellar performance with both real and manufactured moments, but nothing felt overly fake or performative.
Once season 2 happens (which I assume it will be) a lot of the kinks will be worked out and we’ll be good to go.
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