ULTIMATE VOYEURISM
Bravo Crosses Line With Deathploitation Of Russell & Taylor Armstrong Recap
RADARONLINE confirms that Bravo will air the counseling sessions of troubled Beverly Hill Housewife Taylor Armstrong and her deceased husband, Russell. The only concession they’re making is not airing Russell’s private sessions. They will air Taylor’s.
I confess I was shocked at the revelation. Why, after making such a big deal of editing him out, would they do this? Well, we know why. Ratings.
Intruding on the therapy sessions of reality show characters is uncomfortable for me. I feel there’s always some acting going on, and… and, they’re just disturbing. And the shows that are mostly all therapy, such as Celebrity Rehab, lose me entirely. Seeing Russell in such a vulnerable position makes me nauseous since we know where it all ends.
An interesting article in Salon ask the question “Did Real Housewives Kill Russell Armstrong?” His lawyer makes the point that trying to keep up with billionaires like the Maloof’s make for an extremely pressure-filled life.
Also, the fact that Taylor is a part of this also unsettles my stomach. How much TV fame or infamy do you need? Whether they air the sessions during the season or make it a one off Watch What Happens kinda thing, her daughter is going to see it one day. And Bravo is doing exactly what Russell feared: exploiting the tragedy of his marriage.
1 Comment
Russell’s reputation right now is that he is a wife-beater. Seeing him in therapy would probably not hurt his reputation. It might humanize him a little.
Taylor and Russell agreed to have these therapy sessions filmed. There would have been at least one camera-person in the room with them. That may mean that the sessions are phony, but it definitely means the sessions were not an intrusion of privacy.
Additionally, if it was an abusive relationship, it would probably good for viewers to see how that could be treated in therapy. A lot women think “I’d leave as soon as he hit me,” but that mindset makes it harder for women who aren’t prepared to leave their husbands to admit that they are being abused.
I’m interested to see the therapy and think it is unlikely to have a negative impact on Russell’s memory or his daughter.