Watching Hollywood Exes got a little harder after this week's clash between Viacom and DirecTV.
DirecTV has a point when it says that Viacom wants to unfairly tax satellite subscribers for content that Vh-1 airs online anyway. It takes a minute, like three or four days, but television shows from VH-1 like Hollywood Exes do air online. Eventually.
Last week, the Hollywood Exes got in some quality girl time in Napa. They tasted wine, drank lots of wine. And Nicole Murphy, the stunner of the bunch, conceded that she'd not be practicing ancient, as in 800 year old French wine rituals in a red den full of wine, if she hadn't been tasting wine all day. As the show moves into its fourth episode, most women in the cast are incredibly comfortable on camera. Sheree Fletcher, Will Smith's ex-wife, still comes across a bit pretentious and a whole lot of stuffy.
Fletcher's a preacher's wife and propriety takes place in her presence. The problem with propriety and reality television is that it reduces those "real" moments that allow the viewer to connect to its reality stars. And after all, viewers are watching because they want to relate. Fletcher's mission: to present her most appropriate self on camera, flew out the window at dinner when she let loose an expletive to describe her husband.
It was a ice breaking moment at a dinner table where an unusually stressed Jessica Canseco needed to let loose. Canseco, at this stage in the series, hasn't resolved her custody arrangement issues with her ex Jose. Jose's back and forth and all over the place. He's been everywhere, man and in between his running, it looks as though he's waiting for Jessica to explain to their daughter that he's not moving to LA.
But the girls aren't having that. Nicole Murphy is hard on Jessica's case to make sure her gal pal Jessica doesn't carry Jose's load. Jose has to communicate with his daughter, Nicole insists. And Jessica can't do what Jose should do himself.
Clearly Nicole knows what it means to make ex husband's man up on their parental duties.
Mayte Garcia's "friend" set the girls up on a trip to Napa with a private plane to escort them to the valley. Almost everyone had been on a private jet before, except Mayte.
Now, Nicole Murphy says, she travels commercial. But her kids are spoiled by their dad who “always” flew in private jets. Today, post divorce, the Murphy kids have the “best of both worlds” their mom says. They fly commercial and private.
Mayte Garcia conceded she’d never flown private until after her Prince marriage. Andrea Kelly hates flying and needed more than alcohol to calm her nerves during take-off.
Although Andrea's a bit much, like seemingly unrelaxed, she's fun company and her sayings are hilarious.
The women were intrigued by a French Napa vineyard owner. He's handsome and smooth and he's not wearing a wedding ring. He's as happy as can be, he's surrounded by really wealthy and attractive women. Somehow, they all manage to entertain each other and Andrea Kelly's low cut top just keeps dropping lower and lower until the night's done.
Mayte's intrigued by Mr. French Vineyard Proprietor who announces near the end of their trip that he's married. And the room they are sitting in had something to do with an idea his wife had. Not that any of this really matters because the "friend" who gave Mayte the jet for the weekend is really the subject of something a lot more interesting. Unless of course, the friend is a VH-1 producer who needed a storyline and setting.
The pull of Hollywood Exes, aside from the bits of male celebrity gossip that the ex-wives drop along the way, is that the women are able to share their lives on camera graciously and without inspiring jealousy or hatred. Viewers watching the show are privy to the secret lives of the rich and famous. All the way down to the discounts at Gucci shops---discounts that accompany being the wife of a multi-million dollar celebrity. T
Through it all, Hollywood Exes remains a feel good series about middle aged moms and ex-wives who've moved on. Nicole Murphy is a clear favorite along with Jessica Canseco and Andrea Kelly (R.Kelly's ex-wife) is a clear runner-up. Mayte is a virtual sob story because she's looking for a husband, even though she still has Prince's symbol on her china cups in a curio.
It's not like Mayte needs the money or anything, but wouldn't those teacups be a wonderful gift for the highest bidder on Ebay? She and Prince are broken up and there's not much likelihood they'll get back together. Especially after next week's episode airs. That's when Mayte's mother concedes that she really doesn't like Prince at all. In fact, she stomps her foot on the floor and crushes him not like an ant, but like a garden snake that's been crawling around the weeds far too long.
This week's funniest moment: Mayte Garcia asked the ladies which language would she like to give Jose Canseco a piece of her mind in? English or Spanish.
Next week.
photocredit VH-1,Facebook/Hollywood Exes
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