AN ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF AN EPISODE OF REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK (S12 E21)
I have some interests that may seem kinda incongruent with my interest in the environment and nature. Namely, I love trashy tv. Trashy tv and picking up trash are probably somehow in some way loosely connected though.
Here I try to justify watching the Real Housewives of NYC season 12 finale twice by providing an “environmental analysis” of the episode.
SONJA’S PLASTIC SURGERY: Sonja looks great in her home talking head interviews. She’s glowing and the pink is amazing on her. However, Ms. Morgan has definitely had some tasteful plastic surgery since the original footage was filmed. I’m not here to shame anyone for doing what they want to feel beautiful. However, the healthcare industry is a massive cause of pollution so adding to that with elective and totally unnecessary surgery is just not cool. Healthcare is the second largest industry for waste in America behind the food industry and makes up 1/10th of America’s greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, Botox and whatever else they shot into her face are usually tested on animals which is just sad and unnecessary.
LEAH’S GINGERBREAD HOUSE: Love seeing Leah, Bunny (her mom), and her kid all hanging out. I also loved the Christmas vibes of this episode. Let’s fast forward to Christmas in real life too just in case things are better in a few months.
However, the gingerbread house making is just a food waste nightmare! You just know that all those lovely bowls full of icing, cookies, and sweets are all going straight in the trash after the class ends and most of the people attending are not going to eat their gingerbread houses. On the upside, maybe we won’t have gingerbread houses this year because no one is going to grab communal candies, stick them on an exposed cookie house, and then eat the house that other people have touched and that has sat out. How about a cookie baking party instead? You bake a bunch of stuff then package it up and give it as gifts or just eat it.
VIVA LA DIVA RECORDING SESSION: Luanne recorded a new single in the studio. It’s called viva la diva. It’s terrible. The studio uses electricity and streaming music burns fossils fuels and energy. It’s estimated that the greenhouse gas emissions generated from streaming music are between 200 to 350 million kilograms. Maybe I shouldn’t be so petty but is viva la diva really worth adding to that?
DORINDA’S APARTMENT RENOVATION: Why is Dorinda redoing a whole apartment twice in a year? I have a terrible coffee table that I hate. I keep covering it with other things like table cloths and tapestries to hid it. I’m not going to replace it because its perfectly functional and does what it needs to do- holds my snacks while I watch trashy TV. It doesn’t need to go into a landfill. Replacing it will not make me less miserable or better hide my narcissism….okay DORINDA?
RAMONA IS TOO BUSY TO OPEN EMAIL ATTACHMENTS: Ramona missed Luanne’s millionth cabaret show because she was too busy to read the email attachment invite. Ramona should just delete her email account all together. A study by OVO energy found that if people in the UK sent just one less email a day, 16,433 tons of carbon would be cut. Considering Ramona is well-documented as having 50 close girlfriends alone, imagine all the carbon that could be cut if she just gave up email all together!
DRAG QUEEN BINGO REUSABLE BINGO MARKERS: Sonja is throwing a big drag queen bingo party. I’m delighted by the fact that they seem to be using reusable bingo markers. I trust Sonja will collect the bingo cards and markers and reuse them at her next party because the Morgan money only goes so far.
LEAH’S BINGO DRESS: I have to love Leah here because she said she’s wearing a dress from her grade 8 graduation and she’s wearing trainers that she definitely will wear again. REUSE IT GIRL. I have a lot of questions though. This dress is def not part of a capsule wardrobe and I don’t understand how it could fit in her NYC-sized apartment. I respect her anyways!
THE INHUMANITY OF ALL THE GLITTER AT SONJA’S PARTY: Glitter is little bits of poisonous micro plastics. It’s not glam, it’s not cute, it’s polluting our waterways. Surely, we can look glamourous without it? There are tinsel, sequins, and glitter everywhere and no one even looks cute. Also, as much as we should love, cherish, and re-wear our clothes, Luanne should never wear that sequin glitter hat again.
BARTENDERS WITHOUT SHIRTS: Shoutout to Sonja’s bartenders for not wearing shirts and saving the environment from the hazards of textile production. If you prefer not to be half-naked, other environmentally-friendly options include buying second-hand or from local and sustainable designers.
I love my trash and this made it feel slightly educational.
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