I grew up in the years of after-school specials tinged with warnings about suburban horrors, Sunday night movies about nuclear war, and of course the ultimate disaster—that I watched in Mr. Petrizzi’s classroom—the Challenger. TV became a source of anxiety, riddled with unthinkables, my growing brain was forced to confront. As I sit on my own Freudian couch (better known as a stool at the island in my kitchen), I wonder if those early terrors formed my abject love for fluffy TV. The screen has to be an escape for me. Gilmore Girls? A meditation for peacefulness. Friday Night Lights for the umpteenth time—sign me up. (As an aside, we just finished it again last night. Hands down some of the best writing I’ve ever seen…don’t even try to disagree!) And when I really want to escape the catastrophe of things like the news cycle, I take a heavy serving of reality TV. My early morning date on the treadmill is only complete with an episode of Below Deck or Housewives du jour. The drama that unfolds on those shows is not close to the heart pounding reality of my youth. There’s so much irony in reality TV lacking any reality for me. But cue the scenes of a life I don’t lead and choices I would never make, and my shoulders instantly relax. I was watching Below Deck while I emptied the dishwasher the other day and Justin asked if there was a season I hadn’t watched yet.
“Impossible,” I said. “A new episode is released every Tuesday.”
Every day, a new way to jump into another world. It’s a world where everything is exponentially greater than the one I live in. From the comments and reactions to the clothes. Would I ever treat an enemy as poorly as they treat their friends? No way! When I peel back the layers of super yachts, luxury cars, and diamonds, it’s a look at relationships and what makes people tick. It’s a group of enterprising women running their lives as businesses. And if I dig a little deeper, Housewives is one of the few shows that focuses on women considered older by Hollywood standards.
In my real life, islanders joke about our lives being episodes of Housewives. Stories of country club antics and helicopter mom abound in the checkout lanes of our grocery store. So I took the absurdist version of reality and wrote my book. Are there pieces of reality in it? 100%, yes. But mostly, it’s a comedic escape giving you moments to laugh and moments to roll your eyes. Which is what I need in my life, so I kind of figured some of you did too.
Guys, I would love to see you at the launch party for The Housewives of Greensea Island! It’s going to be so much fun! Pop in and say hi if you can. Sign up here!
Hope your days are filled with some sunshine and whimsy!
xoxo,
julie
I love your stories. I am excited to read this one
So excited for the launch of your newest book!!!🫶🩷