The Real Housewives of New York...Recession? What Recession?

Hello, my name is Katlyn, and I am a Real Housewives addict.

So much so that on a recent trip to the big apple, I begged my mother and aunts to make the trek to the upper east side to visit Zarin Fabrics, the family business of my very favorite housewife, Jill Zarin. (Even if Jill was not there, I would have settled for her little chihuahua Ginger, but we can talk about that later...)

This popular Bravo reality show follows a select group of high-end housewives from cocktail parties to shopping sprees, charity events to fashion shows, and chronicles all the drama in between. The Real Housewives of New York is currently on the air, with past seasons documenting The Real Housewives of Orange County and Atlanta. (The newest season, The Real Housewives of New Jersey premiers later this spring)

I think that aside from the cat fights and couture, the shows real draw is the fact that it offers us a peek into a world many of us may never see. The lifestyles that these ladies live are simply unimaginable, and for most, unreachable. It's just fun to watch, wish, and drool in envy.

Last night the drool dried, and I found myself actually reaching for the remote and changing the channel (gasp!) in the middle of the episode. Here's the rundown:

• In an interview with BBC News, Jill danced around the question of how the economy is affecting her with plugs for her charity events.
  
  
  
  
• After she already received a $16,000 handbag for her "downsized" birthday gift, Jill was surprised by her husband Bobby with a brand new Mercedes SUV. Minutes later, she was upset and unhappy because it was not compatible with her iphone. Bobby just laughed, and offered to get her a different car.
  
• Alex McCord-van Kempen also celebrated a birthday, and received $6,000 diamond earrings. But the gift giving didn't end there...hubby Simon then treated her to a one-of-a-kind couture corset...made from a feed bag...to the tune of $7,000.
  
  
  Handbags....ok.
  Diamonds, i would expect.
  But a $7,000 feed bag corset is where I draw the line.
  
  

  We are in a recession, and there are more people losing their cars, jobs, ( it was reported earlier this month that McCord-Van Kempen lost her Marketing position at Victoria's Secret) and the shirts off their backs, than there are living like the "Real" housewives.
  
  I would be lying if I said I am not going to watch the show anymore. I will. (In fact, I hope it's on when I get home. ) The difference is that I now realize that my beloved housewives are not just entertaining us, they are rubbing $3, 000 diamond encrusted salt into the working-class wounds of Real Americans.