business opportunities and bring my followers, you know, delicious treats,” says Cooke. He and Batula host a panel called “Passion to Profit,” where they hold court like two start-up founders.
The concept of “Bravolebrity” as entrepreneur has been a game-changer for the franchise, but not everyone is on board with the idea of reality TV stars hawking products. A 2021 New York Times investigation exposed Housewives from multiple cities selling drinking water that allegedly contained harmful chemicals, and other allegations of questionable business practices have followed. What’s more, the tone of recent Bravo programming has raised eyebrows outside of fandom in ways that are hard to brush off. In 2019, former star Lisa Vanderpump quit Real Housewives of Beverly Hills amid personal and professional turbulence, declaring the experience had become toxic. A pair of Southern Charm castmembers displayed shocking displays of racism. Viewers seemed to lose patience with the antics of aging and expensive Real Housewives of New York, leading to a reboot that eschewed animal print for younger and more diverse talent. And fans of Vanderpump Rules have watched a stardom-adjacent wedding, pregnancy announcement and trips to Europe, while still others have not had to reckon with the removal of their favorite bartender after his disturbingly offensive tweets surfaced.
These troubling stories vary in scope and severity, but they’ve raised predictable questions about what sort of message Bravo is sending with its programming — and with the way it cultivates and monetizes stars. These issues were met head on with an official BravoCon panel called “Housewives Behavior: The Good, The Glitzy & The Ugly,” where Housewives and executive producers engaged a candid conversation about reality TV responsibility. “We’re not saying it’s always easy,” says Berwick. “Our personalities find themselves in high-profile situations and they make mistakes. We turn the cameras on because we believe in transparent storytelling, and a lot of that is holding each other accountable. We don’t edit out bad behavior. But we’ve had difficult conversations. And every time, we’re reminded of our ongoing responsibilities to our viewers.”
The checkered recent past has led to increased scrutiny on the vetting and aftercare of Bravo artists. Many castmembers hail from the upper reaches of society — financiers, restauranteurs and such — and corporate partnerships have consequences that extend beyond a lucrative investment. “It’s not easy to turn your life over for the kind of parses that natives of this world undergo,” says Cohen, who is still friendly with many castmembers and emphasized early on Bravo’s collaborative nature. The recent upheavals have led to more robust HR practices and employee resources, say insiders, bolstered by the recent formation of an internal diversity, equity and inclusion team.
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Quotable drama works wonders for a brand that has always understood how to pile it on, but it is not enough to buoy Bravo in the crowded modern media landscape. The network’s careful curation of a 360-degree experience is proving to be the linchpin — already, it has announced that a second round of BravoCon will take place in Atlanta in 2024. And so, the Bravolebrity will continue to reign supreme.
