Episode 7: Reading is Fundamental

This week, we got to see the Housewives at some of their best and some of their worst, as their "Girls' Beach Trip" continued. The title of the episode, "Reading is Fundamental" is perfect, and it was great that Brynee was there to show Katie how to argue with a black woman. In case you're unfamiliar, "reading" is a type of verbal sparring tactic common in African American Language, in which speakers call out someone based on their characteristics or behaviors (loosely defined). The RHOP do it all the time, but it came out for real this week, in the situation where Gizelle called out Katie in the sister circle and accused her of being on drugs at Ashley's party. The morning after this little episode, Katie and Gizelle started to get into it. Gizelle knew she was wrong for that, but she tried to play the victim.

Gizelle- "I don't know why they're coming down on me. I did not bring this up first, Brynee did."

Katie actually does stand up for herself in this exchange, but she's not indirect enough for it to be effective.

Katie- "I didn't ask you why you feel the need to have multiple sex partners or why you're like walking around in lingerie and having sex with people in lobbies. I didn't say that.

Katie then goes to her room to pout, and Brynee follows her and gives her some advice about dealing with Gizelle.


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Brynee- "Sweetie, you gotta learn how to read her. Cause you really need to assert yourself and check her. Do you understand what i'm saying?"
Katie- "That's what walking away is for me". 
Brynee-"But you need to tell her"

Karen comes in and helps with advice on this situation.

Brynee- "You know Katie's way of dealing with it was to walk away. But sometimes it's necessary to let a sista know, it's not going down like that.
Karen-"If you give her an audience, she'll perform. Take her audience away"

Yes!!! Brynee has just told Katie everything she needs to know about managing Gizelle's shade, and it works out. Katie calmly confronts Gizelle (though doesn't quite read her) and Gizelle apologizes and even gives her some respect!

Gizelle-"I have never seen this side of Katie...right now she is all business"

Katie's initially inability to manage Gizelle's criticism of her also betrays her lack of experience in these types of situations with black women. And since this is a recurring theme every week, later on in the episode, Gizelle jumps back on her complaints about Katie's "whiteness".

Katie-"When you try to talk to white men, you know, business owners or people who are in finance about what's going on in the black community...it's like they don't understand, it's just shocking".


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Gizelle -"Since when does black lives matter to Katie? Especially since she always wants to check the 'other' box. Katie does a lot of tryna fit in with white people. Well guess what boo, they don't like you".

Biracial Katie still can't win, but I'm with Gizelle on this one. You can't expect rich white dudes to get behind the cause especially if you're not sure if you're down with it yourself.

In other news, Ashley finally got her props about being a host! Though it did come with the fact that they doubted her initially.

Gizelle- "We graciously welcome you with open arms"

Karen-"You is special!"

Ashley-"I feel like the results were just posted on the board and I got the lead in the school play"

But alas, the party was short-lived, because the ladies all lost it when Michael showed up. I get that they were mad that he interfered with their girls weekend, but I think Karen and Gizelle definitely overreacted.

Gizelle- "Karen is probably gonna lose her wig because this is totally against any etiquette rule she has written down. Little miss Ashley hasn't learned a G D thing"

However, I agree with Katie that they need to chill.

Katie- "It's Michael's house, he wanted to surprise his wife and I think she needs to appreciate that".

In the end though, this caused a serious and growing rift between Mama Karen and Ashley, and I'm sure we haven't seen the end of it.

Karen- "At the end of the day, I'm not comfortable and you don't care, and I'm just doing a motherfuckin note to self..I'm done"

In my opinion, the house looked way more fun after the haters went to bed, and Robyn and Michael and them started playing beer pong.

Linguistic Observations

Katie (about Gizelle)- "I don't even know where that accent she has comes from. I don't even know where she's from or who her people are".

Oh Katie...you're clearly not a speaker of AAL, and you don't even seem to know it when you see it.

Random Unrelated THOTs

Ashley- "I feel as though I made it to the end of the rainbow and he's my pot of gold". 

Now I ain't saying she a golddigger...but she's telling us so...literally.

I loved when the drag queen said that the Housewives looked like they were from Southeast, and Charrisse was incredulous. Accusing these women of being from the poorest, blackest part of D.C. is pretty much the worst insult.