I Can't Get Real With the Housewives Anymore -- and don't you interrupt!

Argue, argue, argue. Gesture, gesture, gesture.  Interrupt, interject, and the beat gets more rude with every episode I jump into.

The unfortunate reaction (unfortunate for me) to all of this verbal slapping and snarling: I can barely watch five minutes of my favorite city in the Real Housewives franchise, New York.

I've never found "the culture of argument" entertaining anyway -- my stomach gets tight and the breathing goes shallow. I have this reaction anytime I have to listen to people fight.

So what if these women are getting paid for being cruel to each other? I look for the moments when friendships actually have a growth spurt and/or the families have real fun, but they seem to be fewer. In the meantime, the housewives criticize sensitive and serious things like each other's parenting decisions, with almost no real knowledge of the situations and why certain decisions were made.
      
 I'll keep popping in to see what's going on, but
that's it. Unless being kind and funny and less dramatic starts to gain traction, I'll stick with the two "relationship reality" shows that give Bravo reasons to be proud: "Bethenny Ever After" and the sweet, quirky-smart Rosie Pope's "Pregnant in Heels".