The Real Housewives teaches lessons on defusing drama at work

I used to really enjoy watching The Real Housewives on Bravo. The franchise gave a glimpse into the glittering lives of women in Beverly Hills, Atlanta, and other major cities across America (and Dubai). Unfortunately, over the years, the shows have taken a dark turn.

Rather than offering a light-hearted look into the stars’ families and friendships, envious wardrobes, homes, and travel destinations, the shows now highlight the incessant fighting among cast members. Surprisingly, watching these altercations can be helpful when figuring out how to quell hostility in the workplace.

Dramatic, but important lessons from Bravo

In addition to screaming, cursing, and crying, many of the women on The Real Housewives franchise have had altercations involving destruction of property, hair pulling, pushing, grabbing, and other forms of physical assault. There have even been multiple instances of cast members threatening to obtain restraining orders against each other, and one former housewife is currently suing Bravo for maintaining a toxic work environment.

The in-fighting among the Real Housewives has sadly become the raison d’être of the franchise, and the vitriol spills over online immediately after each episode with viewers taking sides about which ladies they love and which ladies they despise.

Frankly, as a litigator, I get enough drama and heated exchanges in my daily life dealing with the opposing counsel who are suing my clients. I don’t need or want to see a bunch of middle-aged, over-privileged women throwing temper tantrums during my downtime.