Put up-Scandoval, the Vanderpump Guidelines solid is barely thriving

Actuality stars have all the time fallen within the decrease ranks of onscreen expertise. Regardless of their enormous impression on popular culture, they’re not as well-compensated and customarily revered as actors and even internet hosting personalities. That is particularly noticeable on Bravo, the place the community’s largest names primarily exist in their very own ecosystem of superstar — or extra precisely, Bravolebrity — which not often ever interprets to precise stardom. 

Nonetheless, the seismic actuality TV occasion often known as Scandoval final yr, the place Vanderpump Guidelines star Tom Sandoval was uncovered for dishonest on his longtime associate Ariana Madix with newer solid member Rachel Leviss, yielded a uncommon second of monetary prosperity and heightened visibility for the celebs of the present, together with a point out on the White Home Correspondents’ Dinner and two Emmy nominations. 

Naturally, Madix gained probably the most from the complete mess, nabbing limitless sponcon offers, a slot on Dancing With the Stars, a job within the Broadway manufacturing of Chicago, and now a internet hosting gig on Peacock’s Love Island USA — on high of viewers’ sympathy. The scandal additionally served as advertising for her and her costar Katie Maloney’s sandwich store One thing About Her. In the meantime, different solid members reaped advantages too: Lala Kent launched a profitable merch line pegged to the ordeal. Scheana Shay noticed a lift in her podcast streaming numbers and received to star in an Uber Eats industrial that includes her Bravo-famous tune “Good as Gold.” And DJ James Kennedy turned the de facto No. 1 man within the group. 

Watching season 11, although, it doesn’t appear to be anybody’s really thriving. The present, which initially centered on a gaggle of servers and bartenders working at Lisa Vanderpump’s gaudy West Hollywood eating places, has all the time seen its solid wrestle to make ends meet. Within the afterglow of Scandoval, nonetheless, it’s significantly hanging to listen to a number of solid members point out how at present broke they’re this season or how little cash that they had going into filming after greater than a decade of being on the air. 

Accordingly, a lot of the solid’s plotting appears pushed by a determined have to hold the present — i.e., their most important supply of earnings — working. After 11 years within the public eye and a publicist’s moist dream of a scandal, the boundaries of gaining monetary stability via the fact TV machine have by no means been extra clear.  

This season of Vanderpump Guidelines has been burdened by one evident (supposed) dilemma: How will Sandoval and Madix movie collectively after his affair, to keep up a semblance of concord amongst the solid? Although the collection’ massive ensemble has all the time handled discord and separated itself into cliques, there appeared to be unsaid settlement — in keeping with Shay, one which was enforced by producers — that Sandoval should be accepted again into the group to ensure that the present to go on. 

Thus, this season has seen some awkward makes an attempt by solid members, particularly Shay and Kent, to power Madix to co-exist in group outings together with her ex. This culminated in a memorable fourth-wall-breaking second within the season finale when Madix refused to have an on-camera reconciliation with Sandoval. Kent ends the episode fulminating towards Madix’s alleged diva habits in refusing to adjust to producers for the sake of their jobs. She additionally laments that Madix wasn’t being “actual” in dismissing her ex, showing to confuse what wanted to happen so as to supposedly “protect the present” with any real-life situation the place a lady was confronted together with her conniving, trash-talking ex. 

For the reason that finale aired, Kent and Shay have endured backlash from followers’ for facilitating a redemption arc for Sandoval and ignoring Madix’s boundaries. A lot of Kent and Shay’s gripes with Madix appear ridden with jealousy over her turning into a fan favourite. But, inside the context of their feeble positions as actuality stars, their odd maneuvers and bitter confessionals additionally really feel like a show of financial panic.

Actuality stars, particularly those that be a part of reveals after they aren’t already well-known, have lengthy endured insultingly low pay. In an oversaturated actuality panorama, one can think about that negotiating a wage on considered one of a number of, ever-changing Bravo reveals is quite a bit totally different than when widespread, unscripted reveals felt like monocultural occasions. (For instance, the solid of Jersey Shore persuaded MTV to pay them $1 million for his or her second season.) This isn’t to say that the Vanderpump Guidelines solid are essentially residing in squalor. Whereas Bravo retains most of their salaries confidential, sources advised the Hollywood Reporter in 2020 that the solid started incomes $25,000 per episode throughout 2017, in comparison with the $10,000 they have been paid for the complete first season. 

However, these individuals are beginning companies and elevating households in probably the most costly cities within the nation. Moreover, most of them didn’t come on the present with a lot. Vanderpump Guidelines has been an outlier within the more moderen Bravospehere — apart from the Under Deck collection — in centering on hourly staff from largely middle-class backgrounds. This contrasts with Bravo’s “aspirational” programming, the Actual Housewives franchise and Bravo’s different millennial enterprises, Summer time Home and Southern Appeal, the place the solid members be a part of the present with preexisting wealth or high-paying jobs. 

Nonetheless, eleven seasons into considered one of Bravo’s hottest reveals, which has granted them different money-making alternatives, it’s a bit startling to study that the solid nonetheless isn’t financially snug. Early on within the season, Madix stated that she solely had $2,000 in her checking account earlier than being showered with job alternatives. Even together with her post-Scandoval beneficial properties, she’s argued towards her costars’ claims that she’s rolling in dough. 

In the meantime, Shay’s makes an attempt to rekindle a friendship with Sandoval, regardless of his mistreatment of her finest good friend Madix, appear economically pushed. (Apart from the push to maintain the present working, all her recollections of him being a “good good friend” are financial favors.) Satirically, Sandoval and his enterprise associate Tom Schwartz, who’ve spent the previous few seasons investing cash for his or her two eating places Tom Tom and Schwartz and Sandy’s, have complained about their low financial institution accounts and struggles to afford ideally suited housing after their breakups. 

Throughout season 9, each Toms bought $2 million farmhouses in San Fernando Valley with their then companions, Maloney and Madix. Within the wake of their splits, it feels sadly poetic  — their critics would say, karmic — that they’re now planning on shacking up collectively of their 40s, which is the very same place they have been in as broke 20-something-year-old fashions earlier than the present even started. 

All of this underscores a actuality of actuality TV, which is that publicity doesn’t essentially enable members to develop into economically cellular and even get pleasure from a snug life. A Bravolebrity can seemingly be probably the most beloved particular person on the web, going viral each week on social media and spurring numerous GIFs and memes — which has sparked its personal debate about mental property — however that doesn’t all the time translate into {dollars} of their pocket. Even within the age of social media, the place regular individuals are plucked from obscurity and launched right into a world of fame and wealth from their residing rooms, the mix of visibility and likeability shouldn’t be an computerized portal to success. 

That is seemingly why most actuality stars’ outdoors ventures appear largely restricted to sponcon, reside reveals, podcasts and infrequently internet hosting, which isn’t to insult that work. It’s all, nonetheless, work that hinges on their continued fame. It’s fascinating how few Bravolebrities have been in a position to launch really profitable manufacturers that transcend their reveals, and never for lack of attempting. It’s develop into a trope on Actual Housewives for solid members to make use of the platform to raise or set up companies nobody actually requested for, typically overestimating their attraction as saleswomen. 

Throughout cities, you’ll be able to see ladies hawking every part from multi-wick candles to fragrances, to customized hats to weave, all within the hopes of turning into the subsequent Bravo girlboss. It’s a pattern that kicked off with former Actual Housewives of New York Metropolis star Bethenny Frankel, whose meals and beverage firm Skinnygirl turned a multimillion-dollar success story. Summer time Home star Kyle Cooke additionally used the present to launch his laborious tea firm Loverboy, which made $16 million in gross sales in 2022. Vanderpump Guidelines’ Schwartz, Sandy, Madix, and Maloney have clearly all gone into brick-and-mortar, though the returns, to this point, don’t look like that considerable. 

Working towards this purpose to make as a lot cash as doable whereas on actuality TV is the necessity to current a rich way of life. Likewise, Actual Housewives, significantly the Georgians, typically accuse each other of renting enormous mansions or leasing luxurious vehicles they’ll’t afford for the sake of “stunting.” 

In the meantime, Bravo, as an organization, has seemingly by no means been in a safer, profitable place. In recent times, Bravo’s annual three-day conference, BravoCon, has develop into a enormous revenue generator for the community, because it’s developed right into a brazen parade for advertisers. Moreover, season 10 of Vanderpump Guidelines, which unfolded throughout the reveal of Sandoval, has presumably handed the community much more promoting {dollars}, because the collection turned the most-watched cable present final yr, together with on streaming platforms. 

Nonetheless, the solid, apart from Madix, doesn’t look like reaping the advantages of Scandoval like one might need guessed watching them promote T-shirts and endorse Chili’s tequila espresso martinis on tv. That frustration has simmered all through the entire season and into the reunion. There’s an apparent argument right here that the tertiary events shouldn’t profit in any respect. Plus, it’s been odd listening to Madix’s castmates declare that she’s “thriving” as a result of she’s hawking Duracell batteries and competed on Dancing With the Stars regardless of the immense and traumatizing betrayal she skilled from Sandoval. For all of the heavy ingesting that’s occurred on this present, the solid has by no means exhibited a lot thirst.