So what feels catastrophic when basic needs are more than met? Interpersonal conflict, specifically cheating scandals like “Scandoval” and “Scamanda.” The “Scandoval” finale pulled in 4.3 million viewers alone. The average for Season 10 of VPR was 11.4 million viewers alone.
There is also an aspirational element to Bravo shows. When the Real Housewives of Orange County premiered in 2006, Bravo described the women on the cast as “[leading] glamorous lives in a picturesque Southern California gated community where the average home has a $1.6 million price tag.” Despite being “housewives,” the show meant income, thus charting a path out of difficult marriages or financial straits. Having an Ariana Madix glow-up post-cheating scandal, one that leads to financial success, further cements this aspirational path — the one that Ciara Miller is now on as well.