The ‘Housewives’ of Orange County
Are Sexy, Fun, Cheeky and . . . Real
by Jim Schmitt, Editor and Publisher
The Real Housewives of Orange County -- or as more popularly known, the Desperate Wives of Orange County, playing off the hit TV show -- are back for another season. I don’t know of any woman who hasn’t watched the show, or any man who would admit it, but the truth is, the show, filmed here in South Orange County with people we know and like, is cheeky, sexy, voyeuristic, compelling, and just plain fun to watch and enjoy.
I had the pleasure of meeting two of the local stars of the show -- Jeana Keough and Vicki Gunvalson -- at a holiday party recently and, being one of the men who had actually never seen the show, I didn’t recognized them but I knew about them from living in a household full of women who never missed an episode.
The women were lovely, engaging, and fun to talk with and not the least bit put off by my not recognizing them, which one might have expected given the international recognition the show has given them and their closest friends in just one season on the air.
As a way of introduction, I gave Jeana my business card and two days later a media kit for the show was Fedexed to my office. It’s easy to see why Jeana is one of the top real estate brokers in the country (click on www.JeanaAndShannon.com); she’s a woman of action who gets things done.
The kit was interesting and included a rough cut of the first two episodes of the new season on a DVD, but I wasn’t going to run a story because, after all, the series is about a group of women who live in Coto De Caza and I’m the editor of the Ladera Times. No local news story here, right? Wrong!
I did some checking and found out there was a huge Ladera Ranch connection. For one thing, one of the regular cast members, Lauri Waring, owns a home in Ladera Ranch (you’ll learn more in season two).
Also, several people who appeared in the first season or who will appear in the second season are Ladera Ranch residents, including Gary Tomasino, owner and broker of record of California Real Estate Services, who appears in the first episode of season two, and Shannon Leonard, a real estate associate of Jeana’s, who was in scenes shot for the second season.
Also, Barbara Parker, of Barbara Parkers Custom Designs, located in Ladera Ranch, appeared in last years’ episodes and was filmed in scenes for season two. Barbara has provided jewelry for the cast during the show. In talking with Jeana, I learned that everyone with any significant exposure on the show have achieved international fame. For example, Jeana’s son, Shane, who was recently signed as an outfielder in the Oakland Athletics farm system, receives 25,000 hits a day on Google.
And “housewife” Vicki Gunvalson, owner of Gunvalson Insurance & Financial Services as well as Coto Insurance & Financial Services, receives 700,000 hits a week on her business website.
As for Jeana, she has already lived a life of fame and stardom many Hollywood performers would die for. A model and actress, Jeana was a Playboy centerfold and one of the models in the ZZ Top videos including “Leggs,” my all-time favorite video.
What’s new for season two? For one thing, there’s a new “housewife.” Tammy Knickerbocker, replaces original cast member Kim Bryant, who moved to Chicago after last season.
Along with Jeana, Vicki, and Tammy, Jo De La Rosa and Lauri Waring, both regulars from last season, round out the regulars, plus a cast of hundreds of family members and friends who appear in various episodes.
The burning questions on the minds of viewers are:
Does Jo get back with Slade or is she drawn to the bright city lights of LA?
Does Vicki slow down and enjoy her family and the fruits of her hard work?
Will Lauri meet the man of her dreams?
What happened to Kimberly and her family’s move to Chicago?
Who is Tammy, the newest member of the inner circle, and what role will she play in this weekly drama?
And does Jeana stay on top of her multi-million-dollar real estate career while serving as the voice of reason for her best friends?
If you’re seeing the series for this first time, you’ll just have to catch up.
When: Tune in to Bravo at 10:00 pm on Tuesday, January 16, for Episode One of Season Two.
Inside Scoop: Scott Dunlop, of Coto De Caza, creator of The Real Housewives of Orange County, originally planned the show as a spoof on the ABC hit show, “Desperate Housewives,” but it morphed into a reality show instead.
Want More: Visit www.TheRealOCBrand.com. The women have created their own website full of photos and profiles of the “housewives,” email contacts, and a store offering clothing, jewelry, and cosmetics.