It’s clear that the adjusted atmosphere on the Real Housewives of New York is not speaking well to all viewers. Ratings have taken a nose-dive this season and it’s not hard to see why. In the same way a new cast member is going to change the group dynamic, for better or for worse, Eboni K. Williams is making her mark on the show.
Without taking on the moral discussion of what Eboni is bringing to RHONY, it’s a change to the status quo. Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan, and alum Dorinda Medley, ruled the roost with their enduring friendships and fights. They knew how far to push each other’s buttons, but hugged it out in the end. With Dorinda fired, and the addition of Eboni, it seems that quirky dynamic is gone. At the very least, it can be said that the decision to take on social justice issues has overshadowed it.
All of this drama came to a head on last week’s episode. Luann and Ramona confronted Eboni about their frustrations. They questioned Eboni’s constant need to bring up race relations at each and every cast setting. Ramona used the word, “preachy” and did some crazy jig to deflect. Sonja, to her credit, verbalized the issue much better.
Eboni explained that it’s important for her to set the tone for her values and the issues she’s passionate about. That she doesn’t get to turn a switch on and off when it comes to being a Black woman in America, and there will be time to “kiki” once she has made her position clear to the other ladies.
She spoke about this confrontation on a recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live. In a clip shared on Twitter, Andy Cohen asked, “since you mention it isn’t your place to teach everyone in the group, what’s your reaction to RHONY fans saying you’re too preachy? I know you’re getting that a lot and you have a good answer for that.”
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Eboni replied, “yeah, my answer is simply this, A. I’m a little bit of a preacher. And I wear that as a badge of honor. And I’m a little bit of a teacher too.”
“The other thing is,” Eboni continued, “I really just wanted to go into this thing, Andy, making the most authentic connections with the women. And just being truthful and honest about where I am, and what I’m about. And if there’s an outstanding question about values-alignment, I gotta get to the bottom of that. That’s all.”
Maybe a lot of the cast issues could be resolved if the women viewed Eboni’s “preaching” as a means to get to know her rather than be on the defensive. Just like any new addition, it takes time to mix and gel with the seasoned cast. Perhaps the dynamic will shift as the ladies spend more time together.
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TELL US- WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT EBONI ON RHONY? DO YOU FIND HER “PREACHY”? SHOULD CAST AND/OR VIEWERS BE OPEN TO THE CHANGE?
[Photo Credit: Bravo]