Southern Charm Recap: Phone a Friend

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To put it simply, the show didn’t treat JT fairly when it came to his comments, real or imagined, about Venita at his local barbershop. At the very least, I believe everyone involved in the show, those associated with it, and even the respected barbers of Charleston have a share in this. Not forgetting the entire culture of reality television too. While JT may have contributed to some extent, he certainly gave us something to discuss, much like a Bonnie Raitt song stirs up conversation.

This part of the episode could have been titled “Madonna’s Face” due to its excessive use of filler material. Even Salley’s plastic surgeon, who is scheduled to remove her breast implants and extra E, couldn’t salvage this situation. Incidentally, didn’t it strike you as peculiar how fixated he seemed on her breasts during the consultation? Frankly, if I were a woman considering a breast augmentation, I’d opt for a female surgeon. While a male surgeon might cater to men’s preferences, a female surgeon would enhance your appearance to make other women envious of your transformed physique.

We accompanied Sally to the doctor’s office, but we just hung around afterwards. Rodrigo discovered a $500 poker chip in his bag and now he’ll have to send it to Sienna via Venmo in hopes of getting it back. Molly and Taylor were seen taking their pets for a walk, and I couldn’t help but marvel at the intelligence behind the “Pup Cup” idea at coffee shops or ice cream parlors – the person who came up with that must be a marketing genius, yet they probably aren’t profiting much from it. Shep discussed his broken heart while unpacking a backpack that looked like he swiped it from the poorest hippie at the shabbiest hostel in Prague. Overall, not much was going on.

There’s been some development regarding Craig and Austen, primarily focusing on Craig opening up about his struggle with addiction. I’m glad to see Craig embarking on a recovery path, but it feels odd to me that he went from never mentioning it to sharing stories about his “rock-bottom” experiences (which, for the record, my bottom tales always involve Rodrigo). It seems both Craig and Paige expected Austen to notice Craig’s abstinence earlier and connect the dots with his addiction problems. I believe that might be a bit unfair. Craig had valid reasons for not wanting to spend time with Austen, and as far as I remember, he explicitly stated it wasn’t about the drinking. I think Austen was just confused by the conflicting signs he received. What truly matters now is how Austen behaves going forward, and from what I can see, he appears to be sensitive about the situation.

Austen joins Craig and Paige in Craig’s yard. Paige is preparing for the final filming session the following weekend, and she chats with Madison for nearly an hour in the bathroom. By the way, it’s good to hear that Brett doesn’t have cancer and is generally healthy. It’s a relief because we can’t afford to lose such a fine specimen! Craig and Paige are relaxing in the yard, and Paige mentions she spends most of her time hanging out and eating. Craig approves, and Paige playfully rolls her eyes so hard that she accidentally opens the front gate of Craig’s community, where he is a single father to numerous bees. There were a few instances where they seemed irritated with each other, and Austen, in private, thinks their relationship may not be as solid as Craig suggests. It’s unclear whether these moments occurred early on in the separation process or if they are markers leading up to it, but we might learn more about Craig’s perspective during next week’s finale while watching Paige’s story unfold on “Summer House.

The most significant incident in the show’s episode revolves around Venita, JT, Ryan, and Leva, with Venita being the unique reality TV personality granted full-time work from home privileges. Ryan contacts Venita, disclosing that he shares a barber with JT. The barber informs him that JT mentioned someone flirting with him, which could upset his girlfriend. This statement upsets Venita, prompting her to confide in Leva. In an unusual turn of events, Leva feels the need to personally meet JT for a coffee, emphasizing that this conversation cannot be handled through emails, signifying the gravity of the situation.

In simpler terms, when they talk, Leva shares the story she heard, claiming JT said something about trying to leave his girlfriend for another Black woman. However, this contradicts what Ryan and Venita previously mentioned. This is similar to the children’s game of ‘Telephone’. JT is upset by this statement and the insensitive way he was referred to as “some Black girl”. Leva suggests that JT calls their barber to clarify, but this action seems awkward or cringy. When JT speaks to the barber, who wasn’t aware of the situation, he denies saying anything about Venita in a disrespectful manner. Instead, he told the barber that he had some interest from a “cute Black girl named Venita”.

It’s worth mentioning that JT has a reputation for being clumsy with words, often coming off as awkward or insensitive. This is not to say he’s a bad person or a liar; quite the contrary. However, his choice of words can sometimes be misconstrued, as seen in his interactions with Miss Pat and Venita. For instance, calling Venita “some Black girl” or referring to Miss Pat as a “bitch” is inappropriate and unacceptable, even if he didn’t intend harm.

The second factor contributing to his frequent need for self-defense is the heightened scrutiny that comes with being on a reality TV show. People are always listening, watching, and analyzing every move he makes. This increased attention can sometimes make him say things he might later regret. For example, when he said “Because I love you” to Venita during their conversation, it seemed out of place given his current relationship status and the feelings he’s admitted to having for her. Such behavior puts him in potentially challenging situations.

I’d certainly advocate for more discretion when discussing work matters with strangers or acquaintances who aren’t directly involved, like my barber in this case. I can tell you firsthand how a simple conversation can get twisted and distorted, much like the game of telephone we all played as kids. JT shared his thoughts about Venita; another barber overheard and embellished the story, spreading the word that JT was gossiping about a Black woman trying to disrupt his relationship. Ryan then picked up on this tale, escalating it by discussing it on camera, turning what was originally a private conversation into a public issue, and unfortunately, that’s not an accurate portrayal of events.

In the climactic ending of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Heather Gay advises the women to halt the influx of external elements into the show, and she’s spot-on in her assessment. All parties involved should have scrutinized whether JT could have made such statements, assessed the reliability of the source, and considered if his words might be misconstrued. As a result, we now have a questionable story about JT that, on its surface, lacks credibility, yet they’re choosing to run with it. The reason? There is a show to produce. Additionally, due to JT’s irritating nature, there’s a desire among the producers to believe this untruth when it’s evidently false. Yes, we all yearn for more captivating storylines than Sally’s doctor visit, but JT should consider leaving this show that appears determined to tarnish his reputation with mediocre drama that can be easily debunked and quickly resolved, akin to Craig’s deflated beehive.

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2025-03-14 05:00