Some people really like Bethenny Frankel. They think she’s funny and “real” and she seems to have a decent-sized fan-base, enough that she got her own Bravo spin-off show. Plus, she’s a businesswoman who runs her own multi-million dollar company (that Skinny Girl crap). So it’s no surprise that someone powerful out there decided that Bethenny needed her own day-time platform, her own talk/advice show. That powerful person is Ellen DeGeneres, who wants to develop and produce a day-time show with Bethenny at the helm. So, what’s the problem? It’s one thing for Bethenny to have fame on a cable show on Bravo. It’s quite another to try to get her a syndicated show on network television, and there are some personality problems that have come up:
Pushy former “Real Housewives of New York” star Bethenny Frankel has had to hire a coach to help her drop her Big Apple attitude and “be nice” for all-American audiences in order to sell her syndicated talk show.
Frankel shot a pilot for an “advice-based” program produced by Telepictures, the company behind “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Anderson Cooper’s new yakker and “Dr. Drew’s Life Changers.”
But sales were slow, sources say, so Frankel was taken to meet with station managers to personally pump the project. But her aggressive Manhattan mien grated like manicured nails scraping down a chalkboard.
“She came off as too aggressive,” a source close to the margarita-mix mogul said. As a result, producers brought in a Henry Higgins-style mentor to turn the housewife into a lady.
“They’d been shopping the syndicated show and going to meet with station owners,” said a source. “They got a coach” who would teach Frankel things like “speaking more slowly” and “being nicer,” the insider said.
DeGeneres has been boosting Frankel by booking her as a regular guest since a year ago when Ellen signed a deal with Warner Bros. to create reality, scripted and cable programming.
On Friday, Frankel counseled “Ellen” viewers on bargain shopping in a segment called “Looks for Less.” In the past, she’s also talked on the show about healthy snack recipes.
A Telepictures rep said, “We don’t comment on any development activity.” Frankel’s rep also declined to comment.
Meantime, Frankel’s been busy pushing an endless tide of Skinny Girl products, even while the company’s the target of a $10 million class-action suit alleging the drinks were incorrectly marketed by not listing ingredients.
Her response to stories about the drink being pulled from Whole Foods shelves was, “We were bound to p–s someone off and everyone loves to try to tear down a success.”
[From Page Six]
I have to be careful about this, because I know Bethenny has fans and when someone likes her, they REALLY like her. I don’t hate the woman, but I’ve seen enough of her spinoff show, and I remember her on RHONY enough that I already have an impression of her. Yes, she’s the most “sane” of all of the RHONYs. But that’s not an accomplishment – she IS rude, she IS self-obsessed, she is grating and she is a massive pill. I tend to think this attempt to make Bethany “happen” on a larger scale will end up blowing up in Ellen’s face.
Oh, and I was looking for other Bethenny news, I found this interesting opinion piece on how Bethenny is a terrible person. It’s pretty great.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Yeah, I like her. I’m rooting for that marriage. I wish she’d leave well enough alone, though…nobody needs another talk show. I love Ellen. Ellen is enough for me. Stay away from the talk show, Bethenny, and just enjoy the success you already have.
Hmmmm Doesn’t sound like Bethenny. Bethenny is really funny and if I had to vote for a rude Housewife from NY it would be Ramona. That doesn’t sound like Bethenny at all, grating…gimme break. Not sure I want her to do an advice show but I say yes to more Bethenny Ever After.
What amazes me is that she earned $55 million last year.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larahoffmans/2011/08/25/did-bethenny-frankel-steal-55-million-from-you-3/
“Bethenny Frankel took home an estimated $55 million in 2010 for selling a chunk of her Skinnygirl brand—plus her books, TV shows, appearances and a memorable incident with a champagne bucket.”
Holy crap.
And I am stunned that Ellen thinks this female is the next big thing. (For a talk show.) But everyone needs a spectacular failure. So this will be Ellen’s.
I really like Bethenny. I know a lot of people dont.. I just want to put in some positive before all the grumpies come in and hate.
When RHoNY first came on, I was all about Bethenny, mostly because I related to her. BUT…I agree with Missie. Between her Skinygirl brands, spinoffs, and being in every magazine she needs to leave well enough alone.
I like her, no to the talk show though.
One of my favorite scenes from RHONYC was when Bethenny paraphrased Martha Stewart: “If your a successful businessman they can’t sing your praises enough, but if you are a woman – you’re a bitch.” It was 5 or so years ago (wow) and I remember just being like “Sing it sister!”
I think Bethenny is rough around the edges, sure. But I think what she represents is awesome. Here is a woman who didn’t find her stride in life until her mid-to-late 30s, and she proved that you can have financial independence, success, a wonderful husband and a family, if you work hard and believe in yourself.
Personally, I preferred watching her as an antedote to her insane castmates rather than her own show where she seems far more neurotic. But that’s just a viewing preference. I support Bethenny.
Yea, I read that article too *(opinion piece). If you watch her spinoff show…she is really self absorbed. She probably sees her kid an hour a day, as she has everyone else take care of her. And the woman has someone do her hair and make up daily…really people? How can the average person relate to this? And she whines, incessantly.
i’m surprised that no one (her agent, publicist, whatever) hasn’t gold her to tone it down a notch. i get her type and it can be a turnoff.
Anyone who calls out Goop and her airy-fairy overpriced bullsh*t will always get my support.
The person who wrote that “article” (blog post) cites Jil Zarin as her favorite Housewife. That says it all.
I liked her on RHONY but she was with bitchy women who made her look good.
Watching her THS on E kind of changed my opinion of her. She did come off self-centered and her voice is annoying.
I wouldn’t really call a brand that Jim Beam ate crow to obtain at a much, much higher price than when Bethenny came to them initially and had her stay on as creative brand licensor, crap.
I have never liked this woman. She comes accross as being self centered and harsh. No tact whatsoever. IMO there are ways of getting your point accross without being a bitch. Have heard too many negative stories about her attitude with people. “Saying it like it is” is not a substitute for bad manners, being rude and behaving like a total bitch.
The one thing that always bothers me when she is on The View co-hosting is that she talks too damn fast and puts on this talk show personality–she basically speaks like someone who has been in therapy too much. It does grate. But on the reality shows, she’s much more bearable.
I like Bethenny but she can be a bit mean. I didn’t notice it on RH, but when she got her own show and it was her for 42 minutes, yeah it stuck out.
I love her but I bet it can be tough to deal with someone like that 24/7. She might make an interesting talk show host though. She’ll tell it like it is and she does have a great sarcastic wit (though I wouldn’t want to be on the other end of it). I like that it could be a no holds bar talk show. Bethenny doesn’t do fluff and she’s old enough to not give a damn. She’ll definitely call people on their crap. And she knows how to be relateable with regards to her products. There’s no pretension with her.
I like Ellen as a comedian, but I hate her show. It is so Disney. The guests she has on are the most bubble gum celebs, in the opinion of my far more nerdy taste. Also she opted to keep her show going during the writers strike a few years back. Writers are the people in Hollywood who get screwed the hardest and the most often so I was bummed that she didn’t show them any respect. Needless to say I don’t think much of her business choices so this doesn’t surprise me. I know I am probably mostly alone in my opinion. Nothing new. I have heard that personally she is a nice woman.
@ Roxy750:
“She probably sees her kid an hour a day, as she has everyone else take care of her.”
Are you joking????
We can’t be watching the same show. She ADORES her daughter Bryn! Who can fault her for that — Bryn is such a cute baby! Easygoing and always smiling too!
I’m more interested in Speidi, wonder what they’re up to these days.
I don’t think you can necessarily change someone’s personality. Part of Bethenny’s fame is due to her quick sharp wit. Yes she can come off as bitchy and super neurotic at times but when you start messing with what brought her success, then it could ruin it all. I personally can take her or leave her. She does have a very strong fan base for sure. I just try not to get too vested in this housewife stuff. It has gotten really crazy as of late. One scandal after the next. I do think she has a great husband and should hang on to that guy. He is a gem and worth way more than any fame or money.
I think Bethenny is more like an interesting condiment than a main course.
I know she’s trying to make the most of her moment, but she’s over-exposed, I think.
She is so annoying. Noone needs to see her ugly skeletor man face on a talk show.
eh, she’s just very ny.
I like her – and the thought of her having her own talk show is good – but you can’t change her and expect her show to succeed . . she has to be allowed to be who she is if the talk show has any chance – she will not appeal to everyone, but the people who are not put off by her directness – we love her and would watch her as long as she allowed to be herself!
I think she is evil. She manipulates and abuses the people around her, and when she isn’t doing those things, she is just very very boring. To me, she is as bad as Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag. Everything she does has to be for public viewing and it is just too much. I think she would have been better off to launch the stupid skinny girl crap (which by the way,isn’t she now tangled up in a 100 million dollar lawsuit over it) and then retreat from the public eye. But she is addicted to the attention, and she can’t let it go. Her husband is going to grow a pair in a few years and then there will be a nasty custody battle over her child (which I think that whole thing was contrived by Bravo.. the pregnancy, the marriage, the spinoff). She treats her in-laws like garbage and her husband even worse. She really needs to reevaluate her life and ask herself, “Is it all worth it,” because she could really cause damage to the people around her.
Bethanny is tactless as hell but that’s what makes her hilarious! I don’t get an evil vibe off her, just a kind of “in your face” one. She’s the smartest Housewife alum though that’s for sure.
She was mildly interesting on RHoNY and nearly tolerable on Bethenny Getting Married/Ever After shows. As for a daytime advice talk show? NO WAY! She is the last person I wang to hear to give out advice and how long can that format last? Sounds like it will be all Bethenny, all hour, every day. Ugh….overload!!
I say if Anderson can’t get the ratings, networks be warned. This.will.fail.
I really can’t with her, or with anyone that obsessed with themselves. Which rules out most of Hollywood.
As if Wendy Williams isn’t annoying enough
I admit, I love me some Bethenny. I faithfully watch her show and would likely Tivo her talk show if that comes to fruition. I really would hope for her to just stick with her nighttime solo show though.
She’s in your face with a biting honesty, but I don’t see her as mean. Her quick wit is what drew me in. Now, LuAnn, on the other hand, *thinks* that she’s being funny, but is just mean and condescending.
Bethenny? Just funny, in my opinion. I would love to be her best friend!
I can’t believe that I am saying this; I would rather see her with a talk show than Kate gosselin on tv. What a world when these are the choices!
A big fat “NO” all around.
I cannot stand that annoying voice of hers.
I love Bethenny- I love any person that owns their crazy. Bethenny Frankel totally owns her crazy.
I love Bethenny. And she adores her daughter and it’s clear she is a great mom. I think where she connects most is her own self-deprecating humor. She has a lot of armor, though, too; but ultimately she is sassy fries saturated in awesomesauce.
It’s funny because I tend to like that New York fast talking/quick wit/bluntness–but that’s probably because half my family is from NY, and I can be like that, too (in private 🙂 )… YET, I grew up in Texas, so I MUCH prefer the “tell it like it is”over the “polite to your face and gossip behind your back” that epitomizes TX.
Suffice to say that I think she is pretty funny, and I think her show will probably do well.
I don’t love that her product did not give full
disclosure re: the preservatives in the “natural” products, but I like her personality and RHONY totally sucked after she left. So boring.
I like and admire Bethanny. She’s very driven and she works her ass off. I think she is one of those people, though, who doesn’t know when to stop. She already has too much on her plate, and a talk show would over-expose her. Not a good thing.
Hard worker – check
Good business person – check
Irritating – check
Annoying – check
Arrogant – check
Selfish – check
Mean – check
Hautie – Ellen’s spectacular fail was her stint on American Idol.
Bethenny may “own her crazy,” whatever that means, but she does nothing to improve herself.I am sorry but drinking skinny girl, practicing yoga, and televising staged clips of sessions with her shrink is for ratings not self improvement. Bethenny Frankel is truly flawed. Anybody who sells books by telling people to eat a cracker with a piece of cheese and supress their hunger with skinny girl cocktails is not a healthy person.Anybody who has a c section and then tells the doctor to give her a tummy tuck while he is sewing up her vagina is not a sane person. Anybody who leaks the story of her pregnancy to Perez Hilton before her gay boyfriend has had time to tell his parents that he is no longer gay and he is having a baby with a woman who he signed a contract with because he wanted to be on a reality show on Bravo, oh and he is marrying her, is not sane. She is completely nuts.
I like Bethany, but I don’t think I would want to watch her everyday on talk show. She is best in small doses because she can be abrasive and thinks it is funny when she throws out sarcastic, mean remarks about others.
I followed the link and read the article. Obviously, the person who wrote that article hates Bethany. I am not sure if I trust their interpretation of Bethany’s words and actions.
One of the things in the article is that the Coast Guard didn’t come to the rescue during the boat trip incident even though they were called. The writer of the article made it sound like that was a clue the whole thing was a set up or something. I have a friend who was stranded on a fishing trip because he and his buddy ran out of gas on their boat. They contacted the CG, but the CG did not come get them because they were not in danger. It has been a while since this happened, I don’t really remember how they got back, except I do remember they were fine and didn’t blame the CG. They knew they weren’t in danger, just inconvenienced.
I love her, I think she has a great personality.
Agree with Mary and Rhiley- too annoying and mean for t.v., wish she would stfu and disappear.
Any New Yorkers reading this? Bethenny is typical of the “sounds hard, heart of gold” New Yorker. I know that I had to make huge adjustments while working in the midwest and west coast. The cultures are totally different. The deep south? Don’t get me started, it is another world, totally foreign to a yankee, but the slow pace grows on you.
Being from south Louisiana, her personality is certainly one most of us down here are not accustomed to. I would think most southerners find her abrasiveness hilarious and almost fascinating. As in, we cannot imagine saying things to people in the way she typically does. Plus, she has a tender spot and cries at sweet things on her show. So, it is entertaining. But, along with many other sentiments on here, a daily dose of her would be far too much I think.
I don’t know why no one remembered her from Martha Stewart Apprentice? She and this guy named Jim mercilessly ganged up on another contestant. She was basically a two faced -itch on that show and got her comeuppance toward the end when she was canned for being disloyal and not a team player.
When she resurfaced, I was surprised by her popularity because I certainly remember her from the MSA show. She doesn’t strike me as being particularly nice.
the talk show idea came about because *Bethenny* has always wanted and pursued it. She just found a taker in Ellen. I love me some Bethenny… but a talk show is NOT her venue. Middle America is not ready for her acerbic wit, rapid fire delivery and acid tongue (which is NOT “evil” btw.. it’s her BRAND) – nor would the masses “get” her. She could host a show if critiquing was her main job – because she EXCELS at being a critic.. but pulling off a puff piece variety talk show would be an epic fail. America will tune out.
There is nothing remotely entertaining or interesting about this woman.
She is a crude, loud mouthed, know-it-all, who thinks that she is so damn funny, when she is about as amusing as a broom.
I hate talk shows to begin with, but one with her at the helm would be my idea of the 7th circle of hell.
Her face is to aggressive for me to look at! Her plastic surgeon needs to quit.
I lived in New York and have many friends born and raised in New York and her personality isnt the abrasive/no nonsense New York we all know – she is rude & ignorant & there is a big difference.
She should focus on raising her baby to have a better personality than her.
I like Bethenny. She’s had to work hard to get where she is (although I think she also had a lot of luck)and I think her “abrasive personality” is just that of a strong woman, fighting to be successful in the tough business world. She is very opinionated and vocal and that rubs many people the wrong way. I admire her for being pro-active and going after what she wants, but I agree with some of the other comments – I don’t think a talk show is the right career move for her at this point.
“Anybody who has a c section and then tells the doctor to give her a tummy tuck while he is sewing up her vagina..”
Sorry Rhiley, but this doesn’t make any sense. You either have one or the other done, not both.
I can’t tell these women apart is this the one with the bad sex tape or the one with the wonky bikini body.
“She IS rude, she IS self-obsessed, she is grating and she is a massive pill.”
Amen, truer words have never been said…
I like her. Everyone else on RHONY was a pain to watch. She wouldn’t do herself any favors with a talk show. She should sit back and enjoy her money and her family and let the haters be haters.A show could be a recipe for disaster.
Oh puh-leeze… It’s not like Bethenny is a heinous c**t like Jill Zarin!
I think she should only go for it if she pairs up with Luann or Jill, someone to divert the audience with their worse behavior, because Bethenny herself is a hosebeast, just slightly less so than her former coworkers. Or she could also host a Springer style show, because I watched Bethenny Ever After and she’s a miserable person to everyone around her so even slightly sympathetic guests wouldn’t show her in a good light. Seriously, the people in her life must be very well paid to spend their days being her punching bag.
Jeez, I’m still getting over loudmouth Rosie coming back to tv. What are they trying to do to us, now Bethany. There’s nothing more to learn about her. She is loud, crude, rude, bossy, self-centered. Don;t care about the pseudo hubby, skinny ass margs, her kid, her $, nada.
She is selfish self absorbed brat. ” I have no place in my life for my Mother.. Give me a break..Her poor Mother has not even been able to see her Grandaughter. Her own Mother says she’s a liar. She has treated her Mother disgustingly. a single Mother who did what she could to give her daughter what she could and Bethanny trashes her. No respect for a daugher who dumps her Mom because she does not fit in her life. Pathetic.
@CherylK : Concerning her mother, don’t judge her unless you’ve been in her shoes. Not every parent is a good one. Of course her mother calls her liar, she called her out for being a bad mother. That’s the go-to line for horrible parents everywhere.
@Chris #38:
Hard worker – check
Good business person – check
Irritating – check
Annoying – check
Arrogant – check
Selfish – check
Mean – check
You forgot “rude” and “narcissistic”!