On last night’s Vanderpump Rules, sh-t got real.
And we don’t mean “drunk people yelled at each other about pasta” real – we’re talking “actual social issues of consequence were discussed on a Bravo reality show” real.
It all started when Stassi Schroeder asked the show’s newest cast member, Billie Lee, to appear on her podcast.
Prior to the interview, Billie – who is transgender – was cautioned by Ariana Madix that Stassi is sometimes insufficiently woke.
The accusation stems from remarks Stassi made on her podcast last year.
It seems Schroeder is one of the very few people who was upset when Moonlight beat out La La Land for Best Picture at the 2017 Academy Awards.
Yes, ironically, Stassi was in the minority – and it seems she didn’t relish the feeling.
“Everyone giving their impassioned speeches about race and all that stuff — I’m like, why is it always just about African Americans?” Stassi asked, causing her audience to cringe themselves into oblivion.
“Why aren’t the Asians being like, ‘We’re not represented’? Why aren’t Native Americans and Latinos being like, ‘We’re not represented’? Why is it that it’s always just that?”
To be fair, Schroeder apologized for her comments and says she now understands the extent of how ignorant they were.
Obviously, a public “whoopsie” doesn’t erase all wrongdoing, and Stassi’s record in the months since is far from spotless.
But she’s trying – and she seemed genuinely upset about being derided as a bigot behind her back.
“She did an episode on her podcast, and she was like, ‘Well, I don’t know why those people always make award shows into a thing about politics and race,” Ariana told Billie prior to her interview with Stassi.
“I hope you school Stassi’s ass on her f-cking privilege because this bitch actually takes pride in being ignorant.”
“F-ck this,” Stassi said in response to Ariana’s warning.
“You know what? Saying that I’m racist — it’s a whole other level of vindictiveness. I didn’t articulate it properly, and I would actually just like you to go listen to it so you can make your own opinion.”
She added:
“To sh-t on my podcast, to sh-t on my values, to sh-t on all of that makes me really upset.”
Now, we’re in complicated territory here.
What Stassi said was beyond foolish, but was Ariana really concerned that Billie Lee would be triggered by another round of ignorant comments, or was she simply using a past slip-up to slander her rival?
Because if so, she’s being petty and exploitative, and she’s the one who owes her fans and friends an apology.
On one matter, Stassi is inarguably correct – an allegation of bigotry is a serious thing, and such charges should only be leveled out of genuine concern about someone’s beliefs, not to settle a personal score.
See? We told you this situation is way more thought-provoking than what you’re used to seeing on Bravo.
Watch Vanderpump Rules online to get caught up in time for next week’s episode, in which the cast will presumably debate the virtues of nuclear disarmament.