Is The Real Housewives Of Atlanta Good For Atlanta’s Image?

(By Toya Bryant) September 2, 2009 - Much buzz has been generated by Bravo’s newest reality series “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” Season two especially of the show featuring Atlanta royalty Nene Leakes, Lisa Wu Hartwell, Sheree Whitfield, Kim Zolciak and newcomer Kandi Burress of the R&B singing group Xscape fame has garnered more interest and higher ratings. While the show features the sites and sounds of Atlanta as well as what’s fashionable among Atlanta’s elite it also paints a picture of Atlanta’s African American social scene.

The city of Atlanta has always held a prominent place in African American television and movies most recently with many of Tyler Perry’s productions and the movie named for the city itself ATL. However, The Real Housewives of Atlanta is one of the first reality based series of its kind. But, does the drama, cat-fights and wig pulling that seems to be the theme of the series help or hurt Atlanta’s image?

On the show’s season opener the newly divorced Sheree Whitfield hires a prominent Atlanta area party planner to organize a party to celebrate her defunct nuptials. It quickly becomes obvious that due to poor communication on the part of both Sheree and the party planner the party’s future is in jeopardy. During a meeting that was intended to be an amicable way to settle any misunderstandings between both camps a crude and derogatory war of words ensued. It soon developed into a near physical confrontation leaving Sheree and the party planner in a battle for biggest diva.

This was only the beginning. On subsequent episodes the drama continues. One episode culminates into another verbal war between cast mates and frienemies Nene, Kim and Sheree in an Atlanta restaurant. While Bravo is no doubt enjoying the lucrative benefits of such spectacles what do viewers think of Atlantians based on what they see on the show?

A poll on the social networking site Twitter produced these comments:

One given by Atlanta resident @_FEE_e, she said: “Living in the ATL for over 13 years now I will say that shows like these do give a one-sided view of African American women in Atlanta. We are not all looking for an athlete. We are not all shopping and throwing parties without putting in work. Some of us are educated, can speak very well and hold our own independently without the assistance of a rich partner.”

A completely different perspective came from @MelzieC a resident of the DC Metro area. She stated, “Their doggedness is a motivator to me. I think their mindsets are an example of the importance of believing anything you desire is possible to obtain if you believe in yourself, no matter how outlandish or what others think.”

Whatever your feelings are about The Real Housewives of Atlanta the series has seemingly etched a place in reality television history. Whether or not the shows antics will help or hurt Atlanta’s image that can only remain to be seen.