For 11 seasons,
Love Island UK has become one of the most popular reality television series to date. The show’s premise is simple: a bunch of single men and women across the UK gather on an island somewhere in Spain and couple up to find love.
However, there are a few twists: every few days bombshells enter the villa to try and disrupt the connection, islanders get sent home by public votes at random, and the final couple left standing has to choose between love and money…splitting $100,000 or dumping their couple and keeping the money all to themselves.
Love Island was such the rage that it became a worldwide franchise…and because so many were streaming the UK version across the US and around the world, they created Love Island in the United States, Australia, and more.
Sadly,
Love Island USA isn’t as successful as it was when it first launched. Originally set on a rooftop in Las Vegas, many viewers were put off because a rooftop is the furthest thing from a legitimate island. Besides, it lacked conflict and drama, there were no delish worldly accents, Love Island USA was overall lackluster.
Despite a prime spot on Netflix and celebrity host Sarah Hyland, the series was clearly struggling. Then, the show got a facelift.
Love Island USA moved to Peacock, rented a villa in Fiji, poached Ariana Madix from Vanderpump Rules, and dialed up the drama dial to 100. This season was cast perfectly, with a never-ending amount of snarkyness and toxicity, memes galore, and, most importantly: fresh pop culture members to fixate on.
Love Island USA is the most streamed original series in the United States this summer, with over 919.1 million minutes streamed as of the week of July 11. And for good reason.
This year, viewers were making the bold acclamation that
Love Island USA has got Love Island UK beat this year hands down. Although I was bored of the UK’s lack of any real drama, I finally made the switch after the millionth person asked me if I’ve been watching the US version.
I’d already heard who Rob Rausch was: the latest heartthrob who’s taking the world by storm…while inside the villa he had no idea that he was TikTok’s newest hyperfixation. But Rob wasn’t going viral on his good looks alone…his red flags were even more of a hot topic.
Viewers are obsessed with Rob’s relationship with OG islander Leah Kateb, who hails from Calabasas and looks vaguely like Kylie Jenner. Leah and Rob broke up because Rob wasn’t sexually attracted to her, and thus spawned a season of toxic fights.
Leah Kateb quickly became a fan favorite - partnering up with Miguel Harichi and giving us TikTok sounds to use all summer long. Then, there’s Serena Page,
who won the show alongside Kordell Beckham (yes, brother of NFL legend, Odell Beckham Jr).
Page and Kateb quickly joined up - as friends - with JaNa Craig, who eventually coupled up with Kenny Rodriguez. Then, there’s the tumultuous pairing of Aaron Evans and Kaylor Martin - whose continuous fights kept us entertained until the very end. Runners-up of the show included Nicole Jacky and Kendall Washington.
There were many others along the way, but these are the finalists.
I can get bullied into watching a show quite easily, but I was resistant to taking on another
Love Island franchise. With upwards of 50 episodes in a season, it’s a commitment. You truly spend the summer with the islanders.
But I didn’t wanna be left out. Literally everyone I know was watching it and it’s all over my TikTok. I knew who the islanders really were and what the major drama was before starting in…but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a delicious watch.
It filled all the needs that old reality TV used to: it's raunchy, vicious, tearful, and nonstop entertainment. There wasn’t a moment when the islanders had a chance to breathe. Every single episode something went wrong, and the world watched.
It became as common as hello to ask if someone has watched
Love Island US this week. If they’re Team Rob and Leah or Team Miguel and Leah.
And the ratings matched the hype. Thanks to the islanders who were willing to bare it all, the show was doing blockbuster numbers unseen before. And you feel the need to binge the show, you simply
had to discuss the episodes in real time or else it would be totally spoiled for you on social media.
Leah Kateb was the first islander to reach 1 million followers on Instagram, quickly followed by winner Serena Page. Brands have been flooding the comment section of the girls’ Instagrams to start working with them. Oh and, Rob Rausch was just in Nessa Barrett’s new music video as the love interest.
They’ve appeared on hit podcasts like
The Cancelled Podcast and Call Her Daddy, and they’re quickly solidifying their role as America’s sweethearts. People are even demanding that the network give this season’s islanders their own shows.
What’s refreshing about many of these budding starlets is that they’re willing to reveal their lives in full detail. They’re honest about who they are and what’s going on, so we trust them. Now, we can’t wait to see just what they’ll do next.
On Vanderpump Rules, it often feels like there are at least three major scandals vying for attention in each episode. The Bravo series always delivers the drama and we’re here for it.
While the scandals on the hit Bravo series may be stressful for the Sur staff, we must admit it makes for pretty great reality TV. From Nasty catfights to the notorious “Scandoval,” let’s take a look back at some of the most shocking bombshell moments throughout VPR.
Jax tells Stassi he got a woman pregnant in Vegas
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? Wrong! At least not for Jax Taylor. The SUR bartender ended up breaking Stassi Schroeder’s heart after he confessed to his then-girlfriend that he had relations with another woman while on his trip.
Not only did he cheat on Stassi during his Vegas trip, but he ended up getting the woman pregnant. This moment led to Stassi and Jax’s official breakup and changed the show’s dynamic forever.
But Jax, who was still madly in love with Stassi long after their split, did everything he could to win her back.
Which leads to our next VPR scandal…
Jax gets tattoos of Stassi
Jax was so eager to win Stassi back, that he got a tattoo with her name. Eek! While Stassi admitted during the Season 3 Reunion that she was happy to see her ex groveling and pining for her, she knew in her heart that she’d never get back with him.
The Season 3 Reunion continued to shock audiences when Jax revealed yet another tattoo dedicated to his ex-beau. On his upper arm- and it’s still there! - is a tat of Stassi’s face. Well, at least part of her face. According to Jax, the tattoo melds Stassi’s face and Carmen - his girlfriend at the time.
Hmm… to each their own, I guess?
Stassi slaps Kristen over her affair with Jax
Another outrageous moment in Vanderpump history was when we learned about Kristen’s affair with Jax. It was a major bombshell since Kristen was so good at lying to both Sandoval, Stassi, and the audience, all while insisting it never happened.
To add fuel to the fire, Stassi and Kristen were best friends at the time. Due to their insanely close friendship, it felt like the ultimate betrayal. And when Stassi and Kristen finally sat down to talk things out, it exploded into a vicious catfight.
Tom and Ariana get together, leaving Kristen in the dark
Before the notorious Scandoval occurred, Tom was caught up in another scandal that involved Ariana. Long-long ago, in a kingdom far-away called Season 1 and Season 2, Tom was in a long-term relationship with Kristen. While dating Kristen, he began spending more and more time with his “buddy” Ariana.
Because Tom and Ariana were so close, Kristen grew rather jealous. After confronting Tom about his relationship with Ariana, he insisted over and over again that they were merely friends. Yet, after Tom left Kristen to be in a relationship with Ariana, Kristen was devastated by such treachery.
She warned the pair that their relationship would end badly, because of how it began!
Shortly after Kristen’s Sandoval heartbreak, she hopped into a relationship with DJ sensation, James Kennedy. Although they seemed like an odd match - considering their age gap and mismatched personalities - it’s safe to say James was smitten. When Kristen began to neglect this relationship, all hell broke loose. The final straw occurred at Scheana and Shay’s wedding when Kristen…wait-wait. You guessed it: Kristen went off with another guy. This led to a horrible fight between the couple, with Kristen ending it by outright punching James.
Tequila Katie
When she’s not drunk, Katie comes across as the sweetest staff member at SUR. But as soon as she starts downing the tequila shots, the seemingly “innocent” one morphs into another person completely. She even has an alter ego for her drunken persona, whom she calls “Tequila Katie.”
Tequila Katie has done some malicious things in her day, from picking fights at birthday gatherings to verbally attacking Scheana merely for having some harmless fun.
Yet, the Tequila Katie persona recently landed her a nationwide commercial for Chili’s new Espresso Martini! Incidentally, in the ad, Katie emphasizes her love of tequila. Yep, that’s fitting!
Katie and Tom Divorce
Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz - aka TomKat - were a fan-favorite for many VPR fans. Sure, they’ve had their ups and downs (too many to count). But at the end of the day, there was a certain charm to their relationship which eventually led to marriage.
But according to Katie, she felt neglected, like she wasn’t a priority to Schwartz. In one heated argument, she emphasized how Tom defended his friends, but not his wife.
Fortunately, it seems like they’re on friendly terms now.
Jax cheats on Brittany with Faith
On Vanderpump Rules, Jax Taylor needs to cheat like fish need to swim. It’s just who he is. The SUR bartender cheats on every single woman he’s been in a relationship with. So it’s not exactly shocking when we learn he’s cheated on Brittany.
Only problem is he cheated on Brittany with her co-worker, Faith. While Brittany swore she was going to leave Jax after learning he’d cheated on her multiple times, the two worked it out. They even had a baby!
In 2024, after five years of marriage and nearly 10 years together, Jax and Brittany are separated.
Too sad.
Scandoval
And of course, we can’t include a list of Vanderpump Rules scandals without adding the infamous, legendary “Scandoval” to the list.
One of the most truly egregious moments in Vanderpump (or TV) history, was when fans learned of the affair between Tom Sandoval and Rachel Leviss. It came as such a surprise to audiences because Tom had been in a committed relationship with Ariana Madix for close to a decade. Viewers, who’d witnessed them evolve as a couple for years, felt a sense of second-hand betrayal.
To make matters worse, Sandoval had been cheating on Madix with Leviss for over six months.
While speaking on Hot Mic, the reality star spoke of what ignited his affair with Leviss. “I was lacking so much love,” Sandoval admitted. “I was yearning for it. ..I was yearning for that admiration in my life that I wasn't getting. And so when I got it, it became intoxicating to me."
It’s 2024 and Reality TV is more popular than ever. When this genre of unscripted television first hit the scene in the early 2000s, audiences and critics alike quickly labeled these shows “Trash TV.”
For the general public, reality TV is often categorized by viewers as a “guilty pleasure” rather than regular network fare. Yet reality television’s once lowbrow status has shifted in recent years due to the rapid improvement in storytelling and soaring ratings.
Shows like Vanderpump Rules and Love is Blind are massively more trendy than your average scripted series. But let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable and scandalous moments in reality TV history.
Keeping Up With The Kardashians
Kim and Kourtney Catfight
Keeping Up With The Kardashians reveals the dramatic day-to-day lives of the most famous family on the planet. Building a Kardashian empire takes a whole lot of work, thanks to Kim Kardashian and Momager, Kris Jenner. But Kourtney Kardashian has always been less of a businesswoman and more of a proud mama of several children.
Many times throughout the series, Kim and Kourtney butted heads over lifestyle matters. While Kim frequently dissed Kourtney by suggesting she’s lazy and lacks work ethic, Kourtney was steadfast in her belief that there’s nothing wrong with being a stay-at-home mom.
Things took a dramatic turn when the ongoing fight led to a physical altercation between the two sisters. It was easily one of the series’ most dramatic moments when the tension eventually reached a boiling point between the eldest daughters in the Kar-Jenner clan.
The fight ended with some nasty scratches on Kim’s back and a whole lot of tears.
Kim Loses Her Earring…In the Ocean
One of the most viral moments in Kardashian lore happened long ago — Kim lost her diamond earring in the ocean! This happened when Kris Humphries — her fiance at the time — playfully threw her in the water.
The incident caused Kim to burst into tears over her missing earring. Yet it was Kourtney’s response that made the moment, when she said: “Kim, there are people dying,” in an attempt to bring her sister back to reality.
The Least Interesting to Look At
In yet another brawl between Kim and Kourtney. Kim screamed in a fit of rage that her sister was the least interesting Kar-Jenner to look at. Ouch! First of all, so not true. But fortunately, Kourt was able to take the moment in stride. For her 40th birthday party — documented on the hit reality show, of course — she had a bunch of decorations strewn about that announced “Least interesting to look at.”
Vanderpump Rules
Stassi Confronts Kristen and Jax's Affair
Vanderpump Rules promises epic scandals in just about every episode — one of the many reasons why the show is such a smashing success. Yet one of the most shocking moments of the Bravo series was when Stassi learned of Kristen and Jax’s secret affair.
The news came as a nasty shock, since Kristen was always Stassi’s best friend, and Jax was Stassi’s longterm boyfriend. While Stassi expected as much from the notoriously unfaithful Jax, she was heartbroken to find out that her best friend betrayed her.
Stassi didn’t hold back when she slapped Kristen for her secret affair with Jax.
Jax Gets a Tattoo of Stassi’s Name
If you look up the word “reckless” in the dictionary, you could find Jax’s face. The reality TV villain is known for his outlandish behavior, so if anyone was destined to get a tattoo of their ex girlfriend’s name on their skin, it was gonna be Jax.
To make matters crazier, during the season 3 reunion, Jax got yet another tattoo of another woman’s face on his arm that looked strikingly like Stassi. Stassi hilariously responded by telling her ex, “You’re a literal serial killer.”
Scandoval
How could we not include Scandoval on our list? For those who have been hiding under a rock for the past year, Vanderpump Rules took a nasty turn when (SPOILER ALERT!) Tom Sandoval cheated on his long-term girlfriend, Ariana Madix, with their close friend, Raquel.
The moment was so outrageous that Bravo fans have been quick to label it as one of the most shocking moments in reality TV history.
Love is Blind
Zanab Tells Off Cole
Season 3 of Love is Blind saw Zanab and Cole in a tumultuous engagement. Things took a turn for the worse when Cole expressed his attraction and physical preference for another contestant, Colleen.
While there were several nasty bumps in the road for this LIB couple, fans were still freaked out to witness Zanab confront Cole for his bad behavior during their wedding ceremony. Zanab’s speech, in which she claimed Cole “destroyed” her confidence, ended with the wedding attendees applauding Zanab.
Irina and Micah Get Confronted
Love is Blind Season 4 was rife with drama inside the pods. While the drama on the dating show is generally focused on each couple, this occurrence involved bullying within the Girls’ pods.
Contestants Irina and Micah were labeled the “mean girls'' of the season. And they were finally confronted for it during the season 4 reunion.
Below Deck
Natalya vs. Tumi
Below Deck reveals the ship’s crew members in some of the most gorgeous locations on earth, yet the drama happening inside the ship is anything but pretty. Season 8 of Below DeckMed got messy when Natalya and Tumi immediately butted heads.
Of course, the drama was instigated by notorious pot-stirrer Kyle Viljoen, who whispered some things in Tumi’s ear about Natalya that she found unfavorable.
Ruan Gets Fired On Day 1
Below Deck Med Season 8 began with crew member and bosun Ruan getting fired on the very first day. It all kicked off when the crew member failed to provide the proper documents necessary to serve on the ship. Later, it proved that the paperwork he had was forged. Yikes!
Christine and Chrishell’s polarizing personalities made their time in the Oppenheim Group a nearly impossible endeavor. But their season 1 showdown that happened during the season finale ended with Chrishell in tears as she stormed off the set.
It all started when Christine labeled Chrishell as “fake” for talking behind Mary’s back regarding her relationship with Romain. Christine and Chrishell butted heads for so long, that Christine went so far as to call her party drinks “Chrishell’s Two-Faced Tonic.” Ouch!
Davina Vs. Chrishell
In 2020, all eyes were on Selling Sunset star Chrishell amid her divorce with This is Us actor Justin Hartly. Their divorce was anything but amicable, considering the deed was allegedly initiated via text message from Justin, and Chrishell said he was unfaithful.
Despite how heartbroken Chrishell was, Davina stirred things up by telling Chrishell that there are “Two sides to every story.” Oof.
She has a point. Vanderpump Rules, the reality spin-off from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, chronicles the life of restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump and her motley crew of employees at SUR, the sexy, unique restaurant. As the show enters its 7th season, it's begun to embrace the "personal is political" mindset and introduce a new set of thornier social justice issues into the mix.
The phenomenon surrounding the show's appeal isn't too hard to understand. VPR chronicles the un-aspirational lives of a group of unsympathetic characters. In past years, the show's central tension was largely economic. You were getting a taste of the luxury and exuberance of Lisa Vanderpump tempered by the relatable lives of her struggling waitstaff. These are people who live in shitty studio apartments, do their own makeup (poorly), and cheat on their fiancées after blacking out in Vegas. While the Real Housewives franchise is a glimpse into the elite lifestyle, Vanderpump Rules is a reflection of the worst parts of ourselves.
But as the once radical sentiment of "the personal is political" has wormed its way into the mainstream, VPR has also become subject to the drama of identity politics. In the past, the show existed in its own kind of insular bubble that hardly ever touched on social justice issues, spare for the annual Pride episode––which was really just an excuse to get drunk and wear colorful socks. Remember when the VPR cast rolled up to Pride decked out in '80s attire, without it ever occurring to them that the '80s were notorious for the gay community dying of AIDS as the government turned a blind eye? But now, as Trump's presidency makes it virtually impossible to exist in an apolitical environment, the show has started to broach more "woke" topics. There was Ariana's discussion of her hatred of her own vagina, the introduction of the show's first trans character, Billie Lee, and the gender politics surrounding DJ James Kennedy's drunken aggression.
Ostensibly a mindless reality show, VPR has grown popular among an unlikely demographic: left-wing twitter. More and more seem to be jumping on the bandwagon and indulging in the show's satisfying drama. Now, people are starting to ask, who's actually the most feminist character on the show? Let's take a look at the various cast members and what strains of feminism they most closely resemble.
Third Wave Feminism: Ariana Madix
Ariana is the show's most visibly "woke" character, or maybe just the most intelligent one in the gang. Madix portrays a more palatable, third wave brand of feminism. In past seasons, she's broached topics previously unturned by reality TV such as her aversion to her own vagina and the toxic relationships that rendered her uncomfortable with oral sex. Her focus this season has been mainly around her discomfort with people pressuring her to get married and have kids. Ariana is sick and tired of everyone asking her about when she's going to start a family, including the probing from her own boyfriend, Tom Sandoval. She's fed up with the heteronormative standards!
But when Tom Sandoval presents a compromise where he can take care of the kids in the future and let Ariana do her own thing, she's smitten again. Tom's progressive vision woo's her.
This season, Ariana and Lala had sex and instead of handling the situation sensitively, Sandoval got drunk and did some locker room talk with the boys about it, effectively outing his own girlfriend. Madix was rightfully pissed at Tom (and his stupid hats). Thankfully, her girl Lala honored girl code and kept her mouth shut until she knew Ariana was comfortable with the news getting out, in one of the few heartwarming moments of female camaraderie on the otherwise catty show.
Ariana wants everyone to know that it's her body, and her choices surrounding it do not concern anyone else. She's the show's most invariably woke character and probably voted for Hillary Clinton.
Sex Positivity: Lala Kent
Lala has been explicit this season about her relationship with Her Man (Randall) and the monetary benefits it's yielded. Ran is a hotshot producer who's behind some of Hollywood's most seminal works, like 2018's masterpiece Gotti, which racked up a whopping 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. From flying on the private jet (the "PJ" or "Peej" as she refers to it), to sporting pairs of Gucci slides, to getting a Range Rover the day after she let Ran "hit it on the first date," Lala is unabashed when it comes to talking about using sex as power. She's one of the youngest cast members and has always been candid about her sex appeal, especially compared to the other ladies' prudish attitudes toward their own bodies. Lala may not be woke in the conventional sense, like when she assured Billie Lee: "you're a chick, dude." But she does present one of the more viable, radical forms of sex-positive feminism. Her relations with Ran made her subject to ridicule by the other girls and even the guys, who poked fun at her for sleeping with a "fat man." But, while Lala may be the closest resemblance to a sugar baby archetype, she isn't one. She's happily engaged and she's done an effective job at normalizing using sex as power, teaching the other girls what it looks like to be confident and in control of your own sexuality. When she and her Man broke up (for approximately two seconds), she touted how easy it would be to find someone else to help her get on a peej.
But oh, Lala. She's been through it recently. After her dad passed away, she's been a little more unstable than usual, more emotionally fragile. As a result, she's taken her anger out on anyone who crosses her path. Unfortunately, that means attacking everyone from Billie Lee, who Lala calls a "snake," "trash," and "a lowdown ho" to the humanoid beauty-bot Raquel, who Lala loves to yell at and called a "Twat" and a "dummy" while pointing her acrylic nails dangerously close to Raquel's perfectly symmetrical face. We know Lala's hurting, but she's also consistently torn down the women on the show, which makes it difficult to call her a feminist. However, her inability to let anyone talk shit about her is pretty admirable.
All in all, Lala presents one of the most compelling forms of sex-positive feminism, and we love her for it.
Body Positivity: Katie Maloney-Schwartz
Let's just get one thing straight, Katie Maloney isn't fat. Katie, or as she was affectionately referred to in the early seasons for her penchant for drinking and calling people names (whores, specifically), "Tequila Katie" is all about embracing her body. Tequila Katie is happily married to human puppy dog Tom Schwartz and her central conflict this season arose when she fell victim to one of James Kennedy's drunken insult vollies. He told her to lose some weight, and that her shorts weren't flattering. In previous seasons, he asked her if she was pregnant when she wasn't. Katie faced yet another blow to her self confidence when Kevin Lee, a friend of Lisa's, saw her at an event and asked "What happened? You were much thinner than this. You gained a little bit of weight. You have to work on it. Seriously, I'm telling you as a friend. It's out of control now. I can tell."
At first, everyone sided with Katie because they too had fallen victim to James' slurred attacks. But once she couldn't let go of the insult, confronted Lisa about it, and made sure DJ James Kennedy was excluded from the trip to Mexico, some people (Tom Sandoval) started to turn on her and call her a bully. Katie has shown a malicious side in the past, yelling at her fiancée for having, uh, performance issues, and even getting squeamish when Lala takes off her bathing suit top off on a vacation around her boyfriend (she later called Lala a whore to her face). Is Katie only body positive when it's in her favor?
Is she a feminist for putting her foot down to Lisa and telling her that she refuses to "work in a place where that is tolerated?" Or is Katie a mean girl at heart? It's hard to say at this point in the season.
Intersectionality: Billie Lee
Billie Lee, the show's first trans character whose been both tokenized and sensationalized this season, is a refreshing addition. She's played a hand in educating the cast on buzzwords such as "cis-privilege," which many of them had trouble grappling with. She fights under the broad umbrella of "equality," but also has no hesitation when the time comes to accuse Katie of pulling "the fat card," and throws her support behind James––the show's most outspoken aggressor towards women (this season). Billie Lee, like all the female characters on this show, lives for petty drama. When she wasn't explicitly invited to participate in Girls' Night at SUR, she went on a multi-episode arc about how it justifiably triggered her as a trans woman. Her explosive reaction to this season's conflict surrounding "Girls' Night In" read to some as her blowing the situation out of proportion, especially when she went as far as to like tweets calling the other girls involved transphobic. But others suspected her of milking the fight as a strategic means of getting more air time and staying relevant. That's kind of empowering on its own, right?
Girlboss: Stassi Schroeder
Stassi is a tough case. Though she's reigned supreme as the show's queen bee for several seasons, she's also had her fair share of scandals because of the problematic things she's said on her podcast. However, Stassi is fully thriving this season. She has a new beau, named Beau, she bought a holiday (National Outfit of the Day Day), and she landed a book deal! Always impeccably dressed and armed with a silver tongue, Stassi is what some might call, a Girlboss. The somewhat loathed term is a half-baked form of feminism that usually refers to women climbing the ranks and asserting their dominance in the workforce. It usually neglects more nuanced visions of feminism and appeals to the variety of "yas queen" platitudes. But "Girlboss" really is an apt description for Ms. Schroeder, who stands for certain feminist principles, but doesn't really get the whole schtick. She's quick to cackle behind a screen while pulling up Scheana's bridal two-piece and showing it to Kristina Kelly, or using an elaborate insult to tear someone down (especially if it's her birthday or she's drunk).
Stassi may not necessarily stand for women across the board, but if there's one thing that's certain, it's that Stassi stands for herself. Since exiting her relationship with mansplainer/manbunner Patrick, she's fully learned how to love herself and how to accept the love she deserves. She's what a Girlboss might refer to as "killing it."
Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Kristen Doute
It turns out that Kristen, who is known for getting too drunk, chain-smoking, and her many vendettas isn't thrilled with her deadbeat boyfriend, Carter. Until now, Carter's been kind of an unremarkable dude, with no redeeming or offensive qualities. That is until Stassi spills the beans that Carter doesn't pay rent, yells at her, and basically sits at home playing video games all day. Kristen wants her friends' support during this turbulent period of her relationship, the same that she gave to Stassi when she was in a rut with Patrick, or when Schwartz cheated on Katie. But she's not really getting anything this season except a caricatured portrayal as Crazy Kristen. It feels sort of like punching down to pick on Kristen because she's had it rough. But, she does have her t-shirt line! To play devil's advocate, it could be argued that Kristen, by pulling the financial weight in her relationship is breaking her own glass ceiling (stucco, probably, by the looks of the apartment).
Suffragette: Lisa Vanderpump
Lisa Vanderpump is many things. Restauranteur, dog lover, real housewife, and odd transatlantic accent owner, but is she a feminist? Well, she has made it abundantly clear that SUR will not tolerate sexism, transphobia, or racism. She's been vocal about uplifting the gay community in West Hollywood. But despite Lisa's good intentions, she's more concerned with espousing the politics of mainstream wokeness than actually doing a whole lot. Lisa is of the older generation of feminists who are all about "girl power," without necessarily applying it to her praxis. Sure, she knows how to do a hot pink furry float come pride month. But when it comes to uplifting a woman like Kristen, who probably suffers from alcoholism, Lisa seems to have no interest. She's got a soft spot for James, giving him several chances to redeem himself before finally putting her foot down this season, but effectively banned Kristen from every SUR event and establishment from a fight that happened over 4 years ago. Her inconsistency in maintaining her woke values is most glaring in this case.
So who is the most feminist of them all? Tom Sandoval.
Sara is a music and culture writer who lives in Brooklyn. Her work has previously appeared in PAPER magazine and Stereogum.