Since Scandoval, the Vanderpump Rules cast has barely thrived.

Reality stars always have a low profile on screen. Despite having a huge impact on pop culture, they are not as rewarded or generally respected as actors or even celebrities. This is noticeable at Bravo, where the network’s biggest names exist primarily in their own celebrity ecosystem, or more accurately, Bravolebrity, which rarely translates into actual stardom.

But last year there was an earthquake reality TV event known as Scandoval. Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval revealed to have cheated on his longtime partner Ariana Madix with new cast member Rachel Leviss, comments included at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and two Emmys This led to a rare moment of financial prosperity and increased visibility for the show’s stars. nomination.

Naturally, Madix had the most to gain from the whole mess, securing endless spawncon deals and slots. dancing with the starsRole in a Broadway Production ChicagoAnd now I have a hosting gig at Peacock’s. love island usa – In addition to the sympathy of viewers. The scandal also served as marketing for her and her co-star Katie Maloney’s sandwich shop, Something About Her. Meanwhile, other cast members also benefited. Lala Kent has launched a successful product line that lives up to the challenge. Scheana Shay saw her own podcast streaming numbers skyrocket, which led her to star in her Uber Eats commercial, which features Bravo’s famous song, “Good as Gold.” And DJ James Kennedy actually became number one in the group.

But looking at Season 11, it seems like no one has actually succeeded. The show, which initially centered around a group of servers and bartenders working at Lisa Vanderpump’s swanky West Hollywood restaurant, has always featured its cast struggling to make a living. But it’s especially impressive to hear several cast members in the afterglow of Scandoval mention how broke they currently are this season, or how little money they made to film it after being on the air for over a decade.

So much of the cast’s plotting seems to be driven by the desperate need to keep the show going – the desire to run its main source of income. After 11 years in the public eye and publicists dreaming of scandals, the limits of achieving financial security through reality TV have never been clearer.

this season Vanderpump Rules We face one glaring dilemma. How will Sandoval and Maddix film together to maintain harmony among the cast following their affair? Even though the series’ large ensemble has always dealt with feuds and split into factions, there seems to have been an implicit agreement that Sandoval should rejoin the group. The show continues.

So this season saw some awkward attempts by the cast, especially Shay and Kent, to force Madix to coexist with her ex on a group outing. This culminated in a memorable fourth wall-breaking moment in the season finale when Madix refused to reconcile on camera with Sandoval. Kent ends the episode furious about Madix’s diva claims that she refuses to follow the producers’ opinions for the sake of her job. She also laments that Madix firing her ex wasn’t “real” and seems to confuse what needs to happen to “preserve the show” with the real-life scenario of a woman being confronted with her cheater crap . I am talking about an example.

Since the finale aired, Kent and Shay have endured backlash from fans for promoting Sandoval’s redemption arc and ignoring Maddix’s vigilance. Most of Kent and Shay’s complaints about Madix seem to be driven by jealousy over her becoming a fan favorite. However, amidst their tenuous status as reality stars, their bizarre schemes and bitter confessions sometimes feel like a sign of economic depression.

Reality stars, especially those who join shows when they’re not yet famous, have long endured insultingly low salaries. You can imagine that negotiating salary on one of the many constantly changing Bravo shows in an oversaturated reality environment is a lot different than when a popular, unscripted show feels like a monocultural event. (For example, the cast jersey shore (convinced MTV to pay $1 million for a second season) This Vanderpump Rules The cast inevitably lives in squalor. Bravo keeps most salaries confidential, but sources told The Hollywood Reporter in 2020 that cast members began earning $25,000 per episode in 2017, compared to the $10,000 they were paid for the entire first season.

And yet, these people are starting businesses and raising families in one of the most expensive cities in America. Plus most of them weren’t on the show much. Vanderpump Rules It has been an outlier in the Bravosphere lately. below deck The series — mostly centered around part-time workers from middle-class backgrounds. This contrasts with Bravo’s “aspirational” programming. real housewives franchises and other millennial businesses on Bravo; summer house and southern charmThis is where cast members join the show with existing wealth or high-paying jobs.

Still, it’s somewhat surprising to learn that one of Bravo’s most popular shows, after 11 seasons and providing other revenue-generating opportunities, is still not financially comfortable for the cast. At the start of the season, Madix said she only had $2,000 in her bank account before job opportunities began pouring in. Despite her post-Scandoval gains, she argued against her co-star’s claims that she was rolling in dough.

Meanwhile, Shay’s attempts to rekindle her friendship with Sandoval, despite his abuse of his best friend Madix, appear to be economically driven. (Besides her efforts to keep the show going, her recollections of him being a “good friend” are all financial favors.) Ironically, Sandoval and his business partner Tom Schwartz have banked on both Restaurant Tom’s over the past few seasons. Tom, Schwartz and Sandy complained that their bank accounts were tight and they were struggling to afford their ideal home after their breakup.

During Season 9, the two Toms purchased a $2 million farmhouse in the San Fernando Valley with their then-partners Maloney and Madix. It feels sadly poetic that, following their split, they are now planning to move in together in their 40s. Old models before the show started.

All of this highlights the reality of reality TV. That is, exposure does not necessarily enable participants to move economically or enjoy a comfortable life. Bravolebrity may seemingly be the most loved person on the internet. It goes viral on social media every week, sparking countless GIFs and memes and sparking its own debate about intellectual property, but that doesn’t always translate into dollars in your pocket. Even in the age of social media, where ordinary people are rising from obscurity and moving from their living rooms into the world of fame and fortune, a combination of visibility and likeability is not an automatic gateway to success.

This seems to be why most reality stars’ outside ventures seem to be limited primarily to sponcons, live shows, podcasts, and the occasional hosting. This is not intended to be an insult to the work. But it’s a task that all depends on their continued reputation. It’s interesting how Bravolebrities have been able to launch truly successful brands beyond their own shows due to a lack of effort. It became a metaphor real housewives Oftentimes, cast members use their platforms to boost or establish businesses that no one really asked for and overestimate their appeal as salespeople.

Across the city, women can be seen selling everything from multi-wick candles to perfume and custom hats in hopes of becoming the next Bravo Girlboss. This is a trend that started earlier. Real Housewives of New York Bethenny Frankel, star of food and beverage company Skinnygirl, has become a multi-million dollar success story. summer house Star Kyle Cooke also used the show to launch his own hard tea company, Loverboy, which generated $16 million in sales in 2022. Vanderpump Rules‘Schwartz, Sandy, Madix, and Maloney have all obviously entered the brick-and-mortar market, but so far the returns don’t seem to have been all that plentiful.

To tackle this goal of earning as much money as possible while appearing on reality TV, you’ll need to present a wealthy lifestyle. Likewise, the Real Housewives, especially the Georgians, often accuse each other of renting huge mansions or leasing luxury cars they can’t afford for “stunts.”

Meanwhile, Bravo has never seemed safer or more profitable as a company. In recent years, BravoCon, Bravo’s annual three-day convention, has evolved into a shameless parade for advertisers and a huge revenue generator for the network. Moreover, in season 10 Vanderpump Rulesunfolded while Sandoval was being released, which probably gave the network more advertising dollars, as the series became the most-watched cable show last year, including on streaming platforms.

Still, the cast, except Madix, doesn’t seem to be taking advantage of Scandoval, as you might have guessed from watching him sell t-shirts and promote Chili’s tequila espresso martinis on TV. That frustration boiled over throughout the season and in the reunion. There is a clear argument here that third parties should have no benefit at all. Plus, it was strange to hear her colleagues at Madix claim that she was “thriving” because she was selling her Duracell batteries and her competition. dancing with the stars Despite the incredibly shocking betrayal she suffered from Sandoval. Despite all the heavy drinking that occurred on this show, the cast has never shown so much thirst.