When Hayu asked if I wanted to go to BravoCon, a 3 day reality TV show convention in Las Vegas— I was so excited I got the literal zoooOOoms around my apartment before flipping a table like my foremother Teresa Giudice.
YOU SEE, I have spent infinite hours on Hayu watching pretty much every Housewives city that Andy Cohen has ever selflessly laid at our feet. If Hayu did an end of the year wrap, mine would just be a blank screen that says "GIRL.... R U OKAY???????"
But I AM okay! And watching these shows— IS, in fact, my hobby. And it's A LOT of peoples' hobbies too. So much so that BravoCon 2023 took place in an absolutely MASSIVE convention center in Las Vegas— after last year's event proved to be a bit... tight (with the occasional Lisa Rinna fueled stampede).
Thankfully in this case, what happens in Vegas does NOT stay in Vegas— because for YOU and YOU ONLY I'm listing the wildest, weirdest, most wonderful things I witnessed with thine own two eyes at the fever dream that was BravoCon 2023. And YES! I am in fact writing this while drinking a YARD of peach bellini slushy in my hotel room. LET'S GO!
1. Kyle Richards sans wedding ring.
2. An exact-to-scale replica of the SUR back alley from Vanderpump Rules.
3. The ugly ‘Christmas Tree’ lingerie Jenna Lyons gifted Jessel Taank on The Real Housewives of New York.
4. Erika Jayne teaching a dance lesson at a seminar called “Pat The Puss” at 10 AM.
5. Tom Sandoval with a fake neck tattoo.
6. Raquel's TomTom hoodie made infamous from last year's BravoCon.
7. The aforementioned table that Teresa Giudice flipped on The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
9. Ubah Hassan from The Real Housewives of New York modeling.
10. The photo op with the messiest character on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City— Miss Sprinter Van herself.
11. Jamie Lee Curtis' charity wind chimes that Dorit Kemsley called "so chic" on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
12. Lisa Vanderpump arriving with her dog Donut.
13. Whitney Rose on her "hilling" journey alongside Angie K at the... say it with me: Bravo themed Vegas nightclub.
14. Candiace Dillard Bassett from The Real Housewives of Potomac together with New Jersey house husband Joe Gorga.
15. Scheana Marie Shay's "Good as Gold" vinyl on sale at the Bravo Bazaar.
16. Seeing Andy Cohen. PERIOD!
Lady Gaga was right then, and after attending BravoCon 2023— she's more right now than ever before. With more than 30,000 fans flocking to Vegas from all over the world to attend (some flying more than 20 hours, hello AUSTRALIA!!!), this event felt really, really major.
Time to get sincere on main for a sec: the Bravo fandom may be wild but it was genuinely special to be with people who LOVE the things you love too. People being excited about things they like is just... nice. It surprisingly made me VERY EMOTIONAL!
If you've loved reality TV for a long time, I'm sure you've heard it all from people about the genre being "trashy" or "mind-numbing" or "low-brow". But for those of us that are deeply entrenched— we know that these shows are anything but.
These are shows and stories that primarily feature women— from all walks of life, from all parts of the world. They open their world up so we can see everything from marital struggles to work woes to difficult conversations with friends to family deaths. Sure, it's shiny and produced and often ridiculous, but these shows really just tell our own stories. At the core, they act as both a respite AND a reflection of the world we live in. And ultimately... isn't that what good art is supposed to do?
Okay, I had a piece of bread and calmed down. But I believe all of the above DEEP IN MY SOUL. And thank GOD Hayu took me to BravoCon so I can preach THAT good word to you!! *Steps down from my soapbox*
Let me know down below what you're watching, and see you next year at BravoCon 2024!
