I absolutely get the appeal of the show, which sounds completely deranged (even without the Scandoval saga) but I also know we are 10 seasons in and I know, deep within me, I do not have the required stamina to sit through the back catalogue. That said, the idea of watching a reality TV show at a bar - particularly a high-stakes episode like a season finale, is one I am fully behind.
Last Sunday, contrary to my better judgment, I spent a full five hours of my one wild and precious life bingeing the latest season of Selling Sunset. This one thing I will tell you for sure: I would much rather have watched all of Chrishell Stause’s fine moments (and they were all fine moments, I will not hear a word to the contrary) at the pub with friends and a couple of cold beers. On Thursday night, instead of sleeping, I stayed up late and watched the first episode of the latest season of The Kardashians, during which I willingly exposed my brain to Kendall teaching Kylie how do drive a manual car using her Porsche, Kourtney banging on about about much sex she’s having with Travis, and Khloe complaining about not winning the lottery, without a hint of irony. It was fun, if at times maddening, but it would have been more fun to be watching it with friends who share my absolute terrible taste in TV.
Reality TV is escapism. We can criticise it all we want but, as far as shared entertainment goes, is it really that different from watching a sporting match? You’ve already got the big screen, overcharge us for some drinks and we’re there anyway. These shows have huge audience numbers. The math is mathing. Showing them in bars makes economic sense.
I mean, I am not saying that showing reality TV shows at pubs would single-handedly save the hospitality industry but, let’s be serious, it wouldn’t hurt. I am not the first person to suggest it - credit to The Spinoff’s senior writer Alex Casey who, last year, publicly pleaded with whoever is in charge to let us all watch Love Island at the pub (and eventually succeeded and got to watch the show at a bar in Auckland).
Between that Love Island episode in Auckland and the multiple venues that showed Vanderpump Rules across America last week, this is a thing that is happening and I just need more people (specifically, the people at my favourite and nearest pubs) to get on board.
I want the chalkboard sign at the end of my road that advertises the pub near me will be showing the super rugby every Saturday to tell me, just as proudly, it will be showing Below Deck on Sundays. Or The Kardashians on Thursdays. Or Married at First Sight whenever. Or anything that I am forced to watch within the confines of my four walls, any time. Sending unhinged DMs to my friends about each episode, which they either have already watched or are yet to watch, it simply not the same.
Life is exhausting right now. The world is on fire, war is raging, I paid $14 for a carton of eggs last week, fun feels hard to come by sometimes. I want to share small joys with other people, I want to meet other adults who enjoy the same sort of escapism and bond over how awful but also great it all is. I want a reason to dress up, I want special cocktails, hot chips and Captain Lee’s face on a big screen.
Will the success of the Vanderpump Rules viewing parties in the US lead to an expansion of the concept in general (and into my neighbourhood specifically)? Will Andy Cohen and his Bravo universe compete with the rugby at the local pub? One can only hope.
