As I mentioned in an earlier article, I DO NOT watch the Real Housewives of New York City on Bravo. Well…okay, yes I do.

For some reason, nobody can pry the remote control out of my hands (and believe me, they have tried) when I’m watching five grown women, in the “upper echelons of New York society”, oblivious to the fact that they come off as complete assholes (except maybe for Bethany…she makes me laugh).

And then, of course, there’s the why am I watching a show about very, very, wealthy people and how much stuff they can buy? aspect to it. It must have something to do with my propensity to want to hurt myself.

Anyway, as I grapple with the challenge of becoming a Cool Broad, I often find myself looking for insight from those around me. Celebrities or other high-profile women can be good examples because most everybody is familiar with them and so they’re easy to discuss. And even though that particular crowd seems to provide more bad examples than good ones, there ARE lessons to be learned from those who aren’t conducting themselves in a very cool manner.

If you’re at all familiar with the Real Housewives, you may know Alex McCord as the one who is married to the Australian metrosexual with two poorly behaved (albeit French-speaking) kids. Or you may know her from her naked pictures (I mean, what would a reality show star be without them?). Or you may remember her as the one who made this statement at the beginning of the show: “I. Don’t. Ever. Want. To. Live. In. The. Suburbs. Bleck.”

And this is what she looked like when shared her opinion about where more than half of America lives.

Now, having an opinion isn’t why Alex McCord is being cited for being uncool…it’s for not thinking before she speaks. Because if she used her noggin, she might consider the fact than a majority of her viewers call the suburbs home. And she’s basically telling those viewers that she thinks that their homes are yucky.

Cool Broads don’t make people feel badly about themselves, where they live, how their children perform in school, what their husband does for a living, or how big their engagement ring is. They have the natural ability to appreciate the BEST in everything.

So if one of your close friends tells you that she and her husband have made the decision to leave the city for the ‘burbs, even if you feel like cringing, you smile and say, “Wow, you’re really going to love having all that extra room. I already know I’ll be jealous of your closet.” Because being supportive and not passing judgment are two surefire ways to be cool.

When the producers of the Real Housewives asked Alex McCord what she thought of living in the suburbs (which I’m sure is how they got her to respond the way she did), she should’ve taken a moment to gather her thoughts and said, “Well, having lived in both the suburbs, and the city…I’ve found that inner-city living suits me best.”

Then she can go home to her Speedo-wearing hubby and spew about how She. Hates. The. Suburbs.

There’s do doubt that Cool Broads are an opinionated bunch (and that’s a good thing), but they know how to express their opinions and they know whether or not expressing certain opinions will be constructive or just plain hurtful.

Oh, and one more thing. The. Suburbs. Rock.

~tcb

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