Real Housewives of Atlanta: Lisa Wu Hartwell Out

I don't know why Lisa Wu Hartwell has been removed from The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Maybe it's because she'd grown very boring and contrived by the time the second season rolled around.

Of the multiple Bravo Real Housewives franchises I only watch the New York and Atlanta girls. I've seen not a moment of the D.C. Housewives.

Two new housewives will replace Hartwell. One is model Cynthia Bailey. The other is a lawyer named Phaedra Parks.

Bailey is not a wife. She's a single mom who is old friends with old Atlanta Housewife, Nene Leakes. Apparently Cynthia Bailey's plot line involves trying to hold on to her long time boyfriend, who I assume is the father of the child. I'm likely wrong in that assumption.

Phaedra Parks is an entertainment attorney with several high profile clients. She is married to a younger man who has done jail time.

Meanwhile, Kim Zolciak, she of boinking Big Poppa fame, is still saying she is involved with a woman, while she continues to pursue her music career, looking for a follow up hit to Tardy For The Party.

Nene gets a job while her marriage to Greg crumbles to pieces.

Sheree Whitfield has moved on from being a failed high fashion designer, with her She by Sheree line, to now being an actress, likely with success equal to her fashion designing.

Kandi Burruss is still recovering from the murder of her ex-fiance.

Over in the New Jersey Housewives world, Danielle Staub has been removed from the show. I've not watched a complete episode with the New Jersey girls. I find them disturbing. But I have seen enough of Danielle Staub to get why it would be a good idea to get her off TV.

And then we have my favorite housewives, the New York City girls. If Bravo decided to dump Danielle Staub, surely the same boot will be given to Kelly Bensimon. I have seen polls showing viewers find Bensimon far more disturbing that Staub.

The Real Houswives of Atlanta: NeNe Turns Into a NoNo

I tell myself I am not going to blog anymore about The Real Housewives of Atlanta. And then I do. It doesn't matter what other TV show I watch and blog about, the only thing people come to this blog for is to see a photo of Kim's Big Poppa, supposedly an Atlanta super-rich guy named Lee Najjar.

Seems everyone on the show, but the viewers, has met and seen Big Poppa.

On the most recent episode Big Poppa gave Kim an engagement ring. This perplexed others, like Sheree, who puzzled, "Isn't he married?"

I've not been enjoying the 2nd season of the Atlanta housewives. But, Kandi has grown on me. She is the only one who seems genuine. The others seem like they are amping it up, trying to make what they think is good TV.

Lisa never seems natural anymore.

And what is with all the parties these women give themselves? Sheree's Independence Party was ridiculous, what with that gigantic billboard she had made of herself. And the She by Sheree clothing line thing. Flying to New York City to meet her top of the line seamstress had some amusing moments. I don't see a good outcome for Sheree's clothes making designs.

And then there is Dwight. He used to be amusing. Now he is just an over the top overbearing know it all.

Now, Kim is back on the Big Poppa gravy train, so we know who's paying for all the junk she buys. But, when she was on the outs with Big Poppa, how was Kim paying for all the junk she buys? Who pays for Kim's girl's private schools?

Why does Kim have a Personal Assistant? How does she pay for the Personal Assistant? Have we ever seen Kim do anything for money, other than what our imaginations tell us she must be doing to have Big Poppa so constantly generous?

For me, it has been NeNe who had taken the biggest fall. She was the fan favorite the first season. All that adulation has seriously skewed NeNe's self image into the delusional zone. Telling Kim that Kim needed NeNe on her Tardy for the Party record to be able to sell it. Telling the woman who is writing NeNe's book that her hometown will have a parade for her upon her return.

NeNe's constant negativity about Kim has turned Kim into a sympathetic victim in a lot of viewer's eyes. NeNe even managed to have a fight with the eternally positive Kandi.

Anyway, I hope Kim and Big Poppa get a spinoff on Bravo, showing their wedding, with the hilarity that would surely follow after they become Mr. and Mrs. Najjar.

The Real Housewives Of Atlanta: Kim Trips, Alter Ego Debuts, Along With Tardy For the Party

It probably would have worked out better for Kim if she'd been Tardy for the Alter Ego Party. Maybe she would have not tripped on cobblestones, doing a lot of damage to her ankle, legs and shoes. In no particular order.

This week's episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta made up for last week's snoozy episode.

We see Kim arrive at Kandi's house, not realizing Kandi has a studio, where she has pretty much got Kim's Tardy for the Party song ready to go. Just needing Kim's fine vocals to finish the job.

But, Kim did not want to sing. This perplexed Kandi. Eventually Kandi cut through Kim's defenses to realize Kim was scared, due to the last time she sang in front of actual professionals it did not go well. After a bit of positive encouragement, Kim agreed to sing. To my tone deaf ears, Kim's singing seemed much better than the last time we heard her warble so unfortunately.

After Kim heard how good Kandi's pop version of Kim's country song was, Kim decided she really did not need NeNe to be part of Kim's eminent pop stardom. After last season's brouhaha over Kim finding out that NeNe had mocked Kim's singing career aspirations, I don't know why Kim would have wanted NeNe to be part of Kim's rise to Madonna status.

Next up was the big reveal of those boring Alter Ego photos that were taken last week. This took place at a big party with all of the Atlanta elite in attendance. End the end the photos were quite striking when finally revealed, particularly Kandi's.

But, before the Big Reveal there was an accident. Kim tripped on some cobblestones, crashing to the ground, twisting her ankle, gashing several large cuts, that had a lot of blood gushing.

Kim was carried to her car where first aid and ice were administered. The party moved outside to watch the Kim drama. The other housewives were very unsympathetic and treated Kim's obvious real bad injury as some sort of manipulative ploy by Kim to get attention.

Kim did have some really good timing with the entire ankle debacle. When all the housewives were gathered near, along with the rest of the party, Kim asked Sheree if she'd like to hear Tardy for the Party. Kim then instructed someone to hit the play button. Kim then lit up a very self-satisfied cigarette as the music started up, to looks of amazement on the faces of those who had belittled Kim's singing aspirations.

All the housewives, except, I think, Lisa, were quite complimentary of Kim's song. At this point in time NeNe does not realize she is not going to be part of the final product. We saw in next week's previews that NeNe is quite upset at Kim for deciding to go solo.

I am finding that Kim and Kandi are becoming my favorite housewives. Lisa, Sheree and NeNe's constant Kim bashing gets real old, particularly when they do bashing much worse than the backstabbing bashing they are constantly accusing Kim of.

One more thing, that Dwight really is such a pompous ass. Have we seen anything that validates his extremely inflated self-image?

The Real Housewives Of Atlanta: Lisa & NeNe Go To LA, Kim Goes To Work On Kandi

I'm days late getting around to watching the latest episode of the The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

So, here's what I think. The whole NeNe going to LA with Lisa thing was strange. It all seemed real forced. Lisa does not act natural. And NeNe is starting to seem like she is constantly way too deep into performance mode. NeNe's trouble at processing Lisa's Asian side was odd. NeNe ended up declaring that Lisa was totally black. The whole graveside thing over the dead gay brother who was the life of the family and who died of mysterious causes, with one of the brother's pouring booze on the grave, was just odd.

NeNe and Lisa's new gay friend they found in the hotel was also strange. Way too much forced laughter at stuff that was not funny.

What was funny was Kim. She went to Kandi's recording studio. And then could not remember the words to "Tardy for the Party." Later Kim called Kandi to arrange a dinner at a steakhouse. Kandi is already seated when Kim arrives, immediately demanding wine. Kandi does not drink, orders a Shirley Temple, with lime, while Kim's eyes roll.

Kim spews so much profanity in public places. I don't see how she does not get a Potty Mouth Ticket from some arbiter of good public taste. Then during the dinner with Kandi, Kim proceeds to do her behind the back cutting that she always denies doing. Kim's main target was her main enemy, Lisa.

And then there is Sheree. The self-proclaimed best designer in Atlanta is getting her first fashion show ready. Of course, she has an event planner. And Mercedes Benz as a sponsor. Sheree's event planners seemed as if they did not quite know what to make of her. It will be fun watching Sheree get her fashion comeuppance again. At least that is what I hope happens.

In the previews Kandi does some crying. That is all I remember.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta: Lisa Wu-Hartwell Loses Her Mansion

In yet one more sad sign of the troubled times we are going through, here in America, The Real Housewives of Atlanta's Lisa Wu-Hartwell and her husband, ex Oakland Raiders footballer, Ed Hartwell, lost their very expensive house on August 4, 2009.

Just a couple days ago I watched the "Lost Footage" episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. One piece of that lost footage was a long segment showing a party at the Hartwell's former mansion. It was a bowling party. The Hartwells had installed a bowling alley in their basement. They even had bowling shoes in various sizes, just like a regular bowling alley.

I remember thinking, while watching the bowling in the basement, that that seemed like a rather outrageous extravagance, but if they can afford it, and want it, more power to them.

The Hartwell's bought their former mansion, in 2007, for almost $3 million. They tried to restructure their loan, just like so many others who have now lost their homes. But, a restructuring deal could not be worked out, the Hartwells defaulted, with the bank quickly selling the house for a bit less than $2 million.

A spokesperson for Lisa says the Hartwells are doing just fine. And have moved into their new house which sits on a 10 acre lot. How did they manage that, I can not help but wonder?

From what we've seen of the Hartwells on the new episodes of the Atlanta housewives it has appeared that they were only ones to have weathered the economic storm without setback. The Hartwell's storm came after filming ended, apparently.

Below is the first part of the default/foreclosure court papers filed on August 4.