Shade of the Week: Brittany Cartwright
I was a Brittany fan but it's getting hard these days.
Before I start this article, full disclosure, I like Brittany Cartwright. I think she's a sweet, down to earth and a calming energy the show needs, however, we need to discuss how she isn't the wholesome Kentucky muffin everybody thinks she is because if you can stay with Jax Taylor for this long after he's cheated, gaslighted, lied and treated you like absolute dog shit before you even moved to LA then there's obviously something off with you.
Let's start with Jax. They allegedly met in Vegas where she had "no idea" who he has and decided to move in with him in his West Hollywood cesspit straight away. Um. Alarm bells? Her mother admitted to watching the show and knowing who he was and Brittany was with a bunch of girlfriends when they met, am I supposed to believe not one of them watched Bravo? Even with a quick google search, she'd be able to find out who and what he is, so I don't buy this innocent excuse one bit, and fair enough, say she did have no idea who he is, why move in with him while he's filming a reality show? If there isn't an ulterior motive then I guess pigs can fly and James Kennedy respects women.
She's on the show for a reason, regardless of her "love" for him, she wouldn't be on a Bravo reality show season after season if she didn't like the fame and ability to sell Flat Tummy Tea on Instagram and there's nothing wrong with that, the problem is that nobody ever addresses Brittany's thirst and play it off like she's an innocent girl from Kentucky who's a fish out of water and got wrapped up in this crazy universe. This is what I call the Teddi Mellencamp card and if you sign a Bravo contract and are ready to let the whole world see all the shitty sides of yourself, relationship, personality and everything in-between, then you're obviously as fucked up as the rest of the cast. And that's not a bad thing, we just need to acknowledge that.
The reason I decided to shade Brittany this week was after Monday's Vanderpump Rules episode where she told Jax about how Stassi and Katie had both questioned if he had really changed. Um. You've been with Jax for three or four years and you already told him Sandoval had said the same thing the week before, so you know how he's going to react. However, Brittany gets away with telling Jax about their valid questioning of him knowing it will get him mad and create drama while she gets to sit there, calm him down and act like it was never her intention to stir shit up and hide between her Kentucky accent. Brittany knows exactly what she's doing but somehow she's managed to be untouchable on this show.
She's never had a fight with ANYONE besides Jax which is unheard of in the reality TV world, specifically Vanderpump Rules. She always gets to play the role of the girl next door who everybody loves and never have a bad word to say about her, which is mesmerising and the reason why I think she's the most manipulative cast member of all. She's not open about her manipulation because it's hidden behind beer cheese and her Jax Taylor purchased boobs, so she gets away with it, whereas someone like Stassi, Kristen or even Katie get called out on stirring the pot and creating drama. Brittany is smart, she's created a great role for herself on this show as an untouchable cast member and now rookies like Raquel have been able to take a page out of her handbook.
Brittany stayed with Jax for a reason, yes she loves him and for some reason wants to spend the rest of her life with him, but we can't ignore the fact that she's on a reality show. Without cameras do we really think this girl would've stayed with Jax let alone moved in with him in three and a half seconds? Maybe, maybe she is that genuine Kentucky girl everybody loves but I'm sceptical. Jax cheated on her and she got to be the brave girl who stayed with him which gave her support from the audience and the rest of her cast members which put all the hate onto Jax and left her spotless. She used his infidelity to embed her place on this show but bonding with the girls and now Raquel is trying to do the same thing, but her quest for thirst is too transparent. The thing they have in common along with their cheating significant others is that Jax and James are their meal tickets, so they aren't going anywhere.
She's almost like Tom Schwartz in a much more polished way, they can tee up some drama but then play the role of the mellow, sensitive, quiet partner in the relationship which makes their partners (Jax and Katie) look like the assholes while they maintain their stance as the one everybody feels sorry for. It's a smart business move, like winding up a jack-in-a-box then sitting back and watching it explode. I'm not denying Jax is a scumbag and Katie has times she's so unlikeable my teeth hurt but we have to recognise the role their significant others play in making them look worse than Stassi's face after her birthday party. No shade, because we've all looked like an ashtray the morning after a big night.
Somehow, the most surprising thing is that Jax and Brittany have somehow become a couple everybody supports and roots for when a year ago everybody was begging her to break up with him, I know none of these Vanderpump relationships are exactly angelic but how did this become a fan favourite couple. Did I miss something?
She's isn't the dumb, clueless girl from Kentucky everybody thinks she is, she's just as underhanded, manipulative and sneaky as the rest of the cast, which isn't shade, it's a compliment because if you can be the most manipulative person on a reality show, it's like winning The Hunger Games, and to the victor go the spoils.
