Our Culture of Fat-Shaming Is Literally Making People Sick

Danielle Staub and Margaret Josephs (RHONJ)

The two started off as friends during Season 8 of RHONJ (Margaret was even a bridesmaid in Danielle's wedding to Marty Caffrey!), but their friendship fell apart as the years passed. Things came to a head in Season 10 when Danielle pulled Margaret's hair, attempted to drag her to the ground, poured water on her head and dumped the contents of Margaret's purse into a $600 lit candle. It's safe to say things haven't improved much since then.

Brandi Glanville, Kyle Richards and Kim Richards (RHOBH)

RHOBH game nights never end well, that's for sure. After calling Kyle a "b*tch" and implying that Kim was "wasted" (Kim has a history of struggling with her sobriety), Brandi found herself in the middle of the Richards sisters' wrath. Kyle eventually retaliated with dozens of petty comments, one of which mentioned Brandi's son, who during a party peed on the lawn. Obviously, Brandi wasn't happy that her child was a topic of conversation. Their retaliatory comments devolved into a slew of now-famous insults, with Kim referring to Brandi as "trailer park trash," Brandi responding with "at least I don't do crystal meth in the bathroom, and Kim calling Brandi "a sl*t pig." How lovely!

The women are actually friendly today, with Brandi telling Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that she "loves Kim, Kyle and Kathy."

Margaret Josephs and Jennifer Aydin (RHONJ)

As fans can recall, Jennifer has never been Margaret's biggest fan. Things really kicked into high gear when Margaret revealed Jennifer's husband's (Bill Aydin) affair while she was nine months pregnant with her youngest son. No one outside of the couple knew about his indiscretion, leading to a domino effect that tore through Jennifer's family. Though they have (kind of) made up since the explosive news, it doesn't seem like a strong friendship is meant to be.

Kim Zolciak and NeNe Leakes (RHOA)

Ahhhh, cockroach-gate. How could we ever forget?! The incident started in 2017 after Kim's daughter Brielle alleged she found cockroaches in NeNe’s home. NeNe quickly slammed the 20-year-old Brielle over claims of “prejudice” after the mother-daughter visit, resurfacing an old video filmed by Brielle in NeNe’s bathroom, documenting what appeared to be large, black insects.

“@briellebiermann We don’t have roaches! If you found 1, u brought it with u or it fell outta yo funky p*ssy!” NeNe wrote on Instagram in a now-deleted post. “Go somewhere and let the air outta those fake lips, fake titties and fake a** because you will never be [@kyliejenner]. Yo trashy mama should have taught you better! My home is Brand New but you guys were so jealous of it, you couldn’t even give a compliment. You had to stoop so low and be so disgusting #racisttrash.”

That wasn't all, though. In the comments section of a separate Instagram account, NeNe called Kim a “calculating [bipolar] racist with a horrible mouth, who uses black folks for her come up.”

Kim quickly jumped to her daughter’s defense via Instagram and lawyered up. The two women are not friendly today.

Jen Shah and Meredith Marks (RHOSLC)

This is one feud that was not settled quietly. During an ice fishing excursion, Meredith gave it to the now-convicted felon straight, saying, “there are homophobic tweets regarding my son’s sexuality that you have ‘liked.’ It is really painful,” she began. “I was told about a Zoom that you hosted where you were questioning him coming out and his sexuality.” Meredith was rightfully infuriated over Jen's passive "attacks" on her 21-year-old son, Brooks. After several episodes of icy tension, Jen apologized to Brooks, and their friendship began to mend.

Larsa Pippen and Dr. Nicole Martin (RHOM)

Larsa clearly hasn't learned her lesson. When she stoops low, Nicole always goes higher. For whatever reason, Larsa decided to make Nicole her metaphorical "punching bag" throughout the most recent seasons, going as far as to call Nicole's young son a "bastard child" and say that Nicole doesn't have a job. To clarify, DOCTOR Nicole certainly has a job — a high ranking one. Nicole is a self-made anesthesiologist, a far cry from Larsa's income as a NBA divorcee and OnlyFans model (no shame in that, BTW). Their feud remains ongoing, with little resolution (and plenty of pettiness) in sight.

Brandi Glanville and Denise Richards (RHOBH)

Brandi is not one to stay in the shadows for long. In true Brandi-fashion, the former Housewife briefly returned in Season 10 to share some, uh, unexpected news. According to Brandi, she had an ongoing affair with the newly-married Denise Richards, a Housewife at the time, much to the surprise of literally everyone.

Brandi claimed that Denise was “sexually aggressive” toward her when they first met in 2018, leading to a passionate affair. Denise has adamantly denied all of Brandi's allegations of a past tryst, though it certainly hasn't stopped Brandi from sharing more details.

Porsha Williams and NeNe Leakes (RHOA)

This duo has had their fair share of ups and downs throughout the years. Their feud started in Season 8 when Porsha claimed NeNe physically grabbed her during the OG's infamous closet meltdown. None of their co-stars commented on the push, and Leakes denied the allegation, though it didn't stop her from retaliating. NeNe fired back at Porsha with a series of "angry, aggressive text messages" criticizing her weight just six days after Porsha gave birth to her first child. After Porsha shared the texts on Instagram, NeNe allegedly responded with a cease and desist.

But don't worry, they're BFFs today!

Lisa Rinna and Kim Richards (RHOBH)

Quite possibly the most iconic Housewives feud is that of Kim Richards and Lisa Rinna’s “Bunnygate.” The two were never quite friends, a fact that was cemented following Lisa’s questioning of Kim’s sobriety in Season 5. Lisa apologized during a dinner in Amsterdam — an apology that Kim did not accept. Rather, Kim implied she knew something about Lisa’s husband, Harry Hamlin, leading Lisa to throw her wine glass at Kim and utter the famous words, “don’t you ever go after my f*cking husband.”

Things between the two women escalated again in Season 7 after Lisa said that Kim is “close to dying,” which she adamantly denied throughout much of the season. Kim had other ideas, however, and infamously shut down the possibility of a friendship by returning the bunny Lisa bought for Kim’s grandson at the Season 7 reunion. During this encounter, Lisa shed a single tear.

To no one’s surprise, Lisa and Kim aren’t friends today, though they sort of agreed to put the past behind them.

Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga (RHONJ)

This sister showdown has dominated our screens since the very beginning. When Melissa joined her sister-in-law on Season 3 of RHONJ, fans quickly learned that the two women did not get along. Like at all. After an argument between Teresa and her brother, Joe Gorga (Melissa's husband), turned into a physical fight between Joe and Teresa’s husband at the time (coincidentally also named Joe), things never really reconciled. The tension continued after Melissa brought sprinkle cookies to Christmas, which was apparently deeply offensive to Teresa.

More recently, Teresa did not ask Melissa to be a bridesmaid in her wedding to Luis Ruelas (despite having Luis's sisters in the wedding), invite Melissa’s family to her wedding, and proceeded to spread rumors about Melissa cheating on Joe. In the aftermath, neither Melissa nor Joe attended Teresa's August 2022 wedding, and the families are at arm's length.

Lisa Vanderpump, Dorit Kemsley and Kyle Richards (RHOBH)

Puppygate saw the end of LVP on RHOBH, and we’re still not over it. In Season 9, Lisa claimed that Dorit returned a puppy she adopted from Lisa’s Vanderpump Dogs rescue to a kill shelter, forcing the other women to take sides in the disagreement.

Dorit claimed that the puppy bit her husband (who happened to be longtime friends with Lisa) and other family members, leading them to rehome the dog with an acquaintance, and that person must have brought it to a shelter, While Dorit eventually apologized to Lisa, their relationship was too far gone and the feud shifted towards whether Lisa leaked the story to the press. Kyle Richards, who was then Lisa’s BFF and friend to Dorit, took Dorit’s side, ultimately ending her decades-long friendship with Lisa in a blowout fight. “Goodbye, Kyle!”

Lisa quit the show before the reunion, denying that she spoke about the dog to the media. While Dorit and Kyle are besties today, neither are close to Lisa.

Vicki Gunvalson and Kelly Dodd (RHOC)

We can’t mention conflict without thinking of Vicki and Kelly. When Kelly joined the show for Season 11, she and Vicky became fast friends. It wasn’t long before that relationship turned sour, with Kelly calling Vicky, who owns an insurance company, a “con woman” who “preys on old people.” This comment turned into a lawsuit, with Vicki claiming “defamation, libel, trade libel, interference with actual and prospective economic business advantage, false light and injunctive relief.” Not surprisingly, the lawsuit was lived, as it took less than a month for Vicki to drop the charges so that she could attend the Season 13 reunion show. The reunion only led to more conflict (if you can even believe it) as the women accused one another of doing drugs.

Somehow, the pair made amends in 2021 following Vicki’s decision to leave the show in 2020 and Kelly’s dismissal.

Porsha Williams and Kenya Moore (RHOA)

Porsha and Kenya got off to a rocky start in Season 5 after Porsha referred to the former Miss USA as Miss America (Which is apparently offensive? We can't say.). The drama continued, with Kenya accusing Porsha of cheating on her ex-husband Kordell Stewart, both women accusing each other of being whores, Porsha pulling Kenya’s hair leading to a physical fight, Kenya demanding that Porsha be fired from the show, you know — typical friend behavior.

Not surprisingly, the two aren't friends today, with the Season 12 reunion ending with Porsha calling Kenya a “fake friend.”

Kim Richards, Kyle Richards and Kathy Hilton (RHOBH)

Bravo loves a family feud, and the Richards sister gave it their all. The lowest point in the sisters’ relationship came during the Season 1 finale of RHOBH after Kim, who was no longer sober, accused Kyle and her husband Mauricio Umansky of "stealing [her] goddamn house." While the sisters struggled to move past their infamous limo fight, their relationship remained rocky over the years. This led to a on-and-off-again relationship between Kyle and her other sister, Kathy Hilton, who seemed to side with Kim in many of the arguments.

Bethenny Frankel and Jill Zarin (RHONY)

Bethenny is certainly forthright, occasionally rubbing her fellow Housewives the wrong way. Such is true following Season 2, where the former BFFs stopped speaking for months, supposedly because Jill felt Bethenny was getting more attention than her. The friends got into it throughout Season 3, after Bethenny accused Jill of being jealous of her success. Jill, meanwhile, slammed Bethenny for not being present as her late husband, Bobby Zarin, battled cancer.

Today, the pair have seemingly “made up,” at least to some degree. After years of not speaking, Jill appeared on Bethenny’s podcast, “Just B with Bethenny Frankel.” “I was surprised, but I wasn’t gonna be impulsive,” Jill said of getting the request to appear on the podcast to Us Weekly. “Maybe because I’m medicated now and I wasn’t 13 years ago — in a good way. I have anxiety. I definitely had an anxiety disorder when you knew me, for sure.” Jill continued, saying that she was initially hesitant to say yes, but her daughter encouraged her to do it. “And that’s it,” Jill recalled. “That’s all it took.”

Vicki Gunvaalson and Gretchen Rossi (and Slade Smiley) (RHOC)

With a RHOC tenure of 13 years, Vicki was bound to enter conflict at one time or another. And she certainly did. While the friction between the two women was ongoing, it came to a head during an 80s theme party in Season 7. Gretchen’s BF at the time, Slade, made several comments about Vicki’s looks, leading to an intense shouting match between the pair.

Dorit Kemsley and Camille Grammer (RHOBH)

The women of RHOBH are known for their feuds, but the one between Camille and (at the time) relative newbie Dorit tops the list. Despite a number of digs towards one another, things really escalated when Camille accused Dorit’s husband “PK” of being over a million dollars in debt, which launched a history of petty drama between the two. Dorit fired back on several occasions, at one point completely randomly (and somewhat hilariously) calling Camille a “stupid c*nt.” Why she said that at the time — nobody knows, but it certainly made for great TV.

Porsha Williams and Kandi Burruss (RHOA)

After a make-out session during Season 9 of RHOA, Kandi claimed Porsha wanted to have sex with her. As a result, Porsha clapped back with a series of her own accusations, including alleging that Kandi's husband was unfaithful, the couple had a sex dungeon and that Kandi previously dated a woman (which isn't a bad thing, BTW). Porsha took it a step further, alleging that someone told her Kandi and Todd planned to drug her to take advantage of her, which Kandi adamantly denied. Somehow, the two women seem OK today, even co-starring in an MTV comedy, Pretty Stoned.

Teresa Giudice and Danielle Staub (RHONJ)

Teresa and Danielle's feud gifted RHONJ fans one of the most memorable moments in Housewives history: Teresa's infamous table flip. After the Season 1 cast discovered a book about Danielle's shady past, the women confronted her, with Teresa accusing Danielle of being a "prostitution whore, [who was] f*cking engaged nineteen times" and flipped the dinner table over. Their feud continued throughout Season 2, leading Teresa to get into Danielle's face (and subsequently push host Andy Cohen) after Danielle accused Teresa of not being there for her family.

Candiace Dillard and Monique Samuels (RHOP)

Despite starting off on good terms, Candiace and Monique’s relationship turned bitter. The duo engaged in a couple of physical or near-physical fights, which both women now regret.

“Anytime you get physical, that’s taking it to a whole other level. That’s real life,” Monique explained during an episode of Us Weekly‘s Getting Real with the Housewives podcast. “I took that [moment] very seriously, because I’ve not been in any physical altercation since I was in grade school. I’m 36 years old. I have three kids and a whole husband. So, I’m like, ‘This is insane.’ It allowed me to go on a journey of just looking at certain things from childhood or just trying to figure out what are my triggers."

1. Tips for safer sex practices.

There are several different ways to have sex — and everyone’s preferences are different. If you’re not comfortable engaging in certain practices, remember: you never, ever have to do anything you don’t feel comfortable with. Consent is key, and just because you've consented to one doesn't mean you've consented to all. We’re going to walk you through safe sex practices for a variety of ways to have sex, so you can make informed decisions that feel right for you.

1. Anal and vaginal sex

This type of sex has the highest risk of contracting an STI or HIV. If you’re having anal sex or vaginal sex, it’s important to use internal condoms or external condomsand a water-based or silicone-based lube. “Make sure that you use a different condom with each partner or when a penis or dildo/sex toy is moved between the vagina and anus,” healthcare company FOLX says. “Infections such as herpes, genital warts, syphilis, and monkeypox can be transmitted through regular skin-to-skin contact. Barrier methods such as condoms, dental dams, or latex gloves can reduce your risk of contracting these infections, but will only cover the protected area.”

2. Oral sex

Oral sex is when someone uses their mouth to stimulate the genitals of another person. With oral sex, there is a low risk of STI or HIV transmission, but it’s still possible to contract unwanted infections. “Using an external condom on a penis during oral sex can help contain body fluids such as semen, ejaculate and pre-ejaculate and reduce the risk of STI transmission,” says FOLX. “Condoms can also be used on a sex toy/dildo, especially if [you plan to use it] with multiple partners without proper cleaning.”

For transgender folks who recently underwent bottom surgery, avoid oral sex until you are fully healed. Anyone who has bleeding gums, mouth ulcers, a sore throat, or has gotten dental work done recently should also avoid oral sex.

3. Rimming

Rimming is when someone uses any function of their mouth around/in someone’s anus. According to FOLX, “this can function as a way to prepare for anal sex and/or as a fun, pleasurable sexual activity in its own right. Rimming has an extremely low risk for HIV, but it’s possible to get hepatitis A or bacterial infections like gonorrhea.” Reduce your risk by practicing good personal hygiene and using a barrier method like a dental dam, especially if you or your partner haven’t had a recent anal STI check.

4. Fingering

“Fingering is when someone uses their hand, finger, or multiple fingers to stimulate and penetrate their partner’s vagina and/or anus,” says FOLX. “Fingering is considered low-risk since there’s only a small chance of spreading an STI. There is a small chance that STIs can spread through fingering if you have any cuts on your hands or fingers, or if there are internal tears in the anus or vaginal tissues.” If you engage in fingering, reduce your risk by practicing good hygiene and washing your hands with soap and water, especially if you’re fingering multiple partners. You can also use latex gloves or finger condoms to cover your fingers for extra protection.

2. The lowdown on STIs.

STIs are sexually transmitted infections (AKA STDs or sexually transmitted diseases) and can be transmitted through different kinds of sexual activities. While there are dozens of unique types of STIs, common STIs to test for include gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, trichomonas, and HIV. If you’re sexually active, it’s important to be tested for STIs, especially since you may have an infection or disease that doesn’t present any noticeable symptoms.

“If left untreated, STIs can cause serious health problems, including cervical cancer, liver disease, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infertility, and pregnancy problems,” says thewellproject. “Having some STIs (such as chancroid, herpes, syphilis, and trichomoniasis) can increase your risk of acquiring HIV if you are HIV-negative and are exposed to HIV. People living with HIV may also be at greater risk of getting or passing on other STIs.”

For more comprehensive information, visit thewellproject.

3. STI prevention and testing.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways for us to prevent the transmission of STIs. Many people request any intimate partners to be fully tested for STIs before engaging in sex with them, which is a great way to feel safe and comfortable during sex.

Obviously, anyone with a penis is advised to wear a condom during any form of sex, especially oral, vaginal, or anal. It’s a simple way to reduce the risk of both partners, which is a win for everyone. For women seeking oral sex or rimming, we recommend wearing Lorals, a FDA-cleared, wearable STI protection to keep both you and your partner safe.

Sex toys/dildos are another great way to reduce the transmission of STIs, but be sure to clean before switching between partners. When searching for the right sex toy(s), make sure they are made of body-safe materials, like medical-grade silicone. We love Bellesa’s line of sex toys because they are made from premium quality silicone, are waterproof and are USB rechargeable. Like they say, “good orgasms are a lifestyle!”

Remember: you need to test for STIs! Regularly! Fortunately, testing for STIs has (literally) never been easier. While you can be fully tested for STIs by your Primary Care Physician or OB/GYN, there are some great at-home tests if a doctor isn’t your jam. stix offers a range of vaginal and sexual test kits delivered straight to your door. We also love Cheeky Bonsai for at-home UTI testing and relief. Oh, and you can order both of these brands on Amazon. Talk about a win-win!

4. Different forms of birth control.

This ones for all the ladies out there. If you’re not looking to get pregnant now (or ever), then practicing safe sex is a MUST. If you are having sex with someone who has a penis, make sure they have a condom on. It’s seriously the simplest way to ensure there are no babies in your immediate future. In addition to condoms, birth control is the best way to ensure you’re as pregnancy-protected as possible.

You can read up on all of the different types of birth control here, and visit your OB/GYN to get started. If you don't have a doctor who can prescribe you birth control, try NURX or Hey Jane (they offer medical abortions, emergency contraception and UTI/yeast infection treatment too).

A morning-after pill (AKA emergency contraception) is another way to protect yourself against unwanted pregnancy, particularly if you believe your partner ejaculated in you during recent sex. Get fast, discreet emergency contraception delivered straight to your door with Julie, or head to your local CVS or Walmart if you simply cannot wait.

5. How to have pleasurable sex.

Pleasure looks different for everyone, but there are some resources you can reference for better sex. Practical Intimacy gives great advice on how to have incredible sex as a woman, but really, the tips are simple. Give yourself time to get aroused, engage your whole body and your mind, let go of the pressure to orgasm, ask for what you want and make sure your partner is seeking to please you, too. Sex should never be one-sided, and we should all seek to close the orgasm gap, one mind-blowing orgasm at a time.

If you need tips on where to start, we highly recommend watching Angel Ardito’s TikToks. Her tips are informative, practical, and sure to make you (and your partner) much happier people.

And remember: you are way sexier than you think! Negative self-talk deserves no place in your mind or your bedroom, so get it out of there!

What is Materialists about?

While we haven't gotten an official synopsis on Celine Song's follow up to Past Lives, it looks like Materialists follows a professional NYC matchmaker (likely played by Dakota Johnson), via Deadline. When the matchmaker gets involved with a wealthy man, she realizes she can't shake her feelings for an actor-waiter from her past. Juicy!! It's giving a little bit of It Ends With Us, it's giving a little bit of Playing With Matches. I'm totally here for it!

According to Merriam Webster, a materialist is someone who has a "preoccupation with or stress upon material rather than intellectual or spiritual things." This feels like an indication we'll see these characters have to figure out what's important to them, and whether they prioritize material things or relationships. (But don't we all have to do that?).

Is the Materialists movie filming?

Yes, Materialists is filming in New York City as of April 2024! The first leaked videos from set (thanks to @mickmicknyc) appear to revolve around a wedding (which would make sense if Dakota's character is a matchmaker!). Based on the costumes, my guess is Chris Evans plays the actor-waiter, while Pedro Pascal plays the new man in our leading lady's life. The Vampire Diaries, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Friday Night Lights — will the love triangles never cease?!

Who's in the Materialists cast?

Materialists stars Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans. We're still waiting to hear about supporting cast! I'd also love to know whether Celine Song will pull a Greta Gerwig (who frequently recasts her beloved actors) and include Past Lives' Greta Lee in the cast.

When is Materialists coming out?

Materialists just started filming in New York City during the spring of 2024, so my guess is we'll see the movie in the summer or fall of 2025, but it all depends on when filming wraps!

Did A24 produce Past Lives?

Yes, A24 helped produce Celine Song's directorial debut Past Lives (which she also wrote). Past Lives follows childhood friends Nora and Hae Sung, reconnect two decades after Nora's family leaves South Korea. The week they spend together in New York will bring up questions they've both been holding onto — about love, life, and destiny.

The film was met with rave reviews from both critics and the Brit + Co team, and remains one of the most beautiful contemporary films in recent years.

What else has Pedro Pascal been in?

While The Last of Us catapulted Pedro Pascal even MORE into mainstream media, he's starred in a variety of shows and movies over the last 20 years! He was in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and played the recurring role of Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones. Pedro Pascal joined the Star Wars universe with The Mandalorian in 2019, and was also in my personal favorite movie of 2022, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

In addition to Materialists, we'll see him in the MCU's Fantastic Four and Gladiator 2. Talk about a packed schedule! I'd like to get his agent to schedule my entire life because that's some insanely impressive time management skills.

What has Chris Evans been in?

You probably recognize Chris Evans the most as Steve Rogers/Captain America in Marvel Studios' superhero flicks, but he's also done a number of other movies, too (including the 2005 Fantastic Four, which is funny considering Pedro Pascal is in the new installment!). Chris Evans has some great range, and is in everything from the wacky Scott Pilgrim vs. the World to the action-packed Snowpiercer to the mysterious Knives Out with Ana de Armas.

If you're a fan of romantic dramas and haven't seen Before We Go (which is also Chris' directorial debut), I totally recommend it. I've seen Chris in so many action movies that I loved how much space there is for the characters to get to know each other!

Where can I watch Dakota Johnson?

You can see Dakota Johnson in 2024's Madame Web, but you can also catch her in The Social Network, the Fifty Shades of Gray series, and two beloved YouTube videos: Dakota Johnson’s Favorite Comedian Isn’t Ellen and Inside Dakota Johnson's Serene Hollywood Home.

I also wholeheartedly recommend The Peanut Butter Falcon, which was written and directed by Outer Banks native Tyler Nilson alongside Michael Schwartz. The film follows a young man with Down syndrome who escapes an assisted living facility and becomes fast friends with a fisherman on the run as a social worker (played by Dakota) tries to track them.