If there’s one thing you need to know about me, it’s that I love reality television. From RuPaul’s Drag Race to Love is Blind, I’ve become obsessed. And if you’re looking for your new guilty pleasure show, well, look no further. The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City has jumped to the top of my reality TV pyramid, and for good reason. The show truly has it all: crazy amounts of money, out-of-touch women, scandal and gossip, and of course, a sprinter van where sh*t goes down. What more could you want from a TV show? I’m here to state my case on why everyone should watch it.
The housewives: OG Cast
While I’m only about three seasons in out of six, there are still a lot of original (OG) cast members that we get to watch evolve, for better or for worse.
Lisa BArlow
The first housewife I’m going to talk about is Lisa Barlow. She is the proud owner of Vida Tequila, which is so scandalous because drinking is usually frowned upon within the Mormon Church. But if that makes her a bad Mormon, oh well. Also, no one really knows where to buy Vida Tequila, but we all know Lisa owns it. Beyond that, she’s a mother to two boys, wife of John Barlow, and, as she says in her Instagram bio, she’s a horse girl. Out of all the housewives in this universe, she probably has my favorite sound bites because some of the things she says are completely ridiculous. Some hate her, others love her, all I know is that she makes great TV.
Meredith Marks
Next, we have Meredith Marks, who is a jewelry designer and businesswoman. She also has a law degree, which becomes very handy throughout the course of the show. She has three kids, one of whom is Brooks Marks, a fashion designer who had an entire fashion show with one tracksuit. He was also a cast member on Next Gen NYC, another Bravo show that focuses on a younger generation of nepo babies and friends. Beyond her children, she’s married to Seth Marks. Throughout the first season, there are some bumps in the road for the couple, so stay tuned for that. All in all, Meredith might be the most sane out of the cast, but then again, how sane are you if you’re on a Bravo reality show?
Whitney Rose
Then there’s Whitney Rose, the youngest of the cast at the ripe age of 38. With her nickname, “the wild rose,” she lives up to that, well, in Mormon terms. She sports some “revealing” -ish clothing, has a rib tattoo and a stripper pole in her house, so she’s definitely a hot topic. Another hot topic for Whitney is her marriage, which sprouted from infidelity and a couple of HR violations. Justin Rose, who is 56 years old, worked with Whitney at a med-spa, and the pair hit it off, causing both to break off their previous marriages. Whitney is also a member of the Mormon faith, even having lineage with Shadrach Roundy, a bodyguard for Joseph Smith. She’s a mother of two, a so-called “pot-stirrer,” and isn’t afraid to get to the bottom of things, which, as a viewer, I greatly appreciate.
Jen Shah
Jen Shah is another one of our OG cast members. She’s originally from Hawaii and moved to Utah when she was younger, where she was a practicing Mormon. Unlike a lot of the other housewives, she now practices Islam, giving an alternative perspective to show after marrying Shariff Shah. Shariff Shah, also known as Coach Shah, was a football coach at the University of Utah. She also has two sons. Beyond her family life, Jen has an insane amount of money and staff members, aka The Shah Squad. She literally had four personal assistants. No one really knows what she does, but as long as she shares the wealth, no one really asks. Jen is bright and fun and knows how to throw a party. Above all else, the only thing she’s guilty of is being Shah-mazing, as she says in her season two tagline.
Mary Cosby
The next housewife is Mary Cosby, who is the “first lady” of a Pentecostal church, alongside her husband, Robert Sr. Did I mention that he was her step-grandfather before they got married? According to Mary, her grandmother wanted Mary to take her place in the church after she died, and at the age of 26, she married Robert. They have a son together, Robert Jr., and they live an extremely lavish lifestyle. Both her marriage and way of life become topics of controversy throughout the show, but her wackiness keeps things interesting. You won’t ever catch Mary in anything but designer, and that’s just what makes Mary, Mary.
Heather Gay
And last, but definitely not least, is Heather Gay. She’s the owner of Beauty Lab and Laser, a med-spa in Utah, and is the mother of three daughters. Unlike the other housewives, Heather is divorced, which is pretty scandalous within the Mormon church. Throughout the course of the shows, she grapples with her relationship to the church and how it’s impacted her life now. She’s real, honest, so funny, and is always there for her friends. She’s sort of the voice of reason in her confessionals, making us, as the audience, feel seen. Because nothing is crazier than a Bravo reality TV show. She is by far my favorite member of the cast, and Rhianna says it best, “I’m obsessed” with Heather Gay.
Conclusion
Now that you know all the housewives, you can see how their strong personalities and opinions can cause major conflict, leading to steaming hot drama. It turns out, a lot of the arguments and issues stem from social media, giving us concrete proof, receipts, and timelines as evidence. Does everyone take accountability, or do they get defensive? It’s a whole lot of yelling, yeah, but you learn to love it because nothing makes me happier than drama that doesn’t involve me.
So if you have six seasons’ worth of time on your hands, plus the three-part reunions every season, I highly recommend you get a student Peacock subscription so you can experience the magic of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.