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| As Reality TV Reunions Go Virtual, What About the Fights? | As Reality TV Reunions Go Virtual, What About the Fights? |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| Much like some of your work meetings (if you’re lucky enough to have a job, let alone one that allows you to work from home), most spin classes and nearly all sex work, another great American institution is moving online because of the coronavirus. | Much like some of your work meetings (if you’re lucky enough to have a job, let alone one that allows you to work from home), most spin classes and nearly all sex work, another great American institution is moving online because of the coronavirus. |
| Last Monday, the “Real Housewives” Svengali Andy Cohen — who recently recovered from a case of Covid-19 — announced on his Sirius/XM radio show that the upcoming season reunion of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” for Season 12, would be recorded virtually. | Last Monday, the “Real Housewives” Svengali Andy Cohen — who recently recovered from a case of Covid-19 — announced on his Sirius/XM radio show that the upcoming season reunion of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” for Season 12, would be recorded virtually. |
| “The Real Housewives of Atlanta" reunion “is regarded by many as the Super Bowl of reunion shows,” Mr. Cohen said on his radio show. “And it is truly one of my favorite reunions to shoot. I look forward to it.” | “The Real Housewives of Atlanta" reunion “is regarded by many as the Super Bowl of reunion shows,” Mr. Cohen said on his radio show. “And it is truly one of my favorite reunions to shoot. I look forward to it.” |
| “And the fact of the matter is,” he said, “it’s either we do it this way or there’s no Super Bowl this year.” | “And the fact of the matter is,” he said, “it’s either we do it this way or there’s no Super Bowl this year.” |
| The Atlanta iteration of “Real Housewives” is the most popular of Bravo’s unsinkable reality franchise, but multiple-part reunion specials in general are usually the highest rated of each series, according to data from Nielsen. The first of the three-part Season 11 reunion was last season’s most watched episode, drawing in about 300,000 more viewers than the 1.9 million season average. | The Atlanta iteration of “Real Housewives” is the most popular of Bravo’s unsinkable reality franchise, but multiple-part reunion specials in general are usually the highest rated of each series, according to data from Nielsen. The first of the three-part Season 11 reunion was last season’s most watched episode, drawing in about 300,000 more viewers than the 1.9 million season average. |
| Netflix has also noticed the draw of reunions. It just aired a new special called “The Tiger King and I,” which is billed as an “Aftershow” to “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness,” a documentary about Joe Maldonado-Passage, a big-cat-park owner better known as Joe Exotic, and his murder-for-hire plot against a conservationist nemesis. | Netflix has also noticed the draw of reunions. It just aired a new special called “The Tiger King and I,” which is billed as an “Aftershow” to “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness,” a documentary about Joe Maldonado-Passage, a big-cat-park owner better known as Joe Exotic, and his murder-for-hire plot against a conservationist nemesis. |
| “The Tiger King and I,” hosted by Joel McHale, is an attempt to catch us up with the subjects of the documentary — minus the incarcerated Mr. Maldonado-Passage. It was filmed in the socially distant manner that has been replicated by talk shows across the TV spectrum. | “The Tiger King and I,” hosted by Joel McHale, is an attempt to catch us up with the subjects of the documentary — minus the incarcerated Mr. Maldonado-Passage. It was filmed in the socially distant manner that has been replicated by talk shows across the TV spectrum. |
| This is Netflix’s third reunion-type episode, after those for “The Circle” and “Love Is Blind,” which are shows about living and loving in isolation, prescient subject matter for our time. | This is Netflix’s third reunion-type episode, after those for “The Circle” and “Love Is Blind,” which are shows about living and loving in isolation, prescient subject matter for our time. |
| In a typical pre-pandemic reunion episode, reality show stars who haven’t been together for a while sit on two couches facing each other, slinging insults and recriminations about long-simmering tensions and things that others have said behind their backs. It’s like an actual, contentious family reunion, but it’s other people. And it’s absolutely gorgeous. | In a typical pre-pandemic reunion episode, reality show stars who haven’t been together for a while sit on two couches facing each other, slinging insults and recriminations about long-simmering tensions and things that others have said behind their backs. It’s like an actual, contentious family reunion, but it’s other people. And it’s absolutely gorgeous. |
| Reunions have become important, said Rob Mills, the senior vice president of alternative series, specials and late-night at ABC. “After the Final Rose,” which are the reunions and finales of the network’s “Bachelor” franchise, are the “highest rated parts of the seasons,” Mr. Mills said. “Those were born out of when the show first started, and it was like, how do we get more hours out of it? Now the seasons wouldn’t be the same without them. They might be worse.” | Reunions have become important, said Rob Mills, the senior vice president of alternative series, specials and late-night at ABC. “After the Final Rose,” which are the reunions and finales of the network’s “Bachelor” franchise, are the “highest rated parts of the seasons,” Mr. Mills said. “Those were born out of when the show first started, and it was like, how do we get more hours out of it? Now the seasons wouldn’t be the same without them. They might be worse.” |
| Like so much in the reality world, the phenomenon started with “The Real World,” the groundbreaking MTV show that aired its first reunion in 1995. In it, the strangers who had stopped being polite and started being real from the show’s first four seasons got together on one stage to talk about where their lives had gone. | Like so much in the reality world, the phenomenon started with “The Real World,” the groundbreaking MTV show that aired its first reunion in 1995. In it, the strangers who had stopped being polite and started being real from the show’s first four seasons got together on one stage to talk about where their lives had gone. |
| During one contentious conversation, one “Real World” star got up and stormed off in the middle of taping. This action would become a staple of the genre: the walk off. | During one contentious conversation, one “Real World” star got up and stormed off in the middle of taping. This action would become a staple of the genre: the walk off. |
| Just as “The Real World” started everything in unscripted television, “Survivor” popularized it. Nielsen measured a Bryant Gumbel-hosted reunion immediately after the show’s first finale at a torch-snuffing 38 million viewers. Plenty of shows, especially competition shows like “Flavor of Love,” on VH1, experimented with reunion specials in the early 2000s. | Just as “The Real World” started everything in unscripted television, “Survivor” popularized it. Nielsen measured a Bryant Gumbel-hosted reunion immediately after the show’s first finale at a torch-snuffing 38 million viewers. Plenty of shows, especially competition shows like “Flavor of Love,” on VH1, experimented with reunion specials in the early 2000s. |
| But no one hit it out of the park like “The Real Housewives.” | But no one hit it out of the park like “The Real Housewives.” |
| In 2006, “The Real Housewives of Orange County” filmed its first reunion, hosted by Mr. Cohen, then a Bravo executive, in the backyard of Vicki Gunvalson, one of the cast members. What started off as a quaint way to recap the season slowly morphed into something else, where the stars were held accountable both by each other and by the fans in heavily decorated sets. | In 2006, “The Real Housewives of Orange County” filmed its first reunion, hosted by Mr. Cohen, then a Bravo executive, in the backyard of Vicki Gunvalson, one of the cast members. What started off as a quaint way to recap the season slowly morphed into something else, where the stars were held accountable both by each other and by the fans in heavily decorated sets. |
| Walk offs are common, and physical altercations — like those between Mr. Cohen and Teresa Giudice of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” or between the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” stars Porsha Williams and Kenya Moore — are not unheard-of. | Walk offs are common, and physical altercations — like those between Mr. Cohen and Teresa Giudice of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” or between the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” stars Porsha Williams and Kenya Moore — are not unheard-of. |
| That will be a lot more difficult now that each of the women of “Atlanta” will be isolated and Mr. Cohen will be kept safe in an undisclosed location (probably his home). | That will be a lot more difficult now that each of the women of “Atlanta” will be isolated and Mr. Cohen will be kept safe in an undisclosed location (probably his home). |
| Before the shift to filming remotely, reunions in general were getting more and more intense, which may account for the ratings bonanzas. | Before the shift to filming remotely, reunions in general were getting more and more intense, which may account for the ratings bonanzas. |
| A year before Cardi B threw a shoe at Nicki Minaj at a fashion week party in 2018, she practiced the move at the Season 7 reunion for VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop: New York,” flinging her footwear across the set at Asia Davies, a castmate. The YouTube clip of this foundational event has more than 38 million views. | A year before Cardi B threw a shoe at Nicki Minaj at a fashion week party in 2018, she practiced the move at the Season 7 reunion for VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop: New York,” flinging her footwear across the set at Asia Davies, a castmate. The YouTube clip of this foundational event has more than 38 million views. |
| For the “Love & Hip Hop" franchise, which follows interconnected women trying to make it in the rap business, all reunions — at least up until now — also featured a live studio audience who react to what those onstage have to say. They applaud what they like or boo when they disagree. It’s not dissimilar to an emperor giving the thumbs up or the thumbs down at a coliseum. | For the “Love & Hip Hop" franchise, which follows interconnected women trying to make it in the rap business, all reunions — at least up until now — also featured a live studio audience who react to what those onstage have to say. They applaud what they like or boo when they disagree. It’s not dissimilar to an emperor giving the thumbs up or the thumbs down at a coliseum. |
| “Let’s be for real. The audience makes everything better,” said Yung Joc, a fixture on “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.” “Imagine how good your sex would be if you had an audience sitting there saying, ‘Oooh, ahh, yeah, that’s it.’ Do you imagine how good you’d be? It’s the same concept.” (Well, it may not be, but we get his voyeuristic metaphor.). | “Let’s be for real. The audience makes everything better,” said Yung Joc, a fixture on “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.” “Imagine how good your sex would be if you had an audience sitting there saying, ‘Oooh, ahh, yeah, that’s it.’ Do you imagine how good you’d be? It’s the same concept.” (Well, it may not be, but we get his voyeuristic metaphor.). |
| For the cast filming them, the reunions are a long day, often running more than 12 hours, not including hair and makeup. They must face every bad action and stray remark they’ve made over the past run of the season. | For the cast filming them, the reunions are a long day, often running more than 12 hours, not including hair and makeup. They must face every bad action and stray remark they’ve made over the past run of the season. |
| “I think it’s like a heavyweight fight,” said LeeAnne Locken, one of the stars of the first four seasons of “The Real Housewives of Dallas.” “If you don’t train, don’t go.” | “I think it’s like a heavyweight fight,” said LeeAnne Locken, one of the stars of the first four seasons of “The Real Housewives of Dallas.” “If you don’t train, don’t go.” |
| Updated June 5, 2020 | |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | |
| Karlie Redd, who has been with “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" since it started in 2012, said she spends all year thinking about the reunion, which she called a “major deal.” “You’re making sure you look good from head to toe,” she said. “That wig, baby, that wig, it has to be on and it has to be fresh and looking nice.” | Karlie Redd, who has been with “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" since it started in 2012, said she spends all year thinking about the reunion, which she called a “major deal.” “You’re making sure you look good from head to toe,” she said. “That wig, baby, that wig, it has to be on and it has to be fresh and looking nice.” |
| “I take notes. I have notes in my phone of who I’m going to address, which cast members I want to say things to, and my reads,” she said, referring to sharp and witty rejoinders she will use to verbally spar with her enemies. “At the reunion you better have them reads. ’Cause the reads are what is going to go a long way. They get you the memes.” | “I take notes. I have notes in my phone of who I’m going to address, which cast members I want to say things to, and my reads,” she said, referring to sharp and witty rejoinders she will use to verbally spar with her enemies. “At the reunion you better have them reads. ’Cause the reads are what is going to go a long way. They get you the memes.” |
| There are some technical worries. | There are some technical worries. |
| Luckily for “90 Day Fiancé,” a show on TLC, the producers already have some experience dealing with teleconferencing, which isn’t uncommon during the “Tell Alls,” as the network calls the reunion episodes. | Luckily for “90 Day Fiancé,” a show on TLC, the producers already have some experience dealing with teleconferencing, which isn’t uncommon during the “Tell Alls,” as the network calls the reunion episodes. |
| The show follows a rotating cast of international couples in which one of the partners has just entered the United States on a 90-day visa after the pair got engaged. At the reunion, the friends and family members of the foreign partner aren’t available in studio but appear on video chat. | The show follows a rotating cast of international couples in which one of the partners has just entered the United States on a 90-day visa after the pair got engaged. At the reunion, the friends and family members of the foreign partner aren’t available in studio but appear on video chat. |
| “They literally sit there all day long waiting for their turn to be interviewed,” said Shaun Robinson, who hosts the “Tell Alls.” “Sometimes I feel so bad for them — they might get on the Skype at midnight their time and don’t finish until noon the next day.” | “They literally sit there all day long waiting for their turn to be interviewed,” said Shaun Robinson, who hosts the “Tell Alls.” “Sometimes I feel so bad for them — they might get on the Skype at midnight their time and don’t finish until noon the next day.” |
| While the cast may no longer be allowed to be in the same space for filming, fans will still be able to submit their questions. Thanks to those submissions and to networks patrolling fans’ real-time reactions to the show episodes on Twitter and Instagram, Ms. Robinson and other hosts know what viewers at home want to know once the season wraps. | While the cast may no longer be allowed to be in the same space for filming, fans will still be able to submit their questions. Thanks to those submissions and to networks patrolling fans’ real-time reactions to the show episodes on Twitter and Instagram, Ms. Robinson and other hosts know what viewers at home want to know once the season wraps. |
| “When we started, the fans didn’t have a way to so quickly ask the questions and comment on it,” said Lily Neumeyer, the executive vice president and head of development for MTV group, about the importance of social media in preparation for her networks’ reunions. “These reunions are a come-to-Jesus with the audience.” | “When we started, the fans didn’t have a way to so quickly ask the questions and comment on it,” said Lily Neumeyer, the executive vice president and head of development for MTV group, about the importance of social media in preparation for her networks’ reunions. “These reunions are a come-to-Jesus with the audience.” |
| Imitating fans, Ms. Neumeyer said: “‘You said ‘blah blah blah,’ but we saw you do x y z. Which is it?’” | Imitating fans, Ms. Neumeyer said: “‘You said ‘blah blah blah,’ but we saw you do x y z. Which is it?’” |
| Many people cast on these shows have turned that exposure into being an influencer on social media. If a network doesn’t show us what the former contestants are up to now, fans are going to see it all on Instagram. | Many people cast on these shows have turned that exposure into being an influencer on social media. If a network doesn’t show us what the former contestants are up to now, fans are going to see it all on Instagram. |
| But social media, much like reality television, is very mitigated. The reunions, at least, feel raw, and the essential question from most fans — how real is it? — is tested in a supposedly more live setting. | But social media, much like reality television, is very mitigated. The reunions, at least, feel raw, and the essential question from most fans — how real is it? — is tested in a supposedly more live setting. |
| But will that still hold true with a virtual reunion? (An e-union, if you will.) In early March, Ms. Redd, who will be at the reunion for the current season of “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” said, “Oooh, this next reunion is going to be a doozy.” (The show started airing just as cities were starting to shelter residents in place.) | But will that still hold true with a virtual reunion? (An e-union, if you will.) In early March, Ms. Redd, who will be at the reunion for the current season of “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” said, “Oooh, this next reunion is going to be a doozy.” (The show started airing just as cities were starting to shelter residents in place.) |
| She had no idea how right she was, but for a completely different reason. | She had no idea how right she was, but for a completely different reason. |