“The Fame Game” & Top 5 Reality TV Friend Feuds
Fame is intoxicating. Deep down, we all fantasize about having it. We dream about the level fame and power it would take to erase the current stresses in our lives. But what about all of the new stresses that would arise? How far would you go to reach fame? What would you sacrifice? In Lauren Conrad’s new book, Infamous (available for purchase on June 11th), and the deliciously entertaining conclusion to her “Fame Game” series, we follow the stars of The Fame Game and how they deal with the drama in front of and behind the camera. (And you could win a free copy of the book by entering our giveaway below!) As a reality veteran herself, Lauren Conrad is certainly an expert in the industry and the sacrifices required to make “real life” a shiny, drama-filled thrill ride for viewers.
The book description instantly sunk its reality show teeth in me and I was hooked.
Filming for season two of The Fame Game has begun, and star Madison Parker is doing something she never thought she’d do: avoiding the PopTV cameras. Fame can turn a girl into a pawn, and Madison knows that’s not the life she wants. Fame can turn a girl into a target, too, something her Fame Game costars are quickly learning. Up-and-coming actress Carmen is trying to figure out who’s feeding gossip about her to the press, and all signs point to someone from her inner circle. Meanwhile, the tabloids have dubbed Kate “The Boring One,” but if she’s so boring, why is she the one with the boyfriend and a stalker? Help comes from an unexpected place as Madison gives Kate pointers about how to work the reality-TV system. But will Kate take the advice too far?
As the girls’ careers heat up, so do their love lives, and they each discover that chasing their dreams almost always comes at a price.
As I was reading, I started thinking about how many friendships had evolved and ultimately died on reality TV. These are people that once cared deeply for one another and then were ripped apart by fame. Some friend break ups are absolutely heartbreaking. Some are just too toxic and need the axe ASAP.
Here are my top 5:
-Caroline Manzo & Teresa Guidice – RHONJ
Let’s be real, Caroline can spew some hurtful words and she can get way too involved in the personal business of others, but she’s a mama bear and she tells it like it is. Teresa on the other hand, is trying to keep her family together, even though she often pulls it apart with her obvious jealousy of her sister-in-law, Melissa. It wasn’t until last season that Caroline and Jacqueline actually got to spend some time with the “evil” Melissa and it turns out, TWIST, Teresa might actually be the bad one. She lies, she’s passive aggressive, she sells stories to the press about her family and her “friends” and then acts like it’s all a big joke and everyone else needs to lighten up. Caroline and Teresa had been friends for years, but a few insulting remarks in Teresa’s cookbook about Caroline’s weak “Olive Garden-esque” heritage and her son’s strip carwash were enough to put a nail in the coffin of their relationship.
Teresa chose book sales over Caroline’s friendship.
-Snooki & The Situation – Jersey Shore
Another Italian, New Jersey feud happened along the boardwalk between Jersey Shore cast members, Snooki and The Situation. Off season, these two apparently “hooked up” while Snooki was in a relationship with her now baby daddy Jionni. AND HOW MANY TIMES DID WE NEED TO HEAR ABOUT IT? Sitch wouldn’t drop it. He threatened to tell Jionni about it. He did tell Jionni about it. Jionni didn’t believe him, so he continued to talk about while Snooki continued to deny it ever happened. Even most of the housemates assumed that it did happen because Snooki would get so defensive every time it was brought up. I stopped watching this show when they returned to Seaside as boring adults that had nothing to do but rearrange the furniture in a series of pranks, but at that point, Snooki was done with Sitch and had no interest in being friends with him ever again. Since The Situation didn’t have any other storyline to pursue, he stuck with this one in an attempt to stay relevant.
Whether it happened or not, he shared that info for selfish reasons in his quest for more fame.
-CT & Adam – The Challenge
Not every friendship ends in a feud. And not every friendship begins with fists, so CT and Adam are certainly a unique pair. These bros had tension over multiple challenges and CT was even kicked off one season for punching Adam. When they were reunited for “Rivals” as a team of two, they needed to figure out how to work together if they wanted a chance at the cash prize. Somehow it worked and they actually developed a strong bond. They almost made it to the final round, but were eliminated when Adam came up short on his part of the elimination challenge. He was worried that CT would hate him and freak out over the loss.
CT was proud of him for doing his best and they actually stayed close after the show. Aww.
-Bethenny Frankel & Jill Zarin – RHONY
The ladies of RHONY have a brilliant way of feuding. After each episode, I’m always left feeling like absolutely nothing happened, but that, HOLY EFF SO MUCH HAPPENED. It’s all gossip and backhanded compliments. They might not toss tables, but they throw some serious #shade. It’s glorious. One feud that went on for years was between Jill and Bethenny. I tuned into this show late and actually felt bad for Jill. I know. I get reamed out every time I share that with a loyal viewer. They seemed to take turns as the bad guy, but it was clear that Jill was way too jealous of Bethenny’s success to put aside her petty BS before it was too late. They fought, they drifted and Bethenny started a whole new life without her. Come to find out, Jill had been plotting against Bethenny off camera as well in an attempt to hinder her fame. She asked the girls not to film scenes with Bethenny, she talked smack, that reunion was not a fun one for Jill.
-Lauren Conrad & Heidi Montag – The Hills
Well we can’t talk about bad friends on reality TV without talking about Heidi, can we? Heidi started out as a very good friend. She and Lauren were (Manzo voice) “thick as thieves.” Then Spencer came along, brainwashed Heidi, got all douched out to the point of surrounding himself with crystals and talking crazy, and Lauren and Heidi were never the same. This was a really sad friend break up for me. Lauren made an appearance at Heidi and Spencer’s wedding to wish her the best and then drove away.
You could always tell that Heidi hated losing Lauren, but Spencer put her in the position of having to choose. She chose him. She also chose the fame that she thought she could get by being with him. 0 for 2, Heidi.
And after going through all of the ups and downs she faced on Laguna Beach and The Hills, Lauren’s book, Infamous, is all about the insider’s perspective on reality TV. She jumps from the POV of each of the main characters on The Fame Game and their struggles to stay interesting on camera while still trying to be exactly who they are. This is the perfect beach read, so get your copy today!
You could also get your copy for FREE by entering our giveaway! Who is your favorite reality show villain? Let us know in the comment section and you could be chosen as a winner!
