Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New Jersey premiered last night and boy is this bound to be an interesting series. What were your thoughts on the show’s premier?
Sisters, Caroline Manzo and Dina Manzo gave an interview to People talking about their experience in doing the show. Below are some excerpts from this interview –
Do you represent typical New Jersey housewives?
Caroline: That’s kind of a loaded question. Do I think we depict an Italian American family? Yes, I do. Do I think I depict a housewife? I most certainly am. There are some aspects to my personality that may be stronger than most, but the fact remains that I wake up every morning and I make the beds and I go food shopping and I let the dogs out and I do the laundry and I am somebody’s wife and somebody’s mother.
Dina: When I think of New Jersey, I think of moms who are passionate about their families. We definitely represent that. We’re not really looking to be in the social scene as much as some of the other [casts] in the franchise. Our show is more authentic because some of those women were kind of forced to hang out with each other, whereas for us, we’d all be out to dinner together anyway — with the exception of a couple. We’re just regular people. We’re not walking a red carpet every night.
Do family dynamics make the drama more intense?
Caroline: With any family — and it’s not only Italian families — there is history. With history comes passion. When there are fights, we fight big. And when we forgive and we love, we love big and we forgive big. That’s what family is. I think this country needs that right now.
Dina, How have your teenage daughter Alexia’s schoolmates reacted?
Dina: I was a little bit worried about putting her out there, but she’s gotten nothing but positive [feedback]. She just made captain of the track team. She was always popular but now kids are coming out of the woodwork. Eighth graders who are older than her want to be her friend. So she’s kind of liking the limelight a little bit too. Let’s just hope it doesn’t go to her head.
Are you prepared for any potential backlash?
Caroline: There is no preparing for it. But I’m a big girl. I’ve taught my children to accept that not everybody is going to love you. We make mistakes and we do things that perhaps at times will embarrass us, but that’s what makes us human. I am proud of who I am. And I am so proud of my children.
Dina: We’re very confident that we’re good people. I can put my head on my pillow every night knowing that I give back to my community and I’m a great mother and a great sister, so they can say whatever they want.
