Bethenny Frankel is right: reality TV stars deserve better

Andy Cohen has created a nice little world for himself. He’s the ringleader of a whole network catered to his tastes, and at the end of the day, he runs a late-night chat show where the biggest celebrities in the world gush over his creation. Cohen remains one of the few bosses who get to do a yearly, televised evaluation with his most important staff via his reunion episodes, where he can chastise his employees’ decisions. So how about cutting a bigger slice of the pie for the people that populate his fantasy realm?

That’s what Bethenny Frankel would like to know. In a recent Instagram post, Frankel called on reality show stars and unscripted talent to get what’s rightfully theirs. “Hollywood is on strike,” she said to the camera. “Entertainers are fighting for residuals, and no one will promote anything. Why isn’t reality TV on strike?”

“I myself have generated millions and millions of dollars in advertising and online impressions being on reality TV and have never made a single residual. So, either I’m missing something or we’re getting screwed too.”

Frankel explains how reality talent is often considered “losers” in Hollywood who get “paid peanuts” for work that continues to generate revenue for companies like Bravo and its owner Comcast NBCUniversal. She said the same was true for The Hills, which people still watch, and The Bachelor, a fixture at the top of Nielsen charts. Unfortunately, the people who make these shows exciting and entertaining don’t get residuals, meaning they don’t continue to benefit financially from work that’s still raking in cash for executives.

“It’s complete and total bullshit,” she added. “It just occurred to me everyone is talking about actors and we don’t get paid shit.”

In the caption to the post, Frankel called on reality shows to unionize. By devaluing their work, the perception that reality TV isn’t labor and the efforts of unscripted talent should not be rewarded. However, performing on reality TV is a specific skill that requires a unique talent to master. (If it weren’t, Cohen would hire a new Housewives cast every season, instead of bringing back favorite cast members year to year.) The alchemy of the performers and the production make these shows captivating and entertaining.

“I’m well aware that unscripted talent aka ‘reality stars’ should have a union or simply be treated fairly and valued,” Frankel wrote. “And the mentality that we were nobodies and that these streamers and networks have given us platforms and that we can capitalize on them is also moronic.”

Frankel says that talent may sign “their life away” in these contracts, but that “doesn’t make exploitation correct.” The reality world can look to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA as a framework for holding these massive corporations accountable. “Reality stars should also stop shooting network and streaming content until their free content is taken down. We also deserve residuals.”

It’s not every day that Bethenny Frankel makes such persuasive arguments. But reality TV is a performance that deserves recognition, if not by critics or awards, then at least through financial compensation. Creating a Scandoval is an exhausting process that can only happen if the cast has the right chemistry and knows what to do with it. These controversies and storylines need savvy talent to make them work and, most importantly, feel authentic. Like a pro-wrestler selling a move or an actor reacting to a line reading, reality is a performance that takes time and talent to master. It also deserves proper compensation. Algorithmically generated A.I. can’t do what they do. People make reality special. It’s time for companies like Bravo and ABC to start recognizing the worth of their employees and give them a fair slice of the pie.