In 2006, the world was introduced to Real Housewives of Orange County in what can only be described as a gaudy, stud-cladded, spray-tanned look into the world of a gated community in Orange County, California.
The series, colloquially known as RHOC, became a household name and a cash cow for Bravo. It earned so much success that it pioneered series launched in New York City, Atlanta, New Jersey, D.C. (gone too soon), Beverly Hills, Miami, Potomac, Dallas, and as of this month, Salt Lake City.
These cities all share many commonalities: everyone's subjectively wealthy; someone is usually hawking an ugly (soon-to-be unsuccessful) product; there is the occasional financial (or legal) woe. But one thing that didn't stick with the cities that followed Orange County, was the abbreviation format. Where Real Housewives of Orange County, or RHOC, ignored the "of" in the abbreviation, every other city that followed honored it.
But what happens when you have a city with three words and an abbreviation of six letters, as we do with Real Housewives of Salt Lake City? Well, I am deciding, once and for all, what we are going to call this new *chef's kiss* delight of a Wednesday night hour.
The Case For RHOSLC
The case for RHOSLC is easy: It simply honors tradition.
With the exception of RHOC, every city (the majority of the cities) has been abbreviated including the "of." So the format is, and will forever be moving forward, "Real Housewives of..." or RHO... Wanna see a Nashville spin-off? Consider it RHON. Been dying for Housewives to go to New Orleans? RHONO (which verbally is as appealing as RHONY) is the way to go.
While it doesn't role off the tongue the same way RHONY does, RHOSLC is simply what the rules state. Even Bravo has penned RHOSLC in its promo materials for the show, the hashtags used on Twitter, and eventually the merch that says "You smell like hospital." You can't argue the word of God a.k.a., Andy Cohen. Sorry, I don't make the rules.
The Case For RHSLC
Are you a purist? Someone who honors those that came before and doesn't stray too far from the path most traveled? Then I don't understand why you'd want to call Real Housewives of Salt Lake City "RHSLC," because it barely honors the cities before (see: above). But perhaps you're feeling particularly Vicki Gunvalson-like today and want to pay tribute to the OG, RHOC.
While RHSLC does sound and look like an injury insurance law firm that plays during the 3 p.m. hour on broadcast television channels (catchy jingle and all), it is to the point and not bogged down with the extraness of an "o."
Is it what Bravo prefers? Nope. But hey, as Tamra Judge once said, "THAT'S MY OPINION." Just remember, even Louis Vuitton makes mistakes.
The Verdict
By now you're probably able to read the room better than Jill Zarin showing up on Scary Island. The only way to write and refer to Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is RHOSLC. Is it long-winded? Yes. Do we all have the time to spend on that extra "o," yes.
The Real Verdict Of This Piece
(RVOTP, If You Will)
RHOC should not be called RHOC. It should be called, if we are sticking to the rules (which again, I didn't make!) RHOOC. This appears to be one of those classic we-didn't-know-the-monster-we-were-creating-and-didn't-think-ahead scenarios. It's by no means fun to look at, RHOOC, but just think of the extra "oo" as your eyes popping out of your head at the things they say and do in Orange County.
Images: Bravo