I need to know from all the Summer House watchers: are all the Summer Houses this much of a rollercoaster of tears, drama, laughs, and debauchery? As a Housewives fan, I’m used to arguments being played out over whole episodes, dissected and picked apart to the last bone, but SHMV has jerked me around in the best way, swinging the pendulum of chaos from one extreme to another. The housemates go from serious conversations about race and identity to witch-hunt-like confrontations to embracing like long-lost family with only a commercial break in between. It begs us to keep watching, wondering who is next to have an outburst of emotion.
Watching drama ripple through the cast mates is akin to watching a game of hot potato, and tonight, Alex is the first one holding the metaphorical vegetable (which is excellent for Silas and his starch aversion). Shanice’s titties actually aren’t the main topic of discussion, but her rambunctious nature does prompt Preston, the resident voice of reason, to ask if she often feels that people are unfair to her. Shanice says she frequently feels judged because she likes to have a good time. Then, Jasmine, who is always trying to make a moment, brings up Alex Googling Shanice’s past, despite Shanice stating just minutes before that she wanted to have the conversation the following day.
Shanice’s ex, Norman Towns (who was in a few episodes of Insecure), exposed their breakup, accusing her of stalking and posting a multitude of screenshots to his IG story of Shanice incessantly blowing up his phone through text, email, fake accounts, and any other means of communication. Towns alleges that Shanice slept outside of his house and distributed revenge porn after he tried to break up with her. Shanice’s side of the story differs significantly; in the second episode, she said she simply repeatedly called him, but Towns fabricated the rest to garner press. She went on to say that he attempted to press charges and obtain a restraining order, but nothing came to fruition because there was proof of mutual communication.
Alex immediately “calls bullshit†on the whole conversation, not understanding why he’s in the hot seat when nearly everyone in the house has discussed Shanice’s messy breakup and how the ordeal made it all the way to The Breakfast Club. Production rolls the cameras back to show footage of Preston, Amir, Alex, Silas, Nick, and Bria all talking about it. Nothing harmful was said — if anything, it was encouraging with the group prepared to make space for Shanice to share her side. When Alex expresses his discomfort with being the scapegoat, Jordan points out that, unlike the rest of the house, he has brought the subject up multiple times without Shanice present.
Though the whole house technically did talk about Shanice, and in episode two, when Shanice first arrived, Alex said that someone else sent him the article, Summer says she heard that Alex Googled everybody. Initially, Jordan feels it isn’t the time or place for Alex and Shanice to talk about it, but as Alex defends himself, she takes issue. With residual awkwardness from the “you look thick†comment, Jordan starts to sound off on Alex, asking why he didn’t have a private conversation with Shanice instead of talking to everyone else about it. When she blames him for putting a spotlight on Shanice’s past during lunch, he talks over her, trying to remind her that it was Jasmine who brought it up. This instantly triggers Jordan, and it’s evident that there’s something more fueling her passion to be heard.
Things start to get back on track, despite a brief moment where Alex needed to remove himself from the table, and Shanice finally gets to address the situation head-on. Hours later, the feelings that have been bubbling below the surface for Jordan erupt, and she’s the next housemate to implode. In a moment of playfulness, Alex jokes that perhaps Jordan had broken her celibacy with Preston (they were cuddled up on the couch and have developed a strong bond in the house), but that innocuous comment strikes a chord in Jordan. The tone changes instantly. She says she doesn’t come for his veganism and sobriety, so he needs to stop coming for her. Quickly, her emotions about feeling constantly sexualized in the house, and in general, spill out of her. She states how Amir essentially claiming her at the beginning of the summer, as if she was only a potential conquest and not a full person, has made her feel dehumanized.
Jordan’s outburst may appear random at first, especially to the men she’s directing her frustrations at, but Black women are all too familiar with walking the tightrope of owning our sexuality while still making up for a history of being overly sexualized. And when we call it out and demand to be respected, we are shamed for any instance we healthily and consensually express our sexuality. There is truth to everything Jordan is saying to Amir and Alex, but the delivery is heightened because I’m sure this is something that Jordan, an incredibly intelligent Playboy model, deals with regularly. Throw alcohol and being filmed 24/7 into the mix, and it’s an explosion of feelings. Through tears, she cathartically explains how she wants to be seen outside of her attractiveness as a multifaceted human being. The housemates put their own feelings to the side about how they view their relationship with Jordan and finally give her a moment to be really heard, which is what I suspect is all she wanted in the first place.
Alex admits that what is a joke to one person may be a trigger for another, but it’s Amir whose feelings are hurt the most. Oblivious to the fact that Jordan has placed him in the friend zone, her breakdown took him by surprise. Not only is he finding out that his crush is not interested in him, but he’s also hearing that his actions toward her have made her uncomfortable. It’s a tough pill to swallow, and no one likes rejection. Once the emotions die down and Amir has had a chance to cool off alone outside, the two have a refreshingly healthy conversation for a Bravo show. Amir accepts Jordan’s feelings but assures her that he’s never objectified her and apologizes for walking away, and Jordan accepts his apology, sealing it with a real friendship hug.
Ruining the wonderful conflict management and communication we just witnessed, Jasmine, cuddled up next to her husband, states that she’s jealous of how everyone rallied around Jordan and that she wished it was her that brought the house together like that. This, combined with how things went down with Mariah, makes me question if Jasmine understands what it means to be a good friend, married or not. But she might have met her match when it comes to selfishness — Silas is on his worst behavior after Jasmine accidentally stains his pants. The argument is too trivial to recap, but it tells us everything we need to know about how Silas likes to run his relationship.
I know too many Silases, a.k.a. men who want a mom, babysitter, and girlfriend, rolled into one. They want to simultaneously be the only adult with autonomy in the partnership and the perennial child being doted on endlessly. Remember, Silas can’t handle making his own breakfast; it’s not in his “routine.†In the minds of these men, this is the woman’s end of the bargain in exchange for whatever money the husband provides and the flimsy protection marriage gives them in a patriarchal society. Silas says it himself in the preview for the finale when he threatens to break up with Jasmine: “That coverage that comes with marriage, that respectability, I promise you, your life will change.â€
But, thanks to the Bravo casting gods, we have the wonderful Preston in the house to balance out the energy, and his Soul Food Sunday meal and Pride party saves us from losing brain cells as we listen to Jasmine and Silas argue about ironing. As the only gay person in the house, Preston organizes a Pride celebration to honor the riot that was Stonewall, a revolutionary event led primarily by queer people of color that eventually birthed Pride month. They have a blast, and it’s a great visual palette cleanser from all the drama … until Silas and his damn pants ruined it, but what else can we expect in this house?
Vineyard Tales
• I love the silliness that Simon/the white Rick Ross brings to the house. He’s great comedic relief and is clearly having a blast with everyone, even if Bria spends the majority of the time in bed. Hearing him say he feels he’s truly made friends was sweet.
• If you enjoyed Jasmine’s quick history lesson about Soul food, check out High on the Hog on Netflix, it’s a great docuseries about Black food. Preston’s brief speech about pride was also amazing; it’s so important to honor the queer community.
• We have one episode left! I wish this season were like fifteen episodes long, but hopefully, Bravo will bring everyone back again next summer.