The stars of the new Style Network reality series, "Big, Rich Texas," are giving the "Real Housewives" franchise a real run for its money. These Southern ladies trump the "Real Housewives" -- all of them -- when it comes to displaying the bad behavior of the rich and beautiful.
So will we love -- or is it love to hate? -- these Dallas ladies as much as our favorite Bravo stars?
Pam: The Next LuAnn (New York)Pam is the ultimate queen bee of the Big D social scene. Very regal, very old school and very by the books. To Pam, appearances really matter and there is an appropriate decorum and manner in which people should act. Connie: The Next Ramona (New York)Connie is “gossip central” for the country club. She is uber-social and always planning parties, but watch out for her competitive side. Melissa: The Next Caroline (New Jersey)For all intents and purposes, Melissa is the “normal” one, but it's all relative. She tends to be the voice of calm and reason in the midst of the drama. Bonnie: The Next Tamra (Orange County)Bonnie is full of energy and life -- she just says whatever she feels like whenever she feels like saying it. She has a PhD and wears skimpy clothes while behaving as if she is still a partying college girl.
Leslie: The Next Gretchen (Orange County)She is the "new girl" in the group -- a widow -- and everyone is really sizing her up to see if she will fit in. The group wonders how much money she really has and what's her true story. Now that the introductions are out of the way, what makes these women so over the top?
They use plastic surgery to bribe their children. Bonnie’s daughter, Whitney, is a bit of a wild child. Example: She has a "c--t" tattoo on her foot. Bonnie offers to buy Whitney a "new" set of lips if she removes the tattoo. She also promises to buy her breast implants if she gets straight A's in school.
Texans insult each other using BBQ food references. Pam and Bonnie get into a big argument at a party at the club, and Pam's feathers get ruffled when Bonnie tells her to "take the corn cob out of your ass." Pam's reponse? She tells Bonnie that she looks like a "hooker."
Texan civility makes everything out these women's mouths much more evil. Fighting is just different in Texas. There, everyone starts a fight by saying "excuse me." Polite? Not so much. In one scene the women explain to Leslie that when you really don't have anything nice to say and would like to lash out at someone, just take a breath and say "bless her heart." So, if you ever hear "bless your heart” in Texas, it really means, "God, you’re dumb."
They date down like it's their job. Leslie breaks the club's rules and dates the help -- a much younger, extremely sexy golf pro. They flirt and makeout on the golf course which leads to the pro almost getting fired. Leslie doesn't care.
They pack heat. Whitney, Bonnie’s daughter, brings a gun to the county club -- yes, a gun.
'Big Rich Texas' premieres on The Style Network July 17 at 9 p.m.