Patti Stanger makes a living by finding rich people love and telling it like it is. Founder of the Millionaire's Club matchmaking service, author of 8 Easy Steps for Attracting Your Perfect Mate, and star of Bravo's hit reality show The Millionaire Matchmaker, Stanger has established a career on brutal honesty, from diagnosing millionaires' dating missteps to screening potential mates for her clientele. "Today's going to be tough love with her," Stanger said of one of her clients. "She needs to straighten her hair, for one," calling the millionairess' coiffure a "rat's nest." The downside of being such a straight shooter is that she often offends.
During Sunday's Bravolebrity roundtable and call-in show "Watch What Happens Live," Stanger stayed true to form by dishing out advice to fans. Following the matchmaker's probing, one caller admitted he's homosexual, to which Stanger responded, "There is no curbing the gay," asserting that they're not interested in monogamy. Host Andy Cohen, who is gay, was visibly uncomfortable with Stanger's wisecrack. She proceeded to dig her hole even deeper by making inflammatory observations about tribal dating culture, as well. Referring to Jewish men later in the show, Stanger claimed, "They lie." Cohen is not only gay and Jewish; he is also Bravo's Executive VP of Original Programming and Development (i.e. Stanger's boss). "So I am a non-monogamous liar," he concluded on air.
Twitter blew up over her controversial comments. On Monday, she tweeted a half-hearted apology for the quips she made about homosexuality but neglected to address the anti-Jewish remarks. As a result, many are still outraged. "She is an embarrassment to women, and has all the horrible stereotypes that Jewish women are labeled with," an angry blogger wrote.
Stanger built her brand on her willingness to say things others wouldn't. She has since become both a successful matchmaker and compelling TV character. Privately, she has free reign to share with her clients generalized observations about particular communities stemming from years of experience. However, when broadcast on TV or publicly chatting with network executives, those same comments come across as uncalled for -- and unfair -- stereotypes. Stanger's inability to differentiate between her public and private personas may prove a threat to her future in show business.
This post originally appeared on TribeVibe.