00:00My name is Sam Dungesser and I'm a features creator with Decider.
00:03My name is Hope Sloop and I'm also a features creator here at Decider.
00:07Today we are going to be debating which show came out on top,
00:12The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City or The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
00:16Now it should be noted that both of these shows are huge and everybody loves them,
00:22including the both of us, but we also know that they've each made a significant cultural impact
00:28and we're going to be talking about which one maybe made more of a cultural impact this year.
00:33And all women involved are fabulous.
00:36Every single person has a special place in our heart,
00:39but some of them have a bigger place in our heart than others.
00:43I have watched both shows all the way through.
00:46I'm a big fan of both of them.
00:47One thing that I think The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
00:50and kind of Bravo in general does better is the reunion.
00:54It's important to do, you know, we do get a little bit more time
00:57in between seasons, which, you know, we always want more.
01:01But I do think that the way they do it works where they film a season,
01:05they let some episodes come out, the people get to see it,
01:09we get to see fan reactions, the ladies get to see what they've said about each other.
01:13Then they throw them into a room to hash it all out,
01:16kind of tie a bow on that season.
01:18It makes it so we're not going on with the same problems
01:21for multiple seasons in a row.
01:23And I think that the way they do that is definitely very helpful for,
01:29as a viewer, probably for the women themselves, for production.
01:33And also, you know, we're not sitting there, you know,
01:36just saying, wait until next season to find out what happens.
01:39Like they did a lot in, especially this last reunion for Mormon wives.
01:44I will fully agree with you that I think they've got the reunion thing down for Bravo.
01:47And I think it's because they've been doing it for so long.
01:49But in some ways, that is kind of what I love about Mormon wives,
01:53is that it feels like they're building the car while they're trying to drive the car.
01:57And there is an element of authenticity and realness to that,
02:02which I really, truly appreciate,
02:03which is kind of what I think makes it the better show this year,
02:07is that, you know, they never stop filming.
02:10And it does kind of, it hits them and it impacts them when it comes to the reunions.
02:15But for the rest of the show, like, they are dealing with issues
02:18in a way that no other reality show is dealing with issues.
02:22I think that moving from Nick Viall to Stassi was a big improvement.
02:28I do want to also know, though, like, what did they do with the rest of the footage?
02:31Because they said that they sat those women down for like 12 hours.
02:35And then we got a 45-minute special.
02:37They had to have more there.
02:38To your point about how much they film, they do that with every,
02:42I mean, even with Salt Lake City, they're there for like 12 to 15 hours.
02:46At least we get three episodes there.
02:48I wish we could get more episodes, more reunion episodes of The Mormon Wives.
02:52Like, at least two, two full hours would be good.
02:56Maybe a third if they're feeling crazy.
02:58That gets into my big point on why I think that this show
03:01had more of a cultural impact this year.
03:02It's because they love my girls.
03:06They don't stop talking.
03:07They go on the show and they talk.
03:10They get off and they're on social media and they're still talking.
03:13And it's like, there's no behind the scenes that does not come out at some point.
03:19Like, they are literally sharing everything.
03:21The cameras are never down.
03:23I was looking at some of their, the Salt Lake City women's Instagrams and their TikToks.
03:28And like, they're not sharing their lives in the way that the Mormon Wives are.
03:33Like, they are sharing the bits and pieces.
03:35Look at the world domination that is happening right here.
03:37We've got one as The Bachelorette.
03:39We've got one going to Broadway right now after taking, what was it, sixth place on Dancing
03:43with the Stars.
03:45Jen is now fully moved out to Los Angeles.
03:46And yes, they're kind of, they're acting as though like this is becoming their side gig.
03:53But I also feel like all of these women have star power in some way, shape, or form.
03:58That is the whole TikTok effect thing.
04:01And I think that it definitely helped them being content creators, then becoming reality
04:06stars, as opposed to Salt Lake City, where they kind of started as reality stars and are
04:11maybe getting into a little bit of content creation.
04:14I think that that's also a generational thing.
04:16Like we have, these are women in like their forties and fifties.
04:20And then you have women in like their early twenties to early thirties.
04:25And I think that that's where like the show is almost like they can be compared, but then
04:30they can't because they're also just like two totally different generations.
04:34But as far as the crossovers, I mean, I love, I love that Mormon Wives is doing that.
04:39I love that they have that like ABC synergy going with Dancing with the Stars, with The Bachelorette.
04:47I think Vanderhump Villa, which is Vanderhump.
04:50Yes.
04:50And, um, and I think that they're starting to get into it more with, um, Salt Lake City.
04:58Like they just did the below deck cross or below deck down under crossover with Salt Lake
05:02City, which was huge in respect to like breaking grounds and doing that.
05:06Both shows are doing that.
05:08I think that, you know, it is different to see things from both sides.
05:14Um, so that's been a lot of fun.
05:15And then crossover.
05:16I mean, listen, Heather Gay was quoted in Congress.
05:19That's, that's why can you get more iconic?
05:23The Mormon Wives are not giving us the lines that we are looking for yet.
05:26They're giving us moments, which are great.
05:28And it's entertaining to see why I feel like the Mormon Wives are better.
05:32There's just, I think we can both agree.
05:34No one is doing it on reality television like them these days.
05:37It's not only fun to watch.
05:39It's something that I look forward to.
05:41And I, this is coming from somebody who is not even that big of a reality television fan.
05:45I crave more Mormon Wives.
05:48Yes.
05:48You know what?
05:49I have to agree with you.
05:51I think Utah in general, they're doing reality TV the right way.
05:55And we should be proud of all of our ladies.
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