David Yontef: Proto VPR
When David Yontef steps outside the velvet rope, it's time to talk Bravo and all the shows that lead us to where we are now. Will we ever get a reboot of Remote Control? Did The Osbournes pave the way to The Kardashians? Just what did VH1 do with all those early 2000s reality shows? It's the episode that talks trash about trash.
Listen to David's podcast: Behind the Velvet Rope
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This transcript was made possible by an automated service. In some cases there may be errors.
Rob: Welcome to Vanderpump Robs a podcast about Hollywood. I'm Rob Schulte and I
am welcoming a very special guest to podcast from behind the velvet rope, David Yontef
is here,
David.
Welcome.
David: What's
going on?
Rob: I
I'm feeling great. I'm glad you stepped outside of the velvet rope to come to [00:01:00] my podcast, you know, and, and just discuss all things silly reality
David: Listen, you don't have to ask me twice,
Rob, to stop by
to discuss reality TV. That's all you need to
do is say, please.
Rob: All right. Well, pretty please. Thank you. And I'm glad we're doing it now. Before we dive in, there could be a world, I don't know how it happens, but there could be a world where some of my listeners
are not familiar with your podcast. Would you like to
just
give them
the 411?
David: behind the velvet rope,
it is, God help me, a seven day
a week podcast.
There is an episode every single day. And it is a combination of reality TV
interviews, interviews, like with pop culture, actresses and actors. And
also most days we just
break down
all
the gossip heavily focused on Bravo and
Housewives. But
outside of that too, we
cover
every reality but we've had basically every housewife on and
there's just a lot going on In the bravo
[00:02:00] lot of heavy hitters remind me after this I gotta i'm gonna pick your ear about something that cannot be on the pod
because sometimes those conversations have to happen. Guess what,
listeners? Podcasters have real conversations. They're not all recorded
So we
have lots
of drama off air too, right? There's
always something everyone thinks we
have such an
easy job, right?
Rob: Yeah, you just
get behind a mic, right? Nope. It's a little bit more than
that Here's where
I want to
start because
I noticed on one of your
recent
episodes
you had
sarah frazier on
right?
Yes
podcaster video host To all the all things
was very angry. She didn't get
a sandwich. It's
something about her. I think we all remember this as well. I feel bad. I did get my sandwich
that but yes, but Sarah is,
is a fun
personality. Great episode you did with her.
It looks like
she's
going to have a show on Peter Madrigal's new network. Now I just wanted to talk about
that. What are [00:03:00] your
thoughts are on the reality network that Peter's
putting
David: Starting out, putting me on
the spot, you know?
well,
Rob: you, we can, you know, just, just
David: be as honest as you'd like. I am as honest as possible.
You know, there's nothing
against anyone. I feel being in this industry
for a long I feel that things that look sexy and gray,
and you
know, you're a bartender on
watch
what happens for the night, not that I
would turn
that away. Sometimes those are not the things
that really are. Paying the rent. There's a lot of things that look great in this
business
that
at
the end of
the day, you're like
that looks great. But like, wait, now that I'm scratching the surface, what do
you mean? You're losing this much
money per month? No, I'm not saying that's Peter.
No, i'm just saying you know, I Made a decision, not that
it's about me, but, you know, sitting behind my microphone,
behind the belt
rope seven days a week, I'm not doing that for my health. I'm
doing that because that is [00:04:00] what
pays the
bills over here.
So I feel, I don't really understand this whole network That's really my honest, that's a long roundabout way of saying, I, I,
I get these calls all the time. Myself, join
this network,
join that. And
then you're like,
I don't want
to do this for free for five years.
Rob: I see
where you're coming from. And I've been able
to, you
know, like Peter's done a couple of my shows.
He did
my live LA
show and I've had some good moments with Peter. And I think that Peter's
idea
is good. like
you
put it on paper,
a channel that's like streamable
You can get it like to be on Roku or whatever that just has. Reality shows all the time. And it's not Bravo, let's say,
because, you know, Bravo,
I
guess, will occasionally not show a reality. I don't know. is good. Like that could
be fun. People
could love that, especially if it's a free app.
Now, I think where it's getting a
little convoluted is like,
I'm not sure
if it's
all new [00:05:00] content, or if it's
gonna be old content
And I, I don't And I want,
I, and I hope for
success for Sarah's show
and someone,
anyone else is doing something on there, but I just,
I need
to see it fully because on paper it might work.
David: Yeah. And I'm not knocking
seven. I speak to Sarah all
day and I've had
Peter on my show
and I hope it works.
I just
don't really.
Understand the economics of it. And so look, shame on me. Maybe this is, you know, you
jump in, there is
no economics and then
it's a huge thing. And then you're like, guess what, David, we want nothing to
do with you now
because now
we're a huge success. So I,
you know, Sarah's
more, what's
the word? I know her very well.
She's more. She
likes to take these
chances and get into new things. I'm more
just like, it's not that I don't, it's just that I don't understand it. And
I'm so busy
that I'm like, I don't
Rob: Yeah. If
I'm, I'm very
much like you, like, I'd love to help out, but tell me how, tell me what's going to [00:06:00] be the thing that turns the next on my list though, David, I wanted
to just get your temp
check on Bravo at the moment, because a lot of stuff we had like two weeks of a lull
and now some things are coming back into business.
And where's your head at between OC and summer house and all the news?
David: Well, I have to say, I just watched the first episode of the
OC and.
We have, I mean,
it has restored my faith in look, I don't know if it's restored my faith
in everything, but it's like
you said, look, I think housewife shows are on a downward
spiral, a downward slump at the
moment.
Ratings
are down
across the board for every housewife
show. Look, we're in the
18th season
of the
oc.
So this has been around for 18 years Remember the real world talking
about MTV shows and
things do come to an end So I wonder if it's
like, like I've said on my podcast
a
year ago, maybe a [00:07:00] year and a half ago, In a way, I think it's, I think we already started the beginning
of the
end.
I think you just have to know when it's
time to leave the party So
I think this first episode of
RHOC was
so good.
What a strange turn of events
that the one
that started it
all has kind of pulled it together after
two horrible
seasons and last year was
better, but it wasn't
great. So
I feel like
kind of come back and maybe
there is hope and never count a
particular franchise out.
but I just think in general,
I think how many more years do we have of housewives?
Rob: I think
you're right on the money. I mean,
the, I
only watch a handful of but I live vicariously
through the Instagrams and podcasts
that I,
that I follow. And I feel like Bravo, cause this goes to VPR too,
cause I'm going to ask you this They get really [00:08:00] stuck in. This is
what works.
Let's repeat
the things we
know that works. And then occasionally we'll get a character on one of these shows that like throws a wrench in
it. And that's what they're planning for. You're right. Like we set it
up, they knock them down.
Right. And unfortunately we've had a lot of years of similar things
being knocked down
and similar stories
being told in the ways
that people feel comfortable
telling them.
And. Yeah,
we're
potentially
at the end of
whatever phase three of housewives has
become. And we're going to have to
like, I think
we're
going to see a shift in Bravo programming They might
still have the same names,
but I
think they're going to be presented
to differently.
David: And I
don't, and look, more power to you, 18, 20 years.
it's, it's.
And the thing is what makes no
sense to me is like, the numbers don't
make sense. Like we have housewife
shows. Now, first
of all, Dubai
is now in
the [00:09:00] 250,
250, 000 people
watched the 250. That's it period. Then you
have other shows where like 400, 000 are
watching. And then you have like New Jersey, which is
like 700,
So you add all this up. Look,
I think. I
think the Bravo network could be a business class in
like a war in business school of like what to, like, it's a brilliant marketing but in
a way it's like what not
to do now
you've lasted 20 years,
it's hard
to say no. When the money it's
coming in,
but. Putting all the power and Andy Cohn, you have one executive producer, 90
percent of
the network or 80 percent is housewives.
So it's one person, one formula.
It's kind of like you back yourself into a corner.
Rob: 100%.
And feels like if they were to unveil [00:10:00] a different
Andy Cohen,
right, if there's going to
be some new figurehead or
if Andy takes a step away, like that could crumble everything
when it doesn't have to be, but it's because they've like built a
house of
David: Yeah. They built a house of
Rob: So on that term, then
Vanderpump do you think there'll be
a season 12?
David: I mean,
I would
have said a hundred percent.
Yes.
Even in the middle of last Which I didn't know what they were going to do. I really,
there's a lot of problems, right?
Like I think if, but look, look at how the show ended.
I mean, it ended as if it
was never
coming back now that it's over and no one's
really, you know, this isn't like Atlanta is now
filming, but we talk for months and
months about
casting Atlanta. They just
couldn't figure it out,
but they were trying
same thing with the New York and
that we had a rebooted. But there's no
talk at all of Andrew pump. We're not, we're not [00:11:00] thinking of new characters. I mean, so, I mean, there is that thing that came out. Did
you see like a few weeks
ago where Lisa
posed
with a whole bunch of
people or a bunch of people
posed without Lisa? There is this rumor that this
is the new cast.
I mean,
look, if Ariana left the
show. It would open up some
opportunities. I think if
Rachel Levis
were not suing Ariana and Tom, her coming
back would have breathed life
into a whole season
12 that we all would have watched.
You can hate her and not even when he even hates her anymore. It would have been a great season to watch.
Rob: Yeah,
I'm right there with you. I don't know what's going on at this point. You know, I love my podcast,
but I'm already branching out into
other things
to cover because, you know, no show's going to last
we talked and. I think that
that
photo you talked about where it's like
all the
staff, I was like, I know three of those and I don't think, [00:12:00] you know, maybe they're, we don't know each other that well.
And they would definitely not
be like running to me to say if there's some secret new cast but, they also take those photos, like every brunch. So
I know
evolution's
tagged in it.
I know all this, but like, sir also knows what it's doing
when it's posting those So, yes.
David: And not for nothing. I
mean, just,
And this is going to sound so whatever, but that doesn't look like the cast. Like you just, you
have a vision. If
we were going to cast this, So I
would have said yes, but I'm starting to
think like
no, like they don't know what to
do now.
Rob: Yeah. They're not
going to like kill the
golden goose, but they are going to do something and they're not going to do
it hastily because I
think they learned their lesson from season 11. But speaking of learning
lessons, I think we've
all learned lessons from all of the reality shows we've watched over and you reminding me that OC has been 18[00:13:00]
years.
Made me think back Proto VPR and Proto Bravo, and, like, some of the shows that got us
to where we are today, whether
they knew it at the time or not.
and I gotta
ask ya, Let's say early
2000s, not that long ago
for some of us folks, but
like, it is
24 years ago, let's say year 2000. What were you watching in the scheme of reality
David: Well, now here's the, I was going to say, now here's
the thing, the years get blurry to me,
but I'm going to assume that this is all,
or I'm
one of those horrible people that
I'm
Rob: right there with,
David: I have friends that are like, no,
that
song was 1991,
not
1990. And I'm like, I
don't understand how you know that.
but yes,
I was, first
of all, let me go on record of
saying, I think Laguna beach and the hills are two of the best reality
shows that have
ever existed in the history of TV. I have nothing. They're phenomenal. [00:14:00]
So those two, I love the simple life. I love newlyweds.
Yeah, I mean
that those early MTV, I mean,
I used to even watch, nothing
was as good as Laguna Beach and
the Hills, but I even
watched like MTV Cribs. I love my super sweet 16. Like I was there for all
of it.
Were you, were you a next Next was great.
Then that, I even watched Remote Control. They even
had like, they
even had like a soap opera
with Jane Weidland from the Go Go's.
She had green hair. There was even like a half hour soap opera. Talk about undressed. What about undressed? These shows were
Rob: These
David: shows were before their time
Rob: very horny horny shows on MTV all over the Yeah, and it and it's weird when you think about shows like the simple life like well Let's
take it back Laguna
Beach the hills right like Bill Langworthy Who is a producer on Vanderpump or at least was
for quite some time, [00:15:00] the
first showrunner of Vanderpump Was one
of the people that was brought on early to Laguna
beach. So like all of these shows have DNA from the previous shows. And I find that
so interesting
to like, look back and like, see, cause all these people in
the industry, you you know, normal
people don't know
this stuff sometimes that some of us podcasters do
that.
Like
it's a job, you know,
I'm taking,
and I'm hopping from one to
the next. So like.
To
see that transition from Laguna Beach to the Hills to Vanderpump Rules, there is a through line.
David: I mean,
and even like,
I mean, I also love, love selling Sunset. I don't know
if you get into these. So, I mean, that is
Adam DiVello from
the Hills.
And I mean, that is, that's him.
So, and you could see that with the cinematography and the way
it works. So, I, Yeah,
I was there.
I
mean, those are classics
Rob: Well, and like, the Osbournes was such a, like, cultural phenomenon at
the time that
ended [00:16:00] in a very similar way that, like, The Hills ended,
Where
it sort of looked like it was all staged or And it's just interesting to me, like, I don't think you could tell someone in their early twenties now who might happen to be into Bravo the cultural impact of show like the Osbournes Because it just doesn't
feel real or the simple for that
David: I mean,
I had Jack Osborne
on my podcast and
he, he won't take credit for
the kardashians, but i'm like you
should.
Yeah. He's taking nothing away from the Kardashians because look, they're. Brilliant at what they do.
I mean, it's lasted this long, but
you know, I mean, we have
these shows the osbournes
was the first famous to, and I don't even the kardashians weren't famous So, I mean, I guess you know, you could say like bruce jenner at the time
now, Caitlin.
But
I
mean, the Osbournes
really opened up that genre Yeah, it was [00:17:00] brilliant.
Rob: Yeah. And I mean, I was trying to like scour some of
the depths
of the internet and some of these shows are like lost
to time, especially some of VH1 stuff. uh, I
don't even know if
you can see bad girls club anywhere or like the
pickup artist
or, um, what was there was some other one
that they did.
Oh, like the white rapper
show, like these shows that are
like,
let's just put
a bunch of characters together and like, give it some high concept and go. And now we're just like, we
don't need a high We just need people that want to be on
these shows and we'll bring it.
David: And they weren't in like then, right.
They were scripted and the whole thing. But remember,
so notorious, which was on VH1 with Tori
Spelling.
Rob: Oh
David: my
Rob: God. Now
I do. You're
asking
me to remember my first phone number. I won't know
it until
you bring it up.
David: So, I mean, there was, and then that was scripted, but not really. It was based
[00:18:00] exactly on Tori
Spelling's life, even though there were actresses and Lonnie Anderson played her mother.
Like it was.
just brilliant.
So, I mean, I feel that's where I feel that like, look, I urge my audience all the time, like my show, my podcast is
not a hundred
percent Bravo when I
started. And I said, I never will be for this very reason that any webpage or anyone that's really just a hundred percent anything, I think like, What is your fallback plan?
Like you need to see the writing on the wall. It's not over today, but I feel like when you have these discussions and you see the writing on
the wall. That's when it's time
to like make the move. And yes, I agree that anyone in their early twenties, like should see these shows
because they all
are brilliant.
Like if you love the Andrew pomperols,
I
don't see why you would not love
the or Laguna beach.
Rob: And it's
the, the bigger thing I did. I'm doing a rewatch of Laguna beach preparing for a series on my Patrion. [00:19:00] The, one of the biggest things that got me. Is that it's 22 minutes
and not
a lot happens episode and that is kind of where characters come out because there aren't these over the top
manufactured storylines there
are but not
that's not the
driving force
of the show it's the personalities
David: yeah
and they just I mean
it
just
is.
Rob: It It worked. It worked. Well, David, this has been
awesome. I'm going to come on your podcast soon too. I know. And I'm going to encourage my listeners to go subscribe
to Behind the Velvet Rope. The
link is in the show notes. You don't even have to stop listening to the podcast right now to go to behind the velvet rope.
But. David, is there a good episode you would expect people to maybe start at or just start at the newest episode out?
David: Start at the newest episode out, but look we have
something for everyone. I mean, if
you are
[00:20:00] hanging on every word we say, just because we focused on, you
know mtv I've had jack
osbourne on I've had adrena patrajan I've had on
Jason Waller.
I've had on
Alex M and Christina S from
Laguna Beach. Like these
people have, so if
you're listening to this because you like these shows, we have interviews with these actual people But certainly if you like
Housewives, and I mean
we do cover,
like we're covering the OC now, there's like
over 2,
Rob: Incredible. Well, my hat's off to
you and thank you so much
for
joining me today. Listeners, if you'd like
to hear this episode add free or
see video episodes, head to patrion. com slash Vanderpump robs,
And we will see everyone next time on Vanderpump robs. [00:21:00]