"The hardest thing about watching the premiere of this Vanderpump Rules reboot is not to compare it to the original. Version 1 point oh-no-you-didn't gave us a spectacular run of seasons that (after a calamitous dip) rewarded us with #Scandoval, one of the greatest story lines ever to grace our TikTok feeds, meme pages, TV screens, and whatever the hell it is we call Peacock. It's nearly impossible to watch this first episode and not think, Was Jax already a monster?"
"When Vanderpump Rules debuted in 2013, reality television was not a career and certainly not a career for young people. (All the subsequent young people who have made it such have the staff of SUR and a certain family in Calabasas to thank for that.) Instagram was still on its rise, and there certainly weren't influencers as we know them back then,"
"That is no longer true for these newbies. They know what is expected of people on reality shows - the drama, the lies, the hookups, the transactional relationships. Reality-TV fame is still a means to an end but not for a career as a singer, comedian, or "mactor" (or model-actor as the forehead-shaving Tom Sandoval would say in the first season). It is a means to a career in advertising and affiliate marketing."
Reboot contestants pursue influencer-driven commerce rather than traditional entertainment careers. The original cast entered reality TV without established role models, hoping for industry breaks. Social media growth transformed expectations, creating influencers who seek follower growth and brand deals through transactional relationships, staged drama, lies, and hookups. Reality-TV fame now functions as a pathway to advertising, affiliate marketing, Amazon Lives, and OnlyFans income. The reboot therefore reflects a media landscape where selling personal brands often supersedes artistic ambitions and where participation is calculated to maximize monetization. Longstanding fan attachments to specific personalities complicate reception of new cast dynamics.
Read at Vulture
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