The ‘30 Most Powerful Women on Reality TV in 2024’ List Is…Interesting

Variety dropped their list of the 30 most powerful women on reality TV yesterday, and I can’t help but wonder if the people who wrote it actually watch reality tv. Or, at least, if they have recently.

Some of their choices are absolutely correct, like Bravo personalities Shannon Storms Beador, Dolores Catania, and Ariana Madix, hosts like Alison Hammond of Great British Bake Off and Kristen Kish of Top Chef, and miscellaneous contestants/participants like Taylor Frankie Paul of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Kenzie Petty of Survivor, both of whom have seen major upticks in their social media followings after their shows.

But some are simply mystifying. On the Bravo side of things, for example, no one who really considers themself a fan would include Gizelle Bryant on a list of powerful women. A list of women with evil in their hearts, maybe. Brittany Cartwright of Vanderpump Rules and The Valley deserves praise for finally divorcing Jax Taylor, but I wouldn’t exactly call her powerful, either.

Then there’s the other randoms, like Yolanda Gampp of Crime Scene Kitchen on Fox, a person and show I did not know existed, and … Sammi Giancola?! Like, Sammi from Jersey Shore??? What year is it again?

I was going to correct the list for you and give you my picks, but I object entirely to this notion. Reality TV is supposed to be fun and stupid, and I don’t think we should necessarily be rewarding anyone of any gender for being good at it. I like a lot of these women personally, and some of them I detest. You don’t need a list of women I think are funny and/or cool.

But if this list is anything to go by, I guess I should be watching The Challenge?