Getting Up Close and Personal with the Man Behind the Ladies: Andy Cohen and the Real Housewives

He, meaning Andy Cohen, and does it meaning keeping his stable of somewhat unstable Housewives in check. As most of you already know, Andy Cohen is not only the host of Watch What Happens, but he also is an executive producer of many of the shows that air on Bravo TV, including all of the Real Housewives sagas. So, inquiring minds want to know, Andy. How do you do what you do and manage to stay out of the insane asylum?

Well, it looks like one source went straight to the horse's mouth and asked him. Here are a few of the highlights and more entertaining questions from the Hollywood Reporter and answers from the endearing host/producer.

Andy was asked specifically about what he could reveal about the two part reunion show that begins airing tonight on Bravo TV. His response was a resounding "It's the best reunion show to date, encompassing both turbulent seasons of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, and while the entire reunion show is enlightening, engaging and even a bit disturbing, it's the last ten minutes of part two that you really don't want to miss.

When asked how he could wear so many hats when it comes to dealing with the New Jersey Housewives, as well as all the other erractic and oftentimes psychotic characters, he answered that he's had plenty of experience with "strong minded and independent women". He went on to add that he thought it was important that all of the women feel as though they are being heard and that he is on their side since many of the women who join the cast are simply not prepared for what instant stardom can do to their lives.

Andy insists that he doesn't play favorites with any of the wives and that he tries to treat them all the same way, even though he may need to tailor his delivery style when dealing with certain women. For example, he uses Vicki Gunvalson from the OC and Jill Zarin from the Big Apple as glaring examples of Housewives who are extremely sensitive to comments and tend to take things personally.

The interview wandered into more sensitive territory when The Hollywood Reporter began asking questions about Real Housewives of New York star Bethenny Frankel and what led Bravo to offer her a spin off show and not the other wives as well as what he thought about the budding music careers of some of his more polarizing Housewives including Gretchen Rossi from the Real Housewives of Orange County, Kandi Burress and Kim Zolciak from the Real Housewives of Atlanta, LuAnn DeLesseps from the Real Housewives of New York and Danielle Staub from New Jersey. Andy answered that the show with Bethenny was due more in part to the fact that she had a LOT going on in her personal life during the taping of the last season of RHNY including a pregnancy and a marriage and that Bethenny's show was more of an "exception rather than a rule." Too bad, Danielle. And that he was always "shocked and thrilled" any time any of the Housewives came out with a song (I guess the exception to this is Kandi and Kim in Atlanta, since this is what they do.) But I did find it funny that he alluded to a not so favorable response to Danielle's song, which she was happy to perform on a What What Happens Live episode. Hopefully the sound check went a little better on this show that it did for her performance on PIX11.

The interview then went in a few places I'm sure Andy would have wished that it would have refrained from going such as the ongoing battle with the New York wives about salary, whether or not the show is scripted or "set up" in any form or fashion and Whoopi's alleged assault of Michaele Salahi on her appearance on the View to which he responded that he listens to the Housewives when they request more money, but then explains the economics of the show, that the show is 100% real and that Bravo doesn't get involved with the lives of the cast members whether on the show or not.

I loved this interview and the chance to get to know Andy Cohen just a little bit more. Rarely do you get an opportunity to get to know the Man Behind the Curtain, and this is just what the doctor ordered. For more about The Real Hollywood Reporter interview with Andy Cohen, please visit http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3idbe87d2389f4477c683445cbde5d0b9d.