The Real Housewives of Orange County: Season 2

The Bravo TV network is presenting its second season of The Real Housewives of Orange County, their own real-life version of the popular ABC comedy Desperate Housewives, the difference being that these women are the genuine article.

The weekly documentary series delves into the personal goings-on of five wealthy Southern California women and their families. For those of us slightly curious about the kind of lives such creatures actually live, it's sort of like being able to peek in the window, hoping that we may detect a defect in their seemingly "perfect" veneer. We get the opportunity to observe them in all of their vacuous, self-absorbed glory, as they go about their existence behind an opulent, gated community full of privileged. Viewers will be either enthralled by the luxurious lifestyle they lead or irritated that they spend so much of their time wrapped up in pretentious trivialities. Whatever camp you happen to fall into, The Real Housewives of Orange County is an interesting look into a world most of us may never know.

Each of the 7 episodes reveals what's going on in the households of Jo, Vicki, Kimberly, Laurie and Jeana. I will give them their props, in this respect. They are either incredibly generous or extremely narcissistic to allow camera crews to follow them around and capture every personal detail of their shallow lives, including their relationships with their significant others, kids and friends, the stress involved with trying to maintain a flawless image and their struggle with their own. In their universe, it is all about how you look, how important the man in your life is and how much "stuff" you have, so it is not surprising that much of the show focuses on these concerns.

It can be a challenge to feel anything akin to sympathy for "the girls" mulling over Botox injections, plastic surgeries and boob jobs, but they are no different from most women when it comes to being perplexed by men and often exasperated by their kids. Granted, some of the men in question- like the pompous, controlling "Sugar Daddy" Slade Smiley- are pretty smug and one-dimensional and the teenage kids are shamelessly spoiled. There is a juicy rivalry between friends Jo and Laurie over Slade. Personally, I think the show spends way too much time on the frivolous, immature Jo.

Out of all of them. I actually like Kimberly and Jeana the best, because they seem a step up from their more phony peers and have something actually resembling humanity. Kimberly's continual health issues with melanoma have probably provided her with a center that the others don't possess. It's surprising that Jeana was actually a Playboy Playmate at one time, because she seems amazingly "normal" compared to some of her pals and really appears to care about her family. Vicki, on the other hand, seems like a control freak, like Barbie on steroids.

Do most of those who reside in this superficial vacuum put your teeth on edge ? You betcha! Still, it's kind of sad that, in their quest to showcase their affluence, they end up revealing how empty and unhappy they are underneath all the trappings of wealth. Some, like Jo, booze, party and shop to basically anesthetize themselves from the true reality of their lives.

Much as I hate to admit it, though, I often feel compelled to watch, like someone who can't help from looking at the tragic car wreck on the side of the road.

Show: The Real Housewives of Orange County, Season 2

Evening: Tuesday

Time: 10 p.m./ 9 p.m. Central