The Real Housewives of Atlanta (Bravo)

The latest installment of the popular, voyeuristic Real Housewives franchise follows some of Georgia's wealthiest socialites as they work to keep their place at the top of the city's A-list. Cameras roll as these five strong Southern women -- Lisa Wu Hartwell, Sheree Whitfield, DeShawn Snow, NeNe Leakes, and Kim Zolciak -- maintain their luxurious households, raise their kids, run their various businesses and charities, and keep their place among Atlanta's newly rich and famous. But, like their fellow wealthy housewives in California and New York, they must also deal with problems that money can't fix -- like divorce, single motherhood, and, in some cases, coping with issues stemming from a difficult past.

Like the ladies of the O.C. and NYC, these women enjoy a life of wealth and status that most people can only dream about. But their status comes primarily from newly acquired wealth (thanks to successful marriages and partnerships with professional athletes, lucrative divorce settlements, and anonymous benefactors). Because of this, even though some of the women are highly successful entrepreneurs (Lisa is a successful real estate broker and fashion designer, and Sheree is a successful business owner), they sometimes come across as stereotypical "gold diggers" who are both calculating and greedy. Their behavior often seems a little tawdry, too, as they engage in catty arguments while trying to outshine the women in their small-but-elite inner circle.

Because it's set in the city that's considered by many to be the "land of opportunity" for African Americans, THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA highlights a successful and powerful segment of the African-American community that isn't always seen on television. Discussions of race are subtle, but it's an important theme here. References are made about Nene's "outlandish" (translation: "low class") behavior, while Kim -- one of Nene's best friends and the only Caucasian woman in the group -- is often visibly missing from many of the housewives' gatherings. The show delivers a mixed bag of social messages, but one thing remains constant: For these women, money and image -- and the power those two things bring them -- is everything.