Parents' Guide to The Real Housewives of New York City

Unlike some of their Orange County counterparts, these non-traditional housewives aren't just Botox-injecting big spenders; they also wield some real professional and social power in Manhattan. Bethenny, for example, is a celebrity chef and was a runner up in The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, while LuAnn uses her position as Countess de Lesseps (thanks to her French aristocrat husband) to benefit multiple charities. And, like any loving partners and/or parents, they want to provide their loved ones with the best. But despite their hard work and good intentions, the greediness and self-important attitude these women often exhibit sometimes makes them difficult to like and usually hard to take seriously.

Though not particularly exciting, the series offers some voyeuristic pleasure -- especially for those who like looking at how "the other half" lives. But the show's emphasis on status and materialism doesn't send a great message to kids. Still, teens might connect with some of the parent-child dynamics and the exploration of other, more personal issues if they can see through the endless flaunting of wealth and the privileges that come with it.