Over the years, as ESPN has continued to emphasize the E for entertainment, it has had its fair share of critics who would prefer cogent, analytical discussions to whatever it is that Stephen A. Smith and Chris Russo are yelling about any given day.
There are still shows like Pardon the Interruption and NFL Live where you can find that, but the embrace debate-ification and Pat McAfee of it all have helped turn ESPN’s daily programming into something more about the loud noises than the stats.
That’s not unlike, say, Bravo’s Real Housewives series, which rachets up the drama to eleven.
One person who sees a connection between what audiences see on ESPN and Bravo happens to be former First Lady, Michelle Obama. Obama and her brother Craig Robinson discussed that comparison on Wednesday’s episode of their IMO podcast alongside Las Culturistas hosts Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers.
“It’s all a sociological study,” said Obama. “They think that sports is better reality TV, I’m like, ‘it’s the same thing.’
“If I listen to ESPN for an hour, it’s like watching the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you know? It’s the same drama, and they’re yelling at each other and they don’t get along, you know? I mean, Stephen A. Smith, he’s just like every other…”
“He’d be a great Real Housewife,” said Rogers.
“He would be amazing,” added Yang.
“So that’s why I’m like, ‘what’s the difference?’ It’s just, you know, it’s just sociological drama,” added Obama. “I mean, the fact that people over seasons of working still can’t get along. They still have the same arguments, you know, and it’s not just women. But this happens in sports, too. I find it fascinating.”
The conversation then shifted to the manufactured drama of the Real Housewives franchise, raising an interesting comparison that prompts sports fans to consider why they watch shows like First Take or The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN.
Come for the debate about Joel Embiid, stay for Dog and Stephen A arguing over which one of them is more famous pic.twitter.com/sGbyafpshn
— Brandon Contes (@BrandonContes) April 6, 2022
Now, let’s get back to the idea of The Real Housewives of Bristol starring Stephen A. Smith…
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.