Scandoval may have dominated pop culture in 2023, but no one on Vanderpump Rules was capable of delivering one-liners like the Real Housewives (except for maybe James Kennedy, who deserves an Emmy for “worm with a mustache”).
The women of Bravo worked overtime this year to bring fans quotes that will look great on novelty wine glasses and beach towels for years to come, whether they were veterans (Dorinda Medley) or newbies (Jessel Taank).
Over in Salt Lake City, Meredith Marks kicked off season 4 with a truly unique pronunciation of “rumors” that left viewers wondering what exactly was happening with her accent. In Beverly Hills, Sutton Stracke delivered a command so forceful that even a former U.S. politician had to bow to its power. And in New Jersey, Jackie Goldschneider taught fans which words they should never use in the Garden State.
Keep reading for a look back at the most iconic quotes from the Real Housewives in 2023:
‘Name ’Em’ — Sutton Stracke
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills kicked off its 13th season late in the year, but the show’s resident Southern belle wasted no time dropping what would become arguably the most quoted Bravo line of 2023.
“Name ’em,” she said to Kyle Richards. “Name ’em. Name ’em.”
Name what, exactly? All the times that Sutton acted out when she didn’t get her way, but the context really isn’t important. Just ask Ziwe, who quoted the line when she interviewed disgraced former congressman George Santos.
‘I Have Glam Everywhere I Go’ — Lisa Barlow
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’s Lisa may love fast food and giant fountain sodas, but she also likes the finer things in life — namely, having glam in Monaco, having glam in St. Tropez, having glam everywhere she goes. Would you expect anything less from the woman who wears $60,000 rings to the airport?
‘Anything That Has a Job in It, I Don’t Want It’ — Ubah Hassan
The Real Housewives of New York City’s new cast members were discussing a very NSFW kind of job, but Ubah managed to turn the moment into an anti-work rallying cry for the ages. Darling, she does not dream of labor!
‘I Don’t Have Affairs … I Have Arguments That Paralyze Me’ — Shannon Beador
Shannon had a rough season on The Real Housewives of Orange County, but she still managed to deliver an instantly quotable line while clapping back at her costars (and production) for discussing her romance with then-boyfriend John Janssen. The fact that it happened at the women’s doppelgänger party while Shannon was dressed up as Gina Kirschenheiter was just a bonus.
The Biggest Celeb Memoir Bombshells of 2023: Prince Harry’s Todger and More
Celebrity memoir fans received an enormous bounty in 2023, with stars including Britney Spears, Prince Harry and Barbra Streisand dropping books packed with juicy recollections. Harry kicked off the year with his much-discussed memoir, Spare, which included plenty of tea on his royal family members. In one chapter, Harry claimed that he and his brother, […]
‘Sit Your Ass Down and Get a Bonnet’ — Karen Huger
Some Real Housewives of Potomac fans have been less than pleased with season 8, which has spent a lot of time on Robyn Dixon’s marriage, but everyone can agree that Karen putting on a literal bonnet while discussing the Dixon mess was a high point. Where did she even get it from, and how long was she planning this? The Grande Dame never tells.
‘This Neighborhood Is, Like, Really Up and Coming’ — Jessel Taank
Jessel cemented her status as RHONY’s breakout star when she told Erin Lichy that Tribeca, a New York City neighborhood where the average household income is nearly $900,000, is “up and coming.” Was she wrong or does Tribeca need to step up its game?
‘I Don’t Go Around Calling People Rats’ — Jackie Goldschneider
“Rat” may not seem like that serious of an insult, but it did to the women of New Jersey, who were not impressed when Danielle Cabral called Rachel Fuda one.
“I don’t go around calling people rats,” Jackie said. “Maybe she’s from a different part of Staten Island than I’m from. I mean, it’s, like, a mafia term.”
And if RHONJ viewers know anything, it’s that these women do not like it when you reference the M-word.
‘It’s Called a Mammogram, Larsa’ — Guerdy Abraira
The Real Housewives of Miami kicked off season 6 with a bang thanks in large part to Larsa Pippen, who completely ignored Guerdy’s request to keep her breast cancer diagnosis a secret. But before Larsa spilled the beans to all of Miami, she grilled Guerdy about “how” she knew she had cancer. In response, Guerdy delivered one of the most scathing one-liners ever uttered on Bravo.
Us Weekly’s Athletes of the Year: Jason Kelce, Ali Krieger and More
In the world of sports, 2023 was the year Swifties embraced football, Kim Kardashian put athletes in Skims and Ali Krieger channeled her inner Beyoncé. While Patrick Mahomes earned the NFL MVP award, Corey Seager and the Texas Rangers won the World Series and the Denver Nuggets took home the NBA Championship trophy, Us Weekly […]
‘Zara’ — Garcelle Beauvais
The RHOBH star achieved the rare feat of delivering an iconic line that’s only one word long when she revealed that her gorgeous pearl necklace at Kyle’s weed dinner was from Zara. And that’s how you mix high and low!
‘The Ruuumahz, The Nastiness’ — Meredith Marks
If you are still capable of saying the word “rumors” in a normal way, then you must not be a RHOSLC fan. You probably also wear sunglasses that don’t cover 90 percent of your face.
‘Eagles Don’t Fly With Pigeons’ — Dorinda Medley
From the woman who gave us, “I made it nice,” comes another banger of a quote that is already emblazoned across thousands of Etsy products (and Dorinda’s official merch). The RHONY alum delivered this flawless insult during season 4 of Ultimate Girls Trip — and possibly gave Dolly Parton some song title inspiration in the process.
‘Who’s Carmen?’ — Marysol Patton
Not since Kathy Hilton asked, “Who is hunky dory?” has a Housewife so thoroughly misunderstood a common turn of phrase. Maybe the RHOM star simply misheard Lisa Hochstein when she started talking about “karma,” or maybe she just thinks the concept needs a rebrand. Either way, this kind of thing is why Marysol gets so much screen time when she’s technically just a “friend” of the Housewives.
SHE News — Shereé Whitfield
This isn’t a quote, but rather an entire newspaper. During The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s season 15 reunion, Shereé pulled off a stunt so iconic that even Andy Cohen was shook. “Is this … a newspaper that you printed?” he asked. Yes, it was. Consider the bar raised, ladies!
