Michael Rapaport Has Strong Thoughts On What Makes A Great Real Housewife

Michael Rapaport has long expressed his love for the "Real Housewives" franchise, and he has some specific speculation regarding makes a great Housewife. According to the "Sully" actor, any star of the franchise must possess a thick skin, telling KTLA 5 in August 2022, "Great housewives are like fighters. They take it as good as they give it." And all thanks to his wife, Kebe, and an upsetting football game, Rapaport has developed many hot takes on "Real Housewives."

His admiration for Bravo's wildly popular stars began one night when he joined his wife Kebe Dunn to watch one of the "Real Housewives" shows after a football game he was watching was not going in his favor. From there, Rapaport was hooked and binged the "Housewives" seasons, telling "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cast member Erika Girardi on his "I Am Rapaport: Stereo Podcast," "I was enraptured, literally enraptured. I think it is exactly why television was invented." Now well-versed in the Housewives lore, Rapaport has a good idea of what qualities will attract viewers, and much of it involves drama.

Superfan Michael Rapaport believes a good Housewife must be a bit chaotic. During his KTLA 5 chat, Rapaport praised Erika Girardi, who was filmed during criticism over her husband Tom's alleged fraudulent business practices and their divorce. Girardi refused to quit "RHOBH," despite her many issues, something Rapaport seemingly appreciated. According to Rapaport, Girardi's adversity is needed in a Housewife. "Do we want our 'Real Housewives' buttoned up like librarians? No, we don't want that. We want them messy. We want them dramatic." Judging by the women he deemed to be the greatest of all time, Rapaport clearly has a liking for the theatrics.

During a February 2020 appearance on "Watch What Happens Live," the comedian named Bethenny Frankel, Nene Leakes, and Teresa Giudice as the top three Housewives. While it can be speculated what he loves about each, Rapaport has proudly expressed what made Frankel a standout, tweeting in July 2018, "Good, bad or indifferent she always keeps it Real. It's called the 'Real Housewives' It's not called the friendliest, happiest, or always chipper Housewives."

Michael Rapaport is as devoted to "Real Housewives" as he is to sports, and he sees a lot of parallels between the two. During a chat with Bravo ahead of the September 2015 Real Housewives Awards, Rapaport correlated Bethenny Frankel to an NBA icon, explaining, "She brings it all. Bethenny is a force. She's like when [Michael] Jordan came back to the [Chicago] Bulls. She's a heavyweight." 

Two years later, Rapaport would also connect MJ to the Las Vegas performing reality personality, Erika Girardi, who also goes by her stage name, Erica Jayne. "Her first season, she was rookie of the year," he told former "Wendy Show" producer Norman Baker in October 2017 after appearing on "The Wendy Show". "She was like Michael Jordan in his rookie season." 

Clearly, Rapaport doesn't regret switching from a football game to an episode of "Real Housewives" in that fated moment that turned him into a superfan.