Let's be frank: not every one on the Real Housewives of New York would be accepted with open arms into Manhattan society. For the show's past two seasons, however, Real Housewife LuAnn de Lesseps's preference for Bridgehampton over the city, preoccupation with propriety (etiquette guide Class with the Countess came out in 2009), and her well-mannered children's lack of camera time on the show has made de Lesseps seem like the lone Housewife with a name most likely to be found on museum boards rather than message boards. The show's third season, however, has shown de Lesepps loosening up (who can forget the season two episode when she treated her daughters' teenage friends to a day of etiquette lessons?), dating, and getting in touch with her inner pop-star. De Lesseps chats with PAPERMAG about her music, her upcoming live performance at Splash and Kelly Bensimon's recent on-air breakdown.
Why did you decide to include your singing on the show?
I sing all the time on the show, and the producers never include it. I was singing songs by music legends that Bravo wasn't going to pay for the rights for, so I started writing my own songs. I ended up meeting Chris Young who is my producer and we instantly connected. He thought we could make something great together.
Your single "Money Can't Buy You Class" really gets stuck in your head. Are you planning an entire album?
Well I just signed with Ultra Records, so we'll see. I'm working on another single called "Chic, C'est la Vie." That basically means "chic is the life" in English.
Will you be performing at all in New York?
I'm going to be doing a performance at Splash on June 17th. AndyCohen is going to present. I also have to host a benefit that night for SoHo Partnership, so I have that event and then I'm heading over to Splash. It's going to be a big night.
Do you know what you're going to wear to Splash?
Oh darling, I don't know yet. I don't start thinking about stuff like that until a week in advance.
Doyou think that Kim Zolciak paved the way for "Money Can't Buy You Class" with "Tardy for theParty?"
I support all the girls in what they do, but do I think she paves the way for me? Ithink I would be singing in any case, because I love to sing.
Who are some of your favorite performers?
I love country and rock, performers like Bonnie Raitt. I love cabaret. Madonna is one of my biggest influences because I love to dance.Who hasn't listened to "Borderline" with the volume all the way up?.She's been inspirational in that I love to dance. Mo-town. I love that, too.
Victoria has considered it and we've talked about it, andthat's something I would support if shewanted to do that. She's also interested in becoming an artist and a designer.
In one episode of this season you mention that Victoria broke her arm sneaking out of yourhouse. Did you also have a rebellious streak when you were a teenager?
Iwouldn't call it rebellious, I would call it adventurous. I think thatevery mother can relate to that -- we've all sneaked out tosee the boy. That's why I talkedabout it, because people can relate. I certainly didn't have tosay that's what happened, but I thought it was funny.
We asked some of our Facebook and Twitter followers if they had anyquestions for you and a lot of people want to know where you get yourhair cut.
Igo to Mary at Fiber, between Lex and3rd. She's great, it's like a little boutique-y salon. She's up in the penthouse,and there's a little garden outside. It's so nice.
How do you feel about your portrayal on the show this season?
I think people think they know the real us from this show, but it's just a sneak peek of our lives. When you put seven housewives on a show andyou have commercials, there's really not much time left. There's a lot of editing. I sometimes feel like people don't see who we really arebecause of how [producers] want the story line to go. Real Housewives is really more of a docu-drama than a reality show. Not that it's scripted,because it's not. But, for example, I start the show saying, 'I don'tfeel guilty for being privileged, I feel lucky,' and they whacked the'lucky' part off. But I'm a countess, right? So they play up that whole thing. People just shouldn't forget these these are just pieces of who we are, not who we really are.
You've been fighting with Bethenny quite a bit this season and siding with Jill. How much of that is reality?
Well,I wasn't really in the middle. They make it seem like I am,because I say to Jill in the scene at Ramona's 'let's go' and my brain wasjust not thinking about the the fact that these two were in a sparring match that they justcouldn't resolve. I had to pick up more clothes for the homeless! So I was like, 'I've got a car downstairs. I need to go.' But producers made it look like I was interjecting when I truly just needed to leave. But, I must say, I wasn't really feeling the love for Bethenny this season. Because, as Bethenny told me 'We're not reallyfriends.' I was like, 'Ok. That's news tome.' And on top of that do you want someone in your life who calls you a drag queen?
Bethenny's mouth gets her in trouble sometimes.
Well, it gets her in trouble but it's funny, too. She's a double-edged sword.
There's been a lot of talk about Kelly Bensimon's breakdown on thelast episode. Did you feel like that was also the product of editing?
Therewas some help from the other Housewives there that youdidn't get to see. Let's put it that way. I think that it was four againstone, but I do think that she could have gone with the flow a little bitmore, and not have instigated as much. She needed abackup. She needed somebody, to go, 'we know, Kelly, we know.'
Are you glad you weren't on that trip?
Oh, boy, am I glad, darling. And I love that Ramona said that Jill and I weren't invited because we're buzzkills. Nobody could kill Ramona's buzz.
Ifyou had to choose between going on a date with Simon or Bobby -- in a world where they aren't married to your friends, of course -- who would you choose?
Oh, I can't answer that darling. But it's a very interesting question. People can always ask interesting questions, but it's now always in my best interest to answer them.
