'RHOSLC': Meredith Marks says she doesn't know if 'slanted eyes' is offensive remark
After a week-long break, the Salt Lake City ladies are back with an all-new episode of 'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City'. The women wasted no time in serving us the drama by picking up from right where they left off. The previous episode featured new housewife Jennie Nguyen organizing a traditional Pho lunch for her co-stars in an attempt to resolve the underlying conflicts and tensions amongst the group members. Unfortunately, Jennie's plan backfired, from walkouts to racist remarks there was a lot happening at the lunch aside from the peace and resolution that she wanted.
During the lunch, Mary Cosby complimented Jennie's "beautiful slanted eyes". Mary believed that she was giving a compliment without realizing that the term is extremely offensive to Asians. Jennie kept quiet at the lunch as she was the hostess, but she brought up the subject later at Whitney Rose's launch party. Jennie gathered all the housewives so that Mary could be held accountable for her actions, and clearly explained how she felt humiliated and offended by Mary's "slanted eyes" comment. Mary failed to see how it was offensive and asked her co-stars if they knew about it. While all the other ladies said that it was a racist thing to say, surprisingly Meredith Marks tried to defend Mary.
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Meredith tried to be diplomatic and tread carefully so as not to upset or offend Mary. She said that she wouldn't use that word although she didn't know if it could be considered offensive. Meredith's remarks didn't sit well with any of the ladies. In her green room interview, Jennie called out Meredith for not hearing her when she was clearly explaining that it was extremely offensive for Asians. Whitney Rose, Heather Gay, and Jen Shah too pointed out Meredith's double standards by pointing out how if it was anybody else in the place of Mary, the housewife would have gone ballistic but since it was Mary she was being very gentle.
Later when Lisa Barlow brought up Mary's other faux pas moment where she compared Jen to "Mexican thugs", Mary stormed out angrily. Meredith ran after Mary trying to calm her down. This left a bad taste in Jennie's mouth who openly wondered what secret Mary had on Meredith that the housewife was supporting Mary so blindly. Thankfully Mary apologized to Jennie for her comments, although she still didn't seem to understand why it was so offensive to her. In her confessional, Mary continued her rant about how in America slanted eyes are considered to be beautiful and a compliment. Meredith's support of Mary is also causing a strain in her friendship with Lisa. We will just have to wait and see if Meredith will continue to support Mary despite the housewife's controversial actions.
'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' Season 2 airs every Sunday at 9/8c on Bravo.