Elizabeth Hayt is a freelance writer in Manhattan and the author of I'm No Saint: Memoir of a Wayward Wife. (Warner Books, 2006)

Forget botox, retinol cremes and aging naturally. At age 47, I had called in the big guns to fix the changing texture of my face—electro-surgery. I’ve never looked so good.

Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise doesn’t just showcase America’s funniest home catfights. It’s a post-feminist nightmare that preys on women’s shallowest, least-attractive qualities. And I can’t stop watching.