February 27, 2024 • 17 mins
Rachel takes the headlines head on.
Vanderpump Rules and its cast can't seem to keep themselves out of the press, Rachel gives her rogue take.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
This is Rachel Goes Rogue. Hey guys, it's Rachel Savannah Levis,
your host of Rachel Goes Rogue. Who we are going
rogue today because I have a lot to say on
what's happening with the show, how often they're using my
name and hot topics on course Tom Sandoval and his
(00:30):
most recent endeavors, and I feel like I just want
to rant a little bit. I know you guys are
reading the same stories that are out this week about
no other but Tom Sandoval. He did a New York
Times magazine article called how Tom Sandival became the most
Hated man in America, and he's getting a lot of
(00:52):
flack for it. I know you guys know exactly which
parts have gone viral from it, but if if you
read this whole article, it is very interesting, to say
the least. There's a few takeaways for me, one of
them just really showing how Tom is living in this
(01:16):
hyper reality state. I think we can all agree that
Scandabal doesn't even come close in comparison with OJ Simpson
or George Floyd. These were tragedies, one in which sparked
a huge movement. I know all of you guys are
thinking the same thing. It goes to show that Tom
(01:38):
is really in his own reality. Let me quote this.
It says Sandival can't always tell if he's living for
himself or the show or both. Sometimes he really has
to talk to his best friend and co star, Tom Schwartz,
but he knows he shouldn't be a text, so he
will call producers and ask how quickly they could have
(02:00):
cameras on him to film him. I think this is
really interesting because this is actually something that Tom Sandoval
has crept me to do when I was still new
to filming. He taught me, when we're filming a TV show,
it is the most effective when we have the conversation
on camera for the first time, because that's when we
(02:23):
can really show our true emotions and how we are
actually feeling. But if you have that conversation off camera,
then you're going to have to recreate that conversation for
camera purposes and you'll have to fake your emotion. So
(02:43):
wait to have those real talk conversations for on camera,
but then like talk about the weather or whatever it
might be that's not important for off camera. It is
really bizarre if you think about it, because it's like, yes,
this show creates a base for these huffer conversations that
(03:05):
are real in the moment, but it's reality TV, so
you can see how that can get very complicated. The
article is really interesting because it kind of demonstrated and
painted a picture for us of how the effects of
reality TV is impacting a regular person. In fact, i'll
(03:27):
pull a quote from the article where the writer said,
although reality programming has been a dominant part of American
culture for over two decades, we've never actually put a
regular person on reality TV to live out much of
their adult life and gotten to see what happens to
them as a result. So this is interesting to me
(03:50):
because it's kind of like an experiment. I think there
was reference also to other shows where past members would
come on for a short duration of time and then
they would be off of it and deal with whatever
backlash that they would receive from being on that season,
processed through that, and then it would be over unless they,
(04:12):
like did another show like Bachelor in Paradise or something.
But in Fander Pump Rules, this is a recurring cast.
You know, it's been eleven seasons now, so at least
over eleven years of these people's lives, you know, including
my own my old twenties were on this show, and
(04:35):
I think it just goes to show that your reality
can be so skewed and if you don't have strong
boundaries in place of like, Okay, I know exactly who
I am, and I know that this is a job
that we're here to do, it still gets so messy
because it's like when does your job become just the
(04:56):
job and not your real life at a certain point
living for the storyline on the show, it's just very complex,
and I think this article really captures how that is
playing out in a long term way for everybody to see.
(05:16):
I was mentioned in the article a few times. It
says in April he quit drinking, hence the tea he
was now sipping. He did it for Levis when she
entered that facility in Arizona. He assumed that they would
be together once she got out, But then Levis stopped
(05:37):
talking to him and hasn't returned his calls since June.
She never even gave me any closure. He said, it
was really hard. It still messes with me. He even
tried reaching out through her publicist but got no response.
And I'm not sure we talked about this yet. But
I do remember that phone call that you know, he
(05:57):
was really trying to get me on the phone and
said he had important info and he would only share
it if I was on the phone. Obviously that's manipulative
and that conversation was wild, but I didn't respond because
(06:18):
I'm trying to stay in reality and I know his
priorities are the show, and it even got so confusing
for me when I was hanging out with him. I
feel like people are starting to see how this show
has affected Tom and his reality, and now they're saying like, oh,
(06:41):
Tom should take a year off. He needs to process
through this, and I'm like, yeah, people like that's why
I didn't come back. But I think other people are
starting to see that too. They're like, oh, I can
see why Raqueal didn't come back to do this show
because there's no way it is good for mental health.
I'm glad that people are starting to see it and
(07:02):
starting to connect the dots, because that was a huge
issue for me. It was like, there's no way I
could go back to the show and have some sort
of real reality. Now, let's talk about something that stood
out to me watching episode four. I thought it was
(07:22):
interesting in this episode how when Lisa gave Graham to James,
she never said my name. She didn't say that story
that was put out in the press of me surrending
my dog to kill Shelter and it was hours away
of being euthanized. And I thought that was very interesting
(07:42):
because I was like, Oh, this isn't what I thought
it was gonna be. And I'm pleasantly surprised. I'm a
little bit relieved because now I don't have to worry
about more death threats and death wishes. I don't know
if that scene was reshot so that she could backtrack
after being called out on it, or if that was
original thing and she just let those rumors run rampant
(08:05):
because it was like propaganda to make me look like
this ultimate villain. But I'm glad that I called her
out on it and put the real story out there,
because my family was in contact with the foster that
was screening and taking care of Graham, and so we
actually did know like the story of how Lisa adopted Graham,
(08:28):
and I think she realized that we had so many
facts that we published to the press that she was
going to have to change her story. We've also heard
from the fans watching that have been following since all
of this happened and been following filming that they witnessed
(08:49):
Graham being reunited with James in Tahoe specifically, So I
wonder how they're going to transition all of that, So
it will be interesting to see. I'm just relieved that
she's not running with that narrative. You know, some people
still don't understand, like they say, oh, I should have
just gone back to do the show. If I'm going
to be commenting on it. You know, the only reason
(09:10):
why I'm commenting on it is because they're talking about
me and I'm not there, and I'm not gonna let
them run with these fabricated lies that paint me in
a horrible picture. And I'm glad I spoke up about
the truth because it did change the trajectory of this
season and how the Graham situation played out. I truly
(09:32):
believe that I wanted to discuss some of the VPR
headlines of this week because there have been many and
with my iHeart producers, they have some questions and I
(09:55):
have lots of thoughts, So let's get right into it.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
So you're talking about mental health and you were talking
about the idea that reality TV can be a really
hard environment to thrive in. This week, we saw the
topic of mental health come up on the episode where
Lisa is asking Sheena and La La to kind of
ease up on Tom and give him a little bit
of grace. Now, what we saw play out was the
(10:19):
weight of that on the other cast members. Ariana this
week has come out to say she thinks that if
Lisa notices someone is struggling, it is her job to
provide mental support and she shouldn't be putting that ask
on the cast members. Where do you stand on this?
Speaker 1 (10:36):
I agree with Ariana. I think that Lisa should be
the one to advocate for Tom Sandoval's mental health if
she's concerned about it, and getting like serious attention would
be a good thing, especially if you're concerned with somebody
who has very dark thoughts. I think that putting that
(10:57):
and having that scene on camera talking to Lala and
Sena about it is like, Okay, now we're are we
just using Tom's mental health as a storyline for the
season and to get Tom Sandoval back in the group
by talking some sense there quotes into Sina and Laala,
(11:19):
because if that's the case. I just feel like, yeah,
that's unfair to Sena and Lala to carry that burden
if something were to happen. It feels icky, like it
feels exploitative. If Lisa is actually concerned about Tom's mental health,
then maybe she does have a responsibility to get him
(11:41):
mental health care, especially with like the disclaimers that keep
coming up at the end of the episodes providing a hotline,
which is obviously new this season. It just feels icky.
It feels like Lisa is kind of like using Tom's
mental health as a story, putting some pressure on La
(12:02):
La and Shina, And I think Ariana is right, Lisa
should be getting Tom Sandabal some help.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Marianas also mentioned that she kind of felt similar to
what you were saying where Tom was talking about her
mental health on public platforms.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Yeah, I recognize that too, For every time that I've
talked about Tom talking about my mental state and bringing
that up on camera or on other people's podcast. I
also recognized that Ariana has been in the same boat
as me, and never ever is it okay for someone
else to be talking about someone's mental state of mind
(12:44):
if that has been shared with you in confidence, so
it's just very icky that that is still being talked
about for both me and Ariana.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
So speaking of Ariana, Tom Sandabal has claimed that he
loaned ninety thousand dollars to her, and he says that
he cannot sell their shared home until she pays him back.
So there's so much back and forth between the two
of them. Do you think while they're sorting this out,
they should still be living together?
Speaker 1 (13:14):
No? I don't, but like I have no saying that
their finances are between them, and I've asked Tom to
move out, like I provided a apartment for him to
stay at when I was at the Meadows, and I
asked him to leave the house and find a new
(13:36):
place by the time I got back, and he was like, no,
that's not happening. So I don't know what's going on
between them, because Tom has told me that their roommates,
and there's still roommates. Even if they weren't quite just
roommates before, they definitely are. No.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Tom sanderbal very much in the news this week. He
was even mentioned on an episode of SNL. Did you
see that episode or did you see the mention?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
I saw the mention?
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Yes, So previously you had talked about what it felt
like to be on a cover of a magazine. Obviously
not necessarily for the reason you would want to, but
you said it was cool. Do you think Tom Sanderbal
would think being mentioned on SNL would be cool regardless
of the context.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Okay, first of all, when I said it was cool,
it was definitely like my thought process in that moment
when I received the magazine, So I just wanted to
clear that up. I don't necessarily think it's cool now,
but I don't know if Tom thinks it's cool. I mean,
I think right now he's probably been advised to not speak,
(14:42):
and it just seems like every time he opens his
mouth he digs himself a little bit deeper.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Do you think that with all of these headlines and
with all of this press he's getting, do you think
this will be the thing that I'll make Hi take accountability?
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Oh? Maybe maybe, I think. I mean, there's been many
things that I feel like could be canceled worthy, for instance,
going to Thailand taking photos with tigers and posting it,
bragging about it, and not only getting hate for it,
but then showing up to Nick File's podcast with a
(15:19):
framed photo forty five minutes late, so that's one thing.
No remorse there, and then he continues on to do
the New York Times article, which was actually recorded before
the Nick Vile podcast. I think, now that this has
(15:39):
gotten so big, will he ever take accountability? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Well, it's interesting too, because you know, when the whole
thing first broke, your names were kind of lumped together
in the same sentences. But now it seems like you've
gone one way and he's gone another way. Do you
see that and how does that feel?
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Yes, well, we handled the situation very differently, and I
think it's very interesting to see how the public has
kind of reacted to the way that we've handled the situation.
First of all, it was like I'm running away from
my problems and Tom is actually going back and facing
it and holding out to his filming obligation. But after
(16:21):
the New York Times article, people are starting to see
how toxic and dark reality TV is and how detrimental
it can be to your mental health if you're not
able to take time away to process through your life.
I think it's important to have these conversations that we're
(16:44):
having now, like what are the long term effects that
reality TV? Can have on a person, How is it
affecting their mental health? I think these are all questions
to keep in the forefront of our mind as we
continue watching Underpump Rules and other reality TV shows. Thank
(17:07):
you so much for listening to Rachel Ghos Rogue. Follow
us on Instagram and TikTok for exclusive video content at
Rachel Ghos Rogue Podcast
This is Rachel Goes Rogue. Hey guys, it's Rachel Savannah Levis,
your host of Rachel Goes Rogue. Who we are going
rogue today because I have a lot to say on
what's happening with the show, how often they're using my
name and hot topics on course Tom Sandoval and his
(00:30):
most recent endeavors, and I feel like I just want
to rant a little bit. I know you guys are
reading the same stories that are out this week about
no other but Tom Sandoval. He did a New York
Times magazine article called how Tom Sandival became the most
Hated man in America, and he's getting a lot of
(00:52):
flack for it. I know you guys know exactly which
parts have gone viral from it, but if if you
read this whole article, it is very interesting, to say
the least. There's a few takeaways for me, one of
them just really showing how Tom is living in this
(01:16):
hyper reality state. I think we can all agree that
Scandabal doesn't even come close in comparison with OJ Simpson
or George Floyd. These were tragedies, one in which sparked
a huge movement. I know all of you guys are
thinking the same thing. It goes to show that Tom
(01:38):
is really in his own reality. Let me quote this.
It says Sandival can't always tell if he's living for
himself or the show or both. Sometimes he really has
to talk to his best friend and co star, Tom Schwartz,
but he knows he shouldn't be a text, so he
will call producers and ask how quickly they could have
(02:00):
cameras on him to film him. I think this is
really interesting because this is actually something that Tom Sandoval
has crept me to do when I was still new
to filming. He taught me, when we're filming a TV show,
it is the most effective when we have the conversation
on camera for the first time, because that's when we
(02:23):
can really show our true emotions and how we are
actually feeling. But if you have that conversation off camera,
then you're going to have to recreate that conversation for
camera purposes and you'll have to fake your emotion. So
(02:43):
wait to have those real talk conversations for on camera,
but then like talk about the weather or whatever it
might be that's not important for off camera. It is
really bizarre if you think about it, because it's like, yes,
this show creates a base for these huffer conversations that
(03:05):
are real in the moment, but it's reality TV, so
you can see how that can get very complicated. The
article is really interesting because it kind of demonstrated and
painted a picture for us of how the effects of
reality TV is impacting a regular person. In fact, i'll
(03:27):
pull a quote from the article where the writer said,
although reality programming has been a dominant part of American
culture for over two decades, we've never actually put a
regular person on reality TV to live out much of
their adult life and gotten to see what happens to
them as a result. So this is interesting to me
(03:50):
because it's kind of like an experiment. I think there
was reference also to other shows where past members would
come on for a short duration of time and then
they would be off of it and deal with whatever
backlash that they would receive from being on that season,
processed through that, and then it would be over unless they,
(04:12):
like did another show like Bachelor in Paradise or something.
But in Fander Pump Rules, this is a recurring cast.
You know, it's been eleven seasons now, so at least
over eleven years of these people's lives, you know, including
my own my old twenties were on this show, and
(04:35):
I think it just goes to show that your reality
can be so skewed and if you don't have strong
boundaries in place of like, Okay, I know exactly who
I am, and I know that this is a job
that we're here to do, it still gets so messy
because it's like when does your job become just the
(04:56):
job and not your real life at a certain point
living for the storyline on the show, it's just very complex,
and I think this article really captures how that is
playing out in a long term way for everybody to see.
(05:16):
I was mentioned in the article a few times. It
says in April he quit drinking, hence the tea he
was now sipping. He did it for Levis when she
entered that facility in Arizona. He assumed that they would
be together once she got out, But then Levis stopped
(05:37):
talking to him and hasn't returned his calls since June.
She never even gave me any closure. He said, it
was really hard. It still messes with me. He even
tried reaching out through her publicist but got no response.
And I'm not sure we talked about this yet. But
I do remember that phone call that you know, he
(05:57):
was really trying to get me on the phone and
said he had important info and he would only share
it if I was on the phone. Obviously that's manipulative
and that conversation was wild, but I didn't respond because
(06:18):
I'm trying to stay in reality and I know his
priorities are the show, and it even got so confusing
for me when I was hanging out with him. I
feel like people are starting to see how this show
has affected Tom and his reality, and now they're saying like, oh,
(06:41):
Tom should take a year off. He needs to process
through this, and I'm like, yeah, people like that's why
I didn't come back. But I think other people are
starting to see that too. They're like, oh, I can
see why Raqueal didn't come back to do this show
because there's no way it is good for mental health.
I'm glad that people are starting to see it and
(07:02):
starting to connect the dots, because that was a huge
issue for me. It was like, there's no way I
could go back to the show and have some sort
of real reality. Now, let's talk about something that stood
out to me watching episode four. I thought it was
(07:22):
interesting in this episode how when Lisa gave Graham to James,
she never said my name. She didn't say that story
that was put out in the press of me surrending
my dog to kill Shelter and it was hours away
of being euthanized. And I thought that was very interesting
(07:42):
because I was like, Oh, this isn't what I thought
it was gonna be. And I'm pleasantly surprised. I'm a
little bit relieved because now I don't have to worry
about more death threats and death wishes. I don't know
if that scene was reshot so that she could backtrack
after being called out on it, or if that was
original thing and she just let those rumors run rampant
(08:05):
because it was like propaganda to make me look like
this ultimate villain. But I'm glad that I called her
out on it and put the real story out there,
because my family was in contact with the foster that
was screening and taking care of Graham, and so we
actually did know like the story of how Lisa adopted Graham,
(08:28):
and I think she realized that we had so many
facts that we published to the press that she was
going to have to change her story. We've also heard
from the fans watching that have been following since all
of this happened and been following filming that they witnessed
(08:49):
Graham being reunited with James in Tahoe specifically, So I
wonder how they're going to transition all of that, So
it will be interesting to see. I'm just relieved that
she's not running with that narrative. You know, some people
still don't understand, like they say, oh, I should have
just gone back to do the show. If I'm going
to be commenting on it. You know, the only reason
(09:10):
why I'm commenting on it is because they're talking about
me and I'm not there, and I'm not gonna let
them run with these fabricated lies that paint me in
a horrible picture. And I'm glad I spoke up about
the truth because it did change the trajectory of this
season and how the Graham situation played out. I truly
(09:32):
believe that I wanted to discuss some of the VPR
headlines of this week because there have been many and
with my iHeart producers, they have some questions and I
(09:55):
have lots of thoughts, So let's get right into it.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
So you're talking about mental health and you were talking
about the idea that reality TV can be a really
hard environment to thrive in. This week, we saw the
topic of mental health come up on the episode where
Lisa is asking Sheena and La La to kind of
ease up on Tom and give him a little bit
of grace. Now, what we saw play out was the
(10:19):
weight of that on the other cast members. Ariana this
week has come out to say she thinks that if
Lisa notices someone is struggling, it is her job to
provide mental support and she shouldn't be putting that ask
on the cast members. Where do you stand on this?
Speaker 1 (10:36):
I agree with Ariana. I think that Lisa should be
the one to advocate for Tom Sandoval's mental health if
she's concerned about it, and getting like serious attention would
be a good thing, especially if you're concerned with somebody
who has very dark thoughts. I think that putting that
(10:57):
and having that scene on camera talking to Lala and
Sena about it is like, Okay, now we're are we
just using Tom's mental health as a storyline for the
season and to get Tom Sandoval back in the group
by talking some sense there quotes into Sina and Laala,
(11:19):
because if that's the case. I just feel like, yeah,
that's unfair to Sena and Lala to carry that burden
if something were to happen. It feels icky, like it
feels exploitative. If Lisa is actually concerned about Tom's mental health,
then maybe she does have a responsibility to get him
(11:41):
mental health care, especially with like the disclaimers that keep
coming up at the end of the episodes providing a hotline,
which is obviously new this season. It just feels icky.
It feels like Lisa is kind of like using Tom's
mental health as a story, putting some pressure on La
(12:02):
La and Shina, And I think Ariana is right, Lisa
should be getting Tom Sandabal some help.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Marianas also mentioned that she kind of felt similar to
what you were saying where Tom was talking about her
mental health on public platforms.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Yeah, I recognize that too, For every time that I've
talked about Tom talking about my mental state and bringing
that up on camera or on other people's podcast. I
also recognized that Ariana has been in the same boat
as me, and never ever is it okay for someone
else to be talking about someone's mental state of mind
(12:44):
if that has been shared with you in confidence, so
it's just very icky that that is still being talked
about for both me and Ariana.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
So speaking of Ariana, Tom Sandabal has claimed that he
loaned ninety thousand dollars to her, and he says that
he cannot sell their shared home until she pays him back.
So there's so much back and forth between the two
of them. Do you think while they're sorting this out,
they should still be living together?
Speaker 1 (13:14):
No? I don't, but like I have no saying that
their finances are between them, and I've asked Tom to
move out, like I provided a apartment for him to
stay at when I was at the Meadows, and I
asked him to leave the house and find a new
(13:36):
place by the time I got back, and he was like, no,
that's not happening. So I don't know what's going on
between them, because Tom has told me that their roommates,
and there's still roommates. Even if they weren't quite just
roommates before, they definitely are. No.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Tom sanderbal very much in the news this week. He
was even mentioned on an episode of SNL. Did you
see that episode or did you see the mention?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
I saw the mention?
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Yes, So previously you had talked about what it felt
like to be on a cover of a magazine. Obviously
not necessarily for the reason you would want to, but
you said it was cool. Do you think Tom Sanderbal
would think being mentioned on SNL would be cool regardless
of the context.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Okay, first of all, when I said it was cool,
it was definitely like my thought process in that moment
when I received the magazine, So I just wanted to
clear that up. I don't necessarily think it's cool now,
but I don't know if Tom thinks it's cool. I mean,
I think right now he's probably been advised to not speak,
(14:42):
and it just seems like every time he opens his
mouth he digs himself a little bit deeper.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Do you think that with all of these headlines and
with all of this press he's getting, do you think
this will be the thing that I'll make Hi take accountability?
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Oh? Maybe maybe, I think. I mean, there's been many
things that I feel like could be canceled worthy, for instance,
going to Thailand taking photos with tigers and posting it,
bragging about it, and not only getting hate for it,
but then showing up to Nick File's podcast with a
(15:19):
framed photo forty five minutes late, so that's one thing.
No remorse there, and then he continues on to do
the New York Times article, which was actually recorded before
the Nick Vile podcast. I think, now that this has
(15:39):
gotten so big, will he ever take accountability? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Well, it's interesting too, because you know, when the whole
thing first broke, your names were kind of lumped together
in the same sentences. But now it seems like you've
gone one way and he's gone another way. Do you
see that and how does that feel?
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Yes, well, we handled the situation very differently, and I
think it's very interesting to see how the public has
kind of reacted to the way that we've handled the situation.
First of all, it was like I'm running away from
my problems and Tom is actually going back and facing
it and holding out to his filming obligation. But after
(16:21):
the New York Times article, people are starting to see
how toxic and dark reality TV is and how detrimental
it can be to your mental health if you're not
able to take time away to process through your life.
I think it's important to have these conversations that we're
(16:44):
having now, like what are the long term effects that
reality TV? Can have on a person, How is it
affecting their mental health? I think these are all questions
to keep in the forefront of our mind as we
continue watching Underpump Rules and other reality TV shows. Thank
(17:07):
you so much for listening to Rachel Ghos Rogue. Follow
us on Instagram and TikTok for exclusive video content at
Rachel Ghos Rogue Podcast
Popular Podcasts
1. The Podium
The Podium: An NBC Olympic and Paralympic podcast. Join us for insider coverage during the intense competition at the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. In the run-up to the Opening Ceremony, we’ll bring you deep into the stories and events that have you know and those you'll be hard-pressed to forget.
2. In The Village
In The Village will take you into the most exclusive areas of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games to explore the daily life of athletes, complete with all the funny, mundane and unexpected things you learn off the field of play. Join Elizabeth Beisel as she sits down with Olympians each day in Paris.
3. iHeartOlympics: The Latest
Listen to the latest news from the 2024 Olympics.