Southern Charm: High on Themselves in the Low Country

Who are these self-absorbed people and why should I care?

“These self-absorbed people” are the cast of Southern Charm, a Bravo TV docu-series that follows the lives of six Charleston singles who are from “aristocratic” backgrounds . When offered an opportunity to live-tweet the April 13 episode via Sverve and #SverveChat, I jumped at it. After all, I know the Cooper River Bridge (from running it); I’ve wandered the City Market a fair share of times. I’m no stranger to the best seafood, most beautiful architecture, and most delectable red velvet cupcakes ever!

These people, though, travel on a different trajectory than I ever have as a Charleston visitor.

They hunt (boars, for example), drink (from sweet tea to screwdrivers), and sleep with each other (not in that order).

Does that jive with my experience of Charleston? No, but I am now at the point in my life where I’m the friendly visiting aunt/godmother. These men in Southern Charm especially make me think of David O. Russell telling Terry Gross about trying to be a preppy kid when he was in actuality a scholarship “ethnic” kid at a toney private school. He said, “That [preppy] guy’s like down to the toes. He’s got the real thing going – like three generations deep. I don’t think you’re going to carry a candle to that guy. So then you give up on that.”

Will I ever meet these people on one of my forays into Charleston? Probably not. You’re more likely to find me in my Target/consignment ensemble, tagging along with nieces and nephews or poking around the Maritime Museum.

But for an hour tonight I had the fun of seeing the city through a different set of eyes.

Eyes which saw things to shoot, conquests to be made, rustic cabins to inhabit, and “lots of eggs.”

By “lots of eggs,” I don’t mean these:

I mean “Kathryn’s” eggs:

In closing, one thing I was taught as a Southern Girl was to be discreet. I’ve seen and heard a lot of cattiness conducted discreetly but never have I heard a proper southern lady say, “She’s got lots of eggs.” Southern Charm is about a different breed of southerner than I am accustomed to but for entertainment value, say “bless your heart” Southern Charm and thanks for a fun hour!

Click here to visit Southern Charm’s website and learn more.

Paula Kiger

Wife of one, Mom of two, Friend of many. My pronouns are she/her/hers.