Why Do People Hate Ramona Singer?
Ramona Singer is one of the most controversial and divisive stars of The Real Housewives of New York City. She has been on the show since the first season in 2008, making her one of the longest tenured Housewives. However, despite her longevity on the series, Ramona has earned a reputation among fans for being rude, self-centered, and insensitive towards others.
Her behavior continues to divide audiences, with some viewers finding her antics entertaining while others feel she takes things too far. This article will explore some of the main reasons why Ramona Singer has become such a polarizing figure amongst RHONY fans.
Her Privileged Upbringing
One of the main reasons Ramona rubs some people the wrong way is her privileged upbringing and lifestyle. She frequently boasts about her lavish vacations, designer clothes, prestigious education, and wealthy social circle. This ostentatious behavior can come across as arrogant and elitist to everyday viewers.
Ramona makes no apologies for her affluent background and seems oblivious to how tone-deaf she can appear when bragging about her good fortune. Her immense privilege is exemplified by moments like when she called her Hamptons house her “starter home” or when she acted offended that her private plane didn’t have Wi-Fi. She lacks self-awareness about how out-of-touch these types of comments make her seem.
Her Hamptons Home
Ramona’s “starter home” in the Hamptons perfectly encapsulates her privileged lifestyle. The 8,000 square foot estate in Southampton boasts 7 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, a home theater, wine cellar, heated pool, and tennis court. She purchased the $3.65 million dollar home after divorcing her first husband Mario Singer. Fans criticized her for being so out-of-touch to refer to such a lavish property as just a starter home.
Her Private Jet Demands
On a cast trip to St. Barts, Ramona threw a tantrum because the private jet she arranged for the group did not have Wi-Fi access. She ranted and complained to the pilot that she specifically requested Wi-Fi. Viewers found this complaint ridiculous and exemplary of her entitlement. Flying privately is already an excessive luxury most people will never experience. Demanding something so trivial showed how removed Ramona is from regular people’s realities.
Her Treatment of Service Staff
Another common complaint about Ramona is the disrespectful way she frequently treats waiters, housekeepers, drivers, and other service professionals. There are dozens of cringeworthy scenes where she bosses around staff, makes unreasonable demands, or fails to thank them for their work.
Some examples include:
- Snapping her fingers at a butler to make her tea
- Asking a maid to clean up dog poop from her floor
- Throwing her coat and bag at an assistant without looking at them
- Complaining about housekeepers not speaking English well enough
Her rude, entitled behavior towards the people who serve her reinforces the perception that she looks down on working class people. She sees service staff as beneath her rather than fellow human beings deserving of courtesy and respect.
Her Demanding Tea Orders
One infamous moment was Ramona snapping her fingers repeatedly at a butler during Dorinda’s Halloween party because she wanted her tea prepared a certain way. She didn’t politely ask but rather commanded the butler to fetch her tea without even making eye contact with him or using his name.
Throwing Clothes at Assistants
At fashion shows and events, Ramona has been seen tossing expensive purses, coats and other items at her assistants without sparing a thank you or glance in their direction. Her assistants are left scrambling to collect her discarded belongings while she walks away oblivious to their presence.
Her Self-Absorbed Personality
Ramona’s biggest character flaw according to fans is her self-absorbed approach to life. She frequently makes everything about herself and rarely shows interest in others. She dominates conversations shifting focus back to herself. She fails to ask follow-up questions, listen attentively, or demonstrate empathy when her friends share problems.
This self-centeredness manifests itself in various petty ways like:
- One-upping people or interrupting them to talk about herself
- Looking at her phone when others are speaking
- Forgetting important details about friends’ lives
- Turning even serious situations into a chance to discuss herself
Her former castmate Carole Radziwill nicknamed her “Ramona-coaster” for her ability to make every topic or occasion about herself. After over a decade of this behavior, many viewers have lost patience and view Ramona’s narcissism as her fatal flaw.
One-Upping Stories
Whenever her co-stars share a story, Ramona has the habit of immediately sharing a similar story from her own life depicting herself in a more favorable light or exaggerated way. For instance, if Luann mentions going to see a Broadway show, Ramona will jump in to brag about the time she met the entire cast backstage.
Hijacking Conversations
Group conversations often get derailed or dominated by Ramona detailing some irrelevant drama or event in her own life. She frequently steers the topic toward herself rather than allowing others to speak or share their perspectives. This tendency to hog the conversation frustrates both her cast mates and viewers alike.
Her Questionable Treatment of Avery
As the only original RHONY cast member with a child, fans have also witnessed Ramona’s tumultuous relationship with her daughter Avery over the years. Viewers often feel Ramona treats Avery more like an accessory than a human being with thoughts and feelings of her own.
From a young age, Avery frequently had to rein in her mother’s inappropriate behavior and was often left embarrassed by Ramona putting her personal life on display for cameras. Fans sympathize with Avery and feel she deserved a more nurturing, protective mother based on their strained dynamic.
Discussing Avery’s Body Image
One disturbing example was in Season 5 when Ramona made unsolicited comments about 16-year old Avery’s body image and weight. Instead of building up her daughter’s confidence, Ramona criticized Avery’s curves and insisted she needed to start dieting to lose weight. Fans found her focus on her teenage daughter’s figure extremely inappropriate.
Forcing Avery into the Spotlight
Ramona would often drag a reticent Avery on camera to pry into her romantic life or friendships against Avery’s wishes. Avery frequently objected to being forced into the spotlight just to satisfy Ramona’s storyline demands. Many felt Ramona sacrificed Avery’s well-being and privacy simply to create drama for the show.
Her Treatment of Other RHONY Cast Members
In addition to her own family and staff, Ramona has infamously feuded with and offended most of her RHONY cast mates over the years. Her combativeness and tendency to stir up trouble has caused friction with everyone from Bethenny Frankel to Luann de Lesseps.
Some of her more memorable feuds include:
Bethenny Frankel
Ramona and Bethenny have clashed many times throughout RHONY’s run. Bethenny found Ramona dismissive, self-involved, and cold. Ramona took issue with Bethenny’s abrasive personality and underhanded digs. Their Season 10 fight over touching meat for a photo op led to an explosive argument exposing the deep animosity underlying their relationship.
Dorinda Medley
Dorinda reached her breaking point with Ramona’s narcissism during Season 12. Ramona ignored Dorinda’s anger about her husband’s death and made Dorinda’s memorial birthday dinner all about herself. Their feud culminated with Dorinda’s now famous label for Ramona as “the most selfish narcissist I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Luann de Lesseps
As the only other remaining original cast member, Ramona and Luann have an especially complex dynamic. The Countess finds Ramona draining and insensitive while Ramona resents Luann’s haughty demeanor. Luann even released a dis track about Ramona’s bad behavior called “Ramona Coaster.” Their rivalry exemplifies Ramona’s talent for alienating even decades-long friends.
In all of these feuds, viewers feel Ramona repeatedly crosses lines with her self-centered behavior and stirs up drama at the expense of bonding with these women in a real way.
Her Hypocrisy About Age and Dating
Another source of fan frustration with Ramona is her hypocrisy regarding age and dating as a divorced woman over 60. On one hand she demands people respect her experience and wisdom that comes with age. Yet she also acts embarrassed by her age and tries desperately to act younger with her clothing, glam routines, and plastic surgery.
Now that she is single, Ramona claims she wants a distinguished, age-appropriate gentleman but her behavior suggests otherwise. She vies for the attention of younger suitors and disparages the looks of men her own age. Fans call her out for this double standard of wanting to be seen as young and sexy herself while putting down her male peers for aging.
Demanding Respect for Her Age
Ramona often pulls rank as the eldest RHONY cast member. When the other women don’t follow her advice or contradict her opinions, she huffs that they should respect their elder. Yet when she wants to impress a younger man she pretends to be much more youthful.
Dressing Too Young
There are dozens of scenes where Ramona wears clothing more suitable for someone decades younger than a 60-something grandmother. From barely there miniskirts to low cut mesh tops, fans frequently slam her age-inappropriate wardrobe choices.
Obsession with Plastic Surgery & Appearance
To preserve her own youth, Ramona spends an exorbitant amount of time and money on botox, fillers, face lifts, laser treatments and more. Fans say this sends a negative message about aging gracefully to women her age watching the show.
Her Political Views
While RHONY generally avoids serious political talk, Ramona’s occasional comments about social and political issues have also rubbed many fans the wrong way. She has come across as tone deaf, bigoted or ignorant when sharing some of her opinions on matters like racism, LGBTQ+ rights, and the pandemic.
Racially Insensitive Remarks
During the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, Ramona was criticized for her flippant response of “All Lives Matter” to the racial justice movement. Fans also called out her past racial insensitivities like asking her friend Elyse if she was “Oriental.”
Homophobic Comments
Ramona previously made homophobic comments saying she doesn’t think bisexuality exists and it’s just a phase. She also outed Sonja’s intern Tyler as gay without his permission. Fans called these comments prejudiced and disrespectful.
COVID-19 Conspiracies
Early in the pandemic, Ramona was slammed for spreading COVID-19 conspiracy theories. She falsely suggested the Chinese government created the virus and doubted its seriousness. Fans felt her platform should not be used to disseminate misinformation about a global health crisis.
Conclusion
In summary, Ramona Singer has emerged as one of Bravo’s most divisive personalities due to her privileged lifestyle, self-absorbed personality, hypocritical behavior, and offensive commentary. However, she has proven resilient amongst RHONY fans thanks to her sense of humor, high-strung neuroticism, and commitment to bringing drama. Audiences seem torn between loving to hate her and just plain hating her.
As one of the few remaining original NYC Housewives, Ramona will undoubtedly continue challenging fans’ patience and evoking passionate reactions in future seasons. Her extravagance, unpredictability, and unfiltered nature solidify her position as a true Bravo icon – for better or worse!
Has She Earned Her Villain Status?
After over a decade playing the antagonist on RHONY, is Ramona truly deserving of her ‘villain’ status among fans or is she misunderstood? Arguments could be made either way but Ramona herself seems to relish the controversy she stirs up season after season.
Does She Have Any redeeming Qualities?
Yes, Ramona does have some qualities viewers find endearing like her humor, high energy, and resilience. She can also be surprisingly witty with hilarious one-liners fans love to quote. Some feel she’s been unfairly typecast as the show’s perpetual villain.
What Does the Future Hold for Ramona?
As social media scrutiny of her intensifies with each passing year, Ramona faces an uphill battle staying relevant on RHONY without taming her more outrageous tendencies. With rumblings of a cast shake-up, Ramona will need adapt while still bringing her signature brand of drama. Her future on the show remains uncertain but never boring!
Frequently Asked Questions About Why People Dislike Ramona Singer
Why do people think Ramona Singer is so rude?
Many viewers believe Ramona Singer comes across extremely rude due to her entitlement, treatment of service staff, and socially insensitive behavior. She frequently demands things instead of asking politely and fails to thank workers. Her comments are often oblivious or dismissive about how she sounds.
What does Ramona Singer do for a living?
Ramona Singer built a successful career in fashion, running her own company RMS Fashions for over 20 years. She distributes high-end women’s apparel to major department stores. She eventually sold the company but continued working in fashion as a brand ambassador and designer.
Why did Ramona get divorced?
In 2014, Ramona Singer divorced her husband of over 20 years, Mario Singer, after it was revealed he cheated on her with a much younger woman named Kasey Dexter. Ramona detailed the divorce and its aftermath on RHONY.
Does Ramona Singer have a boyfriend now?
Ramona is currently single and dating around. On recent seasons of RHONY she was linked to men like Harry Dubin and Peter Thomas but did not enter a serious relationship. She continues going on dates and looking for a more age appropriate boyfriend.
What plastic surgery has Ramona had done?
Fans speculate Ramona has had a variety of plastic surgery procedures done including a nose job, breast implants, fillers in her face, botox injections, and more. However, Ramona has never directly confirmed which specific surgeries she has actually undergone.
Why did Bethenny Frankel feud with Ramona?
Bethenny took issue with Ramona’s dismissive, self-involved personality. Their tensions came to a head in Season 10 when Bethenny threw a charity dinner and Ramona made the event all about herself, ignoring the cause. This led to a screaming fight exposing deep animosity between the two.