'Real Housewives' Stirs Debate

When it comes to reality TV---audiences say the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" have the vibe---the glitz-and the wow factor.

Atlanta Magazine even made it a cover story.

But for some, says Amanda Heckert, Atlanta Magazine Senior Editor and Author of the cover story, the Show is not all glitz and glamour.

"I think there are concerns in the Black community here that it's not reflective of the legacy the Black people have built in the City of Atlanta, the birthplace of civil rights, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Joseph Lowery, and then you have the "Real Housewives of Atlanta."

For Mark Vaughan, Marketing Chief of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Cable TV Show (BRAVO) is a win-win.

"It creates allot of curiosity about Atlanta. It shows some of the finer restaurants, some of the finer hotels and attractions. That aspect of it has been very positive for us," Vaughan said.

A big question is what is the real message that the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" sends out to the real people arriving in the City.

"I think it's neutral. It could take place in any city of the country. It's a fun show to watch," said a visitor just arriving from Minneapolis.

Said another from Chicago:

"A lot of nice restaurants, other than that no negative connotations for the City."

Another Chicago resident said:

"It (Real Housewives) says you got to be rich to live here--that's what it says to me."

Still another arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson from Michigan said the Show was:

"Glamorous, glitzy, it's interesting. They don't say anything about the City--its all about women."

And adds Ms. Heckert:

"From my perspective, I think its all in good fun."