Jill Zarin - Off With Her Head!

A ticket to Jill Zaran's charity event: $250. Her most recent courture gown for the event: $30,000. The purse she will take with her: $16,000. Jill Zarin being challenged about her excessive spending during an economic crisis: Priceless.

Normally Jill Zarin is the housewife we don't hate, but lately, Jill Zarin's relationship with money has become hard to endure. Making the situation worse was Zarin's costume choice for an exclusive Manhattan Halloween Party shown on this week's episode. Jill seemed completely unaware that the idea of a embarassingly rich Manhattan socialitie dressing up as Marie Antoinette in the middle of the greatest economic crisis of our lifetime was the wrong way to go. Marie Antoinette could not relate to the plight of the poor, and it look's like Jill Zarin can't either. Off with her head!

In previous episodes of the Real Housewives of New York City this season, we've watched Jill Zarin drop $16,000 on a single purse, $30,000 on a single dress, and approximately $90,000 on a brand new Mercedes SUV. She's spent more money on the show than most American families would earn in two years time.

In a BBC interview, Jill is asked some hard questions about her privilege and comes up with some embarssing answers. Jill was quick to point out the charity work that she does and the $50,000 she raised at an event for charity.

Let's be honest though, raising that kind of money would be a remarkable achievement for most of us. For Jill Zaran it is the price of one designer gown (she may never wear again) and the $16,000 purse to go with it. Organizing a $250 per person charity event seems a bit hollow when your outfit costs more than the total amount of money you raise. Again, for the average joe, a $250 per person event is a big deal, for a socialite like Jill Zarin though, it's pocket-change.

Note to Zaran: to whom much is given, MUCH is required.

What is truly shocking about this episode however, is the look on Zarin's face when the BBC reporter asks her about her lavish lifestyle in the midst of a financial crisis. Honestly, the expression on her face was one of suprise, almost as if the thought had never, ever, occurred to her before. That was the most disappointing of all.

Note to Countess LuAnn de Lesseps: Celebrity Appearances Don't Count as Community Service

For the second time The Real Housewives of New York City we've been subjected to Countess LuAnn de LeDivorce's alleged (and I stress alleged) community service.

Lulu has a unique approach to cmmunity service. No cooking breakfast at the shelter; no painting walls for a Habitat for Humanity House; no pulling shifts at the Human society. Lulu's approach to community service, you see, doesn't involve any actual work.

Following the spirit of Marie Antoniette, and the French royal line that she can credit for her 'Countess' title, she apparently believes that simply gracing the poor with her presence constitutes community service.

Lulu refers to it as 'mentoring', but to be fair to all the volunteers who actually do mentor, it's important to clarify that mentoring involves imparting an actual skill or ability to the mentee, it's not just an hour long ego pick-me-up session where you gloat to the less fortunate.

Her first 'mentoring' gig involved helping a recovering addict pracice interviewing for an office job, which of course would have been great if she had any meaningful experience with office jobs.

The second attempt at 'mentoring' young girls was about as bad. Note to Lulu, if you need an ego-enhancing hour telling the less fortunate how great your life turned out, so be it. But for god sakes don't call that community service. And consider therapy as an alternative. If youre ego needs that much feeding, chances are you need it.