Tamra Judge is considered to be one of the most polarizing characters in Real Housewives of Orange County. But she brings a lot to the table. She has shared some of her deepest private issues on the small screen. Between her nasty divorce, worrying about her older son, and falling out with multiple costars, Tammy Sue has been the gift that keeps on giving. So when I think of the perfect reality TV star, the pint-size blonde pops are right in my mind. She’s beautiful, funny, and witty, but above all, she will stop at nothing to make sure the truth comes out, even if she has to burn a few bridges to get there.
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Tamra Judge is a chameleon
In this writer’s humble opinion, Tamra doesn’t get the credit she deserves for making the Real Housewives of Orange County what it is. Yes, the franchise had Vicki Gunvalson, who loved to “whoop it up,” but the MVP has to be Tamra. All Tamra had to do to solidify her place in history was utter six words: “Did you go to Bass Lake?” and viewers were hooked. She has always been a force to be reckoned with, thanks to her ability to ask the tough questions that no other costar dared to mutter.
There is no doubt that when Tammy Sue pointed to Gretchen Rossi to ask if she went to visit her ailing fiancé or went on vacation, it changed the trajectory of reality TV. Tamra’s blunt question marked the first time she or any other Real Housewives star had brought private issues into the reality TV realm. It was now no longer about a faux performance for the cameras and producers. Now, Bravo fans were actually seeing real-life issues and consequences play out in front of the cameras. Love her or hate her, she is a hall-of-fame housewife.
Tamra Judge is a social butterfly
Socially, Tamra is a Grade-A strategist. She knows exactly who to be friends with or who to pick on, depending on the season. Honestly, she can read the storylines like a book and always seems one step ahead of the rest. A great example of this is the shock of Season 7 when Tamra has befriended Gretchen. The realtor spent seasons bashing the blonde bombshell, but she knew she needed to get Slade Smiley’s new girlfriend back on her side. Not surprisingly, her plan worked; the ratings had never been better. Tamra was fully aware that the dynamics needed to change for RHOC to stay fresh.
I like to think of Tamra as a trailblazer, lest we forget she was the first to give fans a sexy bathtub scene when she introduced Eddie Judge as her boyfriend. But honestly, we could have done without that cringey moment. But Tamra was also the first Real Housewives star to have a bi-curious storyline with “friend of,” Fernanda. The narrative was sexy and playful, which is exactly what Orange County is all about. Honestly, she’s always been a center orange in my book.
Tamra Judge thought she was ‘boring’
While talking on Bravo’s Hot Mic podcast, Tamra revealed her origin story to fans. Tamra joined the Real Housewives of Orange County as she was about to turn 40, and she was wrestling with some serious issues. She told the host she was dealing with a “A bad marriage, raising kids, I was in a really bad position in my life and I knew that my marriage was probably not going to work out. It wasn’t the life that I saw for myself, but I had three kids, I had my real estate license, I did it part-time, but I didn’t really have a career for myself or the money to get away.”
What seems so funny now is that Tamra thought she was “boring” because she was a mom who worked part-time. She added, “There’s nothing exciting about me.” Tamra, being Tamra, said she filled out the application as if she was a teenage boy, joking, “You know, sex? All the time… I got a call the next day.” Upon reflection, Tamra added, “There’s no way I have a chance; I’m just too normal. There’s nothing that exciting about me.” Fast forward 17 years later, and we have one of the best housewives to have ever graced the Bravo stage. Whether she is your villain or fan favorite, there is no denying that she is perfect for TV.
