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# When Reality TV Imitates Art
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/when-reality-tv-imitates-art/
- Published: 2014-07-23T19:55:57.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T16:33:07.000Z
- Description: Sometimes "homage" is the only way to understand things.
- Author: Hrag Vartanian
- Tags: Opinion, Reality TV, Robert Gober, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 07:03 (2014, 2015, part 1)

![a-robert-gober-6402](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2014/07/a-robert-gober-6402.gif)

Last night’s finale of *The* *Real Housewives of New York City*, which has been succinctly [recapped](http://morningafter.gawker.com/aviva-rips-off-and-throws-her-leg-on-real-housewives-of-1609474983/+laceydonohue?ref=hyperallergic.com) (will that genre ever die?) by Gawker, had one very memorable scene. But first, a caveat: I like my reality TV bad (like really, really, really bad), so this works for me.

Now the scene: D-lister Aviva Drescher declares to a room of guests at Manhattan’s Le Cirque restaurant (important plot point [because](http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2006/09/only%5Fa%5Fjerk%5Fwou.html?ref=hyperallergic.com)): “The only thing that is artificial or fake about me is *this*!” And proceeds to pull off her prosthetic leg and put it on the dining table, before then hurling it onto the floor. *Anyone else think it’s an homage?*

You can watch the [full video clip on Gawker](http://morningafter.gawker.com/aviva-rips-off-and-throws-her-leg-on-real-housewives-of-1609474983/+laceydonohue?ref=hyperallergic.com).