By
Allie Jones,
a freelance writer who covers celebrity, culture, and influence.
The fourth wall breaks seconds into the opening scene of Stassi Schroeder’s new Hulu reality show — and eight episodes later, no one bothers to rebuild it. In the premiere, we see the pristinely styled former Bravo star step in front of a green screen and sit down to film a confessional interview. “Oh my gosh, this background, are you joking?” she asks. “Shit’s premium over at Disney.” With that, House of Stassi, which marks Schroder’s return to reality TV stardom after a six-year hiatus, becomes a show about making a show.
It used to be that narrative reality shows had some kind of premise, however thin: a group of bartenders and waitresses dating and yelling at one another in an establishment called Sexy Unique Restaurant, for example. Schroeder owes her career to Vanderpump Rules, which she starred on for eight seasons until she was fired in 2020 for racist actions against a former cast member.
