EXCLUSIVE: Jim Marchese Blasts Andy Cohen Over Criticism of His Kids “I Cannot Believe How Andy Portrayed Gia”

Andy Cohen weighed in through clenched teeth, about Jim Marchese’s scathing evaluation of The Real Housewives of New Jersey spinoff, Teresa Checks In. Marchese spoke EXCLUSIVELY to All About the Tea, and labeled the low-rated project a “dark endorsement of criminal behavior and exploitation of children.” Cohen took issue with his assessment, and recently sounded off, on Jim’s pounding of the disturbing Bravo spin-off project. 

After Cohen responded, Marchese sat down with All About the Tea to share his rebuttal to Cohen’s scathing remarks.

Jim addresses that famous table-flipping tantrum — the episode that made Teresa Giudice a Bravo star, and left viewers jaw-dropped.     

“To put it plainly, Teresa flipping a table while yelling ‘prostitution whore’ is not exactly behavior that one should take seriously.  It IS in fact, funny as hell.  It was a scream…what mature adult behaves like a spoiled teenager, and flips a table on national TV?  The answer is someone doing it “tongue-in-cheek”…to get attention. In reality, the table flipping incident violated several laws…but of course Joe and Teresa never concerned themselves with such trivialities. Anyone who takes the antics on this show seriously, has an IQ of 12. I do understand your confusion, as you spend significant time with the RHONJ cast.”     

In response to Cohen’s contrary view of “tongue-in-cheek” fun, Jim spells out his use of the common expression.   

“First we need to define “tongue-in-cheek.”  The phrase is used as figure of speech, to imply that a statement, or other production is humorously or otherwise not seriously intended, and should not be taken at face value.”  Marchese added,  “It’s time to come back to the real world, because we all know that the reactions of the cast are amplified by the fact that we are filming.”

“We all know what makes great TV, and it’s not sitting around, drinking Darjeeling tea and spinning witty epithets. Imagine Teresa remarking in a high-brow British accent, ‘Ms. Staub…I find your past moral deportment and your disposition towards the exchange of currency for virtue less than desirable.’  Screeching, and table flipping are much more comical! “

“Viewers find watching wealthy (real of fabricated), catty, middle-aged women, screaming at each other, amusing. The truth is, it makes our lives seem much better in contrast… hence the guilty pleasure.”

Cohen compared the Marchese children’s brief RHONJ appearances, to the criminally scarred Giudice kids’ taking center stage.  Jim fires back,

“My children are always dressed and behave appropriately during our filming sessions. Our children are in scenes with our family or friends, never in adult situations. NO talking heads! I cannot believe how Andy portrayed Gia and Joe [Giudice] allowed it.”

“In great contrast, 14-year old Gia Giudice, is seen dressed like a hooker working Hunts Point [Hunts Point a known hooker strip in the Bronx, NY.] Bravo production cakes enough make-up on the girl to make her look like a crypt keeper. My kids did a cute commercial, and you had a FOURTEEN year old discussing her mother’s incarceration for a 41-count felony. DO NOT compare my children’s filming and footage to theirs. My heart goes out to those children, because they deserve better than to be used as puppets on a TV show. I’m appalled, though sadly not surprised, at the lengths Teresa and Joe will go to get a check. I hope the money from the show was put in trusts, so they can later benefit from this travesty. That poor child should never have been placed in that situation”

Cohen asserts that Bravo did not endorse behaviors or scenes on “Teresa Checks In” and the show was not editorialized. Marchese begs to differ.

“The production team cut out my family’s Christmas, New Years and Valentine’s day. We shot over 1,000 hours of wonderful, fun times with my wife and children, that were never aired.  However, at least 20 negative quotes from preplanned talking heads were finely tuned and chronicled by production. I was painted as an ass in the first four weeks. You know the scenes are not in chronological order. The entire show is edited and generalized by definition.”

Jim draws on an example from the last season of RHONJ, commenting,

“My favorite edit was when, Joe Gorga insulted me at the first responders party. I was called names, had hands put in my face, and my car was blocked in, keeping me from leaving. Insults were hurled for 45 minutes, my wife was assaulted, and all that was aired was my reaction, and Joe calling me a bitch, in a talking head. My talking head was predictably cut. The entire scene was misrepresented, and the viewers were misled, due to Bravo’s editing.”

Andy stated, “Jim is expressing his own views on the special.  Look, that’s where he’s coming from.”  Jim responds,

“Yes, let’s look at where I am coming from. I have three degrees, including a Masters from Columbia University, and two were obtained while working full-time, at night. I am a father of four well-behaved children, all of whom are on the honor roll at their schools. I have been the President and CEO of a company for the last 7-years. I recently aided the United States Department of Justice on the largest bank fraud case in United States history. I was not willing to commit 41 felonies, put my children in harm’s way, or sell my soul, to bring ratings.”

Jim wraps his comments, with an offer to sit down with Cohen. 

“Your viewers may not like me, but then again, they were never given the chance.If you would like to have an intelligent exchange on the matter, Amber and I would be more than happy to engage, but with one rule…no editing or generalizations. We both know, that will never happen.”

 

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