Is it over OK to yell at a coworker? In the face of an unhinged cast mate, Dorit Kemsley, raising her voice on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Reunion, Garcelle Beauvais remained calm, cool, and collected.

Garcelle understood the assignment, Glow Getters. The assignment was to go on that show and be the “only.” Represent all “onlys” everywhere and be pretty and kind and fun-loving, I presume as an outsider looking in.

If you’ve ever been the “only” in the room (which I have been too many times), then you know the type of pressure she’s under. If Garcelle were to get angry, then she may have been labeled a stereotype or harshly punished. So, Garcelle sat there and tried to have a logical conversation with Dorit, as Dorit got louder and more aggressive.

How would you have reacted?

When this sort of thing has happened to me, I remained calm, I had to. I had my job and my reputation as being a professional to be worried about, but I did make sure that, while I couldn’t really control ever being the “only” again or an unhinged coworker/cast mate, I could work to move the “Dorits” of my life out of my life as quickly as possible.

Glow-getters, I see this as a call for society to stop putting people as the “only” in the room. It’s not fair. It’s not fun. The cards are stacked against the “onlys” and, eventually, the larger homogenous group is going to clash with the “only” and an outburst is almost certain to happen in a public manner.

Maybe we she do like Noah’s Ark and require that two of every kind be on the ship (or in a room, or on a show, etc.) at all times. Maybe this type of set up won’t solve everything, but at least it will tip the scale in a more balanced direction.

If you’ve ever been the “only,” has anyone ever tried to dim your light the way it happened on the RHOBH Reunion?

Picture of Markette Sheppard

Markette Sheppard

Markette Sheppard is an Emmy award-winning TV host, children's book author, marketing executive and founder of Glow Stream TV. Follow her online @markettesheppard and @glowstreamtv.

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