Teddi From 'RHOBH' Has Strong Ties To Music

Another year, another new Real Housewife to contend with. If you heard the name Teddi Mellencamp and thought to yourself, "Now there's a familiar-sounding name," there's a pretty good reason for that. You may be wondering, is Teddi related to John Mellencamp? Um, yeah you could say that. The newest housewife is actually the daughter of the rock and roll legend. She, however, doesn't seem to think it's as cool and exciting as the rest of us do. She certainly doesn't try to hide the fact that her dad is a literal music icon, but she doesn't really seem to brag about it either. I suppose this is a good thing but if it were me, I would be bragging about that all day long.

"It kind of makes me laugh when everybody's like 'Oh, do you have a favorite song that your dad sings,'" she said in her first introduction on the show. "I'm like, let's keep it in perspective. In the 80s, like my nine-year-old friends, we don't give a f**k. We cared about My Little Pony, Care Bears." She added: "I kind of thought everybody's dad was on the radio." Having grown up with a dad who did something vague regarding 401k plans myself, I suppose I don't really know what a normal reaction to this would be.

In case you're unfamiliar with John Mellencamp/John Cougar/ John Cougar Mellencamp, here's a little recap on the iconic rocker. Like his contemporary Bruce Springsteen, Mellencamp was a total working class hero in the '80s. And he wrote some of the most famous and beloved ballads of the decade including "Pink Houses," which you'll probably recognize for the line, "Ain't that America," as well as "Hurts So Good" and of course "Jack and Diane." I know just about every single word to those songs and I bet a lot of you do too. Don't lie.

As the daughter of a man famous for voicing the struggles of the disenfranchised working class in America, it might seem a bit odd that Teddi chose to join a show known for enthusiastic conspicuous consumerism and general glorification of the very upper echelons of the uber wealthy. In fact, in an interview with E! News, Teddi herself admitted that she was a little nervous about telling her dad that she was going to be a part of the show. After all, it's not exactly his bag, ya know?

"I mean, I'm not gonna lie, I had a whole speech prepared," she laughed when asked what the conversation with her dad was like. "I was ready to really go to bat for this." She asked if he knew about the show The Real Housewives (he did!) and she gently explained that she was going to do it. As in, be on it. "He's like *heavy sigh* 'Okay, if it makes you happy.'"

Teddi explained that her dad is always the guy she goes to for advice, and he could probably tell from her voice that it was something she really wanted to do. And what loving parent wouldn't want their child to go ahead and do the things that would make them happy?

Personally, while watching the show gives me unending joy, the experience of being an actual part of it sounds kind of nightmarish. But the way Teddi explains it, maybe I would do a season or two. "The experience of being able to go and travel, meet a bunch of intelligent, smart, fun women. How could I say no, you know?," she said in the same E! News interview. "Yes, there's some downside, but the upside is so much higher."

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