5 Best 'Newlyweds' Moments Ever
When Newlyweds first aired in August of 2003, reality TV was still relatively new. Sure, we had The Real World and The Bachelor, but the concept of showcasing the ordinary life (well, as ordinary as life can be when you’re two famous people) of a newly-married couple was somewhat shocking. Why would anyone agree to this? What could two 20-somethings possibly do at home that would make worthwhile entertainment? Why, seriously why, should anyone care about Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey?
...except they did. They cared. We cared. And so began our love affair with the Newlyweds, both the concept of the show and the two stars behind it.
While we all know that to a certain degree, reality TV shows rely heavily on scripts and producer-castmate interactions, 2003 reality TV was, again, a relatively novel concept. Though there were certainly set-ups, proddings, and I’m sure more than a few scripted lines, Newlyweds felt genuine. It felt real and sweet and — weirdly enough — not voyeuristic. Nick and Jessica became our friends. They became people we felt like we knew. They became people we were truly rooting for.
This connection we felt to both Nick and Jess might be why the American public took it so hard when they announced their separation. They were America’s Sweethearts, Barbie and Ken, a 21st century Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell..and then they were no more. As celebrity marriages (and marriages in general) so often do, they divorced after only three years of marriage. While the two have both since moved on and married and had babies with other people — and seem genuinely happy — those of us who were around in the early 2000s will always think of Nick and Jessica as soulmates. But, hey, they’re happy. And as for us? Well, we’ve got Newlywed reruns.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY1/5#TrueLove (well, for three years anyway)
Yeah, okay, so we’ve established that what happens on reality TV isn’t always reality. But we’ll say it again: Newlyweds was about as real as they come. Even if Jessica was given a line or two or Nick was told to tease Jessica in order to illicit a reaction, the love they shared was genuine. Watching them was like hanging out with your nauseatingly cute (but, for some reason, not at all irritating) couple friends. They were like an old married couple and you couldn’t help but be endeared by their playful banter and annoyingly sweet pet names.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY2/5The struggles were real
While Nick and Jessica were definitely famous by the time Newlyweds premiered, they weren’t famous like they are today. So while they absolutely had more money than most newlyweds their age, it’s not like they had Kardashian money. They were rich, but not, like, rich. There was no chef or driver or even paid personal assistants (hi, Kaycee!), which means that for the most part, Nick and Jessica were holding down the fort by themselves. They had to do laundry and cook dinner and clean up the house...which, well, weren’t always the easiest tasks.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY3/5And so were the typical newlywed fights
Just like every other newlywed couple, Nick and Jessica got into fights about money, eating in vs. dining out, decorating...the list goes on. While, sure, not every newlywed is lucky enough to live in a mansion or have the option of hiring an interior decorator, their tiffs were something every other couple on the planet could relate to. They weren’t pretending to be perfect. They were just being themselves. And, hey, they always made up in the end...well, you know, until they didn’t.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY4/5The pure ridiculousness of it all was unparalleled
Nothing captures the essence of Jessica Simpson quite like her taking a Louis Vuitton bag on a camping trip or admitting that she quite literally hates the outdoors. Poor Jessica grew up in the spotlight and never really experienced normalcy — but even still, she was never a brat. She was slightly spoiled and full-on ridiculous, but somehow she made it work. While Nick definitely got annoyed with her antics, we never could.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY5/5And then there was...Chicken of the Sea
Sorry, but how could we not? The highlight of the entire series was when Jessica couldn’t figure out what “chicken of the sea” meant. Was it chicken? Was it tuna? Was it a swimming bird? This is the clip that will live in infamy ... and we’re so glad about that. Sure, they can take away their marriage, but they can never take away those amazing two seasons of pure reality TV gold.
