Real Housewives stereotypes N.J.?

HACKENSACK, N.J. — They live in North Jersey McMansions, shop for expensive jewelry, clothes and furniture, drive luxury cars, religiously work on their hair, nails and tan, play tennis at the club and seriously indulge their kids — all while television cameras record their over-the-top lives.

One chats with her teenage son about opening a "high-end" strip club. Another pays cash for big-ticket items. Yet another describes her clan as a "good, old-fashioned Italian family."

These divas are Jacqueline Laurita and her sisters-in-law Dina Manzo and Caroline Manzo , along with pals Danielle Staub and Teresa Giudice . As many who saw the sneak preview have pointed out in online chat rooms and e-mails, they are reminiscent of the wives from that HBO drama.

"I hate the stereotype that 'The Sopranos' put upon us; now Bravo is doing it, too — not fair!" wrote Mary Nicoletti , who nonetheless plans to watch this "Housewives."

So, here we go again, some locals gripe. Just when America has started to forget "The Sopranos," along comes another TV show that casts Garden Staters in a less than flattering light.

"I thought of this group of fabulous ladies," says Castro.

Some, like Donna Gormley , chalk it all up to another fantasy-based "reality" show that lets viewers vicariously experience a different lifestyle.

Still, what Bravo seems to be playing up in promos is the sex, the decadent spending and the catfights. (Giudice is seen angrily upending a dining table in coming attractions.) And press materials contain such lines as "The hair is big, but the drama is bigger."

Vincent Curatola , who played Johnny Sack on "The Sopranos," thinks that if Bravo is trying to imitate "The Sopranos," they missed the point of that dramatic series. "It was Shakespearean. It was about the human condition. Period," says the actor.

As Gretchen Piela wrote, "After watching the sneak preview with my mouth agape for almost the entire half hour, I can't wait to see what happens throughout the season."