Is Shep Rose From ‘Southern Charm’ The Biggest Bro On Television?

Psychologically, reality TV is a little bit like smoking cigarettes: You know it’s bad for you. You know it’s trashy. You know you’re less of a human being for doing it. Yet there’s something insanely addictive about the experience even though you hate yourself for it. Watching all that made-for-TV melodrama unfold feels so good, even though it leaves you feeling shallow, hatable, and empty inside.

As a dude, you don’t have to enjoy reality TV to watch TV. If you’re in a relationship, there’s a good chance you’ve been suckered into marathon evenings of binge-watching BravoTV, home to the show Southern Charm. Now in it’s third season, the show documents privileged Charleston, South Carolina socialites who seem like they’ve been ripped from a Drive-By-Truckers song about the antebellum South.

RELATED: 20 Things To Do While Watching Bravo With Your Girlfriend

A couple weeks ago I was introduced to Southern Charm. Even though it follows the same recipe as any Andy Cohen-produced Bravo reality show, this one is different. It’s catty Southern belles in Lilly Pulitzer sundresses out-sassing each other like frienemy sorority rivals (…except they’re all in their 30s). It’s ex-lacrosse players in Brooks Brothers bacheloring it up around town while trying to pass The Bar and advance their careers.

The person who stands out the most on Southern Charm is Shep Rose. He’s easily the biggest Bro on the show, if not all of television.

The best way to describe Shep’s television persona is by what he is not. Unlike try-hards on other reality TV shows, Shep’s not a caricature of what it means to be a Bro. He’s not a cartoonish, fist-pumping juice-monkey like the Jersey Shore clowns that gave bro-kind a bad rep circa 2009. He’s just a straight up chill guy who’s been “harshing people’s mellow since ’94,” as his Twitter bio puts it.

In short, Shep’s the kind of bro that millions of other bros around the world can relate to. He has a badass one-syllable name that rolls off the tongue. He fly fishes. He knows how to dress like a gentlemen. He has an entrepreneurial spirit (…he owns a couple bars around Charleston). He sleeps in until noon every day. His friends love him.

Ironically, reality TV is pretty inauthentic. Yet Shep remains a bulwark of authenticity. Everything the man does is effortless. And like any true Bro, he doesn’t need to try all that hard to have fun.

Shep is currently up for Bravo TV’s “Bro Award” (vote here!) and there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to win it by a mile.

Here’s a couple reasons why Shep gets the official BroBible endorsement as the biggest bro on TV. If you don’t already follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, do that.

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He spent his Fourth of July bro-ing out with Danny McBride…

 

And is all about summer music festivals like Lock’N…

 

He fly fishes like a boss…

 

He uses his fame to bring attention to true heroes who deserve recognition for their badassness…

 

He’s a MILF-slayer, hooking up with multiple friends’ moms…

 

He plays in wiffleball games while tripping on mushrooms and is completely chill about it…

https://twitter.com/ubergeekprinces/status/747585772279181312

https://twitter.com/Mysteryjellocat/status/747591178841915392

 

Speaking of slaying, he’s totally banged his female cast members…

 

He refuses make-up and hair, because cosmetics for dudes are bullshit…

 

He owns a couple of bars around Charleston where Bros who hate reality TV can hang out, including a spot called The Commodore. 

https://twitter.com/CoachCulver_/status/748990911951081472

 

And he’s about to re-open his old dive bar, The Palace Hotel, after it caught on fire this past January. In the meantime, his hat game is levels…

 

Reminder to go vote for Shep on Bravo TV’s “Bro Award” — If we can’t make it official and he isn’t voted the biggest Bro on TV, we’re all officially screwed.