Locals are in an uproar over Netflix's Members Only. Courtesy of Netflix; Adobe Stock Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Logo text The first clue that the women in Netflix's new reality series Members Only: Palm Beach aren't truly part of the island's social fabric? They call one another "bitch." Actual Palm Beachers are more likely to answer to "Muffie" or "CZ." The show presents itself as a peek inside Palm Beach high society, but locals are up in arms, complaining that it bears little resemblance to the real thing. For starters, none of it was shot on the island, and residents insist that only one castmember, Suebelle, even lives there - and she's barely featured. Related Stories Movies Sony Films to Stream on Netflix Worldwide in New Deal TV Saoirse-Monica Jackson Re-Teaming With 'Derry Girls' Creator Lisa McGee in Netflix's 'How to Get to Heaven from Belfast' (Exclusive) "Not one second was actually shot on Palm Beach," says Shannon Donnelly, a longtime chronicler of island society who has dismissed the cast as "geographically challenged coattail riders who present themselves as Palm Beachers when they are not." Others bristle at the show's look, which favors tattoos and sequins over pearls. "Palm Beach is about quiet luxury," notes Marianna Abbate, a longtime Palm Beach publicist. "People here don't seek attention." Some viewers have assumed the show is meant to reflect nearby Mar-a-Lago, but even that comparison only goes so far. "There are more sequins and more cleavage at Mar-a-Lago, but mostly for events," Donnelly says. "During the day, people are wearing golf and tennis skirts." Palm Beach resident Christine Pressman, wife of Barneys scion Gene Pressman, says the show feels less like a documentary than a casting call. "It looks like they put an ad in Backstage," she said, "and hired people to play Palm Beach." *** Also in Rambling Reporter: What's up with all the James Bond casting rumors - and why they're always wrong; and why stars love to bring their moms to the Golden Globes. This story appeared in the Jan. 15 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Teyana Taylor Walks Back Claim That Leonardo DiCaprio Was Speaking to Her in Viral Golden Globes Clip: "I Had to Call Leo" Live Feed Anne Hathaway to Star in True Crime Drama 'Fear Not' at Paramount+ Mad Men Kiernan Shipka Came of Age as Sally Draper. Now She's Grown Up Enough for 'Industry' Live Feed Starz Grabs U.S. Rights to 'Amadeus' Limited Series With Will Sharpe, Paul Bettany Live Feed Amazon Finally Dates Docuseries on Rise and Fall of the ABA Executive Produced by Dr. J (Exclusive) Live Feed 'Fallout'-Inspired Competition Show a Go at Prime Video Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Teyana Taylor Walks Back Claim That Leonardo DiCaprio Was Speaking to Her in Viral Golden Globes Clip: "I Had to Call Leo" Live Feed Anne Hathaway to Star in True Crime Drama 'Fear Not' at Paramount+ Mad Men Kiernan Shipka Came of Age as Sally Draper. Now She's Grown Up Enough for 'Industry' Live Feed Starz Grabs U.S. Rights to 'Amadeus' Limited Series With Will Sharpe, Paul Bettany Live Feed Amazon Finally Dates Docuseries on Rise and Fall of the ABA Executive Produced by Dr. J (Exclusive) Live Feed 'Fallout'-Inspired Competition Show a Go at Prime Video