Does RHOSLC's Britani Bateman Deserve A Snowflake? 'Producer' Heather Gay Weighs In — Plus, Vote In Our Poll!

Heather Gay is not an official "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" producer — but she knows how to play one. (And so do we!)

In Season 6 of the Bravo reality series, fans have accused Heather of "playing producer," saying that she's forcing storylines and performing too much to the camera.

For many fans of the genre, acting like a producer is the cardinal sin of reality TV, for it implies that the cast member isn't being her most authentic self. But here at TVLine, we believe reality TV is entertainment first, and documentary second, so we applaud our favorite stars for hamming it up however they can for our enjoyment! 

How does Heather handle the online criticism? She's unbothered, telling TVLine that she's "completely flattered by the producer stuff." 

"I'm going to do a bit with anything," she added. "I don't know if that's producing or just [being] a theater camp kid — that's who I am to my core." 

In the spirit of celebrating Heather's "producer" allegations, we wanted to know her thoughts on fellow cast member Britani Bateman: Is it time to give the girl her snowflake, signifying a transition from part-time "Friend Of" to full-time Housewife?

"Britani has [shed] blood, sweat, and tears for us," Gay said. "She's given us Jared Osmond and a talking unicorn. She created the most drama of the entire season. If there was a fight or a tagline, it was based on Britani."

For Gay, that "100 percent" merits a snowflake — and we agree. 

Britani Bateman is an official "Friend Of" on "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City," but she has been quietly inching her way toward center stage for two seasons now. It's because of Britani that we've gotten our Season 5 iconic "RHOSLC" read: "High body count hair." (Yes, it was Angie who came up with the quip, but it was Britani's blow-out that provided the inspiration.)

In Season 6, Britani has only further solidified her place among the group. She's at the center of a mysterious, season-long conflict with Housewife Meredith Marks — the details of which are unknown to us, as the altercation took place mid-air during a flight home from a cast trip, and it was not filmed. We've only seen the aftermath of that drama, which has seen the women rallying not around fellow snowflake-holder Meredith, but around side-snowflake Britani. (!) If the women themselves are unable to adhere to snowflake hierarchy when it comes to taking sides, shouldn't we just let it snow and promote Britani to Housewife?

There are, of course, advantages to being a "Friend Of." Oftentimes, our favorite friends are reluctant to share their complete lives, saying they don't want to film with family members or romantic partners. But Britani's family is ready for the spotlight: Her daughter delivered her own solo confessionals this season — has any "Friend Of" family member ever been afforded that luxury?!

And at BravoCon in November, Britani was a hot commodity. Her infamous unicorn from on-again-off-again boyfriend Jared Osmond was even highlighted at the convention's museum dedicated to celebrating the most noteworthy Bravo artifacts. (Watch video here.)

What more does Bravo need? We've presented the receipts, proof, timeline — everything the network needs to make the next move! Let's listen to our beloved "producer" Heather Gay and promote Britani to Housewife ahead of Season 7. 

What's your take: Does Britani deserve a spot on the "RHOSLC" full-time cast? Vote in our poll below, then hit the comments with your thoughts!