‘Platinum Babies’ wallows in extravagance

The “Real Housewives’’ shows never bother with narration; Bravo simply turns the cameras on outrageous spending habits and trusts that we, the viewers, have the wisdom to gasp, gawk, and sneer as appropriate. But “Platinum Babies’’ - the natural follow-up to WE’s “Platinum Weddings’’ series - doesn’t want us to be quite so appalled. So a woman’s voice guides us breathlessly through the purchasing habits of the rich and pregnant, lending legitimacy to a way of life that allows for $245 Gucci infant shoes and “baby planners’’ who come to your home, for a fee, and show you how to puree sweet potatoes.

Voice Over Lady doesn’t judge. “First-time parents can be overwhelmed by the dazzling array of baby products on the market,’’ she says. And: “Dana has designed a lot of nurseries, and so her expertise is crucial for a new mom like Victoria.’’

That would be Victoria Recano, a reporter for “The Insider’’ entertainment-news show, who has the financial means to spend $25,000 on a nursery (and I think the feng shui expert is extra). She also throws a couples-style bridal shower with the help of an outfit called “The Hot Moms Club’’ - dedicated to the notion that having a baby doesn’t mean losing your identity, so long as your identity involves spending $120,000 on party favors.

There are two ways to handle the current wave of baby-related, celebrity-fed, recession-proof spending euphoria, peddled in shows like this and magazines like the recently canceled Cookie. You can feel bad that you lack the means to celebrate an impending birth with what would, for many people, be the cost of a mortgage. Or you can pat yourself on the back for having perspective.

“Real Housewives,’’ whose Orange County series kicked off its fifth season this week, is all about feeding viewers’ superiority complexes, presenting obscene wealth as a cause for catfights, plastic surgery mistakes, and general ridicule. “Platinum Babies’’ is far more reverent. After dishing on the details of one couple’s deluxe Moroccan-themed baby shower, Voice Over Lady informs us that “Tara and Andrew wanted their guests to feel as though they were at an elegant cocktail party. So they opened their gifts the next day.’’ That’s when they got the Gucci shoes and the $145 Dolce & Gabbana baby dress.

This, mind you, is only Tara’s first baby shower. The second, planned by her mother, involves $10,000 in floral arrangements involving 16 varieties of flowers. The guest of honor spies a table setting and bursts into tears of joy.

“Tara is moved by the effort and love that her family and friends have made to make this day perfect for her,’’ Voice Over Lady says. We can see that, yes. But we’d provide much better commentary on our own.

Joanna Weiss can be reached at weiss@globe.com. For more on TV, go to www.viewerdiscretion.net.