Last night I went downstairs and sat with my mother a while.

[conuly]

We watched Househunters International, which she loves because she can make fun of the TV couples' "needs". Two people don't need three bathrooms!

Anyway, we had a fun time watching this one because the couple is in Brussels, and having *been there* repeatedly my mother had some idea at how the houses are. The family was shown three comparatively large houses, all with these great high ceilings. Well, they thought the ceilings were great, but they're from the South, so what do they know? My mother and I just kept thinking about the heating cost. The city doesn't get that cold, as things go, but it's colder than NY, and heating OUR house is a disaster some winters. (Then again, some of our radiators don't work right.)

Anyway, they buy their house and are fabulously happy, because nobody on that show ever regrets their decision ever, and the closing quote from the mother is... let me see if I can get the exact wording...

"Brussels is such a great city. It's a terrific launching pad to leave from!"

It's one of the most passive-aggressively bitchy things I've ever heard about a city in my life, and we were laughing several minutes before we could stop. Well, maybe we have a low amusement factor.

Comments

[ancarett]

I love those shows for the same reason: making fun of the over-privileged and clueless househunters. "Oh, we need a four bedroom house for the two of us! Oh, we couldn't live without granite countertops and a separate sink on an island. This closet-" standing inside a small room with shelves, rods and skylight "-is too small for our clothes!"

[delphi]

Anyway, they buy their house and are fabulously happy, because nobody on that show ever regrets their decision ever [...]

When it comes to the Househunters franchise, that's usually because they've been living in the house they "chose" for months or even years prior to the show being shot. A lot of the petty complaints come about because the "hunter" has to find something to say about the perfectly nice houses they haven't already bought, which may or may not even be on the market.

[conuly]

Really???.

[delphi]

It's most noticeable in the international version, where you might see someone bringing their pet along on the house hunt in a country that requires animal quarantine, or where the kids are already fluent in their supposedly brand-new language.

Some blog posts about the show's set-up:
http://hookedonhouses.net/2010/06/02/the-truth-about-house-hunters-on-hgtv/
http://hookedonhouses.net/2012/06/11/house-hunters-what-it-was-like-to-be-on-the-show/
http://www.gringosabroad.com/behind-the-scenes-house-hunters-international-in-cuenca-ecuador/
http://www.digamama.com/2012/06/the-truth-behind-house-hunters-and-why-it-really-doesnt-matter/

And then the show's response on the matter, originally published in EW:

We’ve learned that the pursuit of the perfect home involves big decisions that usually take place over a prolonged period of time — more time than we can capture in 30 minutes of television.

However, with a series like House Hunters, HGTV viewers enjoy the vicarious and entertaining experience of choosing a home — from establishing a budget, to touring properties and weighing the pros and cons of each one.

We’re making a television show, so we manage certain production and time constraints, while honoring the home buying process. To maximize production time, we seek out families who are pretty far along in the process.

Often everything moves much more quickly than we can anticipate, so we go back and revisit some of the homes that the family has already seen and we capture their authentic reactions.

Because the stakes in real estate are so high, these homeowners always find themselves RIGHT back in the moment, experiencing the same emotions and reactions to these properties.

Showcasing three homes makes it easier for our audience to “play along” and guess which one the family will select. It’s part of the joy of the House Hunters viewing experience. Through the lens of television, we can offer a uniquely satisfying and fun viewing experience that fulfills a universal need to occasionally step into someone else’s shoes.

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

I think I love your mother just a little for that comment.

[conuly]

Not mine, the one on the show :)

[marveen.livejournal.com]

You know, one of the Things Wrong With Today's Society in my view is the peripatetic existence many people seem to lead.

I've mentioned before (although I don't remember where) the deejay talking about the housing collapse, and how when he and his wife "bought their first house" they put "sweat equity" into it...and sold it. And "bought" another one. He reeled off a list of like four or five houses that they claimed to have "bought"...and the guy is only in his thirties or so. Dude, stop rushing around like you're a fugitive or something and settle down in one place.

Great place to leave from. Wowzers.

[jillianfish.livejournal.com]

What I really hate on that show is when people claim to want to move to another country because they "love the lifestyle" and "can't wait to be a part of the culture" but then they complain that nothing is like the U.S. Um, yeah? Isn't that the point?! Or the housewives that are forced to move somewhere for their husbands job and you can tell they hate every second of it but are trying to put on a brave face.

Some people are awesome. They really embrace the culture and the style and everything else. Other people just make me cringe.