A little housekeeping – thank you all for your support through this challenging and everchanging move. On the bright side of things, I have a closing date and time for my new home, barring any more setbacks. Fingers crossed! Also because of the move, I am taking off next week from blogging. I may post an update on Friday, but the rest of the week is out. After all I’ve been through (fully documented here 😆) I know that you will understand.
Today I thought I would dive back into reality tv for an amusing (and sometimes triggering) observation of House Hunters (HH)/HH International.
Now, anybody who has ever watched anything reality related knows that there is always a “villain”/“bad guy” or two on the hour long shows with continuous casts. I had never really noticed that trope on HH until this week when I found myself yelling at one of the home buyers like I would on a Real Housewife’s show. And I then I started to pay attention a little more closely and I have to say, the editors of that show are so subtly shady that they often (not always) turn one of the potential buyers or their helpful friends/family into an asshole. Some participants are easier than others with the attitudes they cop. This particular episode, the “villain” could not have made it easier for the editors. So, what had me yelling at him?
In the episode I was watching, the wife was acting as the real estate agent which is not uncommon on HH. The issue I had that was kind of triggering was the husband’s insistence at each place they looked at that he should converse with the sellers in order to “help” negotiate the deal. He even stated that he has control issues (Capt. Obvious party of one). His lovely wife was politely expressing her frustrations in her confessionals whereas I was screaming “Let her do her job! Stop being an asshole!” at the tv 🤣. I mean it was really dismissive of her role. Then after HH shows the property couple chose, the wife stated that in the end she did arrange a meeting between her husband and the sellers! I would like to say I shook my head in disbelief, but I have often been on the receiving end of that kind of manipulative behavior several times in the past, so I get it. Doesn’t mean I can’t yell at the guy from the comfort of my bedroom, which I did, frequently.
I followed that episode up the next night with HH international in Geneva Switzerland! The husband in that one just about did me in with his whining about a view of the lake. The one house they looked at with a lake view, $900 over their budget (which if I remember correctly was $7K – not an insignificant budget). As the budget conscious person, I am, I can see going a little over if it gets you what you want, but for crying out loud you have $7K, figure it out (full disclosure, I know Geneva is expensive)! In the end he won and the often-used justification of “well he (or she) moved across the world for me, so I want to make sure they’re happy”. I don’t know why but that excuse just bugs me. But I totally give props to the editors for finding a way to create villains in such a short amount of time.
BTW, screaming at the villains in reality tv is really cathartic, I highly recommend it 😁!
My Lemons My Lemonade 