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My (half serious) conclusion is the contestants like you describe are either the no-I'm-not-wealthy class of idiots that have simply come from money and don't realise that's not the norm, or they're drug dealers that found a skilled accountant.

Yeap, same thing with "find my dream house" shows in America. I think the major difference is that instead of the people being in their 40s, it's usually people in their 20's. The source of the funding is ultimately the same, rich parents. The likely difference is between trust fund kids in the US and just people whose parents have finally taken their much awaited dirt naps in the UK.

I think rich parents are basically a prerequisite to owning a home for anyone under 40 nowadays. I'm one of the only people in my friend group of people in their late 30s who owns a home, and that was due to what I consider a minor miracle.

I was lucky and bought an abandoned house from the bank for 30k after the last recession, and that was only possible because I got a loan I probably shouldn't have qualified for through USAA. So, still a bit of nepotism, but because my dad was in the service, not because he was wealthy.

Yeah that's the House Hunters trope. It's in the US too on HGTV.

Lisa is a 25 year old retired yoga instructor and Drew is a 28 year old brick layer who does crack in the alley behind his apartment. They are looking to upgrade into a home in the suburbs because Lisa is expecting any day now! Their budget is 3.5 million. Can they find a home?

The fake jobs are euphemisms for having a trust fund.

Yeah, same thing with House Hunters in the US. Those made really good memes. "Stacy, 23, who is a professional whistler, and her husband, Joe, 25, a part time stick weigher, are looking for a more relaxed pace and a smaller, cozier home. Their budget is 7 million, and they're looking for no less than 3,000 sq meters"

Hollywood has done irreparable damage to society’s expectation of reality.

It's the system working exactly as designed. "you, too, could have all this if you only worked hard enough. Now that you've spent 2-3 hours of your weekend off at the movies, get back to work, slave"

People in movies and tv rarely have messy houses, they’re always spotless, and everyone pops in on each other and everyone is at home wearing pants.

Yup, thats Fallingwater in Pennsylvania. Its a museum now and you can take tours of it

Yup, I believe it's Fallingwater

I don’t think Hollywood and advertising are out of touch, they know what they’re doing. They’re not just selling products, they’re selling an ideal. It’s about shaping how people see the world. For working-class viewers, it feels fake because it’s their reality being distorted. But for middle and upper-class audiences, it subtly shifts their perception, makes working-class life look manageable, maybe even confortable. They know it’s not 100% accurate, but they don’t realize how far off it is. That’s the real effect: it makes things look better than they are, and pushes people further out of touch without them realizing it.

You got me thinking over here.

Perhaps it's a two way street, and both sides have changed.

It used to be that people wanted to suspend their beliefs for an hour and a half and live in a fantasy. I feel like most people look more for reality and relatability in cinema these days, but Hollywood is still trying to provide the escape.

It's just not lining up.

Grew up in the ghetto of the US.

Would watch Fresh Prince and Family Matters and like "WOW look at that. Their house is so pristine. Everything looks new. Everyone has their own room. People sit at a dining table."

My house was dark, smelled funny, full of random junk and we'd have mattresses on the floor to fit a large family.

All my hood friends had the same experience. I had friends whose bedroom also their living rooms.

Now I have friends who have a lot of money. 6 figure incomes and everything. Their house is slightly better looking, but that's about it. Still full of stuff. Messy if you surprise them on a off day.

Average American is no longer the standard for quality living.

Sopranos have a tidy house but they have a maid, when tony lives on his own, his house is littered with dirty laundry, cereal bowls, pizza boxes and tony isn’t wearing pants. I appreciated the realism of that show

Having a home in general isn't exactly realistic anymore

Which they only had because multiple people were murdered in the house, and Lois didn't tell the family.

Sounds like you don't play Ark: Survival Evolved.