McMansion Hell
Type of site | Blog |
---|---|
Editor | Kate Wagner |
URL | mcmansionhell |
Launched | July 2016 |
McMansion Hell is a blog that humorously critiques McMansions, large suburban homes typically built from the 1980s to 2008 and known for their stylistic attempt to create the appearance of affluence using mass-produced architecture. The website is run by Kate Wagner, an architectural writer.[1][2][3] The blog is hosted by Tumblr, with 65,000 followers in July 2018.[4] It was created in July 2016.[4]
Content
The blog uses Wagner's commentary atop images of the interiors and exteriors of McMansions, using arrows to note features she finds questionable or in poor taste.[4] Besides critiquing the homes themselves, the website also criticizes the perceived material culture of wastefulness McMansions can represent,[5] gives anecdotes of situations when McMansions have been a poor financial investment,[6] and provides other essays on urban planning and architectural history. The blog offers subscriptions with bonus content, generating sufficient funding for Wagner to work on the blog full-time.[4]
Kate Wagner holds a master's degree in audio science with a specialty in architectural acoustics from
Reception
The blog has acquired many fans, with 65,000 followers in July 2018.[4][7][8] Wagner has been interviewed for Paper, The Washington Post, Slate, Business Insider, The Hairpin, and Der Spiegel in Germany, and has appeared on the 99% Invisible podcast.[2] She has gained wide name recognition in architectural circles[9] and has published in the Architectural Digest,[10] The Baffler,[11]The Atlantic,[12] and Jacobin.[13]
In June 2017,
References
- ^ Farivar, Cyrus (June 26, 2017). "'McMansion Hell' used Zillow photos to mock bad design—Zillow may sue". Ars Technica. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
- ^ a b McCabe, Bret (Summer 2017). "The Blogger behind 'McMansion Hell' Tackles American Consumerism, One Oversized Foyer at a Time". Johns Hopkins Magazine.
- ^ Wagner, Kate. "About". Tumblr. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
- ^ a b c d e f "Hate haughty houses? This blog's for you". Los Angeles Times. 20 July 2018.
- ^ Collins, Penn (7 June 2017). "A Brilliant Website Teaches Us Exactly Why McMansions Are So Terrible (And It's Not Just Their Looks)". GOOD Magazine.
- ^ Abbey-Lambertz, Kate (13 October 2016). "The Type Of House You Should Never Buy". Huffington Post.
- ^ Dickey, Colin (3 October 2016). "The Literal Hell of McMansions". Slate.
- ^ "Kate Wagner (brief bio)". curbed.com.
- ^ Britto, Brittany (28 July 2017). "Building a following: Peabody student is making a name for herself in the world of architecture by taking McMansions to task". Baltimore Sun.
- ^ Wagner, Kate (26 July 2017). "Bye, Bad Drop Ceilings! These Charming Acoustic Designs Are Changing the Game". Architectural Digest.
- ^ Wagner, Kate (2023-05-09). "The McMansion as Harbinger of the American Apocalypse". The Baffler. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
- ^ Wagner, Kate (20 February 2018). "City Noise Might Be Making You Sick". The Atlantic.
- ^ Wagner, Kate (9 November 2017). "McMansion, USA". Jacobin Magazine.
- ^ Keller, Hadley (27 June 2017). "McMansion Hell Blog Faces Lawsuit from Zillow". Architectural Digest.
- ^ Garun, Natt (June 29, 2017). "Zillow ends its dumb legal crusade against McMansion Hell blogger". The Verge. Retrieved February 27, 2018.