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McMansion Hell

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McMansion Hell
Type of site
Blog
EditorKate Wagner
URLmcmansionhell.com
LaunchedJuly 2016 (2016-07)
A typical image on McMansion Hell, featuring commentary added to real estate photos

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 architecture critic who holds a master's degree in audio science with a specialty in architectural acoustics from Johns Hopkins University's Peabody Conservatory.[1][2][3][4]

Content

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A standard entry consists largely of photographs from real estate listings for a particular McMansion juxtaposed with Wagner's commentary, using arrows to note features she finds questionable or in poor taste.[1] In addition to individual homes, the website's commentary often extends to the broader perceived material culture of wastefulness represented by McMansions,[5] providing anecdotes of situations when McMansions have been a poor financial investment[6] and offering stand-alone essays on urban planning and architectural history.[7] The blog offers subscriptions with bonus content.[1]

Reception

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The blog has acquired many fans, with 65,000 followers in July 2018.[1][8][9] Wagner has been interviewed about McMansion Hell by publications including Paper, The Washington Post, Slate, Business Insider, The Hairpin, and Der Spiegel in Germany, and has appeared on the 99% Invisible podcast.[3] She has gained wide name recognition in architectural circles[10] and has written for publications including The Washington Post,[11] Bloomberg,[12] Architectural Digest,[13] The Baffler,[14] The Atlantic,[15] Jacobin,[16] and The New Republic,[17] currently serving as architecture critic for The Nation.[18]

In June 2017, Zillow sent Wagner a letter claiming that McMansion Hell violated Zillow's Terms of Service by "reproducing, modifying, and publicly displaying" content from Zillow listings. The letter also suggested that McMansion Hell was in violation of copyright law, was unprotected by fair use, and by interfering with Zillow's business interests may have been violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.[19] After Wagner obtained legal representation from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Zillow declined to pursue legal action against McMansion Hell.[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Hate haughty houses? This blog's for you". Los Angeles Times. 20 July 2018.
  2. ^ Farivar, Cyrus (June 26, 2017). "'McMansion Hell' used Zillow photos to mock bad design—Zillow may sue". Ars Technica. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  3. ^ a b McCabe, Bret (Summer 2017). "The Blogger behind 'McMansion Hell' Tackles American Consumerism, One Oversized Foyer at a Time". Johns Hopkins Magazine.
  4. ^ Wagner, Kate. "About". Tumblr. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Abbey-Lambertz, Kate (13 October 2016). "The Type Of House You Should Never Buy". Huffington Post.
  7. ^ Hell, McMansion. "short lease in a slick machine: a personal essay about apartments". Tumblr. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
  8. ^ Dickey, Colin (3 October 2016). "The Literal Hell of McMansions". Slate.
  9. ^ "Kate Wagner (brief bio)". curbed.com.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ Wagner, Kate (May 17, 2023). "Etsy promised shopping with a soul. Then the scammers came". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  12. ^ Wagner, Kate (August 6, 2018). "The Case for Rooms". Bloomberg News. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  13. ^ Wagner, Kate (26 July 2017). "Bye, Bad Drop Ceilings! These Charming Acoustic Designs Are Changing the Game". Architectural Digest.
  14. ^ Wagner, Kate (2023-05-09). "The McMansion as Harbinger of the American Apocalypse". The Baffler. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  15. ^ Wagner, Kate (20 February 2018). "City Noise Might Be Making You Sick". The Atlantic.
  16. ^ Wagner, Kate (9 November 2017). "McMansion, USA". Jacobin Magazine.
  17. ^ Wagner, Kate (March 26, 2020). "The Ethical Failures of Modern Architecture". The New Republic. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  18. ^ Wagner, Kate (October 18, 2023). "In Defense of Homeownership". The Nation. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  19. ^ Keller, Hadley (27 June 2017). "McMansion Hell Blog Faces Lawsuit from Zillow". Architectural Digest.
  20. ^ Garun, Natt (June 29, 2017). "Zillow ends its dumb legal crusade against McMansion Hell blogger". The Verge. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
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