Do you feel poor when you watch TV? That's by design.

About this episode

The episode explores how reality TV shapes perceptions of wealth and housing stability.

Do you feel poor every time you turn on Bravo television? You're not alone - the beautiful homes of the rich and famous showcased on reality TV shows from Keeping Up with the Kardashians to the Real Housewives of Atlanta are meant to be something of a fantasy for audiences everywhere. But what are the housing realities behind the glitz and glamour? And how are your favorite reality TV stars shaping your own ideas of home and stability? To find out, Brittany is joined by Jack Balderrama Morley, author of Dream Facades: The Cruel Architecture of Reality TV, and Liam Dillon , staff writer at Politico who covers housing in California. Want more about cultural deep dives into Reality TV? Check out these episodes: Is this the end of reality TV? The molten center of 'The Real Housewives' multiverse Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Host: Brittany

Guests: Jack Balderrama Morley, Liam Dillon

Topics covered

• reality TV
• housing
• wealth disparity
• cultural perceptions
• fantasy vs reality

Keywords

• reality TV
• wealth
• housing
• fantasy
• cultural perceptions
• Kardashians
• Real Housewives

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bravo, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Real Housewives of Atlanta, Politico

Books & works: Dream Facades: The Cruel Architecture of Reality TV

More episodes of It's Been a Minute

• Who needs to know where you are? · June 12, 2026 · 19 min
• What makes a song a ‘millennial song’ · June 10, 2026 · 30 min
• How do you heal from 'Church Hurt?’ · June 9, 2026 · 54 min
• What to expect when you're expecting racism · June 8, 2026 · 34 min
• Who gets to 'do' revenge? · June 5, 2026 · 25 min
• The power of falling in love with yourself this summer · June 3, 2026 · 22 min