As I find myself mindlessly scrolling Netflix on yet another evening, I cannot help but hover over the sparkly and alluring Selling Sunset icon. To put it simply, I find this show extremely addictive, and whether that is in a positive or negative way, I am not entirely sure myself. As for the previous series, I casually viewed it, acknowledged the obscene wealth and drama, and moved on. However, when I realised this was the sixth series of the show, I was determined to fully immerse myself into it, and attempt to understand why it is such a popular guilty pleasure. The show began in 2019 and the cast members have marked their places within celebrity culture, what with Chrishell dating Australian singer G Flip after her breakup with Jason, and the agents becoming a hot topic across social media. FYI, if you have never seen the show, Jason makes up one half of the Oppenheim twins, who are basically the really rich descendants of the Oppenheim real estate development. The Oppenheim Group, which is based in LA, has a number of agents who look extremely glamorous and always put-together. The number of agents have fluctuated throughout the seasons mainly due to cast drama. The agents featured on this series are returners Mary Fitzgerald, Chrishell Stause, Amanza Smith, Emma Hernan, Chelsea Lazkani and Heather Young, alongside two newcomers: Nicole Young and Bre Tiesi.
There is no denying that Selling Sunset provides ultimately the most dramatic form of escapism. Transported into a world of obscene wealth, luxury, and materialism, it is a far cry from being in a cramped student house in Leeds. With the sun-soaked panoramas of Beverly Hills and an array of fancy dinners (in most episodes), this series truly establishes an irony to the genre ‘reality TV’, as in it seems as far as you could possibly get from my (and I assume many others’) realities. Nevertheless, focal points of the season for me include Chrishell’s new relationship, Mary temporarily taking on Jason’s role as he went on holiday to Europe, Bre and Chelsea’s feud, and Nicole and Chrishell’s feud. Though some of these feuds definitely came across as orchestrated and whilst they were a little cringy, watching Mary take on leadership (despite her questionable ability) seemed fitting after her consistent positive work ethic throughout the previous five seasons. However, the way that Jason just upped and left, dumping all his responsibilities on Mary, simply didn’t sit right with me. Amidst this, Chrishell began to unapologetically stand up for herself during her feud with Nicole, which was relieving to watch, however cringy these feuds were. The ultimate highlight for me, though, was watching newcomer Bre Tiesi. Not only did she come across as brilliant in her job (her relationships with clients seemed honest and affectionate), her driven, work-focused, and no BS attitude seemed to situate her away from the other agents (to an extent).
Of course, the show is intended for casual viewing, and I acknowledge that it certainly fulfils that. That said, I don’t know if I’m looking into it a bit too much, but there really is something so loathly about it all which I can’t seem to articulate. Whether it’s the exclusively designer clothing, the eye-watering costs of these homes, the unmatched glamour of the agents or their fancy dinners and holidays, the show is categorically out of touch.
Escapism is a brilliant thing, and arguably the point of entertainment, but how does one react when this version of ‘reality TV’ is so disparate from your own reality? I don’t know. Maybe we need to invent a new genre of ‘unreality TV’ or maybe I am just jealous. It is also interesting to wonder: what is next for Selling Sunset? After six seasons of essentially the same narratives, could there be a valid justification for a seventh series? This along with the fact that the show is so out of touch convinces me that it could just be nearing its finale.
Written by: Maisy Pallister
Edited by: Harsheni Maniarasan