So I don’t know what makes me more furious – that my camera accidentally went to the beach with the Husband and the Critter, sabotaging my intended post about the new Luau Restaurant on Bedford, (I talked up the contractor and they let me take pics of it while it’s still under construction), OR that my cell phone wouldn’t let me twitter to y’all a picture of the worst hair extensions I’ve ever seen in my life, or Pat Boone in his giant old gold Rolls Royce cruising down Canon Drive in the triangle, or the (finally) fabulous new dress in the Neiman’s window on the corner of Roxbury. So I am surrendering to more MDL guilty pleasure which I can justify ONLY because it has houses that may show some interesting interiors. Seriously, you shouldn’t get me started…
Last we left the children of the corn that are the movers and shakers of high end real estate, Chad had asked his girlfriend to move in, Josh had worked a sale out of dust with a house that was seized by the feds, and Madison had a new assistant and a blind date. I was seriously concerned about the former, but fortunately the girlfriend nipped it in the bud, and later confessed to a friend that she was worried that she couldn’t live up to Chad’s obsessive compulsive need to organize and contain everything into ziploc storage bags. The evidence she displayed was an array of items from her fabulous enormous handbag that he had captured in plastic. Proven beyond a doubt that he had OCD was the clip of his packing for his business trip to Vegas, with three sizes of bags, he manages to zip up everything INDIVIDUALLY in a bag. Hairdryer in one. Hair brush in another. Hasn’t he heard that we’re trying not to consume so much plastic? He must go through a few boxes of each size a week!
Madison, to my mind, is the least neurotic of the three, but honestly, who’s he kidding by telling his ex-girlfriend that he still may hold a torch for her. He isn’t in the closet; he says that he can be with a man or a woman. The ex just looks at him blankly, as if to say “because, Dude, you’re gay”. Less gentle with her advice is his gal pal who visits him while he’s waiting for a house inspection in her neighborhood. She flat out tells him that he’s pretending he’s still straight by still wanting the ex girlfriend and in so many words does two snaps and stalks off to her house, done with that.
And there’s Josh. I really can’t fault him for jumping on listing the house of his grandmother’s friend who died. A seven million dollar house on Walden in the flats of Beverly Hills. I would never have had the gall to make a call to a family who hadn’t yet buried their dearly departed, but Josh did. And got the sale. And made a deal before it was ever shown in the Caravan. To the nicest people ever, who would write a counter offer on a scrap of yellow legal paper below the counter to their counter, etcetera. Josh dutifully stuck to this way of negotiation suggested by, of course, his grandmother. The sellers remained anonymous and sat across the hall. Josh backed out of each room, passed the paper on until an agreement was made. I really think he made this deal just by keeping his mouth shut. I could take a lesson.
So please – watch the show.
I guess I have to add the “Addiction” category to Million Dollar Listing. I would love to know your thoughts – again please add your comment! I really do want to know what you enjoy reading and clicking.
Mike Says:
September 13th, 2008 at 2:12 pmVisit Mike
I’d have to say that it’s one of the more engaging reality shows. I find Bravo’s programming very strong in general. I’m becoming fond of that Tabitha when I see her. My first favorite was ‘Top Chef’ as I’m a complete foodie. (A.O.C. rules, and so do the right taco trucks.)
There is something about Million Dollar Listing. I think there’s a kind of voyeur, ‘not quite love / but definitely hate’ thing the viewer has with Josh and Chad. Madison is generally a pleasure and likable, but certainly couldn’t carry the show on his own.
I think anyone who’s not a child of privilege has a certain resentment for Chad and Josh because even though they’re good at what they do, they were born into it. Chad can pretend that his father was in a different area of real estate and so can Josh with his family. But the reality is that if either were born and raised in Kansas to a lower/middle class family, they wouldn’t be where they are. That’s not their fault… but it’s also reason for their ego’s to be seriously tempered.
Once again, this doesn’t make them any less good at what they do. They’re both good agents which makes the whole thing tolerable. We like to watch to see the glamour and social standing of it all. All people pursue social standing and have an interest in it. But for these successful three, it’s A LOT easier to be a deal maker when your livelihood doesn’t depend on it. And even that goes for Madison, whom I understand comes from a wealthy background himself. It’s a lot easier to be cool under pressure when rent isn’t a concern. The emotional ups and downs of deal making is WAY different depending on one’s bank account.
So, I wouldn’t say I’m addicted to the show as I don’t go out of my way to see it like I do Top Chef. That’s actually the only one I’ll try and catch live. But with this show, I think the key is the dichotomy between their extraordinary levels of success against their all too normal personal traits. (That’s what reality tv is at the end of the day, right… seeing everyone’s pro’s and con’s on display?) Josh thinks he’s god’s gift to the earth and seriously needs to get punched out. Chad thinks he’s a relationship master when he’s actually just a skilled real estate agent. Plus, every time he name-drops he should be smacked. I enjoy Madison… and I’m a very straight male so there’s no gay bias here.
Anyway, just my two cents… since you asked.