Dream Facades

“We’ve gotta be honest here—we’ve spent years considering reality TV from what we thought was every possible angle … but Morley’s book showed us how much we were missing by not taking a deep look at the spaces in which the genre is set.”
—Ilana Masad and Stevie K. Seibert Desjarlais, Electric Literature

“An astute exploration of the homes featured on reality TV shows and what they demonstrate about American identity, culture, and desire … Insightful and deeply researched, this exposes the false reality behind the alluring backdrops that keep viewers coming back for more.”
—Publishers Weekly

“The title may be Dream Facades, but the subject matter—how we live, how we look, and the spaces we do it in—is anything but dreamy and anything but superficial. Finally it all feels real.”
—Eva Hagberg, The Architect’s Newspaper

“This is an unapologetically stylish deep dive into the thrill, the spectacle, and the true representation of the outrageous mansions as seen on reality television.”
—Bay Area Reporter

“Little may be more American than the intersection of housing and television, and Morley offers an entertaining, informative deep dive into the reasons why.”
—Booklist, starred review

“We are a culture hooked on the opiate of spectacle. Jack Morley’s Dream Facades shows that reality TV sets the stage for some of our most aspirational unrealities, down even to the architecture it’s filmed within. Eerily well-timed.”
—Geoff Manaugh, author of the New York Times–bestselling book A Burglar’s Guide to the City

“If you’ve ever wondered why your favorite Real Housewive’s McMansion looks like Caesar’s Palace or find yourself watching reality TV for the confusing interior decorating choices, then Jack Balderrama Morley’s book will offer the clarity you seek. Written in a style that is breezy, engaging, and informative without being pedantic, this book is a must-read for any reality TV fan, or, really, anyone interested in the world around them, one room at a time.”
—Megan C. Reynolds, author of Like: A History of the World’s Most Hated (and Misunderstood) Word

“With its simple but original insight—that from Cribs to Selling Sunset, the landmark shows in reality television have revolved around residential fantasy—this intelligent, witty, and unpretentious book explores the intersection of architectural aspiration and reality television in a way which casts each in a startlingly new light. Brilliantly stylish and irresistibly readable, Dream Facades is a searing indictment of our late capitalist present and the American fascination with cruel homes.”
—Sianne Ngai, George M. Pullman Professor of English, University of Chicago, and author of Our Aesthetic Categories: Zany, Cute, Interesting

Jack Balderrama Morley is a queer, Xicanx-Anglo writer and managing editor of Dwell, a preeminent digital and physical magazine dedicated to home design. Jack’s nonfiction writing has appeared in Dwell, and their fiction has appeared in the New Yorker, No Contact, Gertrude, and Soft Punk.

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