I don't understand this? Is one of the hosts of #HGTVHomeTown arguing her show isn't basically fantasy? https://twitter.com/ErinRNapier/status/1301348908073996291

The false fantasy here is billing small town life as a cure for urban ills! Plus, that fantasy is rooted in the belief that urban cities are hubs of crime and decay, because they've been overrun by too many POC. Pushing small town life as the solution is inherently racist!

I'm glad she thinks Laurel is different, but the appeal of the show is in its escapism and the revised myth of the American pastoral. There is messiness and complexity in any town, which Home Town and Fixer Upper take great care not to show because viewers don't want that.

Do you know why homes in Laurel are so cheap?According to the 2010 Census, the medium income was $25,988. 28.9% of the population was below the poverty line. And, 61.3% of the population is Black. This is a poor Black community and yet, we see little of that in the HGTV show.

Instead, guess what narrative we're getting? Cheap houses that are "affordable and attainable," if you can get someone to gut the entire thing. Guess what isn't addressed? The structural problems that lead to close to a third of the population living below the poverty line.

My point is, that Laurel has a ton of problems, just like everywhere else. And of course the show wants to sell it as a fantasy of small town life! That's what people want to see, but it's ludicrous to pretend it's anything but fantasy.

Also, I never said small towns weren't "valuable and vital." And! Small towns aren't the only place you can get community. Shocker, but the cities and suburbs have them too.

Also, this is crazy to be me because I love Home Town! I've written about how much I love it! But guess what, it is still fantasy! All home shows are! https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/03/hgtv-shows-ranked-fixer-upper-home-town-house-hunters