Netflix’s Hype House: Is it Worth the Hype?
Image courtesy of Netflix
By Kat Kaderabek
Netflix’s Hype House details the lives of TikTok social media stars like Alex Warren and Thomas Petrou living in a house with 10 other 20-year-olds in an effort to produce content. The show introduces each member of the dubbed “Hype House,” but mainly focuses on lifestyles like Chase a.k.a. Lil Huddy’s move from the original Hype House, Alex Warren and his relationship with Kouvr Annon, and Thomas Petrou’s status as manager of the house. Despite the show being about the content creators living in the house, reality stars Larray Merritt and Nikita Dragun also play a crucial role in this series, both as peacemakers and instigators of drama in this reality TV-like living situation.
The show provides very detailed insight into the lives of social media stars, the pressure they are under, and the toll it takes on their personal mental health and self perception. Most surprising is the extensive background Hype House supplies viewers with, particularly in the case of Alex Warren. In what feels like a complete turnaround from fan expectations, the show becomes very intense when Alex acknowledges the passing of his father and even visits his grave. The effects from his traumatic childhood are clearly seen and acknowledged by his Hype House friends. Within the community he has found support, which was a touching sentiment included in an otherwise gimmicky and cringe-worthy reality show.
All of the members of the Hype House that are included in the show were able to give some backstory on themselves and their struggles, which was a great opportunity to get to know these stars better and understand that many of them did not enjoy happy childhoods. Despite critiques that the members of the Hype House were all pampered rich kids, in actuality many of them struggled with abusive or unaccepting parents and were forced to grow up very young. This is most likely an explanation for why many members of the Hype House have childish or destructive tendencies. It is clear with certain members, such as Vinnie Hacker, that they do not know how to deal with emotions in a mature way. Vinnie is often criticized throughout the show for being prone to rage and has self-admittedly acknowledged that he has problems in expressing himself.
From the very beginning, Hype House promises high-school equivalent drama, and it surely delivers. From betrayal to unrequited love to petty pranks gone wrong, this show has it all. It is important to note that several members from the Hype House were edited out of footage and not featured in the show; this choice made it difficult to determine the truth of the drama that goes on within the house. The audience feels as if it only gets a glimpse of what is really happening under the surface. However, even the glimpse that the audience receives is enough to know that the Hype House has seen some bad days.
The most interesting part of the docu-series is this idea that the Hype House may end, and there is even a part where the house is on the verge of destruction. Stemming from Chase’s split from the house, viewers are able to see the immense pressure Thomas Petrou is under to keep the house afloat. It seems so simple. Make content using sponsored posts. Yet, many of the Hype House members refuse to do so; they have run out of content and run out of investment in this project. This takes a huge toll on creator of the Hype House, Thomas Petrou, who had plans to make the Hype House a brand that lasts for years. The show does note the fleeting successes of other content houses, like the Sway House, which was tied to a representative label and shortly disbanded after several breakout stars emerged from it. Thomas is trying to keep the Hype House afloat, but by the end of the show it is very uncertain whether this content-creator house will last much longer.So is Hype House worth the hype? Yes. The series does a good job at presenting the lifestyle these young adults have become accustomed to and does an even better job at remaining unbiased regarding the lifestyle. Viewers are able to make their own assumptions regarding the Hype House. In that sense is this an easily watchable series. It is an entertaining docu-series to watch that may open your eyes to the difficulties and pressures of a social media star. It seems accurate and honest, two qualities that are often lacking on social media.
