Episode Seven Transcript - The Butterflies On the Concrete Podcast: What Got Me Through The Week?
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Welcome to the Butterflies On The Concrete Podcast: What Got Me Through The Week? This week I want to talk about Instant Dream Home, a home design show airing on Netflix, and The Sims 4. A home renovation show and a life simulation game might seem like two very different things. However, to me, they complement each other perfectly.
So, let’s get started!
Instant Dream Home is probably the most creative home design show I’ve watched yet. A small team of experts in carpentry, exterior design, interior design and other relevant fields work together along with about 250 craftspeople to renovate homes in just twelve hours! The homeowners featured on the show are nominated by people close to them, a relative or friend, who then finds an excuse to keep them out of their house for a day, so that they can come home and be surprised later on. The show is hosted by Grammy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award winning actress and performer, Danielle Brooks, who’s also designated as the Team Leader. I want to mention also that one of the experts, the interior design expert, more specifically, is Adair Curtis, which is awesome because I absolutely loved the show Styling Hollywood and I’ve been patiently waiting for it to be greenlit for a second season. Because of this, it was really cool to see him in this new project. I hope Instant Dream Home gets a second season, and even a third season, as well.
There are truly some amazing things that happen during Instant Dream Home. As an avid viewer of HGTV - who has no personal home renovation experience or relevant skills for improving a home - the idea that walls could be knocked down and rebuilt, kitchens and bathrooms could be added to homes, and entire backyards could be fully transformed into a homeowner’s dream, in less than one day, is absolutely unfathomable. I watched it, and I still can’t believe it. It’s unheard of, at least to me. But I watched them build kitchens and bathrooms offsite and then attach them to existing homes with forklifts and cranes. They were able to knock down walls and then create new rooms. They air-lifted balcony windows onto a roof with a helicopter! And built a treehouse with a camper van and a crescent shaped basketball court. I thought I’d seen it all when it came to home renovations because I watch those shows all the time, but I was wrong. There’s so much I didn’t know was possible that I learned while watching this show.
Another aspect of the show that I really enjoyed was how extremely diverse it was. It’s the first home renovation show I’ve seen where the majority of the homeowners were people of color. People might not think that viewers notice that sort of thing, but we do. Well, at least some of us do. Being able to see yourself reflected in the media is something that should never be taken for granted, and I’ll always appreciate and seek out content that understands how important that is.
These sorts of shows aren’t just about improving homes though. They also show brief stories about the people who are receiving the home, and a lot of them were people who helped and gave freely to others. A firefighter, a teacher, a nurse, pastors, a community worker, someone who works at a nonprofit. Regardless of who received a home makeover, it would be a joyous occasion, but the happiness is multiplied when you realize that recipients are mostly people who typically give more than they receive in their daily lives. Seeing people get surprised and so excited and grateful about their new home just made me feel happy for them. It gave me hope. A reminder that good things are still happening, even when this world may seem chaotic at times.
And when life feels overwhelming, I play The Sims. It’s a game I started playing when I was in high school, and then forgot about once I went to college. I didn’t start playing again until the pandemic started. I can’t remember if I saw an ad for it, or if I just started googling wondering if it still existed randomly one day, but once I found it, I got hooked yet again. When I was younger, I think it used to just be something I viewed as a fun way to spend my free time. And as an adult, it’s still fun. However, the difference now is that I’m more cognizant of why I enjoy it than I was back then.
When I’m stressed out, or anxious, or sad, I can regain some semblance of control in my life by thinking of something I want to build, or characters that I want to create for a particular story that I yearn to tell, and then bring it to fruition in the game. I can make a retail store, or a vet clinic, or a spa, or cafe, designing it just the way that I want it. And there won’t be any self-conscious thoughts about whether I’m playing ‘the right way,’ because there is no one specific way for the game to be played. It’s a single-player game, so there’s no need to rely on anyone else, and there won’t be anyone commenting on my gameplay, or judging it. Its just a save file that I’ve created, on my own terms, that can’t be criticized by someone else as not being good enough. I don’t need to worry about anyone else’s opinion, just my own. And it’s so immensely comforting because - even though it’s a life simulation game- it’s unlike the real world in that way.
I absolutely love it. And the excitement that I feel when I’m building homes for, and guiding the lives of, my Sims, is unparalleled.
My favorite aspect of The Sims is not simply building businesses for my Sims to visit or own, it’s building homes for them to live in. That’s the connection between a home renovation show and a life simulation game that I alluded to earlier, as small as it may be. Building a home, designing and decorating it is just so much fun. Whenever a pack is announced, whether it’s an expansion, game or stuff pack, or even a kit, my first question is – what are the build/buy items like?
Because I’ve watched so many home design shows, there are certain items we haven’t gotten yet in game that I’d really like to see:
1. New standalone showers, like the kind we got with Snowy Escape, but with ceiling mounted rain shower heads;
2. Waterfall countertops for kitchen islands;
3. Small appliances like toasters, under counter microwaves, waffle makers, juicers, air fryers, blenders, and food processors all with new food items added;
4. Backsplashes for kitchen walls that can be added on top of whatever wall paint or wallpaper is used;
5. Wall mounted double ovens, and
6. Spiral staircases.
I’m not currently playing with custom content, and I’ve mostly played without it since I downloaded the game again back in 2020. However, when there was a drought of new content last fall through earlier this year, I did download and use some custom content items from Harrie and Felixandre, along with a few other creators like Ravasheen and Myshunosun, and so I know that some of the items I mentioned above are custom content. In particular, the double ovens that Harrie created are awesome. I just truly wish that EA would hire the creators I mentioned, and other skilled custom content creators, so that their items could be part of the game for everyone, not just those who choose to use custom content or mods. Not everyone wants to use custom content, and even I only used it sparsely, avoiding anything with script files just to be safe.
Some of other features that I’d love to see added to the game are as follows:
1. Bands. I’d love to see new instruments like the flute, the trumpet, and drums added to the game, as well as the ability to play songs as a group with a lead singer, and with instruments, and maybe even dancing. A singing career would also be great, perhaps as a refresh for Get Famous or City Living.
2. Ballet. There’s ice skating in the game so I’m not sure why they couldn’t also add ballet as some aspects of the movements are similar.
3. Hotels. They gave us rental properties, but not the ability to own them. And they gave us apartment buildings, but not the ability to own them again. We also have the ability to lock specific doors on residential and other lots. So I’d appreciate a hotel even if it’s one that can’t be owned, as long as we can customize and/or demolish and rebuild it. It’d be great if they could do that with apartments also. If the Sims team gave us a hotel lot type and an apartment lot type though, where we can build them and maybe even own them, that would be a dream.
4. Being able to have multiple businesses on one lot is something I think would enhance my gameplay so much. It’d be nice to have a retail store and a restaurant on the same lot. Or, a spa and a gym, or a café and a residence. I’m not sure if we’ll ever get it, but I think a lot of people want that feature. Not just me.
The Sims isn’t a perfect game. There are endless bugs that need to be fixed, and cross pack integration could certainly be improved. But, even so, I’ll continue playing the game regardless because it brings me joy. Nothing in this world is perfect, but all of us do our best to keep going anyway.
Thank you for listening to this week’s episode. If anyone is listening to this and would like to talk about how much they also love Instant Dream Home, or The Sims, or want to share something else that got you through this week, please comment on this episode’s post on our Instagram page WhatGotMeThroughTheWeek, or by email at whatgotmethroughpodcast@gmail.com. The transcript and audio for this episode will be posted on HyssopandEbony.com.
Until next time!