What’s the dark truth about Internet fame told in Netflix’s ‘Hype House’?

For just a second, let’s think back to when there was no social media. At one time, it seemed like Facebook was nothing more than another fad that would come and go. Now, look at it! Netflix’s Hype House is being called “so sad” but why? According to sources, “it’s almost like the show was made with the explicit purpose of convincing teenagers it sucks to be social media famous.”

In a scene from Netflix’s new reality show Hype House, twenty-two-year-old Thomas Petrou, known as the de facto leader of the eponymous TikTok content collaborative, calls a meeting to talk about the member’s “lack of hustle”. Upon gathering, there are perhaps ten or so members. He looks around and can’t help but wonder how the group grew so small. “Everyone else got too famous,” says someone accompanied by a laugh.

The line summarizes the central tension of Netflix’s Hype House. Contrary to what might be a popular belief amongst some age groups, the show manages to somehow make being young, wealthy, and famous in the iconic Los Angeles seem greatly depressing. 

The Hype House members, all in the midst of their late teens and early twenties, live together inside a mansion. They create content for the social media platform TikTok as a collective under the presumption that gathering more creators will make their videos more dynamic and intriguing. Just what is the “dark truth” about Internet fame Netflix’s Hype House seems to be telling us?

Lil Huddy

We’ve all imagined ourselves living in mansions. Interestingly, no one in Netflix’s Hype House seems to be enjoying themselves. Amid the show’s eight episodes, the members of the house are clearly distressed. They’re consumed with the need to succeed as they steadily watch their peers soar to levels they know they might not achieve. 

Chase Hudson (also known as Lil Huddy), he’s the founding member who has become a breakout star. Credited with contributing to the beginning of an emo revival among generation z, Lil Huddy was signed by Interscope Records. In the show, it appears that he arrives at the realization that he needs to leave his old friends behind if he really wants to advance his music career.

Lil Huddy’s catch twenty-two is accompanied by the awkwardness of a first-year college student trying to break-up with his high school sweetheart amid Thanksgiving break. What’s clear to the fans of Netflix’s Hype House is that Lil Huddy (or Chase Hudson) wants to move on. He’s moved out of the Hype House into his own mansion. He’s very aware, however, that his impact was a crucial factor in the group’s success. 

Without Lil Huddy, what do they have?

Netflix’s Hype House

Netflix’s Hype House began in December of 2019 by Hudson and Petrou. When talking about Lil Huddy’s success, Petrou said in one scene, “Chase is the person who made the Hype House what it was. Because he’s not here, everything in this brand falls on me. 

One point, TikTok sensations like the D’Amelio sisters (Charli briefly popped up in the series but wasn’t interviewed) and Addison Rae were also counted among the ranks of Hype House. 

According to Petrou, “We were like a family. It was so much fun just creating content every day, and now times have changed.” Petrou’s comments were interspersed with nostalgic clips of old Hype House videos. Petrou is left trying to keep the house afloat financially. But he’s having trouble motivating everyone. An example includes Petrou lecturing the group about their laziness to a shot of one member throwing a potted plant at another’s sleeping form. 

一

What’s in store for the future of Netflix’s Hype House? Share your thoughts in the comments below!