All the Chaotic 'Summer House' Rules and BTS Secrets That Are Essential Knowledge
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Raise your hand if you're at personal risk of Summer House becoming your entire personality (along with the phrase "me espresso," but I digress). This is a safe space, and by that I mean a place where your obsession with Summer House can become even more unhinged than it already is. Like, say a little prayer for the next person who innocently talks about this show in the same room as you, because they are not ready!
While I have no doubts that you're obviously more than up-to-date on Summer House interpersonal drama (me personally? I'll never recover from Carl and Lindsay's breakup), Bravo has rudely yet to make a Summer House: The Making Of documentary—which means fans are woefully lacking in behind-the-scenes tidbits about this show. So, naturally, we went ahead and trolled through interviews, podcasts, and producer intel to bring you 30 Summer House rules and need-to-know BTS secrets. Cheers!
*clinks together two glasses of Whispering Angel*
The Laundry Machine Is Always Going
Basically, the vibe is GTL, but just...L.
In fact, according to an anonymous Bravo producer, Luke Gulbranson used to straight-up "arrive at the house on Friday with laundry from the city" so that he could just...do it all at the house. Listen, as someone who goes home for Thanksgiving with approximately three months' worth of dirty clothes, I relate to this deeply.
The Bathroom Is the *Only* Place for Privacy
Honestly wasn't sure what photo to go with here, so here's Kyle riding a tiny tricycle for literally no reason. But the point is: Bathrooms are the only place in the house without cameras. However! A producer told Bravo: "[If] there's two people chatting in a bathroom, they invite the camera in too." What these ppl do for us!
The Bathroom Is the *Only* Place for Privacy Pt. 2
Paige DeSorbo confirmed this whole bathroom thing on The Skinny Confidential, saying, "If you're in the bathroom with another person, [cameras] can come in, but there's not surveillance in the bathroom. It's very Real World."
There's 24/7 Surveillance and Note-Taking
Bravo is 👀 literally 👀 always 👀 watching...to the point where "producers have someone dedicated to taking notes about what they see on the 24-hour surveillance cameras." Scared!
But Producers Respect Hookup Limits
When it comes to hooking up on camera, that aforementioned anon producer says, "Everyone has their limits. We respect them." Kay!
Pls Be Advised: Sex in the Pool Is a No-Go
Producers simply won't allow it. Which, on behalf of the owners of the actual Summer House house, as well as pools in general, bless!
There's (Maybe) Some Producer Interference
For the uninitiated, being "produced" means that producers tell you what to do/say. Which, for the most part, doesn't seem to happen much on Summer House. But Luke Gulbranson did try to claim that producers told him to invite Hannah Berner to come with him to Minnesota.
As he put it during the reunion: "I'm clearly going to break [the] fourth wall and I apologize but this is something I have to say. I'm sorry you guys. I was produced and asked to ask you to go to Minnesota. I should have never asked you that. I should have said no."
But Andy Cohen Denies It!
According to Cheat Sheet, his reaction to Luke's claim was as follows: "That is not true." And Carl Radke said the same thing, sooooo.
There Are No Glam Squads
You better have practiced doing your hair and makeup on camera, because once you walk into Summer House, it's just you + your ability to do a cat-eye.
There's Some Pressure to Sign Contracts
Paige told The Skinny Confidential that she was cast after two other people dropped out, and that producers told her if she wanted the job, she had to sign the contract that literal day.
😳😳😳
There's Professional Lighting All Over the Ceiling
Paige said on the same podcast that Bravo takes lighting very seriously. (Wow, same!) Apparently, "there's lights all over the ceiling," not to mention cameras "in the corner." Still scared.
There's No One Cleaning Up After Them
The Summer House house, bless its heart, gets trashed by the cast "immediately after they arrive." And apparently, Carl Radke is the only person who bothers to take out the garbage and clean up, lol.
They Come Up With Their Own Party Themes
Shockingly, the cast's not-at-all-unhinged party ideas are from... their own brains. And yes, there's a group chat where they come up with ideas that are "visually appealing."
No, They Don't Have to Pay Rent
Seems like Bravo foots the bill for the house! Stephen McGee implied as much on the Reality Life podcast, saying: "Even though the house is big and you see all of our rooms, there's rooms that were used for storage, production, and cameras. We weren't paying extra for those spaces to give them room to produce the show."
Buuut the Cast Pays for Their Own Parties
As Danielle Olivera confirmed, "Lindsay's birthday cost her a lot of money. It's like in the thousands. Like an easy $5,000." She also said that Kyle "keeps a solid spreadsheet about how much we pool in for food and for drinks and decorations."
They Have to Drive in Hours of Traffic
As anyone who's attempted to drive from New York City to the Hamptons on a Friday knows all too well, the commute is brutal. And the Summer House cast doesn't get to, like, fly Blade. They're stuck in traffic with the rest of us!
As one producer put it to Bravo: "Sometimes it take three hours, sometimes six or more. We spend half the summer on the Long Island Expressway."
They Don't Get Even One Weekend Off
Paige told The Skinny Confidential that Summer House starts filming "the first weekend in July" and goes "every single weekend until Labor Day." Oh, and on top of weekends, they're often filming on two weekdays too. What is a personal life, never heard of it.
Filming at Restaurants Is a Whole Thing
Unsurprisingly, filming out and about in public is a huge ordeal. One producer explained that the hardest part about hitting up a restaurant is "not disturbing the other customers" and making sure "everyone isn't just shouting over each other the entire time." Seems impossible, tbh.
They Have to Sign an NDA
A spokesperson from Bravo told Variety about the NDAs used on their shows, saying, in part (amid drama with Bethenny Frankel):
"Confidentiality clauses are standard practice in reality programming to prevent disclosure of storylines prior to air. They are not intended to prevent disclosure by cast and crew of unlawful acts in the workplace, and they have not been enforced in that manner."
Got it!
Working Out Is Non-Negotiable
Turns out getting up early to work out when you're hungover is part of Summer House living. Producer Ian Gelfand told So Bad It's Good with Ryan Bailey, "Part of their job is to look good. When they drink too much and get up in the morning, it's their job. They know they have to keep being in shape." Welp!
Spoilers Are an Absolute No
At least based on how other Bravo shows work! Take Vanderpump Rules, for example. When Scheana Shay accidentally spoiled an unaired moment on Amazon Live, Lala Kent said, "Um, she's definitely getting in trouble. There's no way she’s not getting in trouble." Unsure what being in "trouble" with producers looks like, but the point is: No spoilers, pls.
You Have to Say What's on Your Mind
Producer Ian Gelfand also told So Bad It's Good with Ryan Bailey that sharing is caring on Summer House. "To go on a show like this, you have to learn to say how you feel," he said. "You can't just go through and play nice every time, at moments you need to step up."
Gelfand also wisely noted: "Most people let shit go in real life but this is a TV show and you need to say how you feel."
If You Find a Private Spot, It Won't Be Private for Long
The cast used to have a few private spots other than the bathroom to have moments alone, but the crew shut that down real fast. As one producer put it, "We learned our lesson after season 3 when Paige and Carl would make out in the pantry."
Speaking of the Bathrooms...People Have Sex in Them
Apparently, people frequently hook up in Lindsay, Kyle, and Amanda's bathrooms, which is a lot to process, so I'll give everyone a moment.
Who Are the Random Party-Goers, You Ask?
Friends of friends...of friends! And some total randoms. At least according to a Redditor who wrote: "I've had friends who have attended one of the parties! They all took the train from NYC and were promised food & drinks for the day but there was barely any food and just a ton of alcohol (or course!) They knew a cast member through work and were told they could bring a bunch of friends!"
The Cast Becomes Friends With the Producers
To the point where producers also dress up for the theme parties, as is delightfully pictured here! (Also, screaming at this inside look at the Summer House control center.)
So, Are the Drinks Free?
Yes and no. Producer Ian Gelfand told So Bad It's Good with Ryan Bailey that alcohol isn't "provided" to the cast, but that companies will send boxes of rosé in the hopes of it being on camera. Which is why we see so much ~Whispering Angel~.
New Cast Members Are Fully Just Thrown In
There's no soft launch, gentle landing, or pep talk. If you're new, you simply arrive at the house and start filming—at least according to what producer Ian Gelfand said on So Bad It's Good with Ryan Bailey!
You Gotta Stick! to! a Schedule!
Summer House producers run a tight ship. Gelfand says that when it comes to restaurant scenes, the group is always on time, since their reservations are so huge and the establishment could potentially lose revenue if they show up late. We love a considerate show!
Having a 9-5 Isn't Exactly an Easy Option
If you go on Summer House, it won't be particularly easy to maintain a typical 9-5, given that they film five days a week—so the show typically attracts creatives and entrepreneurs! Plus...they get paid per episode (reportedly thousands), so Summer House itself is work!
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