Adam Ruins The Suburbs is the tenth episode of Season 2 of Adam Ruins Everything. The episode aired on September 26, 2017.
Synopsis []
Adam gets out of the city to uncover the truth lurking in the suburbs, explaining why some homeowners are so obsessed with their lawns, revealing the high cost of suburban sprawl and excavating the racist history of the ‘burbs.
Plot []
Ron is excited to finally live in a house in the suburbs, mowing the lawn and tossing a ball around with his son. After having trouble with his lawnmower, Adam explains why having a green lawn is an expensive, environmental nightmare. The obsession with grass lawns came from the English aristocracy and took off in the United States.
After almost running over his son who is playing riding his bike outside, Ron learns why cul-de-sac neighborhoods are surprisingly unsafe. Furthermore, the design of low density suburban sprall results in habitants living unhealthy lifestyles by demanding the necessity of cars and long commutes. The suburbs are also more expensive to support than city living.
In his last attempt to defend his decision to move to the suburbs, Ron celebrates the "Good Schools" found there. Adam breaks his bubble by introducing him to the racist federal policy called Red Lining, that kept non-white communities from getting loans to buy homes. Red Lining set up a system of trapped poverty and racist policy that has lasting effects still experienced today. All of this neighborhood segregation spills over into neighborhood school funding, leaving schools in non-white neighborhoods grossly underfunded.
Ron decides he can't stand to live in his suburban home and neighborhood anymore. But then he learns about the solutions that many suburban communities are taking steps to make these neighborhoods a wonderful place to live for everyone. Ron goes to play catch with his son.
Cast []
Main []
Experts[]
- Ellen Dunham-Jones as Herself
- Nikole Hannah-Jones as Herself
- Richard Jackson as Himself
Guest[]
- Regan Burns as Ron
- Michael Daniel Cassady as William Levitt
- Edith Fields as Lorraine Hamilton
- Cooper J. Friedman as Lil Donovan
- Curt Neill as Frank J. Scott
- Amos Vernon as Uncle Sam (voice)
- Gigi Bermingham as Lady Aristocrat
- John Horan as Sweater Dog Person 1
- Rosie Kaller as Sweater Dog Person 2
Videos[]
References []