Chip and Joanna Gaines said goodbye to their massively successful HGTV show Fixer Upper in 2017. Looking back, I think the workload was definitely the biggest reason for ending the show, even though there were tons of conspiracies at the time that it involved other, shadier reasons. Joanna got pregnant with their fifth child and their Magnolia-brand was growing by leaps and bounds in Waco, Texas. So they took a huge gamble that they were, in fact, bigger than HGTV. They stayed in Waco and wouldn’t you know, Hollywood came to them. They now have a huge production deal with Discovery+ for the Magnolia Network. That’s why they’re on the cover of the Hollywood Reporter – they’re re-introducing themselves not just as on-camera talent, but as producers who care about developing new shows and new TV personalities. Some interesting highlights from this THR cover story:
They got burned out on Fixer Upper: “We realized we didn’t necessarily love that side of the camera, and that part became a full-time job,” says Joanna. “We’ve got a big family. We’ve got a business. The show ended up where we had to constantly be feeding it.”
Everyone wanted them: When Fixer Upper wrapped, Chip and Joanna largely ignored Hollywood’s calls as they took a year off to grow their family and the Magnolia brand. They began serious discussions in summer 2018. Emissaries from both coasts flew to Waco’s modest airport and pled their case. The Gaineses won’t name names, but Apple TV+, A+E Networks and High Noon parent company ITV America all made serious overtures, according to multiple sources, with the ultimate decision coming down to a choice between Netflix and Discovery. A sticking point with Netflix was that Chip and Joanna weren’t ready to be back on camera.
The rumors of their anti-LGBTQ & possibly racist vibes: Same-sex couples never being featured on the original Fixer Upper came into sharper focus in 2016 when the Gaineses filmed a conversation with a local pastor who has openly denounced LGBTQ rights. In May, The Dallas Morning News drew attention to Chip’s sister, whose campaign for the school board in suburban Fort Worth received a $1,000 donation from the couple months before she came out against teaching critical race theory, a lighting rod issue in the state. The Gaineses didn’t comment on either matter. “Sometimes I’m like, ‘Can I just make a statement?’ ” Joanna says, tearing up a little. “The accusations that get thrown at you, like you’re a racist or you don’t like people in the LGBTQ community, that’s the stuff that really eats my lunch — because it’s so far from who we really are. That’s the stuff that keeps me up.”
Their new shows are somewhat diverse: Many series star people of color and, on launch day, there’ll be at least one show with openly queer talent at its center. “As an American white male, it’s hard to be perfectly diverse,” says Chip. “In our own company, we’ve got nearly 700 employees, and one of our biggest passions is making this group represent all people.”
The Gaines family is mixed-race. After a year of forced introspection for many, it’s a part of their identity they now give more attention. In June 2020, with the country still on edge from the police killing of George Floyd, Chip sought out an appearance on activist and former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho’s digital series Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man. Joined by Joanna and their children, they discussed the disadvantages to raising their family to be color-blind in a society still dogged by racism.
Joanna on her South Korean mom: More recently, Joanna has been vocal about her own lineage as violence against Asian Americans lingers in the news cycle but admits she’s almost never asked about it. Her mother, Nan, emigrated from Seoul, South Korea, in 1972. Growing up in Kansas and Texas, Joanna recalls the harassment they endured. “My mom is so tough, but with one look or comment, I would just see her shut down,” she says. “That’s why she didn’t know how to help me when I would come home and say, ‘So-and-so called me this.’ It was also happening to her. Growing up as half-Asian, half-Caucasian, I get what that feels like to not be accepted and to not be loved. That’s the last thing I want anyone to ever feel.”
I remember covering the criticisms about Joanna and Chip when Fixer Upper was on and they barely featured any people of color as home-buyers and they never featured any LGBTQ peeps. I get that the criticisms stung, but… those criticisms happened for years and they never changed the vibe of Fixer Upper! Would it have been that hard to, I don’t know, renovate a house for a gay couple? If they think those criticisms stung, imagine what it was like for LGBTQ fans of Fixer Upper to never see themselves represented on camera? Anyway, I’m glad that they’re trying to update their vibe to be more representative and inclusive. Better late than never.
“Growing up as half-Asian, half-Caucasian, I get what that feels like to not be accepted and to not be loved” @JoannaGaines says, discussing the recent wave of violence against Asian-Americans. “That’s the last thing I want anyone to ever feel” https://t.co/fHrHjNTfOQ pic.twitter.com/X3OO3Z3Nsg
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 30, 2021
Cover & photo courtesy of THR.
HGTV and home improvement shows in general brought gay people to people’s screens quite early on so the absence was glaring. I will allow that they casted locally and Waco isn’t exactly known for its Pride celebrations…
My husband and I moved to Waco for 2 years. My father, a hispanic male, warned us prior to moving there that we needed to remember that we would be living right in the heart of the Texas bible belt. Him and my mom had lived in Waco for a few years before my birth. He wasn’t kidding, we definitely felt the difference from where we came from (just south) and Waco.
They are very good friends of the Duggars.
Enough said.
Yes, I think the local demographic made it a little harder to feature LGBTQ people as clients. Waco is very conservative. I have seen quite a few episodes of Fixer Upper and I think two or three featured black or mixed race couples. They needed to make a bigger effort, but I don’t think those two are “anti” anyone.
Sorry, this is a crap excuse. I used to work in reality TV and they could have gone anywhere to do a remodel.
There sure are a lot of Chip and Joanna stand here today, but bottom line is they gave money to someone who is railing against critical race theory which isn’t even taught in schools, their church is misogynistic and given that you say they choose to live in a very conservative (read: racist) area with all of their money, they are exactly where they feel at home.
People not from Texas forget how some areas still are. There are lovely towns in which progressive people are trying to update and move forward but those same towns are also still home to the descendants of those very people who held the towns under “Sundown Town” rules. Those people do not want change and want to maintain the traditions of the “old ways”. A female musician friend and I just had this conversation yesterday about the towns you avoid stopping in all together or just at night. So I personally don’t hold 1 couple or any gay folx feet to the fire because they don’t want to put a target on their own backs by coming out on national television in the town that had the “most brutal lynching” in the US just a few decades ago. Sometimes things are way more complicated and being out and proud amongst your support group in your community is quite different than being on a national television show everyone in town will be discussing. I’ll just leave this here. https://theundefeated.com/features/the-waco-horror/
@Lolita wow, that linked article was a hard read but so powerful. That’s why we need history taught out loud and not brushed under the rug. Thank you
@chanteloup Thank you for reading it. There are so many stories out there like that and so many people don’t realize that the person you sit beside on the bus, at work, at a restaurant were alive when lynchings happened to black, brown, gay folx. They happened even in my lifetime & some have happened as recently as the protests last year. To come forth in a small community and place a target on oneself is a huge step of courage, heartbreak & death. The Gaines chose to keep their renovations in their small town to save the historic properties. I don’t know them but what they are still trying to do for that relatively small town, whether it’s population or mindset, is a progressive step forward. But it may just be south of Dallas on my way to Austin, I still don’t stop there. Not even for gas or to restroom break. Nope. Imagine living there and trying to move your community forward. Same thing with the other “Sundown Towns”.
Yeah, Joanne is full of it. It is amazing how she is all of a sudden biracial when passing as white and being a white supremacists has made her a millionaire several times over. That little show she did showing Korean recipes was awkward as hell and she rightfully got blasted for it.
And I never trusted either of them.
She is in no way white passing unless you ask blind people.
I think the fact that they want to be color-blind is indicative of a huge blind spot on race. Being colorblind erases the challenges and celebration of various races.
Considering she never spoke of it before they got outed as racist and she thought she can use it to her advantage…..I said what I said.
I’m full Asian and grew up in a white, conservative farming town. It took me a long time to speak openly about my race. If you haven’t grown up in that situation, please don’t judge.
And how is it to her advantage? Speaking out as a woman of color literally NEVER pays off. You do it because you can’t not, but she’d make way more money providing cover for MAGA types, because there’s nothing white people love more than a person of color telling them they’re not racist.
When the show first aired I thought Johanna was Native American, then of course I found out her mom is S Korean. Let’s not forget Chip bought out his Real estate partners for pennies just before their show was announced. That doesn’t make anything else true but they are shady.
The fact that she said she’s “half Caucasian” is a huge red flag.
Why? She is. Biracial people have the right to claim all of the parts of who they are.
Uh, I’m biracial, so I’m well aware, thanks. It’s a red flag because in my experience, only people who are completely insecure with being biracial and/or people who are racist say “caucasian” when they mean white.
It’s not that she can’t identify with all of her heritage, obviously. It’s specifically using the term Caucasian that’s the red flag.
Cuacasian is an outdated term that is not inclusive enough to include all white people, just those of European ancestry. Either way (and I am not a fan of these two since hearing about the donation), I wouldn’t want to be part of the problem by stereotyping or profiling someone as racist because they use the term caucasian. This wod has been around a long time, is still on government documents and some people feel comfortable using it and do not understand the nuance between caucasian and white. That doesn’t make someone racist … what’s in their heart makes someone racist. Also, you have half a country walking around saying I seen this and I could have went there …. not knowing how to use the language correctly is not an indicator of racism.
Lisa, it’s using the term Caucasian that is a red flag. It is in no way suggesting that people should not be proud of being biracial or multicultural.
There is actually a lot of research and coverage about this; these resources might be helpful: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-09-10/race-caucasian-myth-racism
and https://www.sapiens.org/column/race/caucasian-terminology-origin/
Basically, the term Caucasian is directly tied to white supremacy. Most people using it may not be aware of that, but that doesn’t make it untrue. That’s why you mostly see the term being used by conservatives, as well as (as I stated above) people who are insecure or have complicated relationships with their heritage.
Think about it, how many people do you know that say they’re Caucasian, as opposed to white, or Irish and Italian or whatever? It’s a very specific term used in a very specific way. At best it’s just a red flag that shows she’s fairly ignorant (or “colorblind”) about issues that impact her own family, which is sad. In my experience however, it’s usually a red flag that indicates that either someone is actively racist or the media/environment they’re surrounded with use these conservative-leaning terms and talking points. It’s similar to someone “debating” about critical race theory – if they’re not outright racist, then they’re getting their talking points and language from fox news (or worse), which should be a red flag.
ETA: you updated your comment while I was responding. I stand by my comments, that at best it’s an indicator of ignorance (which is still a red flag in my book).
This woman may be full of sh*t. I don’t really know anything about her or her old show. But she does look mixed race. And not speaking about her mixed-race identity isn’t necessarily a red flag, especially if she came to feel embarrassed by that identity due to growing up in the Bible Belt, conservative America.
Eta: the troublesome part about her is that all she says is that they felt hurt for being called anti-LGBTQ and racist, without maybe expressing why that wouldn’t be true. Her being mixed race doesn’t mean she can’t be racist
She’s not white, doesn’t pretend to be, and she’s not trying to pass as anything other than herself. She is bi-racial. Her father is Lebanese which is currently categorized as “Caucasian” She’s spoken about her ethnicity often and in her cookbooks.
Also, being half-Korean myself, it’s hard to describe the “otherness” I’ve felt from Koreans. My siblings and I were never accepted into the Korean community and my mother was shunned from it for marrying someone who wasn’t Korean. It was very painful and I can’t imagine how much harder it would have been in Texas as opposed to NYC.
Sorry, their vibe makes me uncomfortable. He calls her “baby girl” and is presumably the absolute authority in the relationship by their cult dogma, yet then acts out his immaturity. She seems to struggle to lower herself so she can look up to him.
I wouldn’t watch them anymore—there’s plenty of other remodeling porn available on tv!
I read her memoir because it was free in the little library in my neighborhood. It was full of really creepy vibes… She trusted him way too much in their early relationship. He is very high handed and just does things without asking her. It seems to me he was close to ruining their lives completely with all of his business risks.
Didn’t know the details, but that’s not at all surprising.
Chip the absolute authority in that relationship? LOL Joanna is a driven woman. I don’t think anyone believes Chip is ruling the roost in that home. They look like a pretty equal partnership to me as a couple who are married and work together.
I watched a couple of seasons of the show, but all the houses looked the same. It didn’t appeal to me. And Joanna and Chip had this banter that became more and more exaggerated as the show went on and I found tiresome.
They are very active in the Antioch Community Church of Waco, which holds to biblical teachings against same-sex marriage as well as
“A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ.” (from the church website)
You’re right that it is hard to reconcile that with what one sees of their interactions. It must be really tiring.
I’m not sure why, but these photos are oddly unsettling. Maybe it’s his hair.
They keep saying “we’re not racist, we’re not anti-LGBTQ” but never actually do anything or address those particular incidents.
Oh to build an empire by having one idea and doing it over and over and over and over…
They’re trying to preserve their audience of liberal- identifying white women. That’s all this is. The Gaibes’ faux hurt at being excused of homophobia and racism will go a long way to assuage the guilt of the type of white woman who is a fan of theirs.
To be honest, it doesn’t even sound like they’re saying that… more like “it hurt our feelings when people said we were racist/anti-LGBTQ” which isn’t even a denial
They donated to Chip’s sister’s school board campaign and the sister is against the critical race theory.
Sure, you can say they supported family, but you don’t need to support your racist family members.
Yes, they value diversity now that they’ve gone Hollywood and it would hurt their pockets not be inclusive. We see you, Chip and Joanne. We see you.
It’s so obvious, and yet here are all of the Stan bots making excuses : it’s not what it looks like! Sure they support a racist, love in a racist area, and don’t have much diversity, but suddenly Joanna wants to feature that she is mixed race.
No thanks.
Ben and Erin on Home Town on HGTV manage to have LGBTQ folks and POC on multiple episodes per season of a show based in Laurel, Mississippi, and they’re the most popular show on the network. The difference between their show and Chip and Joanna’s is striking. (And Erin’s a much better decorator IMO.)
Yes! I love Home Town and Good Bones so much better than this old grey/white ship lap crapola. Give me some color and not every single house looking the same!
And Oh God, the big clocks…
Ben and Erin did a massive whitewash of their social media before they became big. They’re just as bad as these two, or worse (being white people from Mississippi….)
Ben and Erin irk me almost as much as Chip and Joanna.
Ben and Erin do have a diverse group of homeowners.
Ben and Erin only had white couples on for a VERY long time, And it was commented on as strange considering Laurel, MS is about 70% POC.
YES!!! 100% YESSSSS!!!
I don’t think it was their call if a gay couple was on fixer upper. The show was on HGTV and HGTV’s producers would’ve been the ones calling the shots on who they want to be featured on the show.
They could’ve told the show at any time that they expected to have a more diverse set of homeowners.
Hello? Gay couples are all over HGTV. Just not on Shiplap Racist Nation.
Bravo to Chip and Joanna for not actually saying anything to explain why they allowed an anti-LGBTQ pastor tv time on their platform and/or why they think it’s ok to support family members who are advocating for racist policies at an elected level.
These two are terrible designers whose success is entirely driven by the BS depiction of their family. HGTV and their fans love that they can get all the conservative Texas vibes and then point to Joanna being biracial as proof that they’re not racist. (I’m not racist, Chip and Joanna are my favorite!)
Colorblind crocodile tears don’t impress me, and their insistence on pushing their shiplap agenda on the masses is reason enough to avoid their shows, newly “diverse” or not.
Honestly, I think Chip is doing a lot of soul-searching. I watched them on Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man. Chip had retweeted the show and then they went on it with their kids. He said, “I think I’ve been blind to this reality for maybe my whole life.” Most white men in small towns are. At least he sees that and admitted that, which I find rare from conservative white men. They lived in a bubble in conservative Waco, Texas, of all places. I mean, at least it’s a step forward for him. But let’s see how they address diversity in their new channel as far as hiring behind the scenes and who is on their shows now that they have their own channel.
He says the correct words while living an entirely different set of words. He is as fake as she is, don’t be fooled.
I don’t like them. I judge by actions not words – and donating to their racist sister was racist.
It’s a perfect demonstration of why we need critical race theory- upholding certain systems intent on reproducing white colonizer supremacy is racist. It’s not just about “what is in your heart” or even being a person of color. but your understanding that these systems continually privilege the white chips and their wives like joanna.
For example – do an episode on stolen land in Waco, spotlight gentrification that occurred in Waco neighborhoods as white people moved in, which towns were in the Green Book and which were not. They could do so much with their platform.
Show don’t tell. And her designs are ooglay.
Joanna reminding me that some POC can be anti-Black
Pure facts!
Their new network will feature a show with Jeanne Stoffer a trump supporter….I know everyone is entitled to their own political opinion, but support of him and the Republican Party he has created is a deal breaker for me…I don’t care how much I love her design…her business Instagram followed trump! Also, Baylor is their alma mater and they never spoke out against Ken Starr when he served as president of the university. They can say they are inclusive and compassionate all they want, but it’s the lack of action on these types of things that says the most about them for me.
On the LGBTQ issue, it’s telling that the Gaines only speak of emotions: they don’t “hate” or “dislike” LGBTQ people. But they DO attend a church that teaches LGBTQ people should not have the same civil rights that other Americans enjoy. And their coyness about this makes their stance that much worse.
They don’t agree with their lifestyle and believes they are sinners – but their cash is still green & that’s all these two care about.
Sorry but this couple is boring. One season was enough for me. I do think Joanna is one of the most beautiful women on television.
Two fake pigs. End of story
Raising your kids as colour blind?????? Red flag alert
I’ve smelled their insincerity from the start. Can’t STAND them.
The only two similar shows I can stomach are Restored with Brett Watermann, because I love that he respects the character of older homes, and a new one: Bargain Block with two wonderful gay gentlemen, one of whom is a remarkable artist.