Ready to vote between the USA and India in the most important level? Yes, which has the worst conspicuous consumption!!!!
My sister just sent me this article. The most expensive house in America has just finished being built. Priced at $350 million, down from the original price of $500 million. It’s in LA, it was built on spec (the developers just assuming someone would want this). It has a moat, a movie theater, and a “philanthropy wing” which is a ballroom with space for 200 where you can throw charity balls: https://people.com/home/inside-americas-most-expensive-home-a-100000-sq-ft-mansion-asking-a-rumored-350-million/
And then there is of course the Ambani Bombay mansion. The largest private residence in the world, and also absolutely hidious. So ugly that the architectural firm who built it doesn’t even list it on their website, despite it being one of their most significant buildings. Also, and this is really the strongest argument, in order to get the land to build the thing, the Ambanis paid off the board of an orphanage so they could evict the orphans, tear down the building, and build their mansion.
Now, on the one hand, the hidious Ambani house that was built after EVICTING ORPHANS makes a strong case for most disgusting conspicious consumption.
But then what strikes me about the American house is, first, it was built on spec. The developers just knew there would be someone, or multiple someones, who would want this disgusting house in America. And second, the moat!!!! They didn’t tear down an orphanage, but by golly orphans, or just the poor in general, are going to have to SWIM A MOAT to get at these people.
So, I am going America. We have the most disgusting rich person house. USA USA USA!!!
dontcallitbollywood 
I’m going India. America built the house in rich people territory. Yeah the moat is overkill, but people may not even know that house exists unless they have read that article. If I’m not mistaken the Antilla building is in viewing distance from the (apologies if this sounds crude) slums of Mumbai.
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This makes total sense. But, alternative point, the American house was built in an undeveloped natural area. So no people were harmed, but loads of natural resources were.
On the other hand, I like people better than natural resources, so the Ambanis are still a strong contender. Especially since I am assuming their fountains and air conditioning and stuff is taking water and electricity froma ll their neighbors.
On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 12:43 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Oh my god that’s the Ambani tower??? It’s HIDEOUS! Not only did they evict orphans, they built a really ugly building
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YES! What I heard somewhere is that they had fairly standard initial designs, and then said “nope, I want this and this and this, and make this three stories taller” and it ended up the mess we see now.
On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 12:48 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I’m sorry but at least the American house kind of looks like the Enterprise or something, although the MOAT does make it seem like they are living in The Purge and/or Shalimar. That Ambani abomination has no structure or style and weird proportions and an element of the uncanny because it’s really hard to imagine going from one place in the house to the other. American House might be The Purge but that Ambani building is [REC], and they built it on an orphanage like they WANTED it to be cursed.
I’d stay in American House if I was 100% certain that the moat wasn’t there to keep me in, but nothing could persuade me to stay in Ambani house, I will for sure be murdered by a fire I can’t escape from, an earthquake, a zombie virus outbreak, or the ghosts of disadvantaged children.
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I was thinking the American house was less The Purge, and more The Most Dangerous Game. You get a bunch of people into the “philanthropy wing”, raise the drawbridge so nobody else can get in, and then hunt them down at your leisure. No one can get out, and no police or government officials can get in.
At least with the Ambani house, you are in the middle of the city, if you find your way through the maze, you can step out on the sidewalk and be safe. You don’t have to swim a FREAKIN’ MOAT!!!!
On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 1:57 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yes, absolutely. For some reason all I could think of was Shalimar which, spoilers, is almost that.
BUT YOU WILL NEVER GET OUT TO THE SIDEWALK!!!!! The house hates you and wants you to die!
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Nah, some perky young street kid will see me pounding on the windows and throw a brick to let me out. And then we will either fall in love or I will adopt him. Anyway, happy!
On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 2:48 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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It will be a ghost child that lets you out and then goes inside with an army of howling fellow ghost children to murder everyone else, because you were the final girl!
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I’m going to ask something rude and that is if the shape of the American house reminds anyone of a certain part of the male anatomy? No, just me? Okay.
Also, I’ll go with the Ambani house. The weirdness of a philanthropy wing (just call it a ballroom!) and the devastation to natural resources is terrible, but the Ambani house is cartoon villain levels of terrible – or a villain from a Bond movie or a 1970s Bollywood movie.
Also it’s SO UGLY.
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Oh I know what the Ambani house reminds me of! One of those weird ‘super burgers’, which aren’t super burgers at all, but are just stuffed with fries and chicken nuggets, making the burger a big mess.
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Yes! And everything is kind of falling out the sides and you think “if only these pieces were separate on the plate, it wouldn’t be bad, but smooshed together they are all gross”. I can look at it and vaguely see what the original design was going for, a base and then a sort of elegant S shaped line along the top with big glass bits in between. But it’s all so MESSY!!!!
On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 6:19 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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It’s SO UGLY!!!! The American house isn’t what I would call “pretty”, but at least it’s not actively offensive to the eye. And, of course, the cartoon villain quality of tearing down an orphanage to build your house.
On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 5:45 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I actually like that house in LA, it’s super over the top but it has some charm to it. There’s one pic in particular I really liked (white centerpiece thing on the floor in this empty room with lots of natural light flowing in, it’s picture 6 in this link https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/the-worlds-largest-and-priciest-home-is-ready-for-its-close-up ) Atleast, the home doesn’t look out of place in LA. I do feel sad about the natural resources being harmed.
I’ve driven by the Ambani home, it’s freaking weird. Couldn’t even see the top of the house clearly from inside my car and craning my neck. It looks so out of place and show-offy, it’s cringy.
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True, the LA house is objectively more appealing looking. I still wouldn’t live there (there’s a MOAT!!!!), but at least it isn’t hideous. Really shows the difference between a house put together by random rich people who don’t know what they are doing, versus a house put together by professional architects and designers who have some kind of a vision.
Oh, and a found some photos of the inside of the Ambani home!!! It is just barely better than the outside, but still not great: https://www.architecturaldigest.in/content/mukesh-ambani-antilia-home-mumbai/#s-cust0
On Thu, Jan 14, 2021 at 5:30 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Ambani house is by far the ugliest house inside and out and just has so much bad juju going for it that I wouldn’t want to go anywhere near it.
The BelAir house is obviously ostentatious but some of the architectural elements are really interesting. Also, the article says the moat is on 3 sides of the house so it seems like there is a land egress, which is comforting and makes it slightest less Shalimar-y/And Then There Were None.
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Y’all have convinced me, and now I am waiting for the morning when we wake up and discover the Ambani house has mysteriously disappeared into a massive sink hole that has pulled it straight down to Hell.
On Thu, Jan 14, 2021 at 8:59 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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