The American Dream, Whip It Good

Time to read [5 minutes]

• The Devo Song “Whip It” Is Oddly About The American Dream
• The Song Was About Avoiding Being Duped By The American Dream
• Relocating To Downsize Is Determined By Highest And Best Use

It’s the day before the long holiday weekend, and I needed some levity. I just read a fun Wall Street Journal piece on Devo Frontman Mark Mothersbaugh on the Double Meaning of ‘Whip It’ [gift link]. He is thinking of downsizing their home now that the kids have left. Strangely, the song was partly about the American Dream, which escaped me. When I was in college from 1978 to 1982, Devo was at the height of their mainstream music popularity, and one of my friends was a devoted fan, so I gained a wealth of insights about the band. I was focused on music from bands like Little Feat and Roxy Music at the time, essentially anything that annoyed my roommates, who were fans of glam and arena rock. I “sort of got” what Devo was about after seeing their live appearance on SNL (see before this version is taken down), which was spectacular. For reference, I “sort of got” what our home downsizing effort was about in 2022. In the early 1980s, it was early in my life to appreciate the ideals of the American Dream while greasing donut trays at 5:30 AM (and meeting my future wife) at the university bakery.

It’s challenging to find the full, infamous version of Devo’s “Satisfaction” that I saw live on SNL, unless you subscribe to Peacock. However, here’s a taste until it gets taken down. This video still holds up. I spend each time watching the clip by paying attention to the individual movements of each band member. A well-oiled machine that could really play well. Another interesting aspect of the performance was that it came a week after The Rolling Stones played their version on SNL, so it was deemed “controversial” and possibly “disrespectful.” Good grief. As of now, the ‘Stones’ SNL version doesn’t appear to be online.

“Whip It” Was A Song About The American Dream

From WSJ on the song “Whip It”

“The song’s title and lyrics had double meanings: work hard at whatever you do—“whip it, good”—but also avoid being duped by the American dream. I’m not sure how much of that got through.”

Not much got through to me at the time. There is an entire Wikipedia page devoted to analyzing the song’s lyrics. Wow.

but I digress…

The Housing Aspect Of The American Dream

The Devo song “Whip It” warned us not to be duped by the American Dream. Those looking to be first-time buyers, who are facing a surge in property appreciation along with lower affordability through high mortgage rates, probably feel that way. Home ownership has fallen to a five-year low, while rents remain elevated amid a vast amount of economic uncertainty.

Downsizing Depends On Highest And Best Use Of Location

Downsizing is usually associated with “empty nesters” who no longer need the space for their kids after they’ve moved out. We went through that in 2022 after our fourth and youngest son got a real job, so all the kids were gainfully employed and on their own.

One of the issues with moving to a place you’d prefer to live is that the home sizes in a location, such as near the beach, may be significantly larger than you need. We found that when we initially began looking at homes. One of my friends experienced that while purchasing a second home. In those locations, the highest and best use of the land was for larger homes than we needed. It was tempting, but in the end, we didn’t go that direction and ended up with something half the size of our previous home.

Final Thoughts

This post was a feeble (or shameless) attempt to share Devo-lution (not this kind) with my Housing Notes readers on the cusp of a long holiday break. Please enjoy your time off and then “crack that whip” on Tuesday.

The Actual Final Thought – Who plays the song “Satisfaction” reminds me of font selection which are “moods” for letters.

HGAR’s IMPACT: The Member Experience

I’m excited to speak at IMPACT: The HGAR Member Experience on September 29. I’ll be joining real estate professionals from across the region to explore what’s next in the housing market, economic opportunities and building community. Join me and be part of the conversation that’s shaping what’s next. Learn more and register. 

[Podcast] What It Means With Jonathan Miller

The Winner’s Curse episode is just a click away. The podcast feeds can be found here:

Apple (Douglas Elliman feed)   Soundcloud  Youtube

Did you miss the previous Housing Notes?

Housing Notes Reads

• Devo Frontman Mark Mothersbaugh on the Double Meaning of ‘Whip It’ [Wall Street Journal]
• News | Often first to react to market corrections, multifamily capitalization rates are stabilizing [CoStar]
• Jonathan Miller: Stigma of a 666 Street Address? [Candy's Dirt]
• Un prix médian de 4.700 dollars: à Manhattan, les loyers progressent à un rythme affolant depuis le début de l'année [BFMTV]
• Why a Landmark Settlement on Realtor Fees Hasn’t Cut Costs [Wall Street Journal]
• Mortgage Rates Don’t Hinge on the Fed. What Ultimately Drives Them. [Barron's]
• Homebuyers are out in force and mortgage rates are coming down [Inman]
• Mortgage rates drop sharply as Powell shifts stance on rate cuts [Inman]

Market Reports

• Elliman Report: New York New Signed Contracts 7-2025 [Miller Samuel]
• Elliman Report: Florida New Signed Contracts 7-2025 [Miller Samuel]
• Elliman Report: Long Island Sales 2Q 2025 | Miller Samuel Real Estate Appraisers & Consultants

Extra Curricular Reads

• Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged [The Associated Press]