Podcast Summary: It Could Happen Here – Book Club: Fck This Sht Manor, by Laurel Hightower

Date: October 26, 2025
Host: Cool Zone Media
Episode Theme:
This episode of the CZM Book Club brings listeners a tongue-in-cheek reading and discussion of Laurel Hightower's "Fck This Sht Manor," a satirical haunted house story. The host celebrates spooky season with a blend of humor and sharp social commentary, highlighting genre tropes and class analysis within modern horror.

Episode Overview

• Purpose: A read-aloud and exploration of Hightower's story from the 2022 anthology It Was All a Dream: An Anthology of Bad Horror Tropes Done Right. The episode features a narrated retelling, discussion of genre conventions, and analysis of the story's class-conscious twist.
• Tone: Playful, irreverent, and socially attuned, delivering both entertainment and thoughtful critique of horror clichés.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Story Introduction and Concept (04:44)

• Host introduces the concept: a haunted manor desperate for new tenants. The spooky setup is intentionally undercut with snark and dark humor.
  • Quote:
    "What is more Halloween than a little spooky humor and making fun of ourselves?"
    (Host, 04:52)
• The story lampoons low-rent haunted house tropes, questioning why anyone would move in and how ghosts adapt to a skeptical, practical modern society.

2. Narration: Failed Rental Attempts (04:52 – 08:16)

• The host reads the opening sequence:
  • The caretaker tries (and fails) to convince a potential tenant (a pragmatic, unfazed mom) to move in at an unbelievable price, even with utilities included.
  • The woman's disbelief, legal awareness ("that's not going to fly"), and ultimate refusal highlight contemporary cynicism.
  • Quote:
    "You know how I always say there’s no such thing as a free lunch? You’re looking at a prime example. Come on, we’re leaving. ... Fuck. This. Shit."
    (Tenant Mom, 07:42)

3. Haunted House Residents’ Dilemma (12:21)

• House denizens (ghosts, a hellhound, caretaker Francis) reckon with their inability to attract new "food" (tenants).
  • The ghosts bemoan changing times: “You suck at this. … This used to be easier. … The world is changing. We need to change with it.”
    (Various ghosts, 13:14–13:57)

4. The Arrival of the Specialist (13:57 – 21:14)

• Enter Lottie Fraser, the no-nonsense real estate "queen" brought in to consult.
• Lottie bullies her way through a tour, unfazed by the manor’s horrors, critiquing everything from cleanliness to marketing strategy.
  • Memorable Lottie Quotes:
    • “Your look just screams rapist, okay? ... People value privacy. I would never—not interested.” (To Francis, 19:46)
    • “You want a woman anyway. Less threatening to other women, more enticing to male renters." (Suggesting the hanged ghost be the new face, 20:10)

5. Marketing Makeover (24:29)

• Lottie tears into the manor’s inept marketing:

  • The absurdly low rent is suspicious, while “caretaking for Mama in the attic” kills appeal.

  • Advertising in local free papers only targets the working class, who are too streetwise to fall for “too good to be true” offers, especially those who've endured hardship.

    • Quote:
      “You think people, just because they’re desperate, they’re gonna move into this place? No, the people you can actually fuck over are the rich people who think they’re entitled to shit.”
      (Host, 33:39)

  • Lottie prescribes targeted social media ads and suggests going after "entitled" rather than poor tenants:

    • Find targets with a privileged, oblivious attitude—those most likely to fall for “inheritance” scams or too-good-to-be-true housing.

6. Class Consciousness & Satirical Social Commentary (33:39)

• The episode closes with the host reflecting on the story’s social critique:

  • Traditional horror often assumes desperate, working-class people fall prey to haunted houses, but it’s actually the naive and entitled who make better victims in contemporary society.
  • Quote:
    “It’s insulting to those of us who grew up struggling or working class that we’d just be so grateful we’d serve ourselves up on a platter.”
    (Host, 34:55)

• The host praises the story’s clever subversion and its nod to real-life realities for low-income people, noting that “ghosts gotta eat,” but times have changed.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tenant Mom’s Final Words:
  “Fuck. This. Shit.” (07:42)
• Lottie, unfazed by the supernatural:
  “You asked for my help, and I’m telling you what you need. … You want a woman anyway.” (20:00)
• Host’s Reflection:
  “I love that modern horror has decent class analysis ... You think people, just because they're desperate, they're gonna move into this place? No, the people you can actually fuck over are the rich people who think they're entitled to shit. It’s so good.” (33:39)
• Laurel Hightower, via Host:
  “The haunted house is now and forever will be my favorite horror trope... but the first thing every story must address is: why the hell do these characters stay in the damn house?” (35:05)

Timestamps: Important Segments

• 04:44 – Book Club intro, setup for “Fck This Sht Manor”
• 04:52 – Narrated reading: Spooky, comedic opening sequence
• 12:21 – Ghosts’ post-mace huddle; struggling with modern renters
• 13:57 – Real estate queen Lottie arrives
• 19:40 – Lottie’s practical renovation/social advice
• 24:29 – Marketing & tenant targeting strategy: a lesson in class
• 33:39 – Host’s closing reflections on satire and class analysis
• 35:05 – Author’s notes from Laurel Hightower, host’s commentary

Episode Takeaways

• Satirical Update to Classic Tropes:
  Hightower’s story and the episode lampoon classic haunted house logic, showing how savvy, working-class people respond with skepticism, not naivete.
• Social Commentary:
  The real “victims” (and thus, the best horror protagonists in a late capitalist world) are the entitled, oblivious, and privileged.
• Modern Horror:
  Update genre conventions to fit a smartphone, social media, and renter-savvy world—or risk being laughed off by potential meals.
• Practical Advice, Even for Ghosts:
  If you want to haunt successfully, clean up, learn Instagram, and rethink your business model.

Further Reading

• Author Bio:
  Laurel Hightower: Horror writer known for Whispers in the Dark, Crossroads, Below, co-editor of We Are Wolves, living in Kentucky. Website: laurelhightower.com

Final Thoughts

The host delivers a fast-paced, witty, and incisive exploration of both horror tropes and contemporary class realities, making "Fck This Sht Manor" a ghost story not just for Spooky Month, but for an age of inflation, gig work, and scam-riddled rental markets.
“Don’t worry. In my heart, every month is spooky month.” (Host, 36:05)

For more episodes and full sources, visit CoolZoneMedia.com or find "It Could Happen Here" on your usual podcast provider.