# Background object in The Haunting of Hill House. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 14, 2018, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923 "2018-10-14T05:43:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kedikat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/1 "2018-10-14T05:43:05Z")
Noticed this thing in episode 5. When standing in the entrance way inside the house and looking at the front door. To the left of the front door, a little ways inside, is a black iron thing about 4 to 5 foot tall and about 4 foot in diameter. Multiple flat sides. Maybe hexagon. What is that thing? The bottom has sides with perforated walls. Then curving iron posts upward, meeting at the top. It does not appear to be good for hanging coats on. Maybe you might put wet dirty footwear in the bottom. But it seems overkill for nasty footwear. ---
**Author:** ![Kedikat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/2 "2018-10-14T06:03:45Z")
Never mind. It is explained in the next episode. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/3 "2018-10-14T06:07:03Z")
I’ve not seen the show, and it’s hard to tell without a screencap, but maybe an umbrella stand? Could the “curving iron posts” be umbrella handles? Edit - what’s the explanation? Spoiler box it if needed. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Composer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@The\_Composer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Composer)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/4 "2018-10-16T12:11:54Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I’ve not seen the show, and it’s hard to tell without a screencap, but maybe an umbrella stand? > > Could the “curving iron posts” be umbrella handles? > Edit - what’s the explanation? Spoiler box it if needed. It was a chandelier. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/5 "2018-10-16T13:57:30Z")
While we are out it, what is the round sofa thing called? I’ve probably heard the name before, but don’t remember. If you haven’t seen it on the series yet, there was also one that got a lot of screen time on _Angel_. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/6 "2018-10-16T15:12:03Z")
Also, I noticed the use of the terms “flipping” a house and “phone it in” used in the flashback segments–were these phrases in use yet in 1992? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/7 "2018-10-16T16:37:10Z")
[Here’s a use](https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0woIAQAAMAAJ&q=%22phoned+it+in%22&dq=%22phoned+it+in%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjW8rr9qoveAhVMKcAKHSMEC60Q6AEIOzAE) of phone it in that appears to come from 1975. Here’s one [from 1989](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1989/08/13/the-curtain-falls-on-burt-reynoldss-florida-theater/c8d79b8b-0971-4071-be2b-57c30afb0abf/?utm_term=.4ebeb2041aba). And [a song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDsD9s4VU3M&ytbChannel=null) from Saturday Night Live that seems to be from 1991. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/8 "2018-10-17T01:49:32Z")
FWIW, I watched the first episode of this show and I don’t get the hype. A little creepy, not scary, too many flashbacks and even from multiple time periods, and too many of the characters look alike. Is it worth watching more episodes if the first one bored me? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/9 "2018-10-17T01:53:01Z")
If there was one ghost story that didn’t need re-writing, it was Shirley Jackson’s _The Haunting of Hill House._ I was excited when I heard about this, but when I found it had nothing to do with the source I got unexcited real fast. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/10 "2018-10-17T01:54:15Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > FWIW, I watched the first episode of this show and I don’t get the hype. A little creepy, not scary, too many flashbacks and even from multiple time periods, and too many of the characters look alike. Is it worth watching more episodes if the first one bored me? No, that pretty much describes every episode. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/11 "2018-10-17T05:53:59Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > If there was one ghost story that didn’t need re-writing, it was Shirley Jackson’s _The Haunting of Hill House._ > > I was excited when I heard about this, but when I found it had nothing to do with the source I got unexcited real fast. Count yourself lucky. It started off ok but devolved into hours of confusing, nonsensical platitudes. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/12 "2018-10-17T15:19:27Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > No, that pretty much describes every episode. That’s weird, it gets nearly 100% glowing reviews. Well I can’t take 9 more hours of that. I always avoided watching movies because they seemed like a big time commitment. Now with 10+ hour miniseries where things happen S O S L O W L Y, I’m appreciating movies more! ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2018, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/13 "2018-10-18T00:44:33Z")
Maybe I’m alone here but I thought it was a wonderful show. There were some very scary moments, times I was yelling at the screen, but also deeply affecting ones. I might watch again because I know that there are ghosts in the background at times and I didn’t see them all first time I was watching. ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2018, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/14 "2018-10-25T10:43:30Z")
I’m with Lowry! Sam Lowry! (loved that movie) I enjoyed the jumpsbut also found it moving. I love the book and didn’t have a problem with how different it was from the source material. I found it moving in its conclusion, and found it really satisfying as a long story told well. Others will disagree. MiM ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/15 "2018-10-26T02:03:57Z")
I quite enjoyed this show. I found the characters compelling and the time switching fresh and fun. It doesn’t all add up but that mirrors the house itself. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/16 "2018-10-26T02:47:47Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > and the time switching fresh and fun. That (and really, a big part of the whole show) is suspiciously similar to \*American Horror Story \*season 1. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-object-in-the-haunting-of-hill-house/822923/17 "2018-10-26T02:52:59Z")
We are six episodes in and loving this show.