Bad behavior plays even better with a membership fee. Watch Netflix’s hit anthology series Beef to see for yourself. The cost of keeping up with the Joneses has never been higher.
In season two of Netflix’s hit anthology, creator Lee Sung Jin (aka Sonny Lee) trades road rage on the streets of Los Angeles for something far more refined: the manicured, moneyed world of an ultra-exclusive California country club.
To bring the fictional Monte Vista Point Country Club to life, Lee and his production team filmed at two real-life luxury enclaves in California: the elite Spanish Hills Club in Camarillo and the Montecito Club, a private golf and social club in Santa Barbara.
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As Lee explained at the season two premiere, both seasons draw from real-life experiences. Season one, he explained, was sparked by a road rage incident he experienced firsthand.
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For season two, inspiration struck closer to home when he found himself unintentionally eavesdropping on his neighbors’ marital spat. Though he kept the details private, the encounter proved compelling enough to fuel an entirely new cast of characters and a fresh, chaotic storyline.
“I just happened to overhear a heated debate coming from a couple’s home in the neighborhood. I’ll speak vaguely, since I still live in said neighborhood, but I found that when I retold the story, my younger peers were aghast, whereas my similarly aged or older peers kind of shrugged,” stated Lee. “I was like, ‘Everyone fights.’ And so I thought that juxtaposition was an interesting version.”
He set the story in the world of wealth and privilege. At Monte Vista, members pay a staggering $300,000 initiation fee for what they believe is a guarantee of exclusivity and discretion, among other things.
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As Oscar Isaac’s character, Josh, the club’s general manager, warns Cailee Spaeny’s low-level worker bee, Ashley Miller: “People need a place where they can feel safe…where they can pretend everything is ok. It’s the land of make-believe.”
That illusion isn’t entirely fictional. While Monte Vista Point doesn’t exist, the clubs behind it are very real and very expensive playgrounds for the ultra-rich.
Membership at Spanish Hills Club reportedly hovers around $20,000. Though a bargain in the world of the show’s champagne crowd, this price tag is steep for many. For those one-percenters wanting to join, it’s well worth it for its 18-hole championship golf course, tennis facilities, fine dining, and social scene.
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As for the Montecito Club (formerly called the Montecito Country Club), initiation fees can climb as high as $275,000 for a top-tier Connoisseur, Signature, or Ambassador membership.
The jet-set elite are willing to pay a premium for the club’s sweeping ocean views, top-tier golf and tennis, resort-level dining, and a rarified social scene.
Those prestigious tiers unlock more than just golf. Members gain access to the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club, and other perks across Ty Warner Hotels and Resorts, including the San Ysidro Ranch, Las Ventanas, and various Four Seasons locations.
For anyone interested in living like the characters in season two of Beef, you can go directly to the Montecito Club Membership page online to learn more about the various membership tiers and what each includes.
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As season two proves, wealth doesn’t cushion conflict. It amplifies it. Money may not buy love or happiness, but as Beef continues to prove, it can buy access, status, and sometimes discretion.
Money can’t tame the very human instinct to act on impulse. As Beef makes clear, wealth brings its own set of complications. If season two proves anything, it’s that aiming to keep up with the Joneses might just be the most expensive mistake of them all.
