What do McMansions say about American culture?

This article in the Sunday Washington Post caught my eye - "The Dreams that Drive Us." It's a brief yet interesting overview of the interaction of the architecture of the American home and American culture over the past 100+ years. The author is a professor of architecture at Columbia who has a book about the history of American modern architecture.

My favorite part of the article is her comments about McMansions.

A McMansion is rife with contradictions. It's an exhibitionistic house, yet it's set far back from the street, with tall gates and security systems. These Hummer houses appeal to people who want a truly conspicuous display of wealth. They've given freedom of expression a new and rather disturbing meaning: the right to do whatever you want, to be totally self-absorbed. Which is where we are, for the most part, today.

I couldn't have said it better myself. What will people in 40-50 years think when they look at current residential architecture? I think of now how so many people are into mid-century architecture and covet designs from the 50s and 60s. I can't even imagine a similar movement in the future. I doubt there will ever be nostalgia for shoddy construction, garish ornamentation, and tasteless mixing of architectural styles. But who knows? Maybe McMansions will be "retro" gems in the future. Of course, to be nostalgic about McMansions, that would mean that residential architecture in the U.S. would have to come up with something worse than McMansions. I shudder at the thought.