Chip and Joanna Gaines' Waco transformation may have created a template for other TV stars

Vox

"Whether or not Chip and Joanna’s popularity on a national scale will continue remains to be seen, though they’re still selling plenty of magazines and candles and decorative metal sconces to people thousands of miles away from Waco," says Amy McCarthy. "It’s also hard to say how exactly Chip and Joanna’s impact on Waco will be felt in the future. What is clear is that Chip and Joanna have officially made the transition from reality TV personalities to cultural touchstones, and they’ve built a successful template for the future that can be replicated in any number of economically sluggish small towns across the country. By this time next year, who knows which sleepy little town we’ll all be clamoring to visit, to spend our hard-earned money on items that influencers told us to buy?"