Invited to dinner where every room is filmed

[christmasdodedodedo]

So, had the strangest invite and wondering if there is an issue here or just odd but go with it.

Newish friends (couple, let's call them Brian and Judith) from a hobby group have invited us to dinner at their house. All very nice. This has been a longstanding invite due to certain delays.

Anyway, someone from the hobby group made a lighthearted joke when the group gathered recently about being careful around their ceramic collection they have on display (they referenced their collection a few times) and the hosts said there were no concerns as every area of their house is internally filmed so they can play it back after and see if anything inappropriate took place anywhere.

Everyone was a bit taken aback but said nothing but I'm beginning to think this is really strange.

Would you be comfortable at a dinner that is filmed in every room? Ever heard of this before?

The ceramic collection isn't anything particularly expensive and I don't get the filming is for that, it's just something they do!

I would be unwell that day. That’s very creepy.

I’d have assumed it was a (clumsy) joke?

I wouldn't go

What is the film used for after guests leave. No interest in being surveilled so it would be a no thank you from me.

What do they mean play back to see if anything inappropriate happened?

do they mean if you break something they will know?

or are they expecting you to set up riskè scenes with the dolls? 🤣

either way any interest I might have had with them as potential friends is now dead.

either go and set up comedy elf on the shelf type scenes at every opportunity knowing glances at the camera included (and then never talk to them again).

or as pp said, be unfortunately ill that day.

I mean, so many questions.

But yeah, I wouldn’t go.

I would be ok if they were filming the collection for security purposes (as in safety: someone breaking in to steal it if worth a lot) but the response about if something inappropriate happening is weird. I wouldn't go.

That’s just plain weird !

I wouldn't go.

I wouldn't consider Brian and Judith my type of people, and woudn't be going round for dinner.

I wouldn't go

Someone needs to ask "you are joking, right?"

In reality I wouldn't go bit a part of me would like to write some signs and hold it up to the camera or do some other weird stuff for fun

But no I wouldn't actually go

I would assume they were joking?

Otherwise I wouldn't go.

I realise now I/we should've asked questions at the time but I was so caught off guard I sort of froze.

It's certainly made it very awkward and not sure even asking them not to film would make me want to go.

Definitely something I've never come across. Their house is quite large (four bedrooms detached) but not a stately mansion or anything vast requiring internal security

I’ve seen so many videos on TikTok of (mostly funny) things that have happened in people’s (mostly American) homes and it always leaves me thinking ‘WTH has security cameras in every room?’.
It’s so odd and unnecessary. I couldn’t relax visiting a home like that.

Oh that's brilliant

Oh so maybe this is now a thing? Just bizarre to me.

I know quite a few people who have internal surveillance in their homes. Not in bathrooms or bedrooms, just in living areas on ground floor. I’m quite used to it now so I wouldn’t turn down a dinner invite on those grounds alone.

Well, it’s not too late, surely? The potential hosts were the ones to bring up a deeply odd and intrusive situation that will impact on their guests, if true, and everyone at the gathering thought it was weird, but didn’t speak up. I wouldn’t have the slightest compunction in messaging the hosts to say ‘Re. dinner invitation — I’m right in assuming you were joking about having cameras filming in every room in your house, yes?’ And see what comes back.

Are there cameras in the bathroom, that's not on.

Just make up an excuse or, if you wish, say on reflection the filming makes me uncomfortable so I'm afraid I can't come.

You don't have to attend.

Absolutely, but I think worth checking it wasn’t a joke that fell flat before cancelling?

We had a security camera in the house, but it automatically turned off if any of our phones was also in the house. And yes, it recorded when we were burgled, and allowed the police to identify and convict the burglars, so worthwhile. Recording guests is weird and creepy.

Surely if they're that precious about their ceramics collection the crocks should be behind glass.

Ask if they were joking and decline politely if not.