How do the McBeans make Maddie's family seem dull in the novel, Don’t Call It Paradise?

Maddie idolizes the McBeans, and she longs to be a part of this family she considers so worldly and wise, so fun and exotic. The McBeans make her own family seem dull, and at thirteen, Maddie longs for adventure. Her family eats meat loaf, the McBeans eat curry. Her family reads the local paper, the McBeans read the New York Times.