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yuzutart's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
I don't think there was anything particularly groundbreaking that was said in True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us. However, it did offer 1) a bit of a cringey (but fun!) trip down memory lane, and 2) some insights into the backgrounds of famous shows and networks. I found the writing enjoyable and wish it could have gone just a little bit deeper. I feel like what was said barely scratched the surface and would love to see more!
ferdie's review
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
While True Story doesnt reveal any shocking new conclusions, it does offer a reflective deep dive of what reality TV offers and perpetuates. Reality tv is a comfort because of the way we see ourselves in the stories but in an exaggerated view. We can learn about others, but in their most digestible/ stereotyped forms. Rather than parsing out if it is real or not, Lindemann instead argues that it is more important to see the imprint of us within the simple story and the marks it makes on each of us when we turn the TV off. It can be a tool of awareness.
There were some parts that seemed to drag and get repetitive, but I did appreciate the earnest hopefulness and realism Lindemann balanced throughout the book :)
There were some parts that seemed to drag and get repetitive, but I did appreciate the earnest hopefulness and realism Lindemann balanced throughout the book :)
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism, Racism, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Outing, Biphobia, Police brutality, and Alcohol
breanneporter's review against another edition
Liked the premise a lot but it felt just a bit too basic for me