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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Wow, this was fascinating. From Candid Camera to the rise of Trump through Mark Burnett’s The Apprentice and all the Real World and Bravo in between. It was just so much information. I almost wish it was split into two books chronologically. I would have loved to start in the 90s and get a deeper dive into some of the more recent reality tv stuff, but that’s just me. Very well researched and organized.
This was a really interesting and thoroughly-researched history of the rise of reality TV. The chapters on The Bachelor and Survivor were 10/10, with tons of great little nuggets (Survivor’s connection to The Office, for example!). The chapter on The Apprentice was hard to listen to, but really well done. The first chapters on very early formats were a bit of a slog, but after finishing the book I found I appreciated their foundation a little more. I wanted more from this, though. There were sooo many areas of reality TV that Nussbaum didn’t cover (would’ve loved a chapter on TLC shows). But the biggest missing piece here was a deeper analysis of the impact. We explore how reality TV has changed, but not how reality TV has changed *us*, and I think that exploration could’ve made this a 5 star book.
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
funny
fast-paced
Great book about the history of reality TV!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Racism, Sexism
This book is really good. I think Nussbaum bit off more than she needed and should’ve made this book with just Part 1 and parts of Part 2. That would’ve been a lot more cohesive and the possibility of making Part 3 into a second book that would have been better. I still really enjoyed the research in this and would recommend to anyone who enjoys reality TV.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Classism
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Racial slurs, Transphobia
As a reality TV connoisseur this book had it all. I thought I knew about reality tv, the scope of which it is produced or soft scripted but this shone a whole new light on it. Particularly fascinated by those on the crew, who worked incredibly hard to produce these shows to their own detriment and sometimes shame down the line.
My only gripe is that I didn’t read this book faster to really see the connections and webs weaved by these high level producers and how this genre unfolded. This book is written so cohesively and has such a clear narrative it’s trying to show us. I think to watch it all come together if I read it less spread out would be mind blowing.
My disgust and hatred for Mike Fleiss is equally and oppositely matched in my love and awe for Lance Loud. Lance was an icon to so many and I can’t imagine what living in the same world as him would have been like. The fact that I can’t watch him on An American Family is a tragedy, one that I will have to rectify by looking into the archives of his own work.
Favorite chapters include: The Reveal about Candid Camera, The Betrayal about An American Family, The Game and The Island about Survivor, The Rose about the Bachelor, and The Wink about Bravo, Queer Eye and Rupaul
My only gripe is that I didn’t read this book faster to really see the connections and webs weaved by these high level producers and how this genre unfolded. This book is written so cohesively and has such a clear narrative it’s trying to show us. I think to watch it all come together if I read it less spread out would be mind blowing.
My disgust and hatred for Mike Fleiss is equally and oppositely matched in my love and awe for Lance Loud. Lance was an icon to so many and I can’t imagine what living in the same world as him would have been like. The fact that I can’t watch him on An American Family is a tragedy, one that I will have to rectify by looking into the archives of his own work.
Favorite chapters include: The Reveal about Candid Camera, The Betrayal about An American Family, The Game and The Island about Survivor, The Rose about the Bachelor, and The Wink about Bravo, Queer Eye and Rupaul
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced