jcstokes95 's review for:

Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum

4.25

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

---

The perfect book to make you feel guilt about watching Wife Swap so much as a youth. 

Nussbaum recounts the wide history of reality entertainment, from hidden microphone shows in the radio era on through the show that made a president out of a con artist. I know that I have a lot of moral depravity because after every chapter I’d find myself wanting to watch the shows mentioned, despite the horrifying conditions for both staff and participants. I would say, this book doesn’t delve much into the psychology that causes my amoral, prurient interest in people in pressure cookers. I think that may have assuaged some of my own guilt while reading, but, alas, that wasn’t really the book’s goal. SO, I guess I’ll just have to live with all that… 

Instead, Nussbaum is interested in the history, and I will say, the salaciousness of that history will carry you through this one. In a lot of ways it shouldn’t be a “page turner”; a lot of sections are just descriptions of boardroom dealing about who bought the rights to what show. But in an ironic way, the most engaging parts of the book are hearing the horrors folks were subjected to on set. Which is a weird feeling since the book seems to be taking a position against society’s attachment to these shows. 

In the last quarter, there was some discussion of failed unionization efforts for producers (who, I gotta say, hard people to root for in this book). But I wish she’d incorporated a bit more of a call to action or even just some history around how legislation (or lack thereof) and public perception around these shows were. I think that could have added more depth and contrast. 

For example, the obvious standout in this respect was the chapter on The Apprentice, where it is super clear producers and contestants were aware of Trump’s raging racism, sexism and homophobia (including calling contestants slurs in recorded sessions). However, none of these producers did anything to check this behavior at the time and many dismiss any complicity in what has happened since they rocketed him to fame. Worth pointing out, post-publication of this book, Mark Burnett is now a Special Envoy to the UK; so at least one producer got to be a diplomat from this journey into hell. 

Mainly, you will read this book and hate these people. But you will also hate Yourself. And I actually think that might be the mark of a good non-fiction piece. Well done Nussbaum, I am depressed.