Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture (Paperback)

~ Susan Murray (Author), Laurie Ouellette (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for the First Edition:

”Offers the most insightful and significant scholarly analysis to date of the changes taking place in the economic ‘globalization’ of television production. A delight to read, laced with wit and humor.”

- Choice

Praise for the Second Edition:

“Provides both the record of a strange moment in history and a contribution to contemporary cultural politics. This second, revised edition brings the story right up to the present with a compelling blend of the ancient and the modern.”

- Toby Miller, editor of Television & New Media

Product Description

The Apprentice. Project Runway. The Bachelor. My Life on the D-list. Extreme Makeover. American Idol. It is virtually impossible to turn on a television without coming across some sort of reality programming. Yet, while this genre has rapidly moved from the fringes of television culture to its lucrative core, critical attention has not kept pace.

Beginning by unearthing its historical roots in early reality shows like Candid Camera and wending its way through An American Family and The Real World to the most recent crop of reality programs, Reality TV, now updated with eight new essays, is one of the first books to address the economic, visual, cultural, audience, and new media dimensions of reality television and has become the standard in the field. The essays provide a complex and comprehensive picture of how and why this genre emerged, what it means, how it differs from earlier television programming, and how it engages societies, industries, and individuals. Topics range from the blending of fact and fiction, to the uses of viewer labor and “interactivity,” to issues of surveillance, gender performativity, hyper-commercialism, and generic parody.

By spanning reality televisionÂ’s origins in the late 1940s to its current overwhelming popularity, Reality TV demonstrates both the tenacity of the format and its enduring ability to speak to our changing political and social desires and anxieties.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 377 pages
• Publisher: NYU Press; 2nd edition (December 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814757340
• ISBN-13: 978-0814757345
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #412,226 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An anthology of essays by learned authors , December 9, 2004

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture (Hardcover)

Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture is an anthology of essays by learned authors exploring the popular culture phenomenon of "Reality TV" that has redefined entertainment, particularly in the twenty-first century. From hybrid blends of documentary and reality TV, to ubiquitous court TV shows, demographics of those who follow reality TV, webcasting, the profound impact of "Survivor", and more, Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture explores avenues with scholarly depth and attention to detail. An index allows for quick research in this groundbreaking cultural expose recommended especially for academic libraries.