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Bottom of the pile
14
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
11/100Critics
16/100Scholars
Author:
Danielle J. Lindemann
Publisher:
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Date:
February 15, 2022
A sociological study of reality TV that explores its rise as a culture-dominating mediumâand what the genre reveals about our attitudes toward race, gender, class, and sexuality.
What The Reviewers Say
A professor of sociology at Lehigh whose previous books have studied commuter marriages and the professional dominatrix — excellent preparation for parsing the adventures of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills — Lindemann contends that, by holding up a mirror to society, reality TV has much to impart once we get past the histrionics.
This is a sociology book for a general audience. Lindemann breaks down concepts deftly and lightly. The research never prevents the book from being enjoyable to me as a lay reader, although I also don’t have the credentials to evaluate or respond to it. Lindemann combines foundational sociology texts with pop-culture references, and there’s a visceral delight to seeing Émile Durkheim paired with My Strange Addiction.
Lindemann argues quite convincingly that despite people’s knee-jerk mockery of reality TV or reflexive embarrassment at being 'caught' as a viewer, studying the genre gives us a better understanding of our world and ourselves.
[A] deep dive into the most-talked about shows of the last three decades.
