Shooting People: Adventures in Reality TV

In their fervent analysis of shows like Survivor and Big Brother, poet Brenton and former production assistant Cohen trace reality TV's roots--in the documentary, a medium meant to uncover injustices and effect social change; in docusoaps from the 1970s (e.g. The American Family), which shifted the focus from the social problem to the individual encounter; and in shows like Cops, which glorified a particular lifestyle--to argue that such programming has elevated the personal to""the level of grand narrative"" in ways that are harmful to both participants and society. As overarching ideologies of political and social""truths"" were being widely challenged and a new humanistic psychology, in which personal experience was king, became popular, the way was paved for reality TV. In 1992, MTV's The Real World gave a young audience a mirror to see itself, and lifestyle branding--later to worm its way into every corner of society through digital-, radio- and Internet-based advertising--was born anew. Sharply critical of reality TV, the authors poke holes in the idea of a participant's informed consent, challenge the efficacy of the psychotherapists involved in these""spectacles of extremity and cruelty,"" and take a fascinating look at the psychological parallels between reality TV game shows and tactics used during the Stanford Country Prison Experiment and even during war time for interrogation and torture. What's""real"" is exactly what becomes confused as the microcosm of the contestant's isolated, fabricated world develops into a disturbing form of reality. This is a highly readable, energetic examination of a prime-time phenomenon.