The Tube Has Spoken

by Taddeo, Julie Anne, Ph.D.; Dvorak, Ken; Carmichael, Deborah A.

• ISBN13: 9780813133881
• ISBN10: 0813133882
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-01-10
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Kentucky

Summary

Featuring ordinary people, celebrities, game shows, hidden cameras, everyday situations, and humorous or dramatic situations, reality TV is one of the fastest growing and important popular culture trends of the past decade, with roots reaching back to the days of radio. The Tube Has Spokenprovides an analysis of the growing phenomenon of reality TV, its evolution as a genre, and how it has been shaped by cultural history. This collection of essays looks at a wide spectrum of shows airing from the 1950s to the present, addressing some of the most popular programs including Alan Funt'sCandid Camera,Big Brother,Wife Swap,Kid Nation, andThe Biggest Loser. It offers both a multidisciplinary approach and a cross-cultural perspective, considering Australian, Canadian, British, and American programs. In addition, the book explores how popular culture shapes modern western values; for example, bothAn American Familyand its British counterpart,The Family, showcase the decline of the nuclear family in response to materialistic pressures and the modern ethos of individualism. This collection highlights how reality TV has altered the tastes and values of audiences in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It analyzes how reality TV programs reflect the tensions between the individual and the community, the transformative power of technology, the creation of the celebrity, and the breakdown of public and private spheres.