Better Living Through Television

Better Living Through Reality TV is an impressive study which makes a strong argument for taking seemingly trivial programming seriously, not least because of how such fare can articulate contemporary and deepening socio-political trends. As others have indicated, there is much substance in the authors' arguments regarding a neo-liberal, post-welfare, and entrepreneurial political climate as played out on and as enabled by TV. What is particularly striking for those interested in Media Studies is how Ouellette and Hay go beyond assessing how TV reflects socio-political issues to examining how television programming actually participates in the government of everyday life. For example, they illustrate how Reality programming goes beyond entertainment to act as a resource for inventing, managing and protecting viewers as citizens. Those who cling to the notion that there is a separate category of "politics" (maybe this is what is on Fox news?) which is distinct from all the other stuff (like Reality TV) will probably just not get it: they won't understand the purpose or argument of such a book. But for those who are interested in how television can give us a way to think about serious contemporary issues, then this book does a really excellent job. The writing is lucid and any historical or theoretical insights are patiently explained, so that the book should be of interest to both academic and general readers.

Better Living Through Reality TV is thoughtful and insightful investigation of the politics of reality television. These authors remind us of the history of reality-based programming in the United States and make a convincing argument as to why reality TV proliferates and thrives today. They link the recent explosion of reality programs--from charity shows like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to competitions like Survivor--to transformations within our political and social culture. These recent changes have to do with the adoption of neo-liberal policies by the US government that seek to privatize social services and demand that citizens take more responsibility for their lives. They argue that reality TV offers citizens a vast array of templates for navigating these changes, and thus becomes a partner in government. My favorite chapter is entitled "Makeover TV: Labors of Reinvention." Here the authors discuss the demands of contemporary work life in relation to makeover shows. They show how makeover programs connect to a need for workers to become CEOs of themselves in order to stay afloat (or at least try) in the new "flexible" economy. This book raises a whole new set of questions about reality TV. Less concerned with the "reality" of the shows, these authors force us to confront the realities of our contemporary culture. This book is perhaps less for fans and more for those who want to think deeply about contemporary television and its relationship to the pressing political and social issues of our time. Despite the academic nature of this book, I think committed readers interested in popular culture will find it incredibly useful and provocative. Students of television have no excuse: you must read this book.

As a person who read and re-read Better Living Through Reality TV and loved the rich arguments the author make in the book, I felt compelled to write a review of my own after reading the nonsensical and erratic rant posted by one clueless so-called reviewer as a review for the book. Instead of pointing out all the wrongful accusations that the previous "reviewer" made (when the arguments are not grounded in accuracy and truth, it is meaningless to highlight the arguments and counterargue) I hope to do justice by "rightfully" conveying the authors' (Ouellette and Hay) main arguments in the book which have somehow eluded the "reviewer." Better Living... is (to borrow from Douglas Kellner) a "diagnostic critique" of contemporary society and culture through the lens of popular culture (reality TV). Based on Foucault's concept of governmentality (by the way, I can't understand how one can review this book without mentioning Foucault or governmentality) the authors argue how reality TV with its lifestyle guidelines and tutorials has become a cultural technology of everyday citizenship that advances and rationalizes "neo-liberal" government and contemporary democracy. By examining various different categories of reality TV (Makeover TV, Charity TV, Intervention TV, and so on), the authors try to show how reality TV promotes the neoliberal rationality of privatization, volunteerism, entrepreneurialism, and responsibilization. The authors also critically diagnose the new social environment we live in (Risk Society, Security Society, Ownership Society, etc.) and argue how reality TV has become an important resource for individuals to mange and control their lives in a world full of risk and insecurities. Then by examining the "neo-liberal" citizenship through group and participatory governance, the authors question today's practice of democracy and how it is rationalized. There are many more great arguments that the authors make in the book and I believe those who are interested in understanding reality TV within a historical, cultural, and social context will be greatly intellectually satisfied. So for those who want to read "Reality TV for Dummies" type of book (maybe this was what the previous "reviewer" was looking for?), Better Living Through Reality TV may not be what you're looking for. However, by providing many detailed textual examples, Ouellette and Hay do a great job in making somewhat "complex" arguments accessible and enjoyable to read (but as the mediaman's rant shows, I guess not everybody gets it regardless of the authors' efforts).