Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV by Jennifer L. Pozner

Sep 26, 2012 Shana rated it 3 of 5 stars

(This review was originally posted on Elevate Difference. It is, however, by ME!)

Reality TV has infiltrated the media to such an extreme extent that it is increasingly difficult to escape its reach. Even those of us who consider ourselves media literate and savvy in our consumption of television have to admit to watching the occasional episode of Project Runway, America’s Next Top Model, or The Real Housewives of New Jersey. They’re our guilty pleasures; the kind of TV we watch while wearing a S...more (This review was originally posted on Elevate Difference. It is, however, by ME!)

Reality TV has infiltrated the media to such an extreme extent that it is increasingly difficult to escape its reach. Even those of us who consider ourselves media literate and savvy in our consumption of television have to admit to watching the occasional episode of Project Runway, America’s Next Top Model, or The Real Housewives of New Jersey. They’re our guilty pleasures; the kind of TV we watch while wearing a Snuggie and eating a bowlful (or two) of Ben and Jerry’s. We don’t always readily admit to watching these shows, and when we do come clean, we insist it’s for the absurdity of it all and that we’re quite aware of effects of this kind of TV.

Jennifer Pozner warns us of this type of complacent thinking in Reality Bites Back and backs it up with compelling examples pulled straight from our TVs. Toddlers are glam-ified and paraded around in Toddlers and Tiaras to meet the beauty standards put forth by Tyra Banks in America’s Next Top Model. Sometimes women need help to meet these standards, and thanks to The Swan, they can achieve them and go on to be evaluated once again by a panel of judges. Shows like Flavor of Love and The Bachelor depict women as catty, bitchy, and willing to do whatever it takes to win the affections of a man (as long as he’s wealthy). Non-Caucasian women see that they are expected to act and are portrayed as stereotypes, whether that be a saucy, va-va-voom Latina or a meek, obedient China doll.

Are we aware of all of this? Yes, to a certain extent. But we are not immune to it and Pozner points out the consequences in such clear detail that it’s impossible not to feel a bit guilty. However, Pozner does not seek to shame us into not watching reality TV, but rather to help effect change through widespread media literacy and campaigns to make TV more responsible for their programming and the messages they send. The last chapter ends on this note and includes the input of various educators and activists on how to accomplish this goal. In the end, Pozner manages to heavily critique reality TV without denigrating those of us who watch it. Her tone makes the message palatable, and she successfully gets the point across with her vast amount of knowledge and research.(less)

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May 26, 2012 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

I should first point out that I am an avid reality television watchers. While I understand that the label "unscripted" doesn't necessarily apply to the full degree, I cannot help be suckered in even as I don't believe an ounce of the content. That being said, Pozner really brings the manipulation of reality television to light in a way that is eye opening. There is a lot of important material in this book that even that savviest television viewer might not be aware of.

The reason I did not give...more

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May 23, 2011 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've never been a particular fan of "reality" TV (Project Runway excepted), but I wasn't a particular detractor either. Mostly I just had an "It's not really my thing." attitude. I knew that it wasn't entirely "reality" as in a lot of cases people were chosed by producers for specific reasons (because they're "characters" to begin with, for example) and the the programs were heavily edited in order to create narratives, and hightlight themes that really may not have been particularly important t...more I've never been a particular fan of "reality" TV (Project Runway excepted), but I wasn't a particular detractor either. Mostly I just had an "It's not really my thing." attitude. I knew that it wasn't entirely "reality" as in a lot of cases people were chosed by producers for specific reasons (because they're "characters" to begin with, for example) and the the programs were heavily edited in order to create narratives, and hightlight themes that really may not have been particularly important to the participants. But, I figured it was mostly harmless and "mindless fun" for those who enjoyed it.

I had no idea the extent to which "reality" television is unreal. For example, they use a tactic called "Frankenbiting" - editing two unrelated statements together - to make it so participants are actually saying things they never said! For example taking a woman on a dating show saying "I really love hot coffee first thing in the morning.", editing out the "hot coffee first thing in the morning" part and splicing in an instance where she said the name of the male bachelor on the shot so it makes it seem like she's head-over-heels for the guy when she may not be and has never said such a thing.

I also had never really thought critically about the kind of messages reality TV was putting out there about women in general, and worse about people of color (both men and women - although this book mostly concentrates on women).

Overall this was a fascinating read, and unlike a lot of books that leave you depressed by telling you all this crappy stuff, Pozner's last two chapters spend a lot of time telling you what you can do about it. She also doesn't get preachy and tell you: "YOU MUST STOP WATCHING THIS STUFF IMMEDIATELY!" Instead, she encourages you to learn to watch with a critical eye. She encourages enhancing media literacy - not just television, but all media - throughout our society. One other aspect is that she's very specific when it comes to blame. She doesn't suggest that this is some secret conspiracy in a backroom somewhere (in fact, she's quite clear to say that it isn't). She has a very good analysis that the driving force behind much of this is commercialism. That it isn't a bunch of old men in suits puffing on cigars thinking we're going to invade their precious golf course planning out all this stuff. Rather, it's just that in order to sell us more products (beauty and otherwise), it's more effective to have women scared and lacking in confidence and self-esteem. That way, one can present the lastest wonder (bra, face cream, make-up hair product, dress, home appliance) that will fix it for them. God forbid we should think we're great the way we are and didn't need to buy something to make us better.(less)

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Feb 24, 2011 Alex Templeton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Initially, I wasn't all that interested in reading this book, as I felt as if it would be a retread of many concepts I had read before. I am glad I changed my mind, as this book has entered the category of library books I will eventually go out and buy my own copies of because I have found them so good. This was an excellent and deeply horrifying look at how reality TV is working to reinforce harmful messages about women, minorities, and the poor. Pozner gives example after example after example...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: feminist, movie-tv-related-or-tie-in-non-sf, essays

I'm not much of a reality tv fan. I watched Deadliest Catch for awhile, and somewhat lost interst this year. Other than that, I've watched various Gorden Ramsey things (I like the British ones much more), but even those I've cooled to - the overuse of the word bitch to describe women, the fact that every black women seems to take most of the hate from those in the group, the fact that you are suppose to undermine people to win a job where you need to lead and support people. The fact that the wo...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Jennie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: feminism, non-fiction

If reality television is a disaster, Jennifer Pozner (founder of Women In Media & News) is its forensic investigator: making sense out of seemingly harmless shows like American Idol, The Bachelor, America’s Next Top Model, Flavor of Love, and others. With stellar, absorbing insight, she teases apart the decade-long history of reality television, examining its impact on our culture, its toxic messages, and how and why it has come to dominate the airwaves. Startlingly progressive, Pozner leave...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Stephanie Rodriguez rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another case where I wish I could give half stars. It was a good book and had a lot of valid points so I'll round up, but it was also frustrating in a few different ways. First, it was probably too long. Pozner re-made several points and arguments throughout the book. That in itself isn't so much the problem-- they were definitely valid points being made. But they were treated as new ones almost every time they were re-introduced, which made the reading experience long, tedious, and repetitive a...more

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Jun 29, 2011 Jschwabenland1 rated it 3 of 5 stars

We now have a new generation of children who are being raised with reality T.V. as the acceptable form of entertainment. This book vividly entails how women are generally depicted on reality T.V. And also men, minorities, aliens,...no one is spared. Even parents are criticized (Super Nanny). I see it as the impetus in the decline in our culture. Now where are the politicians on this? I want someone to have as platform--NO MORE REALITY TELEVISION!

The author hates Stacy London and What Not to Wear...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club, entertainment, nonfiction

Interesting, if a bit repetitive - Pozner HATES "America's Next Top Model" (and Tyra Banks), "The Bachelor" (and all other dating shows), "Flavor of Love" (and those that came after). I don't watch any of those shows, but I do adore reality television - luckily the shows I like generally escape her ire (well, mostly). There's a lot to think about here, but overall I think this book would be best taught in college communications course - it really speaks to young people, especially young women (t...more

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Mar 06, 2011 Alexis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I think anyone who watches television should read this book. I was really appalled, disgusted and frustrated while I read it. It also dispelled a lot of my assumptions about reality tv. I never knew that reality tv hired writers, but that they have low pay and are non-union. I didn't know that most reality tv shows were created by the same 3 men. I was angry while reading this because I have never watched a full episode of the Bachelor or the Apprentice, or Jersey Shore, but I still know about s...more

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Jan 08, 2011 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

As someone who sometimes watches "Reality" TV, this book really made me pause and think about what it really is & why I watch it, and what messages it's sending. One of the most important things about the book is that it explains that every reality show is based around some already ingrained social concept - i.e. women are desperate and will do anything to get married. The author examines reality TV in regards to gender and race and the results aren't pretty. She is particularly hard on VH1...more As someone who sometimes watches "Reality" TV, this book really made me pause and think about what it really is & why I watch it, and what messages it's sending. One of the most important things about the book is that it explains that every reality show is based around some already ingrained social concept - i.e. women are desperate and will do anything to get married. The author examines reality TV in regards to gender and race and the results aren't pretty. She is particularly hard on VH1 and the Flavor of Love series as well as all the spin offs for portraying black women as dumb, crazy, and especially promiscuous. She also talk about the lack of women of color in the prime time shows (i.e. Bachelor) and why these are seen as "classy and sophisticated" as opposed to the VH1 shows.

Another show she is hard on is America's Next Top Model (ANTM) for the way it portrays the girls in shots that often glorify violence against women and perpetuates the idea that "pain is sexy" or "sexy torture" as the author calls it. The author criticizes and praises the well known Tyra Banks (mostly criticizes though) for her mixed messages about beauty and self esteem. Tyra both tells women that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and shames them by constantly pointing out that anything outside the "modeling norm" must be changed or corrected (dialect, weight, hair if it's "ethnic", etc.)

Another important thing to note is that this isn't just about reality TV being "bad". She encourages viewers to support shows that emphasize creativity and intelligence (Project Runway, Amazing Race) over drama and sexism. One interesting thing I didn't realize is that because reality shows cost so much less to produce over traditional sitcoms and dramas, a show can do terribly in the ratings but still be renewed for a second season whereas that would never happen with an expensive to shoot drama.

In the end of the book, there's a section on media literacy with excerpts by people of various grassroots organizations explaining what consumers can do to "fight back" against sexist and racist programming as well as additional resources (books, independent magazines, websites & media advocacy organizations) Overall, very good book. I can't say I will never watch reality TV after reading it, but there are some shows I've watched in the past that I would think twice before watching now.(less)

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Jan 19, 2013 Ann Rufo rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are times when I want to leave my current job and return to the world of academia and feminist thought. Reading this book was one of those times. Pozner, after a years of research (and years of television watching that made me cringe just to imagine it), presents a well-articulated and supported feminist critique of the modern trend of reality television. From the deceptive editing that morphs individuals into gender and sexual stereotypes, to the constant product placements turning shows...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People interested in media literacy

Shelves: media, library

Reality Bites Back is a very thick book. There are millions and millions of hours of reality TV and different types of reality TV, and so this book needs to be thick to accomplish its goal. In part, I think it does, but in other aspects, it doesn't.
If I had titled this book, it would've been Unscripted Women Bite Back: Age Old Views in Reality TV or something of the sort. Most of the book focuses on women, which is probably the author's strong point, but I think that made this book weak. Gender...more Reality Bites Back is a very thick book. There are millions and millions of hours of reality TV and different types of reality TV, and so this book needs to be thick to accomplish its goal. In part, I think it does, but in other aspects, it doesn't.
If I had titled this book, it would've been Unscripted Women Bite Back: Age Old Views in Reality TV or something of the sort. Most of the book focuses on women, which is probably the author's strong point, but I think that made this book weak. Gender does not exist in a vacuum, and we know that more than one gender exists. Degrading women doesn't just hurt women. It also hurts men, and reality TV shows men in a negative light. The book only contains a few paragraphs about men, but I feel like it would've been a stronger argument if a whole chapter or more was dedicated to how men are falsely represented on TV.

The themes go in between women, minorities, and LGBTQ (I'm sorry if I missed a group). It's great that the author has lots of material, but all of it gets mashed into a big jumble and it's hard to dissect apart. I think the author had good intentions of separating topics by chapters, but then topics blended into each, and women issues ended up in chapters about LGBTQ. Those issues are probably connected, but it would've been nice if she created a few borders between them so that the topics were more understandable. I thought that maybe the author could've divided it by TV shows, but then lots of TV shows share similar themes, so that wouldn't have worked either. Honestly, there are just too many themes and topics to discuss about reality TV, and not all of them can fit into a book. It might've been better if she wrote multiple books on reality TV, each focusing on a different theme or different type of reality TV.

The chapter at the end of the book is fun and thought provoking. She encourages you to keep watching your favorite reality TV shows, but to speak up, make fun of, or analyze what's going on as you watch the show. I wanted to try her ideas and attempted to watch The Kardashian Show...but I failed miserable. That show really bored me, so maybe I'll try another one later.

I feel like this book just scraps the top of reality TV, like taking the sugar off the top of homemade jelly. If you really want to experience the jelly, you have to take some of the sugar with the jelly underneath, bit by bit at a time. That's not something this book does. The book's argument just goes on and on, which can leave you mentally exhausted. While reading this, I wanted to take a step back and just think about a point Pozner made and digest it. I also wanted to find out more information and read more sources about the topic before moving on.

Basically, if you're interested in TV and cultural views, then I'd recommend this book, but I'd also recommend you read something else. It's a good book to have in your repertoire to get an idea of reality TV, but I don't think it should be the one-all and be-all book that you read. Another way to put it is if you were writing an essay on Reality TV, I'd suggest you read this book to get an idea of what to write about and basic knowledge, but don't quote it as a source when you get into the deeper details of your paper (unless you're actually using it to make your point, of course).

As a side note, I don't watch reality TV unless my mom is watching. Every time she watches it, I don't see what's so great or attractive about watching other people's lives. That's just weird to me and makes me feel like an awkward peeper...(less)

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Jan 21, 2013 Ayse rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written, the arguments were interesting and in-depth and the social commentary was insightful and scathing. However, as always with this sort of thing, the people likely to buy and read it are already supportive of the main premise and I wonder what the larger point really is. I actually do not watch a lot of reality tv and it was interesting to read about some of the excesses and a little maddening to see so starkly the messages that are being reintroduce...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Rosemary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2013, read-in-my-20s

Reality Bites Back offers an interesting and much-needed take on reality TV. I think it is important for people to learn what goes on behind the scenes of these so-called "guilty pleasure" shows and just how damaging they can be. I especially appreciated that Pozner's solutions to the issues in these shows wasn't to just stop watching them entirely. She recognizes that they can be entertaining, but she also challenges us to ask why they are entertaining and to notice when things become problemat...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Ashley Hart rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

I can never view reality tv quite the same way again. An incredibly interesting look at how reality television manipulates viewers and how that manipulation negatively impacts society. This book makes some great observations and sheds light on the tactics producers use to create and enforce negative stereotypes. As someone who has watched many of the shows in question (most specifically, America's Next Top Model, which I hate to love, and to which a whole chapter is dedicated), I was fascinated...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Arlie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

An interesting and insightful look at reality TV from media critic Jennifer Pozner. First, Pozner looks at the genre itself - the manipulations of camera and of the people involved. She then goes on to analyze the patterns of reality TV in portraying women, relationships, and people of colour. Overall, it's a disturbing picture that should mean viewers are watching with a critical lens. As we should all know by now, what we watch has an affect on us, even when we think it's 'just for fun'. I esp...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Renee Reynolds rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'll admit that Pozner has more than her share of soapboxes and at times she's a little too shrill shouting from them, but that doesn't diminish the importance of her well-needed media criticism. In fact, it probably requires an in-your-face wakeup call for us to pay attention to the harmful messages we so easily soak in while watching TV. And even though I'm no fan of reality shows, I am a student of sociocultural mores, especially those involving messages about women, motherhood, minorities, a...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

In 2001-2 I did an independent study on the media's portrayal of romance (right at the time the first bachelor and temptation island was on). Was I ahead of the game.

This book takes itself VERY seriously (as books of this ilk tend to do). It was a very thorough look at reality television and particularly its views of women. My criticism: It spent a lot of time of shows like Flavor of Love and Rock of Love (which I think almost all people agree are awful). I wish she had spent more time on Real...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, television

I didn't really need it pointed out to me that reality television is doing no favors to women and how they are perceived in society, but this book really delves deep and analyzes just what about these shows make them so damaging. I always watch TV and movies with an analytic eye, but I think I'll be more inclined to stop watching reality shows in an "ironic" way and look at exactly what messages they are trying to sell. There are even suggestions for what everyone can do to think more about thes...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Jess rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: media, feminism

This really is one of the most engaging books I have read on media literacy and deconstructing what we are watching. Pozner consistently makes great points, and is able to cite other research to strengthen her own findings. Her deconstruction of reality shows such as the bachelor, real housewives, America's next top model and more consistently has the reader questioning what they are watching and what they are being sold. For me - someone who was already hyper aware of the misogyny and pervasive...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Jess rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, misc, movies-tv-theater, favorites, feminism, womens-interest, social-science

The more I saw what modern television had to offer, the less I believed in it. Pozner spent 10 years watching the best and worst of reality (and surreality) television in order to write this book. I’m amazed she still has any faith in television as a medium let alone ‘unscripted’ television.

Pozner took her task very seriously and provides incredibly detailed dissections of several different television shows. She sees overarching patterns and cites specific incidents and backs up her findings wit...more

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Nov 05, 2011 cat rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 100-in-2011

2011 Book 106/100

After seeing the new documentary MissRepresentation, which featured author Jennifer Pozner discussing the ways that reality television contributes to and cements the sexism, racism, and classism of our culture, I put her new book on hold at the library. I waited as they processed the first copy, and then got to read a shiny new copy of Reality Bites Back : The Troubling Truth about Guilty Pleasure TV over the last few weeks. This book took me much longer to read as each chapter...more 2011 Book 106/100

After seeing the new documentary MissRepresentation, which featured author Jennifer Pozner discussing the ways that reality television contributes to and cements the sexism, racism, and classism of our culture, I put her new book on hold at the library. I waited as they processed the first copy, and then got to read a shiny new copy of Reality Bites Back : The Troubling Truth about Guilty Pleasure TV over the last few weeks. This book took me much longer to read as each chapter is so full of current and important media critique that is directly relevant to my life AND to the work that I do.

From the outset, when Pozner tells us "..nothing- not creative quality, not social impact, and certainly not accountability to the public - matters to corporate media companies other than the financial bottom line", she positions all of the other critiques, of sexism, racism, classism, firmly within the context of capitalistic greed.

Her chapters on Unraveling Reality TV’s Twisted Fairytales , Get Comfortable with My Flaw Finder (Women’s Bodies as Women’s Worth), Bitches and Morons and Skanks, Oh My! (What Reality TV Teaches Us about Women), Erasing Ethnicity, Encoding Bigotry, and Beautiful Corpses, Abusive Princes (Violence against Women as Glamorous, Romantic Reality) each show us the ways that "mass media is our prime purveyor of cultural hegemony... in other words, media shape what we think of as "the truth" about "the way things are".

While each of the chapters had moments of insight for me as she laid out the ways that reality TV creates harmful depictions of women, normalizes violence against women, and perpetuates racism, one of my major a-ha! moments came in the discussion of women being pitted against other women in dating and other competition-based series. She states " This isn't just about depriving women of female friendships to foster desperation for male affection. All social, academic, professional, and political gains women have made in this country - suffrage, legality and availability of contraceptives,..criminalization of sexual harrassment and acquaintance rape, protections against gender and race-based employment discrimination, among others - have been won through hard-fought collective struggle with other women. If women are conditioned to consider other women lying bachstabbers, we are less likely to organize for better working conditions or pay equity". Which sums up so much of my fear about media and the ways that women are depicted - we do not see ourselves as having agency, intelligence, or inherent worth outside of our looks and our relationships with men. Both this book and the documentary MissRepresentation have given me new ways to talk about this issue -- as a social justice issues, but also as an economic issue. ALL of the messages that we are being fed ultimately are controlled by corporations trying to sell us a commercial and political agenda that I am not interested in buying!

Please - read this book. And if you don't have time to read the whole book, then at least go and check out Pozner's Reality TV Deconstruction Guide at http://www.realitybitesbackbook.com/f... . But really? The book is worth the time.
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Sep 18, 2012 Lara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: feminism

This was an interesting and informative read. What kept it from receiving a 5-star rating from me were two things: the repetition and the often times too colloquial language. She uses words such as fuck or ass throughout the book, which is distracting. I get that she is trying to sound hip and cool and present a sort of tough, ironic ethos, but her language actually detracts from her credibility and the seriousness of the issue. I also felt she kept the subject matter too limited: sure, women ar...more This was an interesting and informative read. What kept it from receiving a 5-star rating from me were two things: the repetition and the often times too colloquial language. She uses words such as fuck or ass throughout the book, which is distracting. I get that she is trying to sound hip and cool and present a sort of tough, ironic ethos, but her language actually detracts from her credibility and the seriousness of the issue. I also felt she kept the subject matter too limited: sure, women are exploited to no end on reality TV, but she excluded all of these HGTV shows that exploit wealth and class, barely mentions the exploitation of young girls on shows like Sixteen and Pregnant, Teen Mom, or Toddlers and Tiaras. If anything these shows receive brief lip service, but not the critical analysis they deserve.

I felt repulsed by her analysis of America's Next Top Model and The Swan, but I also grew tired of reading about the same four or five shows. In the end, this limitation seriously hurt the book's effect, rendering reality TV only something that degrades a certain kind of woman and not examining the ways it hurts women of all ages, babies to the elderly.

She also does not give a hard look at WHY women would willingly choose be on shows like The Bachelor and instead criticizes the creators and the men who participate. Her analysis could have been so much richer if she had looked at this issue from all directions. Then, we could have a thorough look at TV's image of women and men.

I was also struck by her lack of commentary on The Biggest Loser, which is certainly an exploitative show (in some ways). The only mention she gives it is in a minor footnote--hardly the sort of critical attention the show deserves.

All of these complaints aside, I did come away from this read much more informed about reality TV and even more disgusted with my generation. Despite its flaws, this is a book anyone who watches reality television needs to read. This is the kind of work our society needs to force us to confront our deeply engrained (and, thanks to TV, perpetuated) prejudices. I just felt this book could have been so, so much better. (less)

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Jan 15, 2012 Carrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: female-authors, gender-and-feminism, media-criticism, read-in-2012, nonfiction

Nothing in Reality Bites Back is especially groundbreaking or surprising, especially for someone who's already a pretty critical media consumer. That said, this book is incredibly necessary, as it compiles all of the terrible truths about reality television in one book. I enjoyed Pozner's exploration of sexism, racism, classism and homophobia/heterosexism in network and basic cable reality shows, but what most sets this book apart from others like it is her discussion about what viewers can do a...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Ashleigh Paige rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites, it-is-giving-me-ideas, the-great-shelf-of-awesome, oh-my-gosh-love-love-love, wow-it-s-nonfiction

Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.

I fancy myself a media critic, though I'm not always a good one. My focus is YA novels and though I can certainly sort out good subtext from bad and call out seriously problematic elements with ease, I'm nowhere near as sharp when it comes to movies and television. The premise of Pozner's book interested me after I finished another nonfiction novel last year, so I put this on my to-read list and finally jumped for it a few months ago. Wow. Just wow. I did...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Krista, Ambassador of Shimmy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: female-ref, non-fiction, bookclub

"Banish the phase 'mindless entertainment' from your vocabulary." Reality Bites Back is an eye-opening read calling attention to the media giants and how what we consume impacts our thoughts, beliefs, and actions. Among other things, it brings forth "cosmetic surgery shows jeopardizing women's health, dating shows treating single women as pathetic losers, and various cable subgenres portraying men of color like criminals and thugs." Pozner encourages us to "taken an honest look at how reality TV...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, pop-culture, feminism, fiction, media

Reality Bites Back is a well researched book. And Pozner is an excellent, and often times hilarious, writer. She made some very excellent points...over and over and over again. But it was a tough read. And way too long.

As TV watchers and consumers we all need to be aware of the way TV, especially reality TV, manipulates us. We need to be more aware of how TV portrays women and people of color and how this shapes our views of stereotypes. We need to understand how big a role advertising plays in...more

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Jan 03, 2011 Sarra rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've been going back and forth on my rating for this. 3 feels too low, 4 is a bit too high. I guess it's really a 3.5, which is, of course, not an option here. When I started reading, I thought it would easily be a 4 or even a 5, because I'm a feminist & I'm studying media literacy, so I am already on the same side Ms. Pozner is. But a few things didn't sit well with me.

1) "The Poor": The author uses this phrase repeatedly. However, this is no more useful or acceptable - which is to say, not...more I've been going back and forth on my rating for this. 3 feels too low, 4 is a bit too high. I guess it's really a 3.5, which is, of course, not an option here. When I started reading, I thought it would easily be a 4 or even a 5, because I'm a feminist & I'm studying media literacy, so I am already on the same side Ms. Pozner is. But a few things didn't sit well with me.

1) "The Poor": The author uses this phrase repeatedly. However, this is no more useful or acceptable - which is to say, not at all useful or acceptable - than "the disabled" or "the mentally ill" or any other marginalized or oppressed group that is described thusly. "The Poor" condenses all people of lesser means into a dehumanized, faceless monolith.

2) "Underweight": "Underweight", just like "overweight", is based on the assumption that there is one proper, acceptable, correct weight. There isn't. Every body is different. Health at Every Size proponents, body acceptance activists, and fat positive agitators all reject the notion of "under" and "over" where weight is concerned. When you realize that health is rarely connected to weight and that you absolutely can not gauge a body's health or wellness from its weight/appearance, the uselessness and meaninglessness of "underweight" and "overweight" become immediately apparent. You can't tell how healthy someone is just by looking at her/him. This applies to the women on America's Next Top Model (not that I approve of or am defending that show) just as it applies to a fat person on the street. "Underweight" is useless at best, and problematic, stigmatizing, & judgmental at worst. Tied in with this issue: you can't know just from looking at someone how hungry they are, what they do/don't eat, how often they do/don't eat it, or how likely they are to have an eating disorder. Furthermore, the BMI is bogus & relying on it to support points made renders those points shaky.

3) "Depressives": Really? "Depressives"?! Not even "depressed persons", much less "people with depression" or "people prone to depressive episodes"? "Depressives", as a label, completely erases humanity. The people being described are not even present in this label. They are not even people; they are simply their diagnoses.

4) "Happy pills": Yes, the author, in a footnote, really does refer to anti-depressants as "happy pills". This is wildly inaccurate, possibly ignorant, unfair, unkind, and woefully simplistic.

5) "Scherzinger was ... positioned as the lead stripp- er, lead singer- of the Pussycat Dolls." Oh, honestly. Implying that Scherzinger is a sex worker? It's catty, it's juvenile, it's reminiscent of high-school mean-girl behavior, and it's not feminist. It also has no place in a book like this.

Now, I don't want to give the impression that I didn't like this book. I did. It's smart and valuable. It's so smart and valuable that the missteps detailed above were shocking and disappointing. I would still encourage everyone - especially those interested in media literacy and those who love unscripted television - to read it. It's necessary reading, and good stuff.(less)

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Dec 23, 2010 Lukas rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think I'm already way ahead of her target audience, and also since I don't have unplanned TV in my life I'm safe from a lot of the bombardment that this genre is practicing, however I love when someone else does the work of distilling thousands of hours of study into simply crafted motifs to watch for. Using select quotes and lots of other sources, she takes the reader through the reality tv landscape and points out all the deep holes that we need to be careful of. Much appreciated.

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title link	preview: Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6307485-reality-bites-back?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328746850l/6307485.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6307485-reality-bites-back?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV by Jennifer L. Pozner[/url]

Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV

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