Turn skeptics into fans and fans into scholars with this smart, entertaining guide to 25 influential reality shows, from The Real World to The Traitors.
Much like reality itself, reality TV has one main problem: there’s just too much of it. Whether you’re a devoted fan who wants to explain your passion to your loved ones, a specialist who doesn’t have time to watch every series of everything, or a skeptic who still wants to understand what all the references are about, you’re going to need a guide.
Great news: Emmy-winning TV writer and critic Ali Barthwell has compiled a fun, highly informative primer that makes the vast field of reality television approachable. Reality TV for Snobs offers explanation and analysis of 25 influential shows, to get newbies up to speed and give rabid fans something to chew on. Learn about:
The massive cultural impact of The Bachelor
The ultimate fate of all those “top models” from America’s Next Top Model
The genesis of that Real Housewives meme you keep seeing
What really happened on the set of Survivor
And many more secrets, facts, and insights about the shows you love—or don’t love yet!
The Outsider’s Guide series offers highly readable crash courses in major cultural phenomena, so you can catch the references and understand the big deal. Join the conversation—or convince your favorite snob to join it with you!
Ali Barthwell is a writer who has been recapping reality TV shows since 2015. She is an Emmy-winning writer for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Her work has been featured in the AV Club and Chicago Magazine.
Turn skeptics into fans and fans into scholars with this smart, entertaining guide to 25 influential reality shows, from The Real World to The Traitors.
Much like reality itself, reality TV has one main problem: there’s just too much of it. Whether you’re a devoted fan who wants to explain your passion to your loved ones, a specialist who doesn’t have time to watch every series of everything, or a skeptic who still wants to understand what all the references are about, you’re going to need a guide.
Great news: Emmy-winning TV writer and critic Ali Barthwell has compiled a fun, highly informative primer that makes the vast field of reality television approachable. Reality TV for Snobs offers explanation and analysis of 25 influential shows, to get newbies up to speed and give rabid fans something to chew on. Learn about:
The massive cultural impact of The Bachelor
The ultimate fate of all those “top models” from America’s Next Top Model
The genesis of that Real Housewives meme you keep seeing
What really happened on the set of Survivor
And many more secrets, facts, and insights about the shows you love—or don’t love yet!
The Outsider’s Guide series offers highly readable crash courses in major cultural phenomena, so you can catch the references and understand the big deal. Join the conversation—or convince your favorite snob to join it with you!
Author
Ali Barthwell is a writer who has been recapping reality TV shows since 2015. She is an Emmy-winning writer for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Her work has been featured in the AV Club and Chicago Magazine.
