such an interesting look and deep dive into the mechanics of reality tv. a really good and enjoyable non fiction read in this instagram curated world we are all living in. not too academic and accessible! I really enjoyed my time with this one.

A deep dive into a sociological study of American culture through Reality TV programming. Interesting, if a bit in the weeds at times.

I always feel like somebody's watching me. And I have no privacy...Lindemann explores the phenomenon of Reality TV from a sociological perspective analysing what it says about Americans as individuals and American culture.

About 20 years ago, the first season of the British reincarnation of Big Brother UK (2000- 18) took the UK by storm. This was on reflection a surprise, as a lot of it was dull as hell as it comprised of watching them sleeping until at least midday. Yet we still watched - in our millions - just in case something dramatic happened (spoiler, it usually didn't).

Three years later, some of us - including myself - watched celebrities swap wives in the UK version of Celebrity Wife Swap (2003-10). I mean who wouldn't want to see what would have happened if Vanessa Feltz had married Paul Daniels, and was stepmother to his children instead of his real life wife, Debbie McGee?

In her book, True Story What Reality TV Says About Us, Danielle J. Lindemann PhD writes about her observations from USA's reality TV in relation to American individuals and groups with regards to sociological groups and themes. However, Lindemann's research methods - studying our own national reality shows, history and sociological studies - could be used to find out more about our own individual countries.

The American Sociological Association defines sociology as;

the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies and how people interact within these contexts.

This book was a fresh and illuminating perspective of this theory in relation to this television genre. Her findings - were like she warned... - included both recognised insights and surprising conclusions.

Lindemann's illuminating introduction to reality television struck a chord with this Brit. I believe like this author that this genre -  often labelled as Trash TV and a guilty pleasure - could be used as a tool to tell us about a country's culture  - and collective beliefs - in relation to preferences, norms, taboos and social inequality.

She demonstrates that her findings - from observing these extreme personalities and archetypes and defined collective groups in these shows - are strikingly similar to recorded and known historical and sociological perspectives. In looking at reality shows Lindemann tells how these perspectives impact Americans beliefs now and "shapes us (them) as individuals".

Lindemann outlines the ambiguousness around the American historical origins of this TV genre. However, she argues that it was over 25 years ago in The Real World: New York (1992) series. Lindemann believes that this show had many familiar characteristics to today's reality television shows.

She concurs with others that Survivor (1997-) - based on a Swedish show - thrust this genre into the spotlight. This as this show was cheap to make  - but commercially profitable - TV. The show led to a boom in this genre -  particularly during the writer's strike of 2007 - and this TV genre is now part of the "cultural ether".

In her introduction - as a Scot - I agreed with many of Lindemann's thoughts and insights into this (international) TV genre. She tells how many watch this genre for "voyeuristic pleasure" (we love watching the crap hit the fan for others) and for the "social connection" (as everyone's talking about it). I am sure I am not alone in loving it when Mary confronted Christine in America's Selling Sunset (2019) and I do confess to blabbing on about the finer points of those dating contestants in the Finnish reality dating show, Sinkkulaiva (2013-14) on my blog.

Lindemann argues that this unscripted genre teaches about culture through our connections (as we know people who are similar to the participants), empathy and participation with - such as by voting - the participants. This as we watch the unscripted drama experienced by those exaggerated archetypes and the clashes of these extreme personalities in these shows.

She illustrates in her book, that Americans are more "conservative" than they think on a wide range of issues. She provides extensive research from sociologists, anthropologists, culture and media writers and historians to support current American beliefs as gleaned from these shows. Lindemann argues convincingly that all these shows tell us about ourselves, as individuals and groups of all kinds and these shows "are beacons of our retrograde values".

She confesses to being a fan of this genre, and here I felt a personal connection with Lindemann. Lindemann told of being hooked on these shows, their "anaesthetic effect" and her desire to know what happened to participants after the show. Who hasn't looked up to see if some of the notable couples who met on Big Brother UK  are still together?

Following this interesting and succinct outline of this genre, her book has two distinct parts to it, each with five chapters. The first section looks at the basics of Sociology - in relation to ourselves and different group sizes and types - and then the second half explores these in relation to distinct sociological themes. In all these chapters, Lindemann supports her sociological theories with the evidence of these themes within a wide range of television shows (and vice versa).

Each of the chapters looks at a sociological term or subject in relation to reality TV. They follow the same basic outline, but with their subtopics specific to the subject. Lindemann's chapter title names the term alongside a relevant quote from a reality show. She illustrates this theme with a key scene from a relevant show which illuminates this theme "in action" on a reality TV show. For example, a scene with the Kardasians is used in her chapter about family.

She then explores how this theme can be thought about from a sociological view in relation to history, sociological theory and the present day. This seen in participant's (often extreme) personalities and their behaviours and experiences on screen, both individually and as a group. She then explains how her conclusions "shape us as individuals" and as a society and country.

She adds research from a wide range of sources. Subtopics are analysed in the same way. She also explores these themes in relation to "authenticity" and in this, she tells how as humans we condone participants who are not "real" in their on-screen selves as they change to pander to the audience.

Sociological terms are explained by backing up her definitions with her relevant observations and examples from these shows. This outline was used in all the chapters made sociology accessible and interesting to those who haven't studied this subject and for those of us who have, we discovered some credible and telling insights.

I believe the chapters can be read individually and also the book as a whole, as there is often some overlap in her topics. Interestingly she tells how the first series of The Real World related to these sociological topics specifically - she calls it "Sociology 101" - where the participants often explored topics like racism in their group discussions. In the present day, these sociological topics are more likely observed through the participant's personality, behaviours and experiences on screen.

In Part 1's chapters, Lindemann steers through how individual personalities, twosomes, threesomes and set groups are reflected in these shows. Her chapters show how theme-related reality shows show how these group types develop in broader society, in relation to our expectations and shared history.

To give an example of these sometimes controversial and shocking findings, she explored how current America's date preferences are seen in reality TV.  She argues that in The Bachelor (2002-) - and its spin-offs - the participant's choices are not random but instead previously learned either innately and from others.

Lindemann demonstrates how current Reality TV shows participants have strikingly similar expectations of their date's gender roles and race which echoes those documented from previous generations. These "choices" are also reflected by society in different collective groups. She also tells how we gauge how authentic an on-screen participant is within these dating and wedding based shows, by exploring the role of love.

Part 2's chapters tell how distinct sociological themes are explored in these shows, such as race, gender and deviance. These sociological themes are defined and illustrated with vivid descriptions from a wide spectrum of shows. Interestingly Lindemann tells how in reality TV many of these themes are focused on predominately in shows featuring heterosexual white groups or in familiar stereotypes. I was happy to learn these reality shows now include more diversity, particularly in race and gender.

Like it or loathe it, Lindemann put the "real" into reality TV as a TV genre. She has identified us all as only human, with strengths and weaknesses as individuals and as groups in our cultures and subcultures. Sociology was never made this interesting at University.

Her love of this genre is felt reading her vivid descriptions of an enormous array of shows of all kinds and in her detailed knowledge of show participants biographical details. However, Lindemann stresses this book is a "love letter" to Sociology and not this TV genre. And I must admit, in these descriptions, I found more than a few new shows to binge on (and review from this perspective).

There were a few mentions of other countries in this book, telling of the USA's different views regarding teenage sex to Holland, the Brit's controversial show So There's Something About Miriam (2004) and of the strong influence of reality TV in the Middle East.

Finally, as a Scottish expat living in Finland, I'm now wondering just what these series this author would make of reality TV Finnish style. Wikipedia lists only 25 shows in this genre shown here - many with international beginnings - with Finns and I am sure there are more. But with increasingly more international shows added to our TV channels lineups universally, these prove for one and all that the world's a stage.

Danielle J. Lindemann, True Story What Television Says About Us, Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2021

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

True Story is an amusing, as well as academic, romp through American reality television programs. Some of the programs will be familiar to readers from other countries: Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Big Brother and Survivor; make over programs; televised cooking competitions; The Apprentice; modelling, singing, and dancing competitive shows; The Real Housewives. Some are American programs televised worldwide, others are home grown along the same modelling as the American programs. Some are entirely new to me, and possibly other readers will find the same. However, unfamiliar in their particulars they may be, but all reality television watchers will recognise the ‘rules’; the catch cries that belong to the genre – the television ‘characters’ and their audience; and, although we may need Danielle J. Lindemann to alert us, the way in which the shows play into the audiences’ lives while teaching new ways of looking at other people.

This is such as well written book, with its clarity, lack of jargon, attention to detail and comic as well as serious touches. Because I am recommending the writing style, I must acknowledge that I found the ample use of the phrase ‘off of’ jarring, but am assured that it is acceptable, and was so pleased at the lack of jargon thought of it as a tradeoff. To find an accessible, yet professional, book about television and not to have to wade through language that hides rather than illuminates the ideas is, in my view, the work of a thoughtful academic. Danielle J. Lindemann has written in a style to appeal to a wide range of readers so that they can understand reality television, think about what it means for its audiences and wider society. Her ideas are made powerfully through clarity and visibility.

True Story includes an index, a bibliography, endnotes, and information about the author in a section at the end of the book, and within the book. The latter is an important part of understanding Danielle J. Lindemann’s commitment to her propositions and their part in the world outside the real story enacted for an audience. As an inveterate watcher of various of the programs she describes and analyses, and an audience at times for the others covered in this book, Lindemann demonstrates her commitment to the audiences’ as well as the academic’s points of view, ways of understanding and recognition that the programs provide enjoyment as well as a source of learning.

The chapters cover topics which illustrate the contributions made to the genre by individuals, couples, and families; and cover childhood, class, race, gender, sexuality, and deviance. Programs such as Candid Camera, Queen For A Day, and An American Family are seen as forerunners to The Real World which Lindemann suggests was the first of the reality TV shows. She bases this on the characteristics that have moved over into more recent examples of reality television. Programs that are covered in some depth include Survivor, The Real Housewives of New York City/ Atlanta/ Beverly Hills/Orange County, The Bachelor, The Millionaire Matchmaker, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Supernanny, Toddlers and Tiaras, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and The Apprentice (with reference to former President Donald Trump and the role of reality television images in his Presidency). However, it is not suggested that this is the full repertoire. There are references to many programs. In addition, programs are chosen to identify the impacts on their audiences and wider society, therefore providing frameworks which can be applied to programs not covered by Lindemann. What is learnt from this research can be easily translated to more well-known local reality programs by audiences unfamiliar with some of the American examples.

Danielle J. Lindemann makes a strong argument that reality television reaches a wide audience; that characters from the programs are well known, in some cases, beyond important public figures; that reality television shows are a huge proportion of television programming; and that even those who do not watch know their ‘stars’ and are influenced by them. She suggests that regardless of reality television being disparaged, it is part of commonplace understandings which impact on how people see complex social forces. Some of these influences are glaringly apparent when social issues become a conscious part of programming. Also profoundly influential is the unconscious way in which people on the programs provide information about their lifestyles, beliefs, and behaviour. The popularity and pervasiveness of the programs and the ideas they engender make this book a valuable tool in understanding reality television, its audiences and the ideas that both propel into the society in which audiences and non-audiences interact, impacting on personal interaction, policies and eventually, possibly the choice of governments.