Description

We’re more than twenty years into the current reality boom — and things are getting complicated. What are the unspoken and spoken ethics of signing up to become a reality star? What resources (about harassment and protection, about brand deals) should be made available to anyone who signs a reality contract? Are reality stars scabs during strikes — and should they unionize? WHAT MAKES THESE MELODRAMAS SO COMPELLING? WTF IS SCANDOVAL??? Hollywood correspondent Natalie Jarvey joins me to talk through it all.

(And just to be clear, even if you’re not a huge reality television person, this episode has something for you — I watch very little but I’m very invested in reality melodrama reality labor as labor)

Show Notes:

• Some of my favorite Natalie Jarvey pieces: The Year That Broke Hollywood; Why Are Movies Sooooo Long? An Investigation; Actors Don’t Want a Yacht — They Just Want to Survive Peak TV

• The truly WILD profile of Tom Sandoval in the New York Times Magazine

• A detailed timeline of Scandoval if you really want to go down that wormhole

• So much great writing on the production and legacy of Cops: The Unreality of Cops; Cops: the violent legacy of a TV show that sculpted America's view of police; Is ‘Cops’ Committing Crimes Itself?

• How Netflix Became the New King of Reality TV

• From the Triple-A segment: ARE YOU IN THE PORTAL???

We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:

• SAPPHIC POP, SO HOT RIGHT NOW (especially want to talk about Chappell Roan but we can go in so many directions)

• How do people access/consume celebrity gossip these days

• Midwest [Dad] Masculinity

• WTF is going on with [insert clothing brand/website] here

• Gwyneth? The new Brad Pitt / George Clooney movie?

• We’re definitely doing a Paul Mescal episode but I’d love your ideas about who should be my co-host

• Still want to do a Sydney Sweeney and Gen-Z Stardom ep!!!!!

• Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment

• You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)

For today’s discussion: What reality television do you watch — and how has your thinking about it changed with time? Are reality stars actors? What protections should they seek (or deserve?)

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• Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

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