Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum was a historical view of reality tv as a genre, despite the genre's disbelievers. Starting with Allen Funt's Candid Microphone and then Candid Camera in the 1940s up to present day The Apprentice and The Bachelor, Nussbaum describes the evolution of reality shows as a genre, their explosion in popularity, and the tribulations of filming reality TV for both the cast and crew.
Since its beginning, there have been those who have said that reality entertainment was a fad; clearly it is here to stay. What began with pranks on unsuspecting individuals who were forced to consent after the fact is today a genre of its own bringing in billions of dollars in economic impact. Reality tv shows are cost effective- without writers and not-always-paid cast members, they brought in plenty of views and profit for the production companies. The industry is based on a culture of survival (no pun intended, Survivor) where crew work unimaginable hours with low pay and degrading assignments and the cast are created into characters in the editing booth- statements intentionally misattributed and real feelings manipulated. Nussbaum hammers this point home and poses ethical questions around the filming process, consent, and the platform.
Not my most thorough blog but I'll end it there. This was an interesting and different read. I'm not much of a reality TV consumer, but we can all say we've seen an episode of Survivor, Love Island, or Great British Baking Show. It was interesting to get the behind-the-scenes view.