Reality TV for Snobs

Turn skeptics into fans and fans into scholars with this smart, entertaining guide to 20 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 share your passion, a specialist who doesn’t have time to watch every show, or a skeptic who still wants to understand all the references, you’re going to need a guide.

Great news: Reality TV for Snobs offers explanation and analysis of 20 influential shows. 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!

This is the second installment in the Outsider’s Guide series, which 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.