True Story

Uncover the hidden truths behind reality TV and what it reveals about society in this insightful sociological study.
Named a Best Nonfiction Book of 2022 by Esquire, True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us delves into the rise of reality television as a culture-dominating medium. Sociologist and TV-lover Danielle J. Lindemann takes a critical look at this genre, arguing that reality TV uniquely reflects our everyday experiences and social topography back to us.
Applying scholarly research to specific shows, Lindemann layers sharp insights with social theory, humor, pop cultural references, and personal anecdotes to reveal who we really are. By taking reality TV seriously, True Story demonstrates how key institutions and broad social constructs, such as gender, race, class, and sexuality, are organized and constructed in our society.
From The Bachelor to Real Housewives to COPS and more, reality programming unveils the major circuits of power that shape our lives and the extent to which our realities are socially constructed. These "guilty pleasures" underscore how conservative our society remains and how steadfastly we cling to notions about what counts as "real." True Story holds up a mirror to our society, offering an entertaining chronicle of reality TV obsession and a pioneering work of sociology that we can't look away from.