Reality TV, or The Secret Theater of Neoliberalism

Abstract

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes A slightly shorter version of this article was published in 2006 in French in volume 44 of Hermes, special edition on Economie et Communication under the title "La téléréalité ou le theatre secret du néoliberalisme." Many thanks to the editor of Hermes for agreeing to its republication here. I will not discuss in this piece the definition of "ritual" and its relationship to power: for detail see Couldry (Citation2003). I wish to acknowledge here the inspiration of Littler (Citation2003) who has been pioneering the exploration of the links between business culture and reality-based television. For fuller accounts, see Couldry (Citation2003, chapter 6); Andrejevic (Citation2004); Holmes and Jermyn (2004). Bunting (Citation2004, 9). Gorz (Citation1999) quoted Bunting (Citation2004, 68). Quoted Bunting (Citation2004, 71–72). See for example Featherstone (Citation2004). For recent attention to Asda's practices in the UK, see Guardian 17 October 2005. Cf Couldry (Citation2003 Citation2004). See http://www.bbc.co.uk/print/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/05_may/18/apprentice.shtml (last accessed October 2005). See Ellis (Citation2000) on contemporary television as 'working through' in a psychological sense.