Real Sister : Stereotypes, Respectability, and Black Women in Reality TV / Jervette R. Ward.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Adelabu, Detris Honora.

Davis, Cynthia.

Harris, Sheena.

Jefferson-James, LaToya, 1981-

Jones, Sharon L. (Sharon Lynette)

Ligon, Alison D.

Whitfield McDaniels, Preselfannie E.

Nelson, Terry A.

Ward, Jervette R., 1983-

Wynn, Monica Flippin.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

African American women on television.

Reality television programs--United States--History and criticism.

Reality television programs.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Brunswick, NJ : Rutgers University Press, [2015]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

From The Real Housewives of Atlanta to Flavor of Love, reality shows with predominantly black casts have often been criticized for their negative representation of African American women as loud, angry, and violent. Yet even as these programs appear to be rehashing old stereotypes of black women, the critiques of them are arguably problematic in their own way, as the notion of "respectability" has historically been used to police black women's behaviors. The first book of scholarship devoted to the issue of how black women are depicted on reality television, Real Sister offers an even-handed consideration of the genre. The book's ten contributors-black female scholars from a variety of disciplines-provide a wide range of perspectives, while considering everything from Basketball Wives to Say Yes to the Dress. As regular viewers of reality television, these scholars are able to note ways in which the genre presents positive images of black womanhood, even as they catalog a litany of stereotypes about race, class, and gender that it tends to reinforce. Rather than simply dismissing reality television as "trash," this collection takes the genre seriously, as an important touchstone in ongoing cultural debates about what constitutes "trashiness" and "respectability." Written in an accessible style that will appeal to reality TV fans both inside and outside of academia, Real Sister thus seeks to inspire a more nuanced, thoughtful conversation about the genre's representations and their effects on the black community.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

1. Black Women: From Public Arena to Reality TV / Ward, Jervette R.

2. Selective Reuptake: Perpetuating Misleading Cultural Identities in the Reality Television World / Jefferson-James, Latoya

3. Striving to Dress the Part: Examining the Absence of Black Women in Different Iterations of Say Yes to the Dress / Ligon, Alison D.

4. The Semiotics of Fashion and Urban Success in The Real Housewives of Atlanta / Davis, Cynthia

5. Homes without Walls, Families without Boundaries: How Family Participation in Reality Television Affects Children's Development / Adelabu, Detris Honora

6. Where Is Clair Huxtable When You Need Her? The Desperate Search for Positive Media Images of African American Women in the Age of Reality TV / Wynn, Monica Flippin

7. Questions of Quality and Class: Perceptions of Hierarchy in African American Family-Focused Reality TV Shows / Mcdaniels, Whitfield

8. Contemplating Basketball Wives: A Critique of Racism, Sexism, and Income-Level Disparity / Jones, Sharon Lynette

9. Exploiting and Capitalizing on Unique Black Femininity: An Entrepreneurial Perspective / Nelson, Terry A.

10. Reunion Chapter: A Conversation among Contributors / Ward, Jervette R.

Appendix: Reality TV Shows That

Notes on Contributors

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 21. Dez 2019)

ISBN:

0-8135-7509-5

OCLC:

922889390