Project Runway, The Real Housewives, The Hills, Big Brother, The Real World, Survivor, The Amazing Race, Sober House, What Not to Wear, The Dog Whisperer, The Bachelor and more

Edited by Anna David, introduction by James Frey

Shirtless Machiavellian men determined to win at all costs. Giggling girls transformed into sobbing wrecks in the back of limousines. Pillbox hat-wearing fashionistas creating dresses out of leaves and twigs. Say what you will about reality television – the form of entertainment that’s dominated our small screens for the past decade – but there’s no denying the fact that it gives us characters that make the fictional ones we follow seem downright dull. Ridiculous challenges, hair-pulling catfights and hot tub make-outs dripping with the kind of regret that a viewer but not a participant can see are only part of what makes reality TV addictive for anyone interested in pop culture, people, or life. In this collection of wry and moving essays – curated by novelist and media watcher Anna David – a cast of leading young writers explores the programs we obsess over, cringe at and occasionally feel inspired by. From a Real World casting call and American Idoltattoo to an in-depth analysis of what makes one woman a “Heidi” and another a “Lauren,” a slew of best-selling authors dish on the shows that have left them speechless, triumphant, or both.

Contributors: John Albert, Austin Bunn, Melissa de la Cruz, Jancee Dunn, Amelie Gillette, Stacey Grenrock Woods, Will Leitch, Ben Mandelker, Wendy Merrill, Helaine Olen, Neal Pollack, Richard Rushfield, Rex Sorgatz, Jerry Stahl, Neil Strauss, Toby Young