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Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV
Reader Score
83%
83% of readers
recommend this book
Critic Reviews
Good
Based on 13 reviews on
"Passionate, exquisitely told . . . With muscular prose and an exacting eye for detail . . . [Nussbaum] knits her talents for sharp analysis and telling reportage well."--The New York Times (Editors' Choice)
In development as a docuseries from the studio behind Spencer and Spotlight
ONE OF THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE AND THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY'S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The Boston Globe
FINALIST FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION
Who invented reality television, the world's most dangerous pop-culture genre? And why can't we look away? In this revelatory, deeply reported account of the rise of "dirty documentary"--from its contentious roots in radio to the ascent of Donald Trump--Emily Nussbaum unearths the origin story of the genre that ate the world, as told through the lively voices of the people who built it. At once gimlet-eyed and empathetic, Cue the Sun! explores the morally charged, funny, and sometimes tragic consequences of the hunt for something real inside something fake.
In sharp, absorbing prose, Nussbaum traces the jagged fuses of experimentation that exploded with Survivor at the turn of the millennium. She introduces the genre's trickster pioneers, from the icy Allen Funt to the shambolic Chuck Barris; Cops auteur John Langley; cynical Bachelor ringmaster Mike Fleiss; and Jon Murray and Mary-Ellis Bunim, the visionaries behind The Real World--along with dozens of stars from An American Family, The Real World, Big Brother, Survivor, and The Bachelor. We learn about the tools of the trade--like the Frankenbite, a deceptive editor's best friend--and ugly tales of exploitation. But Cue the Sun! also celebrates reality's peculiar power: a jolt of emotion that could never have come from a script.
What happened to the first reality stars, the Louds--and why won't they speak to the couple who filmed them? Which serial killer won on The Dating Game? Nussbaum explores reality TV as a strike-breaker, the queer roots of Bravo, the dark truth behind The Apprentice, and more. A shrewd observer who adores television, Nussbaum is the ideal voice for the first substantive history of the genre that, for better or worse, made America what it is today.
Book Details
- Publisher: Random House
- Publish Date: Jun 25th, 2024
- Pages: 464
- Language: English
- Edition: undefined - undefined
- Dimensions: 9.30in - 6.40in - 1.70in - 1.50lb
- EAN: 9780525508991
- Categories: • Television - History & Criticism• Popular Culture• United States - 21st Century
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About the Author
More books by Emily Nussbaum
What people are saying
"Equal parts riveting, wry, and concerning, Cue the Sun! studies reality shows’ unstoppable ascent through the innovations of those who made it, lived it, and love it...even when they’re not sure they should."
"This is a really serious engagement with the history of reality TV and its genesis and its role in American culture. It just actually takes it seriously on its own terms and really helps understand this very uniquely American phenomenon."
Carole V. Bell is a writer and critic.
I reviewed the juiciest work of non fiction you’re likely to see this summer. As erudite as it is scandalous, Emily Nussbaum’s ‘Cue the Sun!’ is a rollicking and riveting insidery deep dive into the history of reality TV. Though written by a critic, it sidelines critics’ voices in favor of the makers — both cast and crew.
Critics’ reviews
Praise for this book
"Sweeping . . . Nussbaum shines a light on the people who have made some of television's most beloved and most controversial reality shows."--The Washington Post
"Passionate, exquisitely told . . . with muscular prose and an exacting eye for detail . . . [Nussbaum] knits her talents for sharp analysis and telling reportage well."--The New York Times
"Nussbaum, as always, makes her case for the seriousness of her subject simply by taking it seriously. . . . drawing on hundreds of interviews with producers, filmmakers, and on-screen talent."--The New Republic
"Cue the Sun! . . . combines the appeal of a page-turning thriller and the heft of serious scholarship. Juicy and thoughtful, it's a must-read for anyone interested in television or popular culture."--NPR
"The finest kind of pop-cultural narrative history: inquisitive, discerning, surprising, thoughtful, informative, and lively; underpinned but not weighed down by its serious intent; and written with a storyteller's verve, a journalist's skepticism, a critic's astuteness, and a fan's loving eye."--Michael Chabon, author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
"As the first history of a phenomenon too few take seriously, Cue the Sun! is a blast to read whether you're a fan of the reality genre or not."--Ann Powers, author of Traveling
"Revelatory, insightful, precise, dark, and wildly entertaining, Emily Nussbaum's examination of reality television--starting before the term even existed--is also a radical reframing of the entire history of TV. This is essential cultural analysis."--Mark Harris, author of Pictures at a Revolution
"One of our greatest critics delivers the definitive history of reality TV with insight, passion, and wit. Cue the Sun! ingeniously makes the creators and producers even more fascinating than the onscreen stars."--Robert Kolker, author of Hidden Valley Road
"It's rare for a book to feel alive, but this one does. It brims with wonder and wit, with backstage drama and genuine pathos. Nussbaum shows that behind the lens of reality TV lies the most fascinating reality of all."--David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon
"Only Emily Nussbaum could get me to read, and love, a book about reality TV rather than just watching it. Cue the Sun! somehow manages to be incredibly fun while taking its subject seriously."--Samantha Irby, author of Wow, No Thank You
"In this boisterous chronicle, Nussbaum charts unscripted television's evolution. . . . It's a rowdy and unsettling look at how reality conquered television."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Reality television may be ubiquitous, but it's not new, as the New Yorker's Pulitzer Prize-winning Nussbaum illustrates in this fine book . . ."--Booklist
What people are saying
"Equal parts riveting, wry, and concerning, Cue the Sun! studies reality shows’ unstoppable ascent through the innovations of those who made it, lived it, and love it...even when they’re not sure they should."
"This is a really serious engagement with the history of reality TV and its genesis and its role in American culture. It just actually takes it seriously on its own terms and really helps understand this very uniquely American phenomenon."