Happily ever after and the battle of the races: a critical and cultural approach to reality television - the Bachelorette vs. the ultimate merger

dc.contributorButler, Jeremy G.
dc.contributor.advisorBoylorn, Robin M.
dc.contributor.advisorBlack, Jason Edward
dc.contributor.authorMixon, Anita
dc.contributor.otherUniversity of Alabama Tuscaloosa
dc.date.accessioned2017-03-01T14:44:13Z
dc.date.available2017-03-01T14:44:13Z
dc.date.issued2011
dc.descriptionElectronic Thesis or Dissertationen_US
dc.description.abstractThe pervasiveness of reality television (RTV) can be observed by the sheer number of television shows that feature unscripted situations by non-actors thrust into seemingly "real" life situations. They range from shows like The Swan that promise to makeover an "ugly duckling into a beautiful swan," to The Amazing Race where participants use feats of athleticism and strategy to win cash prizes, to "catfights" and hyper-masculine displays of manhood or hyper-feminine displays of womanhood on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette to prove one's ability to attract the heterosexual "love" of the eligible bachelor or bachelorette. RTV has become a place in which stereotypes are reinforced, antiquated gender roles are resurrected, and violators who dare to step outside of the clearly defined White, heterosexual, American box are punished. Reminiscent of American canonical narratives of love, coded messages of position and place are interwoven throughout the storylines in competitive dating RTV programs which could contribute to legitimizing a particularly framed perspective of racialized and gendered behavior and expectations. Through the analysis of six episodes of each of the RTV shows, The Bachelorette and The Ultimate Merger, and juxtaposing them, this study uncovers how competitive dating reality programs explain the current state of culture and gender performance within U.S. society, including how certain racial performances are privileged.en_US
dc.format.extent126 p.
dc.format.mediumelectronic
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.otheru0015_0000001_0000660
dc.identifier.otherMixon_alatus_0004M_10856
dc.identifier.urihttps://ir.ua.edu/handle/123456789/1165
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Alabama Libraries
dc.relation.hasversionborn digital
dc.relation.ispartofThe University of Alabama Electronic Theses and Dissertations
dc.relation.ispartofThe University of Alabama Libraries Digital Collections
dc.rightsAll rights reserved by the author unless otherwise indicated.en_US
dc.subjectCommunication
dc.titleHappily ever after and the battle of the races: a critical and cultural approach to reality television - the Bachelorette vs. the ultimate mergeren_US
dc.typethesis
dc.typetext
etdms.degree.departmentUniversity of Alabama. Department of Communication Studies
etdms.degree.disciplineCommunication Studies
etdms.degree.grantorThe University of Alabama
etdms.degree.levelmaster's
etdms.degree.nameM.A.
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
file_1.pdf
Size:
1.3 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format