Harvard Book Store welcomes Ali Barthwell—Emmy-winning writer for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver—for a discussion of her new book, Reality TV for Snobs: Everything You Need to Know About the Shows You’re Too Intellectual to Watch. She will be joined in conversation with E.B. Bartels—teacher, editor, and author of the narrative nonfiction book Good Grief.
About Reality TV for Snobs
Turn skeptics into fans and fans into scholars with this smart, entertaining guide to 20 influential reality shows, from The Real World to The Traitors.
Find out everything you need to know to pass as a reality TV superfan—from fun factoids to insightful analysis—without watching a single show!
Stop scrolling past references to rose ceremonies and confessionals, and take a guilt-free tour through the wacky and wonderful world of reality television. Reality TV for Snobs will turn even the most skeptical viewer into a confident critic, maybe even a fan.
Emmy Award–winning writer and author Ali Barthwell goes beyond recapping and breaks down twenty groundbreaking shows from the past twenty-five years, and in the process reveals why they matter. From The Real World to The Traitors, each entry includes:
- Episode breakdowns and season highlights
- Insightful analysis of what makes each show culturally significant (yes, really)
- Iconic moments, catchphrases, and memes you need to know
- Talking points and conversation starters for holding your own
Reality TV for Snobs is the second book in the Outsider’s Guide series, which offers highly readable crash courses in major cultural phenomena, so you can catch the references and understand the big deal.
Never get left out of a conversation again!