The American Mirage
How Reality TV Upholds the Myth of Meritocracy
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Princeton University Press
Published:1st Jul '25
Should be back in stock very soon
How the entertainment narrative of upward mobility distorts the harsh economic realities in America
In an age of growing wealth disparities, politicians on both sides of the aisle are sounding the alarm about the fading American Dream. Yet despite all evidence to the contrary, many still view the United States as the land of opportunity. The American Mirage addresses this puzzle by exposing the stark reality of today’s media landscape, revealing how popular entertainment media shapes politics and public opinion in an increasingly news-avoiding nation.
Drawing on an eclectic array of original data, Eunji Kim demonstrates how, amid a dazzling array of media choices, many Americans simply are not consuming the news. Instead, millions flock to entertainment programs that showcase real-life success stories, such as American Idol, Shark Tank, and MasterChef. Kim examines how shows like these leave viewers confoundingly optimistic about the prospects of upward mobility, promoting a false narrative of rugged individualism and meritocracy that contradicts what is being reported in the news.
By taking seriously what people casually watch every day, The American Mirage shows how rags-to-riches programs perpetuate the myth of the American Dream, glorifying the economic winners, fostering tolerance for income inequality, and dampening support for redistributive policies that could improve people’s lives.
"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year"
"Winner of the Goldsmith Book Prize, Shorenstein Center"
"Finalist for the Frank Luther Mott Journalism & Mass Communication Award, Kappa Tau Alpha"
"Eye-opening. . . . Kim astutely compares reality shows’ persuasive power to that of Gilded Age dime novels, notably Horatio Alger’s 'tales of personal triumph,' in which protagonists rose 'from obscurity to prosperity' by doing good deeds. She also takes aim at her field, asserting that political science’s 'echo chambers of scholarly assumptions' have led it to ignore how political belief is affected by supposedly 'apolitical' media. The result is a troubling assessment of propaganda in pop culture." * Publishers Weekly *
"An insightful inquiry into America’s enmeshed political and entertainment landscapes." * Kirkus Reviews *
"By design, reality TV was always too good to be true, but its falsehoods are, Kim argues, more pernicious than we thought. . . . Using original data . . . [The American Mirage] implies causality between the rise of MasterChef and the weakening of America’s welfare state."---James Tarmy, Bloomberg
"The most well-written and coherent academic political science book I can recall reading. . . . I enjoyed reading it from beginning to end."---Andrew Gelman, Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science Blog
"Kim deserves plaudits for reminding us that ‘democratic realists’ are best equipped to illuminate the underpinnings of Americans’ political attitudes. . . . Highly recommended." * Choice *
ISBN: 9780691267197
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
240 pages