Tribal Warfare: Survivor and the Political Unconscious of Reality TelevisionTribal Warfare thoroughly investigates a central element of the hit reality television show Survivor that the existing literature on reality television has overlooked: class politics. Christopher J. Wright combines textual analysis and survey research to demonstrate that Survivor operates and resonates as a political allegory. Using the work of Fredric Jameson, this book reveals how Survivor frames its 'characters' as 'haves' and 'have-nots.' For those new to Jameson, Wright breaks down the theorist's complex notion of the political unconscious into easily understandable language. Furthermore, using the results of a survey of Survivor viewers, Tribal Warfare demonstrates that viewers divide along gender, racial, age, and--most significantly--class-related lines in their consumption of, and reaction to, the program. The first book to explore the premise of 'Survivor as society, ' this unique work serves as both an engaging analysis of a popular television program and a highly readable primer for those new to critical theory. |
Contents
Interrogating the Obvious Survivor as Cultural Touchstone | xxiii |
You Cannot Talk to the Guys in the Boat Survivor as the False Real | 5 |
Apparently Reprehensible Material The Political Unconscious and Popular Culture | 13 |
If It Happens Again Repression and the Tagi Alliance | 25 |
Theyre All Lying to Me Repression Among Contestants | 43 |
A Really Passionate Affair Repression Through Editing | 61 |
These Three Girls Have All Been Riding Coattails Survivors Gender Wars | 71 |
Thrashing Around Like Im ThirtyFive Paradoxes of Aging on Survivor | 93 |
Always Historicize Symbolic Resolutions and Contemporary Politics | 133 |
Synopses of First Eleven Survivor Seasons | 143 |
Contestant Profiles and Ratings | 147 |
Methodology | 167 |
Bibliography | 179 |
Index | 187 |
195 | |
This Thing Runs Deeper Than a Game Survivors Troubles With Race | 107 |
Other editions - View all
Tribal Warfare: Survivor and the Political Unconscious of Reality Television Christopher J. Wright No preview available - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
AAAI adjectives Africa All-Stars Amaz Amazon analysis Appendix Borneo bossy Brian Burnett Burton Colby Colleen Contestants on Survivor Cosby Show culture Deena demographic depiction dominant Edgic editing editors episode Ethan female Figure final four gender Gervase Greg grouped Heidi immunity challenge Jameson Jamesonian Jeff Probst Jenna Joanna Kathy Kelly Koror lazy male Mark Burnett Marq Marquesas merge negative Neleh non-Republican older ousted ouster Outback overall Pagong Palau Paschal Pearl Islands percent Percentage of respondents players Political Unconscious Probst questions race rated Raw AAI Reality Television reality TV regression analysis repression respondents pleased Roger Rotu alliance Rudy Samburu says Sean and Vecepia Sean's season of Survivor social class statistically significant stereotypes survey respondents symbolic Table Tagi alliance Thai Thailand Tribal Council tribe Vanuatu Vecepia viewers voted women