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―THE TRUE STORY OF SEVEN STRANGERS PICKED TO HAVE THEIR LIVES TAPED‖: STUDYING RACE AS CONSTRUCTED ON REALITY TELEVISION A Dissertation by JANIE FILOTEO Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August 2011 Major Subject: Sociology ―The True Story of Seven Strangers Picked to Have Their Lives Taped‖: Studying Race as Constructed on Reality Television Copyright 2011 Janie Filoteo ―THE TRUE STORY OF SEVEN STRANGERS PICKED TO HAVE THEIR LIVES TAPED‖: STUDYING RACE AS CONSTRUCTED ON REALITY TELEVISION A Dissertation by JANIE FILOTEO Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved by: Chair of Committee, Sarah N. Gatson Committee Members, Rogelio Saenz Wendy Leo Moore Leroy Dorsey Head of Department, Mark Fossett August 2011 Major Subject: Sociology iii ABSTRACT ―The True Story of Seven Strangers Picked to Have Their Lives Taped‖: Studying Race as Constructed on Reality Television. (August 2011) Janie Filoteo, B.A., Our Lady of the Lake University; M.A., Our Lady of the Lake University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Sarah N. Gatson The present work examines the construction of race on reality television through the use of an exemplar in this genre, MTV‘s The Real World. By the sheer fact of its popularity and ubiquity, as The Real World is nearly two decades old and is the longest- running example of the genre, reality television programming warrants deeper academic investigation. The present work argues that as we are consuming mass media, we are also consuming specific ideas about our social world. These ideas inform audiences and are necessary to uncover in order to learn about the social structure of our racialized society. Findings reveal race and ethnicity is embedded in our culture and how this show has communicated race through its depiction and even exclusion. Further, findings reveal that racial and ethnic relations are most often depicted as a ―Black versus White‖ issue. The current work focuses specifically on the construction of race because of the similarly ubiquitous nature of race in society. Because The Real World is a long-running series, it provides an ample database from which to sample for a discourse analysis. The iv show is marketed and viewed by a specific target audience such that it allows for the exploration of one of the research arguments: that we must continue to rethink and challenge our view that mass media audience members, specifically here television, are passive consumers of material. The present work seeks to extend the application of theoretical contributions of Hall, Morley, Ang, and Jenkins by applying models to a type of programming that complicates the vision of media where consumers and producers are identifiably different spheres. The field of reality television programming is unique because of its dependence on viewers to become cast members and participants in the media production process. Finally, as previous research has shown, even in fictional settings viewers have conflated the individual who plays a character and the character the actor is playing. Thus by analyzing issues of race, where the line between real and unreal is purposely blurred the impact of how race is constructed can be quite great. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There‘s a familiar saying about how it takes a village and I‘m not exactly certain what the graduate school equivalent would be but I know there are many, many individuals who have helped me get to this point. First and foremost, I would like to thank Dr. Sarah N. Gatson for her guidance, support and amazing editing skills throughout this lengthy process. She introduced me to literature that expanded my way of thinking in a way that I equate with the feeling that Dorothy must have felt as she entered the colorful world of Oz. I would like to thank Dr. Rogelio Saenz for helping me to get to A&M in the first place. I am certain he had no idea what he was in for when he made a call asking if I was considering A&M for graduate studies, but I am eternally grateful as it turned out to be exactly the place I needed to be. I would like to thank Dr. Wendy Leo Moore and Dr. Leroy Dorsey for all of their help, suggestions, and for their willingness to step in and serve on this committee. Thanks also to the various friends, colleagues, faculty and staff from Texas A&M University, Our Lady of the Lake University, and Lone Star College-Tomball for all the help and all the words of encouragement. You will never know how much your enthusiasm helped get me through when I wanted nothing more than to give up and will always be grateful for your support. Thanks to my special friends at TAMU who helped make my graduate experience one of the most amazing of my life. Thanks to my family and loved ones who endured many missed family events for all of their love and support. To my mother, Alice, I am especially forever thankful that vi our media events were just that: events. You inspired me in more ways than you can ever realize. Finally, many thanks to the love of my life, my husband, Danny, without whom I would have never realized exactly what kind of special relationship I had with reality television in the first place. There do not seem to be enough words to thank someone who has been your support system and who has had to endure the countless hours of television viewing, the highs and lows of graduate school and all that this entails, the curves that life has thrown, and managed to help me keep all things in perspective all at once. Thank you for being on this journey with me. Without you and the pup and kit squad, it would mean nothing. vii NOMENCLATURE CMC Computer-mediated communication RTV Reality television RW/RR Real World/Road Rules TV Television TRW The Real World (1992-) viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................... v NOMENCLATURE .................................................................................................. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................... x LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 1 II REVIEW OF LITERATURE ............................................................... 16 Television as Cultural Agent and Important Site of Study ............ 18 Text and Consumption or Meaning is Relational ........................... 28 From the ―Cosby Show‖ to ―The Real World‖ .............................. 34 Reconceptualizing the Media Model by Situating RTV ................ 38 Reality Television: A Polemic Construction of Traditional Television Consumption ................................................................ 42 Omarosa and The Making of a Stereotype ..................................... 46 Not ―That‖ Kind of Fan or Confessions of a ―Lurker‖ .................. 55 Research on the Internet: Going Online ......................................... 62 III METHODOLOGY ............................................................................... 68 Casting and the Emphasis on Diversity .......................................... 76 ix CHAPTER Page IV RESULTS ............................................................................................. 87 Constructing the Cast Members ..................................................... 88 Constructing the Cast Members by Racial Group .......................... 99 Constructing Stock Characters and Themes ................................... 143 Communicating the Template for Racial and Ethnic Relations ..... 152 Readings of the Show ..................................................................... 159 V CONCLUSION ..................................................................................... 168 Future Research .............................................................................. 168 Concluding Remarks ...................................................................... 171 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................... 181 APPENDIX A ........................................................................................................... 199 VITA ......................................................................................................................... 249 x LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE Page 1 Simplified Model of Media in the Social World. ....................................... 39 2 CT and Adam Fight .................................................................................... 72 3 Kevin and Julie Arguing ............................................................................ 82 4 Julie is Upset over the Confrontation with Kevin ...................................... 82 xi LIST OF TABLES TABLE Page 1 Key Phrases from Cast Member Biographies, African American Men ..... 104 2 Key Phrases from Cast Member Biographies, African American Women 112 3 Key Phrases from Cast Member Biographies, Hispanic Men