Focusing on Reality TV: Exploring Women’s Participation in Talent-based Competition Shows by Natasha Patterson M.A. (Women’s Studies), Simon Fraser University, 2004 B.A. (Hons.), Trent University, 2001 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Natasha Patterson 2013 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Spring 2013 All rights reserved. However, in accordance with the Copyright Act of Canada, this work may be reproduced, without authorization, under the conditions for “Fair Dealing.” Therefore, limited reproduction of this work for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, review and news reporting is likely to be in accordance with the law, particularly if cited appropriately. Approval Name: Natasha Patterson Degree: Doctor of Philosophy (Women’s Studies) Title of Thesis: Focusing on Reality TV: Exploring Women’s Participation in Talent-based Competition Shows Examining Committee: Chair: Dr. Lara Campbell Associate Professor Dr. Cindy Patton Senior Supervisor Professor Department of Sociology and Anthropolgy Dr. Helen Leung Supervisor Associate Professor Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Dr. Zoë Druick Supervisor Associate Professor School of Communication Dr. Brian Burtch Internal/External Examiner Professor School of Criminology Dr. Su Holmes External Examiner Reader, School of Film, Television and Media Studies University of East Anglia Date Defended: April 15, 2013 ii Partial Copyright Licence iii Ethics Statement iv Abstract Reality TV has become a source of entertainment as well as scorn for North American audiences and critics. While American reality TV and their contestants have received much attention in media studies, very little has been written about Canadian reality show participants, despite the popularity of this type of programming in Canada. Women on both sides of the border who participate on reality TV are particularly scrutinized and those with high public profiles have faced an overwhelmingly negative backlash. Using a feminist cultural studies framework, this dissertation examines Canadian women's motivations and understanding of the reality TV process, from audition to post-show life. A total of 14 women from across Canada, who competed in such shows as Canada's Next Top Model, Canadian Idol, Project Runway Canada, So You Think You Can Dance Canada, Rock Star: INXS, and Popstars: Boy Meets Girl, were interviewed using a combination of online and in-person interviews. The women’s narratives of reality TV participation reflect and extend contemporary scholarly concerns and debates about women and celebrity culture, media power, television audiences, and new media technologies. Specifically, the interviews complicate current assertions and assumptions about women’s participation as either ‘empowering’ or ‘victimizing’ by illustrating how such participation cannot be isolated from economic factors and gender dynamics at play in contemporary models of television production. While the women have little to no control over how they are represented in these shows, they find ways to assert their agency that disrupts (but does not stop) the production process, while simultaneously ‘domesticating’ the space of reality TV in order to make it a habitable and liveable place. Finally, this dissertation makes two major methodological interventions into the study of television. Firstly, using a cultural studies approach to television research, the author understands reality show contestants as a distinct category of research respondents who challenge and blur rigid divisions between audience and text, and audience and producer. Secondly, the author draws on the tradition of self-reflexivity in feminist research in order to examine and theorize to what extent the interview process may position the researcher as a ‘scholar-fan’. Keywords: reality TV; contestants; women; audiences; celebrity culture; feminist research methods v Dedication To everyone who supported me along the way, and didn’t let me give up. This would not have been possible without you. Thank you. vi Acknowledgements I want to thank my senior supervisor Dr. Cindy Patton for all of her support, encouragement, and patience over the years, and for giving me ‘tough love’ when I needed it the most. We have had so many wonderful and engaging conversations over the years, and I always left our meetings with a renewed sense of understanding and purpose. More than anything, she has modelled for me through her actions and words, the kind of scholar that I want to be, showing me that indeed, a working-class kid can, and does, have a place in academia. I am eternally grateful to her for seeing something in me, as a Masters student, and for believing in my abilities and potential, and I look forward to having a life-long friendship with her. The chick is finally fleeing the coop! I also want to thank my other supervising committee members Dr. Helen Leung and Dr. Zoë Druick. I have learned so much from both of them over the years, and I have enjoyed our conversations about gender and popular culture. Thank you for your insightful comments and feedback on my dissertation drafts. You always ask tough but fair questions! Finally, many special thanks to my external examiners, Dr. Brian Burtch and Dr. Su Holmes for their excellent comments and questions. I appreciate the time they took to read through my work in such a careful manner, and for helping to make the defense an enjoyable experience. To my friends and family - you will never know how much you helped me get through my PhD! I want to send a big, big thank you to my best friend of almost 19 years, Lisa Clark. We have shared so much over the years, and have been there for each other through the good and the bad. She has always been one of my biggest cheerleaders and greatest confidantes, and our endless conversations about feminism, popular culture, academia, and politics is one of the things that I always look forward to. Despite the distance between us now, I know that we will continue to love and support each other, and I am so thankful to have such an amazing woman in my life. To another 19 years of friendship! Much love to my Aunt Dale, who has been there for me every step of the way, loving me unconditionally, and becoming an 'other mother' to me in the process. I am thankful for vii everything she has done for me over the years, and for her encouragement in my academic pursuits. A loving thank you to my Grandma as well; her resilience against the challenges of life has served as an example of the power of women’s strength and love. I also want to thank my friends and fellow 'writing group' members Helen Kang and Joy Walcott. Although let's be honest, sometimes 'writing group' really meant 'PhD support group'! Their endless support and encouragement has been crucial, especially when I felt frustrated with it all. I have learned so much from them, and I have so many wonderful memories from our work meetings, and catching-up over coffee and food. I feel so lucky to have met them, and I thank Cindy for bringing all of us together. I know that no matter where we all end up, I have made life-long friends. A special thanks to Camilla Sears, who has been such a wonderful friend to me the last several years. Our shared interest in media and cultural studies brought us together as students in Dr. Zoë Druick's Communications graduate seminar. I always looked forward to our movie dates, and to hearing her Bachelor updates, and to dishing on our favourite TV shows (Mad Men!). I look forward to more conferences and writing projects in the future! My friendships with Mercedes Lee, Carina Nilsson, Jennifer Scott, and Kyla Hingwing have also played an important role in this whole process, especially when I just needed to take a break from my thoughts and work, and have some fun, or a good chat. Your collective passion about the work that you do, gives me hope, and inspires me in creative ways. I am also grateful to Sarah Gordon, Michael Honeyman, Siri Arnet, and Stella Marinakis for their friendship and for the great talks and debates we’ve had about television, film, and celebrities (and maybe hockey!) over the years. A special ‘thank you’ to Stella for helping me during the interview phase of my research project. It never ceases to amaze me how many people know somebody who has been on reality TV! I would like to extend a special ‘shout-out’ to my fellow union members at the TSSU who have been great allies and even friends the past few years. Through my volunteer work, I have met so many amazing and talented graduate students from across a variety of disciplines. Your dedication to making the university a better place for everyone continues to inspire me to be a better person, to be courageous, and to take a stand for the causes that matter to me. viii I would also like to extend a very special thank you to the Marinakis family (Poppy, John, Stella, George, and Anthony). Their strong family ties and deep love for each other are an inspiration. I am especially thankful for the time I got to spend with Poppy Marinakis. She was one of the most beautiful, warm-hearted people I have ever met. I loved our gossipy talks about television and celebrities, even when we disagreed about what made 'good' TV, and how she would plan her TV viewing each week. I also want to thank her for mothering a wonderful son and partner John. He has been my rock through this whole process, encouraging and supporting me, and has been there to celebrate the highs (and get through the lows).