WRAITHS AND WHITE MEN: THE IMPACT OF PRIVILEGE ON PARANORMAL REALITY TELEVISION by ANTARES RUSSELL LEASK DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Texas at Arlington August, 2020 Arlington, Texas Supervising Committee: Timothy Morris, Supervising Professor Neill Matheson Timothy Richardson Copyright by Antares Russell Leask 2020 Leask iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS • I thank my Supervising Committee for being patient on this journey which took much more time than expected. • I thank Dr. Tim Morris, my Supervising Professor, for always answering my emails, no matter how many years apart, with kindness and understanding. I would also like to thank his demon kitten for providing the proper haunted atmosphere at my defense. • I thank Dr. Neill Matheson for the ghostly inspiration of his Gothic Literature class and for helping me return to the program. • I thank Dr. Tim Richardson for using his class to teach us how to write a conference proposal and deliver a conference paper – knowledge I have put to good use! • I thank my high school senior English teacher, Dr. Nancy Myers. It’s probably an urban legend of my own creating that you told us “when you have a Ph.D. in English you can talk to me,” but it has been a lifetime motivating force. • I thank Dr. Susan Hekman, who told me my talent was being able to use pop culture to explain philosophy. It continues to be my superpower. • I thank Rebecca Stone Gordon for the many motivating and inspiring conversations and collaborations. • I thank Tiffany A. Bryant for gently showing me the weaknesses in my research and helping me be better. • I thank Dr. Charles Hoge for showing me how cryptozoology and the paranormal can be academic. • I thank Dr. Brian Riley for asking me “if you hate these shows so much, why do you keep watching them?” enough times that I had to think about not only whether or not I hated them (not really), but also why I am fascinated by them. • I thank Dr. Lisa Miller for believing in this project before I even realized it was one. Leask iv DEDICATION • I dedicate this dissertation to my children, Mache and Mac Mac. As much as I finished this for me, I also did it to show you the importance of never giving up on what’s important to you. • Jay – thank you for always being by my side and believing in me, even when I had lost faith in myself. • Dad and Cindy – thank you for all your support throughout the years. • Phoebe and Mac – thank you for helping me have time to write in the joyous chaos. • Thank you to Bobs Gannaway for creating Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Grandmaster H.K. Lee Academy of TaeKwonDo for helping my children learn and develop new skills while I wrote. • Mom – you weren’t physically here with me on this journey, but I like to think that in some way you were still guiding me. • Grandma – if you were here, you’d tell me I look fat in my graduation regalia, but you would be proudest of all. • To Vicki Whitaker, my English teacher in sixth, ninth, and tenth grade, as well as my department head at Keller High School, thank you for always seeing the best in me. • To the Besties – Becky, Suzanne, and Estelle – thanks for always making me smile. • Thank you to Brittany Griffiths for answering my MANY formatting questions. • Ghost Girls + Charly – time for new adventures. And orbs. So many orbs. I love you all! Leask v ABSTRACT WRAITHS AND WHITE MEN: THE IMPACT OF PRIVILEGE ON PARANORMAL REALITY TELEVISION Antares Russell Leask, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Arlington, 2020 Supervising Professor: Timothy Morris Modern paranormal TV walks the fine line between infotainment and propaganda that older white men are rational while marginalized communities, such as youths, lower social classes, women, and minorities are hysterical and gullible. White privilege is performed and glorified in reality paranormal television at the expense of marginalized groups. This view is inherently classist/racist/sexist/homophobic and does not reflect prevailing cultural norms, but points to a reemergence of the prejudiced idea that belief in the supernatural is a mark of cultural inferiority. Throughout history, marginalized groups have been considered those more prone to superstition, so with the renewed rise in racist and sexist views in the current political climate, this is an indication that it is once again acceptable to show--and mock--minorities as believers in the supernatural for the purpose of entertainment. While Anthony Bourdain used his fame and television shows such as Travel Channel’s No Reservations and CNN’s Parts Unknown to bring awareness and acceptance to other cultures, and shows such as the original (Bravo) and rebooted (Netflix) Queer Eye promote inclusion and equality, modern paranormal reality TV continues to divide society along class, racial, and gender lines through the guise of separating believers and non-believers. The voice of the skeptic functions as an expression of white male privilege in American paranormal reality TV, perpetuating stereotypes about race, class, age, and gender. Leask vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………………...………..iii DEDICATION……………………………………………………………………………………..………iv ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………..…………………v CHAPTER ONE: “IF YOU HATE THESE SHOWS SO MUCH, WHY DO YOU KEEP WATCHING THEM?”……………………………………………………………..……………..1 Works Cited……………………………………………………………………………………..30 CHAPTER TWO: “I’VE DONE SOME THINGS I CAN’T EXPLAIN”: THE PERFORMANCE AND GLORIFICATION OF WHITE PRIVILEGE IN PARANORMAL REALITY TELEVISION………………………………………………………………………..…………..32 Works Cited………………………………………………………………….………………….66 CHAPTER THREE: “GOOD OLE BOYS CHASIN’ GHOSTS”: PERFORMANCES OF CLASS AND BELIEF………………………………………………………………..…………………..69 Works Cited………………………………………………………………….………………….98 CHAPTER FOUR: BROS BEFORE GHOSTS: THE YOUNGER GENERATION OF PARANORMAL REALITY STARS………………………………………………………….102 Appendix 1: The Haunted Museum Waiver, Release, and Indemnity Agreement….…130 Works Cited……………………………………………………………………………………132 CHAPTER FIVE: I [WANT TO] BELIEVE HER: THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN REALITY PARANORMAL TV……………………………………………………………………………135 Works Cited………………………………………………………………………...………….163 CHAPTER SIX: WITH GHOST HUNTING FOR ALL…………………………………...…………166 Works Cited……………………………………………………………………...…………….180 WORKS CONSULTED………………………………………………………..………………………183 Leask 1 Chapter One: “If You Hate These Shows So Much, Why Do You Keep Watching Them?” Modern paranormal TV walks the fine line between infotainment and propaganda that older white men are rational while marginalized communities, such as youths, lower social classes, women, and minorities are hysterical and gullible. White privilege is performed and glorified in reality paranormal television at the expense of marginalized groups. This view is inherently classist/racist/sexist/homophobic and does not reflect prevailing cultural norms, but points to a reemergence of the prejudiced idea that belief in the supernatural is a mark of cultural inferiority. Throughout history, marginalized groups have been considered those more prone to superstition, so with the renewed rise in racist and sexist views in the current political climate, this is an indication that it is once again acceptable to show--and mock--minorities as believers in the supernatural for the purpose of entertainment. While Anthony Bourdain used his fame and television shows such as Travel Channel’s No Reservations and CNN’s Parts Unknown to bring awareness and acceptance to other cultures, and shows such as the original (Bravo) and rebooted (Netflix) Queer Eye promote inclusion and equality, modern paranormal reality TV continues to divide society along class, racial, and gender lines through the guise of separating believers and non-believers. The voice of the skeptic functions as an expression of white male privilege in American paranormal reality TV, perpetuating stereotypes about race, class, age, and gender. Understanding that these paranormal reality shows are primarily presented as entertainment, they are still perpetuating outdated stereotypes and are worthy of study into how their arguments are created and how the “reality” stars are being used rhetorically to increase the divide between skeptics and believers through the lens of privilege and marginalization. I have aligned this work with a handout provided at an educational staff development workshop after the racially charged protests in Charlottesville, Virginia: Privileged and Marginalized Identities from the Social Justice Training Institute Leask 2 Privileged Group Identity Marginalized Group Late 30s-Early 60s Age Younger, Older White Race Person of Color, People who identify as Biracial/Multiracial Male Sex Female, Intersex Cisgender Gender Identity and Gender Transgender, Gender expression Nonconforming, Gender Queer, Androgynous Heterosexual Sexual Orientation Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Queer, Questioning Upper Class, Upper Middle Social Class Working Class, Living in Class, Middle Class Poverty Graduate or Four Year Education Level High School Degree, First College Degree Generation to College, Less Valued School Christian Religion Muslim, Jewish, Agnostic, Hindu, Atheist, Buddhist, Spiritual, LDS, Jehovah’s Witness, Pagan U.S. Born National Origin Born in Country Other Than U.S. Non-disabled Ableness/Disability People with Physical, Mental, Emotional, and/or Learning Disability “American,” Western Ethnicity/Culture People from Cultures and/or European Heritage Ethnicities Other Than Western European