Syracuse University SURFACE S.I. Newhouse School of Public Mass Communications - Dissertations Communications 2011 Performing the Self: Character Agency and Impression Management within the Narrative of Survivor: Samoa Carolyn Davis Hedges Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/com_etd Part of the Mass Communication Commons Recommended Citation Hedges, Carolyn Davis, "Performing the Self: Character Agency and Impression Management within the Narrative of Survivor: Samoa" (2011). Mass Communications - Dissertations. 85. https://surface.syr.edu/com_etd/85 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mass Communications - Dissertations by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract This study used an in-depth textual analysis of the television show Survivor: Samoa to demonstrate that the unscripted characters of the program and shows like it have agency within the narrative. In addition to the 19th season of the Survivor series, the sample also included Jeff Probst’s (host and executive producer of the series) weekly blog for EntertainmentWeekly.com. Unlike most popular television narratives, the unscripted characters of Survivor: Samoa have the opportunity to tell their own story. This doctoral project was an in-depth analysis at how that authorial power was shared between the Producers of the show and the individual characters. The results of indicate there are three types of narrative agents that contributed to the storytelling process: the producers, the characters, and then a unique mix of the two. The result is a new perspective within the academic literature on Survivor and reality television shows like it. The self-performing characters are the product of our societal fascination with fame, self- promotion and hyperbolic impression management. PERFORMING THE SELF: CHARACTER AGENCY AND IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE NARRATIVE OF SURVIVOR: SAMOA By Carolyn Davis Hedges B. A. Duke University, 2001 M.A. Syracuse University, 2007 DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Mass Communications in the Graduate School of Syracuse University August 2011 Copyright © 2011 Carolyn Davis Hedges All rights reserved PERFORMING THE SELF iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction................................................................................................... 1 Reality Television ............................................................................................... 2 The Cast .............................................................................................................. 4 Individualism and Performing Characters .......................................................... 6 Overview........................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 2: Reality Television: History, Research and Theories................................... 12 Defining Reality Television.............................................................................. 12 Reality Television History ................................................................................ 18 Reality Television Scholarship and Theory...................................................... 26 Taxonomy ............................................................................................. 27 Political Economy of Reality Television .............................................. 29 Audience Preference and Perceptions: Why Do People Watch?.......... 32 Survivor............................................................................................................. 33 Chapter 3: Presentation of Self In Reality Television .................................................. 36 The Dramaturgical Identity and Impression Management ............................... 38 The Therapeutic Ethos ...................................................................................... 40 Sincerity and Authenticity ................................................................................ 44 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 46 Chapter 4: Narrative Theory, Identification and Research Questions .......................... 47 Narrative Theory............................................................................................... 47 The Centrality of Characters................................................................. 51 Identification Theory and Characters ............................................................... 56 Chapter 5: Method ........................................................................................................ 59 Theoretical Lens ............................................................................................... 60 Sample .............................................................................................................. 61 PERFORMING THE SELF v The Show .............................................................................................. 61 Survivor: Samoa .......................................................................63 The Blog ...............................................................................................67 Procedure ..........................................................................................................67 Role of the Researcher......................................................................................69 Chapter 6: Producer Control .........................................................................................72 Results Overview..............................................................................................72 The Producers ...................................................................................................73 Format of Survivor: Samoa...............................................................................75 Location and Narrative .........................................................................75 Tribal Merge and Jury...........................................................................80 Immunity Idols......................................................................................81 Casting ..............................................................................................................83 Jeff Probst – Host and Executive Producer ......................................................85 Probst, the Connector............................................................................86 Probst, the Character.............................................................................90 Probst, the Critic ...................................................................................93 Cinematic Devices ............................................................................................97 Mise en Scene .......................................................................................97 Establishing Shots.....................................................................98 Camera Angles..........................................................................99 Editing ............................................................................................................101 Subtleties of Editing............................................................................103 Soundtrack ..........................................................................................106 Conclusion ......................................................................................................107 Chapter 7: Character Performance..............................................................................108 Character Performance ...................................................................................109 PERFORMING THE SELF vi Appearance .....................................................................................................113 The Women.........................................................................................115 The Men..............................................................................................121 The Unscripted Voice .....................................................................................127 Shambo and Laura ..............................................................................129 Jaison and Ben ....................................................................................132 Russell Hantz and Everyone Else .......................................................135 The Unscripted Voice and Direct Address .........................................138 Strategy ...........................................................................................................142 Summary of Character Performance...............................................................150 Chapter 8: Sharing Authorial Power...........................................................................153 Juxtaposition ...................................................................................................156 Contradictory Juxtaposition................................................................158 Complimentary Juxtaposition.............................................................162 Associative Juxtaposition ...................................................................167