M/C Reviews Features
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About the Features

Each M/C Reviews feature section is a themed group of reviews centring ona particular cultural event, category, or genre. In line with M/C Reviews'general rationale that the diverse productions of media and culture demanda more comprehensive type of review forum than other fields, the aim ofthe feature sections is to provide a space for reflecting upon keycultural phenomena in their various aspects and from different angles,sometimes conflicting ones. This breaks through the normal drawback ofreviews -- i.e. that they usually come in ones and present monologicalvisions. The whole concept arises from the unique characteristics ofelectronic publishing -- its short production cycles and abundance ofpublication space allow plural and timely treatments of relevant issues.

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Current Feature Issue
M/C Reviews feature no. 12
04 May 2001
15 review articles
'Must-See' Reality T.V.
Co-edited by Kate Douglas and Kelly McWilliam
 

'Reality' television ('RTV') - that is, non/un-scripted television - is widely acknowledged as the largest growth industry in contemporary television. In its varied forms, such as documentary, 'caught on camera', and adventure or game show challenges, RTV has been prominent in television programming for the past decade. The current wave has seen Survivor become the most successful television program in American television history. Two other programs that have been widely successful in Australia and Europe, Popstars and The Mole have inspired American versions which are currently in their first season. RTV has proven to be successful across different countries and age demographics, to the extent that all television networks in Australia currently broadcast RTV programs.

M/C Reviews has provided a timely forum for critical responses to a range of issues surrounding the success and interest in RTV. So, if you like to watch, M/C Reviews hope that you enjoy this voyeuristic examination of the discursive consequences of RTV programs.


  Editorial: Reality TV and its Realist Angles by Kelly McWilliam and Kate Douglas 04 May 01
  Reading 'Survivor': A Primer on Media Studies by Kevin Howley 04 May 01
  'Big Brother': Sign of the Times by Maarten Reesink 04 May 01
  Not Very Tempting: A Season with 'Temptation Island' by Kristen Schilt 04 May 01
  The moment of pleasure: 'Changing Rooms' by Karen Gai Dean 04 May 01
  "I cannot thank you enough for selecting me" (and rejecting me?): 'Survivor II' and its 'elimination confessionals' by Kate Douglas 04 May 01
  Interacting with Reality TV by Sean Rintel and Sue McKay 04 May 01
  Celebrities and 'Real' People, Contrivance and Authenticity on 'Survivor' by Holly Forsythe 04 May 01
  Narrating Encounters With the Police: 'World's Wildest Police Videos' by Ann Johnson and Ted Prosise 04 May 01
  Rich and the Male Language of Success by Jessica Livingston 04 May 01
  Surviv-ing Women: "Bitches" Voted Off First by Amanda Putnam 04 May 01
  The 'Reality' of Television's latest Gendered Genre by Sal Renshaw 04 May 01
  A New Spin on the Corporate Jungle: 'Survivor' by Kathryn Goldie 04 May 01
  How Real is Real? by Vida Zorah Gabe 04 May 01
  Live from the Ministry of Truth: Reality soaps return to the early promises of live television by Lawrence Hill 04 May 01
  Reel Pleasures: Exploring the Historical Roots of Media Voyeurism and Exhibitionism in the USA by Bilge Yesil 04 May 01
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