Reality Matters

Top Chef. America’s Next Top Model. Survivor. Dancing with the Stars. American Idol. Big Brother. The Biggest Loser… Everyone has a guilty reality television pleasure. Curated by Party Girl author Anna David, Reality Matters is a collection of hilarious yet revealing essays from novelists, essayists, and journalists—including Toby Young, Neil Strauss, and Stacey Grenrock Woods, among many others—about the reality television shows they love, obsess over, and cringe at; and why they, and America, can’t stop watching. Go behind the screen with nineteen writers as they come clean about the shows we can’t stop watching: Guilty Pleasures: From The Real Housewives to The Bachelor, dive into the hilarious, surprisingly smart reasons we obsess over the shows everyone loves to hate. Celebrity Culture: Explore the nature of modern fame and why reality stars—from the cast of The Hills to the contestants on American Idol—have become our new royalty. Famous Contributors: Featuring sharp, personal, and often surprising takes from bestselling authors like James Frey, Neil Strauss (The Game), and Toby Young (How to Lose Friends & Alienate People). Behind the Scenes: Get a rare look at the reality of reality TV, from a writer who appeared on a show to another who confronted a show’s villain in person.