Survivor and the Endless Gaze

In the vein of Seinfeldia and Bachelor Nation , the author of Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them) brings “her singular sensibility, her genius for language” (Karen Karbo, author of In Praise of Difficult Women ) to this insightful exploration of Survivor , reality TV, and the shifting definitions of truth in America. In a world of fake news and rampant conspiracy theories, the nature of truth has increasingly blurry borders. In this clever and timely cultural commentary, award-winning author Sallie Tisdale tackles this issue by framing it in a familiar way—reality TV, particularly the long-running CBS show Survivor . With her insightful and compelling writing, Tisdale illuminates the ins and outs of fandom: from the fan forum where statistical analysis is used to predict outcomes of the show to the show’s underreported history of racism and sexual assault. With humor and in-depth superfan analysis, Tisdale explores the distinction between suspended disbelief and true authenticity both in how we watch shows like Survivor , and in how we perceive the world around us.