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Reality Tv's Real Men of the Recession

White Masculinity in Crisis and the Rise of Trumpism
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In this book, Shannon O' Sullivan explores "blue-collar frontier shows", a subgenre of reality television showcasing white, working-class men performing hazardous occupations in remote, wilderness settings. O'Sullivan argues that the proliferation of these programs represents a subtle yet potent reactionary veneration of white, rural, working-class men as "real Americans" amid the Great Recession and social movements challenging white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, and capitalism, nearly a decade before Donald Trump kicked off his presidential campaign. Through analyses of Deadliest Catch, Ax Men, Ice Road Truckers, and Gold Rush, O'Sullivan reframes dominant understandings of social class and challenges the neoliberal tendency to configure identity and social categories as stylized performances delinked from power relations. The author highlights the political significance of these series in relation to Donald Trump's rhetorical strategy and media narratives about his supporters. O'Sullivan also incorporates an analysis of Duck Dynasty, which exemplifies how affluent, white men take up stereotypical white, rural, working-class masculine performances to attain a public perception of masculine authenticity. Scholars of media studies, gender studies, television studies, communication, and political rhetoric will find this book of particular interest.
Shannon O'Sullivan is lecturer in the Communication Department at SUNY College at Buffalo.
"O'Sullivan's book is an important exploration of the ways that white supremacist ideology have permeated what she calls "blue-collar frontier shows." It's essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the ways that popular media have laid the groundwork for the rise in the visibility of white supremacist rhetoric in American popular and political culture, particularly as it connects to the presidency of Donald Trump." --Rosemary Pennington, Miami University
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