In 2004, roughly 25 makeover-themed reality shows aired on U.S.
television. By 2009, there were more than 250, from "What Not to
Wear" and "The Biggest Loser "to" Dog Whisperer" and" Pimp My
Ride." In "Makeover TV," Brenda R. Weber argues that whether
depicting transformations of bodies, trucks, finances,
relationships, kids, or homes, makeover shows posit a self
achievable only in the transition from the "Before-body"--the
overweight figure, the decrepit jalopy, the cluttered home--to the
"After-body," one filled with confidence, coded with celebrity, and
imbued with a renewed faith in the powers of meritocracy. The
rationales and tactics invoked to achieve the After-body vary
widely, from the patriotic to the market-based, and from talk
therapy to feminist empowerment. The genre is unified by its
contradictions: to uncover your "true self," you must be
reinvented; to be empowered, you must surrender to experts; to be
special, you must look and act like everyone else.
Based on her analysis of more than 2,500 hours of makeover TV,
Weber argues that the much-desired After-body speaks to and makes
legible broader cultural narratives about selfhood, citizenship,
celebrity, and Americanness. Although makeovers are directed at
both male and female viewers, their gendered logic requires that
feminized subjects submit to the controlling expertise wielded by
authorities. The genre does not tolerate ambiguity. Conventional
(middle-class, white, ethnically anonymous, heterosexual)
femininity is the goal of makeovers for women. When subjects are
male, makeovers often compensate for perceived challenges to
masculine independence by offering men narrative options for
resistance or control. Foregoing a binary model of power and
subjugation, Weber provides an account of makeover television that
is as appreciative as it is critical. She reveals the makeover show
as a rich and complicated text that expresses cultural desires and
fears through narratives of selfhood.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(1)
(2)
(1)
(1)
