Trapped in Reality: Justification and Capitalism in the Discourse of Reality TV Creators in Israel

Abstract

This article examines the self-perception of Israel TV's reality show creators as a case study of how cultural industry employees perceive and cope with their work. On the one hand, creators of reality TV in Israel operate in a competitive and precarious working environment, and on the other hand, their work is criticized as inferior and culturally corrupting. Using a combination of cultural industries approach, sociological concepts, and in-depth thematic analysis of interviews with leading creators of the genre, this study sheds light on the justifications they employ and the way they are trapped in a capitalist industry.

The regime of style: cover versions, reality TV, and the aesthetic principles of populism in Israel and beyond

“…In Israel, reality TV embodies a tension between the demands of the market and the regulation of content 'in the public interest' based on cultural hierarchies. As Lavie (2016Lavie ( , 2020 shows, the Israeli TV industry makes an institutionalised and formal distinction between reality TV and 'elite' genres, owing to the former's relatively low production costs compared with drama. Although reality shows are much more popular in Israel compared with other countries, Lavie (2020) shows, they still struggle with perceptions regarding them as 'trashy' and 'anti-bourgeois' even among the producers of these shows.…”

“…As Lavie (2016Lavie ( , 2020 shows, the Israeli TV industry makes an institutionalised and formal distinction between reality TV and 'elite' genres, owing to the former's relatively low production costs compared with drama. Although reality shows are much more popular in Israel compared with other countries, Lavie (2020) shows, they still struggle with perceptions regarding them as 'trashy' and 'anti-bourgeois' even among the producers of these shows. As their redeeming quality, producers often resort (both on and off screen) to ethical justifications, and especially to the argument that the shows promote inclusiveness and proportional ethnic representation (Lavie 2020).…”

“…Although reality shows are much more popular in Israel compared with other countries, Lavie (2020) shows, they still struggle with perceptions regarding them as ‘trashy’ and ‘anti-bourgeois’ even among the producers of these shows. As their redeeming quality, producers often resort (both on and off screen) to ethical justifications, and especially to the argument that the shows promote inclusiveness and proportional ethnic representation (Lavie 2020).…”