Reality Check

Chapter | thirteen

Avoiding the Reality Drive-Through

Reality television is often credited—or criticized—for introducing the universal phenomenon that today is logged in the American pop culture lexicon as instant celebrity.

In the bygone era of old-school Hollywood, there was not only an established celebrity standard, there was also an established process by which one could attain that elusive and still largely respected status. The stars of yesterday earned their celebrity in large part by patiently but diligently working their way to the top of the industry through incremental steps that nurtured talent and cultivated appreciation for their chosen craft. Today, however, that long and painful road to success is frequently becoming the road ...