It reflects almost exactly where we are now, and that show was in 1992. SMITH: So we really look at where America was then, and it's sort of spooky. And in your podcast, you look at how much this has actually shaped American culture as opposed to just reflecting it, like in the episode where you focus on "The Real World" and specifically Season 1 of "The Real World." Tell us about that. SHAPIRO: You know, one thread that runs through many of these shows is that they bring together people of different backgrounds, whether that's, like class, race, geography, sexual orientation, whatever. And I just felt that it was so raw and real that I couldn't imagine any other show hitting the nail on the head as well as "The Real World" did. I was shocked at the reality in the show because I was so young, and I was so far removed from anything that was happening, you know, in that house or in that sort of age bracket. SHAPIRO: Tell me what you mean when you say quality television because quality television is different from prestige television, right? And I was like, wow, this is quality television. SMITH: I would say the first show that got me hooked is "The Real World." And I remember watching "The Real World," the Hawaii season where Ruthie ended up going to rehab in the middle of the season. SHAPIRO: What was the show that first got you hooked on reality TV as a fan before you became an expert? But I would have to talk about, OK, how are the women being treated in this? What do we see about human behaviors? So if I wanted to watch "MTV Spring Break," I could watch it at 8 years old. And we could essentially watch anything, but we would have to discuss it afterwards. MARIAH SMITH: My dad was a professor, and we all had TVs in our room. And she told me the idea that these shows teach us something interesting about ourselves is a concept she's been talking about with her family since she was a kid. Mariah Smith hosts the podcast "Spectacle." Each episode focuses on one reality TV franchise. But our next guest argues that this show, like all of reality TV, teaches us lessons about our culture and our society. It's been a controversial season, and we're not going to get into the details of that just now. Listen to it on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.Tonight's the finale of "The Bachelor's" 25th season on ABC. It’s also been covered by The Huffpost, The Guardian, Marie Claire, Mashable and NPR’s All Things Considered. TIME, Esquire, Vogue and Vulture named it one of the best podcasts of 2021 (so far). In this season, we dug into shows and moments that defined us - from racism on The Bachelor/ette to American tribalism playing out on Survivor and tired immigration tropes on display in 90 Day Fiance. But what if we told you, reality TV is as relevant to our culture as The New York Times? It holds a mirror to our culture and provides a snapshot of a moment in time. We dug into the art form that’s often denigrated as a guilty pleasure, low brow and garbage. That first season was Spectacle: An Unscripted History of Reality TV. In 2021, I developed and launched the inaugural season of Neon Hum’s original series Spectacle.
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