HOW REALITY TV BROKE POLITICS

From Trump to Brexit and our new PM, what we watch shapes far more than our viewing tastes, writes Guardian columnist and author Marina Hyde

LET ME SHARE my crazy theory with you, Grazia readers: the reality TV of yesterday broke the politics of today. Hey! Stay with me! These days it might all be Casa Amor and Married At First Sight, but the reality TV boom of the mid-2000s blew up on the back of shows like The X Factor, Strictly, Survivor and Big Brother. Back then you were nothing unless you were marooned on an island or in a McMansion, then forced to fight your way to the prize by scheming, screaming, demeaning and not forgetting the lyrics (or dance steps). The big innovation was the ‘will of the people’, with the multimillion audiences invited to take back control and vote for every twist and turn. The holy grail of reality formats was…

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Grazia (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 840

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