Reality TV: A Contemporary Medium for Participating in the “New” American Dream
Keywords:
American Dream, media, post-materialism, identity, cultural phenomenon, MTV MADEAbstract
This article analyzes the evolution of the American Dream from a materialistic, status-driven concept to a more personalized, post-materialistic phenomenon. The author contends that reality television, particularly MTV's hit show MADE, serves as a contemporary medium for participating in and contextualizing this “new” American Dream. This study examines how mainstream popular television viewing preferences reflect wide-ranging interpretations of the American Dream at multiple levels. The paper explores the paradigmatic shift from traditional 'rags to riches' narratives to self-defined goals rooted in competency, autonomy, and relatedness. This work investigates how reality TV both shapes and is shaped by these diverse new American Dreams, transcending beyond conventional status and materialism-based connotations.
(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)
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