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Praising the Surface: Behind the Scenes of Reality TV
Who has never watched a reality TV show (even for just 5 minutes) and liked it (even just a little)? Come on, be honest, people! Thirty-five-year-old Yasmina is addicted to reality TV. Hailing from a family of academics, she decides to prove to them that these programs are a worthy subject of research, and she joins the team of a hit show to analyze this captivating and universal phenomenon from the inside! Moved by a shared passion for the social sciences, Tilila Relmani, a psychologist by training, and Stella Lory, a comics artist, shrewdly question the psychosocial mechanisms at play in the addictive desire to watch strangers' private lives unfold on television.
127 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 30, 2023
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November 17, 2023
In a Nutshell: A semi-satirical graphic novel, focussing on the history and behind-the-scenes of reality TV shows. Might work better for reality show fans. To me, it was as appealing as a reality TV show. 👀
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Story Synopsis:
This graphic novel was originally published in French earlier this year under the title “Éloge de la surface: dans les profondeurs de la téléréalité.” This English translation by Anna Howell was released in October 2023.
I am not a fan of reality TV shows, though I have watched a few episodes of various shows years ago with my mom who enjoys these type of programmes. The only reason I grabbed this novel was to try and understand what is it about reality shows that causes so many viewers to be obsessed by them, despite knowing that most (all?) of them are scripted. The endeavour proved a mixed bag.
Almost all people, myself included, are judgemental about fans of reality TV shows. But the fact also is that many of these fans are closeted. They never accept in public that they love such shows, for fear of being ridiculed. Which is why I found the author’s profile very interesting. A psychologist by profession, just like her lead character Yasmina, the author is passionate about reality TV and finds the programmes cathartic. This book reveals her enthusiasm for these productions. Though I didn’t enjoy the book, I still respect how she gave such a frivolous topic her best shot, mixing up the voyeuristic elements with a psychological perspective on the content and its impact.
The book does offer some interesting insights about how show producers and directors manipulate the programme in order to grab maximum viewership and also to keep viewers addicted. The various disparities are also underscored, with a clear light being shone upon how women participants are subject to a different scale of critique than male participants, how many shows pick candidates based on their looks and melodramatic capabilities, and how the manipulators are always more successful than the naïve and straightforward contestants.
Ironically, the maximum insights in this book came from one of the “ditz” contestants. I liked her character as she was unapologetic about her life choices and brave enough to stand by them.
Other than the above, the book didn’t work the way I thought it would. The reality show that Yasmina was a part of was on the lines of ‘Big Brother’, so I felt like I was watching that ridiculous show and the eyeball-grabbing shenanigans of its inmates. It was quite annoying!
The author’s attempt at explaining how psychology has a role to play in whatever happens on such shows didn’t do anything for me because the elaborations were too technical, and my head refused to cooperate in understanding a technical psychoanalysis for something so base.
The frame story of Yasmina’s joining the show just to prove her worth to her family didn’t make much sense to me. As a psychologist, Yasmina would surely have known that reality show accolades won’t impress her highbrow academic parents! I liked how one of her sisters kept supporting her, but on the whole, the frame story could have done much better.
What further reduced my enjoyment were the graphics. Just like the shows, the illustrations are much exaggerated. (What is seen on the cover art is actually quite good. The inside graphics aren't in the same style at all.) The over-the-top expressions and comic-style physiques possibly poke a satirical jab at the theme of the book. However, I found the hyperbolic drawings very distracting. The artwork is as loud as the contestants of the show, and this, added to the cluttered page layout, made the reading experience a pain. (It is quite possible that the messy look isn’t as prominent in the physical copy.)
While I wasn’t aware of a few of the shows mentioned in this book (partly due to theirs being European programmes that aren’t franchised here), I didn’t have trouble keeping up with the book. I don’t think you need to have watched these programmes to understand how they function. The book also delivers on that same assumption. At the same time, it is clear that the story focusses only on one kind of show, though it mentions the other types in the introductory segment. The level of scripting, psychological manoeuvres, and inquisitive tendencies would surely be different between, say, ‘MasterChef’ and ‘Amazing Race’ and ‘Survivor’. I wish the book had highlighted these differences.
Like it or not, reality TV shows will always find an audience. And with the advent of social media and influencers who are ready to share every single bit of their life online, voyeurism is here to stay. So just in case you want a glimpse behind the scenes of such shows and you are tolerant of the somewhat zealous approach towards establishing the psychological merit of reality programmes, you might like to give this a go.
Will you like it better if you love reality TV? Quite possible, but can’t say for sure. Depends on how you feel about the heavy psychological content.
Will it make you a fan of reality shows if you aren’t one? Not at all.
2 stars.
My thanks to Europe Comics and NetGalley for the DRC of “Praising the Surface: Behind the Scenes of Reality TV”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Story Synopsis:
Yasmina, the youngest of four kids, is the black sheep in her family of academic overachievers. Though she is a psychologist, she feels compelled to prove her worth on a grander scale to merit a place on her family’s photo wall of achievements. And what better way to do so than by participating on a reality TV show? She loves reality TV, and getting into one of the multitude of programmes has to be a cakewalk, right?
Through Yasmina’s experience, we get to see the history of reality television and what happens behind the scenes of a contemporary reality programme.
This graphic novel was originally published in French earlier this year under the title “Éloge de la surface: dans les profondeurs de la téléréalité.” This English translation by Anna Howell was released in October 2023.
I am not a fan of reality TV shows, though I have watched a few episodes of various shows years ago with my mom who enjoys these type of programmes. The only reason I grabbed this novel was to try and understand what is it about reality shows that causes so many viewers to be obsessed by them, despite knowing that most (all?) of them are scripted. The endeavour proved a mixed bag.
Almost all people, myself included, are judgemental about fans of reality TV shows. But the fact also is that many of these fans are closeted. They never accept in public that they love such shows, for fear of being ridiculed. Which is why I found the author’s profile very interesting. A psychologist by profession, just like her lead character Yasmina, the author is passionate about reality TV and finds the programmes cathartic. This book reveals her enthusiasm for these productions. Though I didn’t enjoy the book, I still respect how she gave such a frivolous topic her best shot, mixing up the voyeuristic elements with a psychological perspective on the content and its impact.
The book does offer some interesting insights about how show producers and directors manipulate the programme in order to grab maximum viewership and also to keep viewers addicted. The various disparities are also underscored, with a clear light being shone upon how women participants are subject to a different scale of critique than male participants, how many shows pick candidates based on their looks and melodramatic capabilities, and how the manipulators are always more successful than the naïve and straightforward contestants.
Ironically, the maximum insights in this book came from one of the “ditz” contestants. I liked her character as she was unapologetic about her life choices and brave enough to stand by them.
Other than the above, the book didn’t work the way I thought it would. The reality show that Yasmina was a part of was on the lines of ‘Big Brother’, so I felt like I was watching that ridiculous show and the eyeball-grabbing shenanigans of its inmates. It was quite annoying!
The author’s attempt at explaining how psychology has a role to play in whatever happens on such shows didn’t do anything for me because the elaborations were too technical, and my head refused to cooperate in understanding a technical psychoanalysis for something so base.
The frame story of Yasmina’s joining the show just to prove her worth to her family didn’t make much sense to me. As a psychologist, Yasmina would surely have known that reality show accolades won’t impress her highbrow academic parents! I liked how one of her sisters kept supporting her, but on the whole, the frame story could have done much better.
What further reduced my enjoyment were the graphics. Just like the shows, the illustrations are much exaggerated. (What is seen on the cover art is actually quite good. The inside graphics aren't in the same style at all.) The over-the-top expressions and comic-style physiques possibly poke a satirical jab at the theme of the book. However, I found the hyperbolic drawings very distracting. The artwork is as loud as the contestants of the show, and this, added to the cluttered page layout, made the reading experience a pain. (It is quite possible that the messy look isn’t as prominent in the physical copy.)
While I wasn’t aware of a few of the shows mentioned in this book (partly due to theirs being European programmes that aren’t franchised here), I didn’t have trouble keeping up with the book. I don’t think you need to have watched these programmes to understand how they function. The book also delivers on that same assumption. At the same time, it is clear that the story focusses only on one kind of show, though it mentions the other types in the introductory segment. The level of scripting, psychological manoeuvres, and inquisitive tendencies would surely be different between, say, ‘MasterChef’ and ‘Amazing Race’ and ‘Survivor’. I wish the book had highlighted these differences.
Like it or not, reality TV shows will always find an audience. And with the advent of social media and influencers who are ready to share every single bit of their life online, voyeurism is here to stay. So just in case you want a glimpse behind the scenes of such shows and you are tolerant of the somewhat zealous approach towards establishing the psychological merit of reality programmes, you might like to give this a go.
Will you like it better if you love reality TV? Quite possible, but can’t say for sure. Depends on how you feel about the heavy psychological content.
Will it make you a fan of reality shows if you aren’t one? Not at all.
2 stars.
My thanks to Europe Comics and NetGalley for the DRC of “Praising the Surface: Behind the Scenes of Reality TV”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
November 16, 2023
Yasmina is educated, with a good (and important) job—but she's not as educated or decorated (or married) as the rest of her family, and between that and her love of reality television, she feels like the black sheep of the family. So what's she to do...? Apply to be on reality TV, of course. And fail—and take a job on set instead, where she can analyze it from up close.
I appreciate the aim here—this is a blend of lighthearted poking fun at the reality TV industry (and the expectations of the participants, especially the women) and something of Yasmina's more academic manifesto about the whys and hows of reality TV—how it came about, why it attracts viewers, and the ways in which contestants (who are often white, heterosexual, thin/fit, etc.) are typecast...and in some cases choose to play to type.
The art style is not for me. The cover hints at the cartoonish art, but in the graphic novel itself it's far more exaggerated. Think Foxtrot (I'm sure there's a better comparison, but that's what I can come up with right now), but without any noses. Still miles better than anything I can draw, of course, but I read graphic novels partly for the story and partly for the art, and this is just one where the style really didn't add to my experience. Recommended for those entertained more by the industry of reality TV than by the reality TV itself, and those who appreciate a more comic-y art style.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
I appreciate the aim here—this is a blend of lighthearted poking fun at the reality TV industry (and the expectations of the participants, especially the women) and something of Yasmina's more academic manifesto about the whys and hows of reality TV—how it came about, why it attracts viewers, and the ways in which contestants (who are often white, heterosexual, thin/fit, etc.) are typecast...and in some cases choose to play to type.
The art style is not for me. The cover hints at the cartoonish art, but in the graphic novel itself it's far more exaggerated. Think Foxtrot (I'm sure there's a better comparison, but that's what I can come up with right now), but without any noses. Still miles better than anything I can draw, of course, but I read graphic novels partly for the story and partly for the art, and this is just one where the style really didn't add to my experience. Recommended for those entertained more by the industry of reality TV than by the reality TV itself, and those who appreciate a more comic-y art style.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
November 14, 2023
Netgalley Arc
If you are a fan of reality TV, then this graphic novel is for you! Go behind the scenes as a counselor who is invited to write scenes about what is going on throughout the day. Her job is to see what the cameras are getting and write what the episodes should be about. She also begins to have a friendship with the main character, and you can see how they make her come out of her shell. The illustrations are fantastic and very much stick with the outrageousness of what the tv shows are all about.
If you are a fan of reality TV, then this graphic novel is for you! Go behind the scenes as a counselor who is invited to write scenes about what is going on throughout the day. Her job is to see what the cameras are getting and write what the episodes should be about. She also begins to have a friendship with the main character, and you can see how they make her come out of her shell. The illustrations are fantastic and very much stick with the outrageousness of what the tv shows are all about.
January 1, 2024
Je vais conseiller cette BD à Mme Sonet, y’a tous les concepts socio qu’on a vu avec elle en cours qui y sont cités !
July 3, 2023
J’ai trouvé ça drôle et très instructif.
C’est bourré de références et on ne reste pas en surface des choses.
Un beau cadeau à faire
C’est bourré de références et on ne reste pas en surface des choses.
Un beau cadeau à faire
November 12, 2023
I wanted to like this graphic novel based on the description and what it's attempting to achieve with the story, but unfortunately it missed the mark for me.
Praising the Surface tells the story of Yasmina, a psychologist who is perpetually underappreciated in her family of accomplished intellectuals. Her guilty pleasure is reality TV, and she becomes a part of one as a "journalist" and script writer. She uses her psychology training to uncover biases and put a spotlight on why people behave as they do, and then writes a book about the experience - presumably the one we're reading right now. It's all very meta by the end!
What I loved was the psychoanalysis of the reality show phenomenon and social media interactions between celebrities and fans, as well as Yasmina's relationship with the show stars. This was interesting, well-explained and honestly could have made for an extremely good book if this was the only topic. I laughed out loud at some points where a rebellious Yasmina writes a hilarious tongue-in-cheek script for the show that includes all of the ways in which it portrays people superficially or unfairly!
What I didn't enjoy as much was the frame story, which took around half or more of the book. Yasmina is belittled by her family for not being academic enough, or other measures of "enoughness" they throw at her in comparison with her parents and siblings. I don't know how much of this story is rooted in reality, but I found it very disappointing that in the end, Yasmina goes right back, triumphant, with her book, and that makes her only sort of good enough at last. Is this supposed to be a happy ending? Ironically enough, there's no growth or depth to the main character in this story, it's all one-dimensional and surface level. Maybe that was intentional and I'm missing the point.
Overall there were some really fun parts, but unfortunately not one of my favorites.
✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.
Praising the Surface tells the story of Yasmina, a psychologist who is perpetually underappreciated in her family of accomplished intellectuals. Her guilty pleasure is reality TV, and she becomes a part of one as a "journalist" and script writer. She uses her psychology training to uncover biases and put a spotlight on why people behave as they do, and then writes a book about the experience - presumably the one we're reading right now. It's all very meta by the end!
What I loved was the psychoanalysis of the reality show phenomenon and social media interactions between celebrities and fans, as well as Yasmina's relationship with the show stars. This was interesting, well-explained and honestly could have made for an extremely good book if this was the only topic. I laughed out loud at some points where a rebellious Yasmina writes a hilarious tongue-in-cheek script for the show that includes all of the ways in which it portrays people superficially or unfairly!
What I didn't enjoy as much was the frame story, which took around half or more of the book. Yasmina is belittled by her family for not being academic enough, or other measures of "enoughness" they throw at her in comparison with her parents and siblings. I don't know how much of this story is rooted in reality, but I found it very disappointing that in the end, Yasmina goes right back, triumphant, with her book, and that makes her only sort of good enough at last. Is this supposed to be a happy ending? Ironically enough, there's no growth or depth to the main character in this story, it's all one-dimensional and surface level. Maybe that was intentional and I'm missing the point.
Overall there were some really fun parts, but unfortunately not one of my favorites.
✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.
July 20, 2023
Je suis contente d'avoir découvert ce livre car j'ai adoré ma lecture. C'est même un coup de cœur. Je tiens à préciser que ma chronique sera différente de mes autres chroniques étant donné qu'il s'agit d'une bande dessinée.
Je suis complétement fan de l'esthétisme de cette bande dessinée alliant la simplicité des dessins pour mettre à la fois en avant son humour et son caractère pédagogique. On a de l'humour, de la réflexion autour de la télé-réalité à tous les niveaux. Cette bande dessinée est parfaitement bien structurée et construite. Cela se dévore rapidement mais on en ressort moins bête qu'avant (NDLR : dédicace au travail de Marion Montaigne de nouveau).
Nous avons donc une analyse pertinente sur le sujet de la téléréalité. Elle est souvent jugée et rabaissée mais les auteures offrent une autre approche et montrent l'envers du décor. De plus, elles montrent que cette "sous-culture" est très riche en enseignements, en théories scientifiques et permettent de nous découvrir autrement. Oui, nous avons des pulsions inconscientes du désir de voyeurisme, cette importance du regard d'autrui, pour ne citer que quelques exemples.
Pour conclure, j'ai eu un coup de cœur pour cette bande dessinée très intéressante sur la téléréalité. L'humour très présent de ce livre par son dessin et l'écriture permet de mettre en avant l'essai qui se cache derrière cette couche d'humour. Les auteures cherchent à effacer la vision binaire que nous avons sur ce sujet ainsi que les clichés, en rendant le sujet intéressant. Elles abordent ainsi plusieurs sujets autour de la vision de la femme, des rapports entre le "moi" et les autres, la notion de beauté, etc. Elles rappellent aussi que la téléréalité n'est pas apparue du jour au lendemain mais elle suit les vestiges de l'art et de la tradition littéraire depuis des siècles. C'est une bande dessinée forte, percutante et qui se dévore très rapidement mais elle vous pousse à réfléchir à la fin. Alors foncez et découvrez-vous sous un nouveau jour.
Je suis complétement fan de l'esthétisme de cette bande dessinée alliant la simplicité des dessins pour mettre à la fois en avant son humour et son caractère pédagogique. On a de l'humour, de la réflexion autour de la télé-réalité à tous les niveaux. Cette bande dessinée est parfaitement bien structurée et construite. Cela se dévore rapidement mais on en ressort moins bête qu'avant (NDLR : dédicace au travail de Marion Montaigne de nouveau).
Nous avons donc une analyse pertinente sur le sujet de la téléréalité. Elle est souvent jugée et rabaissée mais les auteures offrent une autre approche et montrent l'envers du décor. De plus, elles montrent que cette "sous-culture" est très riche en enseignements, en théories scientifiques et permettent de nous découvrir autrement. Oui, nous avons des pulsions inconscientes du désir de voyeurisme, cette importance du regard d'autrui, pour ne citer que quelques exemples.
Pour conclure, j'ai eu un coup de cœur pour cette bande dessinée très intéressante sur la téléréalité. L'humour très présent de ce livre par son dessin et l'écriture permet de mettre en avant l'essai qui se cache derrière cette couche d'humour. Les auteures cherchent à effacer la vision binaire que nous avons sur ce sujet ainsi que les clichés, en rendant le sujet intéressant. Elles abordent ainsi plusieurs sujets autour de la vision de la femme, des rapports entre le "moi" et les autres, la notion de beauté, etc. Elles rappellent aussi que la téléréalité n'est pas apparue du jour au lendemain mais elle suit les vestiges de l'art et de la tradition littéraire depuis des siècles. C'est une bande dessinée forte, percutante et qui se dévore très rapidement mais elle vous pousse à réfléchir à la fin. Alors foncez et découvrez-vous sous un nouveau jour.
August 5, 2024
Certainly on the academic side, but colourful and light-hearted and never too deep, this is a psychotherapist's view of modern reality TV – not the competitive, "vote for me! Like me!!" contests, but the potentially more gladiatorial scripted reality shows. Wanting to get on a show to prove there is some worth to them and to her, our guide, who needs to get out of her over-intellectual family, ends up a script-planner, therapist, interviewer, on one of those "Fresh Sluts of Phuket" shows, watching bimbos and himbos do their thing and tell us how this equates to narcissism, our own verification issues, and more. At first I didn't think there was that much need for this – having done media studies A-level decades ago I am sure the curriculum has updated to cover such subjects to roughly this level – but even that didn't really put me off; it mentions many of the French penseurs' names you might expect but doesn't just recycle old hat stuff. It certainly smacks of someone who has first-hand, on-set knowledge, and part of the intention here, that is successfully met, is to show the issue the authors see where we absorb all this stuff, while universally dismissing the performers of it, without allowing ourselves to admit that it and they all have a certain merit.
There's also a pretty decent and likeable narrative about all this, meaning it never falls into a stuffy textbook world. Not for everyone, but certainly of benefit to the open-minded and curious.
There's also a pretty decent and likeable narrative about all this, meaning it never falls into a stuffy textbook world. Not for everyone, but certainly of benefit to the open-minded and curious.
July 4, 2023
🌴 Intéressant
En trois mots : BD - téléréalité - analyse
« Ne brûlez-vous pas de comprendre pourquoi ces programmes ont autant de succès ? »
➡️ Une psychologue devient journaliste (ou plutôt rédactrice de script !) pour une émission de téléréalité.
Elle revient sur les débuts de la téléréalité, l’envers du décor, le rapport qu’on peut avoir à ce genre de programmes et les procédés mis en place par les producteurs ou même les candidats (qui ne sont pas toujours aussi bêtes qu’ils veulent bien nous le faire croire 🤪).
« Aaah maligne ! Tu exploites à mort l’étiquette de bimbo qu’on t’a collée… »
➡️ J’ai apprécié l’analyse proposée. Il y a beaucoup de remarques intéressantes sur le phénomène en lui-même, la place de la femme mais aussi les raisons pour lesquelles les gens regardent ces émissions.
« Ils doivent être au top pour pouvoir nous… vendre du rêve ! »
➡️ Le dessin coloré apporte beaucoup de dynamisme à cette histoire, les personnages sont simples mais ce sont surtout les mimiques qui sont drôles et appréciables.
Une bande dessinée originale pour mieux comprendre le phénomène !
Merci aux éditions Dargaud pour ce service de presse via NetGalley.
En trois mots : BD - téléréalité - analyse
« Ne brûlez-vous pas de comprendre pourquoi ces programmes ont autant de succès ? »
➡️ Une psychologue devient journaliste (ou plutôt rédactrice de script !) pour une émission de téléréalité.
Elle revient sur les débuts de la téléréalité, l’envers du décor, le rapport qu’on peut avoir à ce genre de programmes et les procédés mis en place par les producteurs ou même les candidats (qui ne sont pas toujours aussi bêtes qu’ils veulent bien nous le faire croire 🤪).
« Aaah maligne ! Tu exploites à mort l’étiquette de bimbo qu’on t’a collée… »
➡️ J’ai apprécié l’analyse proposée. Il y a beaucoup de remarques intéressantes sur le phénomène en lui-même, la place de la femme mais aussi les raisons pour lesquelles les gens regardent ces émissions.
« Ils doivent être au top pour pouvoir nous… vendre du rêve ! »
➡️ Le dessin coloré apporte beaucoup de dynamisme à cette histoire, les personnages sont simples mais ce sont surtout les mimiques qui sont drôles et appréciables.
Une bande dessinée originale pour mieux comprendre le phénomène !
Merci aux éditions Dargaud pour ce service de presse via NetGalley.
November 12, 2023
So, this had a lot of potential based on how it was described but, for me, it was a little less than meh. The history lesson was neat but felt very preachy in the way that it kind of dominated the whole book. And yes, I get that the main purpose of this book was to provide an overview of reality TV and some of the psychology behind it. But I guess I also wanted an interesting story and unfortunately this did not give me an interesting story. I didn't really like any of the characters and felt that the story was too rough and really intended to move from lesson to lesson rather than, well, tell a cohesive story.
The way that the whole book wrapped up - we came full circle - also didn't seem to make sense to me. Well, it made sense in context of a story that jumped around, but it came out of left field and had me wondering if I had missed a whole section of the plot. I hadn't.
The artwork was ok. Not my normal preference or style, but it wasn't bad either.
I do love reality TV. I thought that this would be a fun read. Disappointed unfortunately.
* I received an ARC via Netgalley.
The way that the whole book wrapped up - we came full circle - also didn't seem to make sense to me. Well, it made sense in context of a story that jumped around, but it came out of left field and had me wondering if I had missed a whole section of the plot. I hadn't.
The artwork was ok. Not my normal preference or style, but it wasn't bad either.
I do love reality TV. I thought that this would be a fun read. Disappointed unfortunately.
* I received an ARC via Netgalley.
July 17, 2023
Avec cette bande dessinée, vous allez tout apprendre et comprendre le pourquoi du comment ça marche en fait la téléréalité. Oui en gros, c’est toute la téléréalité pour les nuls !
Que vous soyez consommateur ou pas de ce type de programmes, on gagne à mieux cerner la chose et ainsi à ne pas rester sur des idées préconçues. Quoiqu’on en dise, on a en toutes et tous en tête. J’avoue que mes propres connaissances en la matière étaient des plus limitées ou datées et j’ai ainsi pu dépasser certains stades assez primaires de mon raisonnement.
J’ai certainement plus apprécié le fond que la forme car les dessins ne m’ont pas enthousiasmé, même si je leur reconnais très volontiers une efficacité certaine. Et c’est le principal car ils n’ont pas été un frein non plus.
C’est encore une fois un titre qui gagnerait à se trouver mis en valeur dans les CDI des collèges et lycées, ainsi que dans les médiathèques pour toucher un maximum de public. Et un public averti en vaut bien d’autres !
Que vous soyez consommateur ou pas de ce type de programmes, on gagne à mieux cerner la chose et ainsi à ne pas rester sur des idées préconçues. Quoiqu’on en dise, on a en toutes et tous en tête. J’avoue que mes propres connaissances en la matière étaient des plus limitées ou datées et j’ai ainsi pu dépasser certains stades assez primaires de mon raisonnement.
J’ai certainement plus apprécié le fond que la forme car les dessins ne m’ont pas enthousiasmé, même si je leur reconnais très volontiers une efficacité certaine. Et c’est le principal car ils n’ont pas été un frein non plus.
C’est encore une fois un titre qui gagnerait à se trouver mis en valeur dans les CDI des collèges et lycées, ainsi que dans les médiathèques pour toucher un maximum de public. Et un public averti en vaut bien d’autres !
November 13, 2023
I received this book from Netgalley/publisher in exchange of an honest review.
Well, this one was a hard read. I mean, there was a lot of good as well, but a lot, no too much of psychobabble. I was struggling SO hard to read this one when it went in psychological mode. And there is a lot of it. Some parts were OK, but at times I was just, GOSH stop. NO. I don't care. Bye. And that comes from a girl who is OK-ish interesting in psychology. And I so disliked most of the family of Yasmina. How they were in the beginning, and how unchanged in the end. Fuck them.
I really loved the parts with Lenina and seeing her become friends with our MC, Yasmina. I loved seeing Yasmina get more confident and start with the book. I loved the reality show parts, the drama, the scripts, and see Yasmina hidden in places to get all the good bits. I loved the art so much. I loved the escape with Lenina/Yasmina.
But yeah, the psychological stuff and all the explanation just killed it, and not in a good way.
Well, this one was a hard read. I mean, there was a lot of good as well, but a lot, no too much of psychobabble. I was struggling SO hard to read this one when it went in psychological mode. And there is a lot of it. Some parts were OK, but at times I was just, GOSH stop. NO. I don't care. Bye. And that comes from a girl who is OK-ish interesting in psychology. And I so disliked most of the family of Yasmina. How they were in the beginning, and how unchanged in the end. Fuck them.
I really loved the parts with Lenina and seeing her become friends with our MC, Yasmina. I loved seeing Yasmina get more confident and start with the book. I loved the reality show parts, the drama, the scripts, and see Yasmina hidden in places to get all the good bits. I loved the art so much. I loved the escape with Lenina/Yasmina.
But yeah, the psychological stuff and all the explanation just killed it, and not in a good way.
November 19, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
I didn't expect this to get as deeply educational as it did, but I'm glad for it! This book, whilst being a comic, really manages to dive deep into the psychology behind reality TV whilst also managing to be an entertaining comic. The psychology behind why people like to watch reality TV was never something I particularly thought about, but it ended up being a very interesting topic. Some of the concepts I already knew, but there were multiple I did not. The art style is very cartoony, but it honestly works great at conveying the author's passion for the subject. The pacing did lose some steam near the very end, but seeing as this is based on a true story (I think mostly?) that's easily overlooked. This book did unfortunately do the "huge block of text" on several pages, but it's a LOT of information trying to be told through a comic format. They managed to balance out that issue fairly well, but I did notice it cropping up from time to time.
I didn't expect this to get as deeply educational as it did, but I'm glad for it! This book, whilst being a comic, really manages to dive deep into the psychology behind reality TV whilst also managing to be an entertaining comic. The psychology behind why people like to watch reality TV was never something I particularly thought about, but it ended up being a very interesting topic. Some of the concepts I already knew, but there were multiple I did not. The art style is very cartoony, but it honestly works great at conveying the author's passion for the subject. The pacing did lose some steam near the very end, but seeing as this is based on a true story (I think mostly?) that's easily overlooked. This book did unfortunately do the "huge block of text" on several pages, but it's a LOT of information trying to be told through a comic format. They managed to balance out that issue fairly well, but I did notice it cropping up from time to time.
June 25, 2023
j’ai bien aimé le personnage de Yasmina, avec son histoire personnelle et son envie de défendre coûte que coûte la téléréalité. C’est un personnage qu’on prend plaisir à suivre, avec beaucoup de passion, qui sait évoluer aussi, et qui doute beaucoup. J’ai apprécié sa relation avec son frère, mais aussi avec Lenina, la candidate de téléréalité. Lenina est alors assez intéressante elle aussi à suivre. C’est intéressant de se plonger dans l’analyse de la téléréalité et dans ce qui a fait son histoire. On a alors une analyse de notre société, grâce aux différents penseurs et autres qui sont cités dans cet ouvrage. Il est bien construit et on apprend des choses en le lisant. Je vous en conseille donc sa lecture pour changer de regard sur la téléréalité.
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July 11, 2023
Vendu comme une BD-documentaire, ce roman graphique explique avec humour les raisons pour lesquelles la télé-réalité est susceptible de nous intéresser.
On y suis Yasmina, qui cherche à prouver à sa famille d’érudits que la télé-réalité mérite d’être étudiée et défendue. À travers elle, et sous forme de satire, on découvre d’autres personnages, plus ou moins clichés et plus ou moins travaillés.
L’idée est originale, les dessins sont plaisants et l’histoire avance rapidement. Ce livre peut permettre de commencer une conversation sur la télé-réalité, son image, et celle des gens qui en regardent. En revanche, il ne sera que le point de départ de ladite conversation puisque, de par le genre et la longueur de l’ouvrage, on ne fait que survoler les concepts. J’ai d’ailleurs eu l’impression que l’on enfonçait parfois des portes ouvertes.
On y suis Yasmina, qui cherche à prouver à sa famille d’érudits que la télé-réalité mérite d’être étudiée et défendue. À travers elle, et sous forme de satire, on découvre d’autres personnages, plus ou moins clichés et plus ou moins travaillés.
L’idée est originale, les dessins sont plaisants et l’histoire avance rapidement. Ce livre peut permettre de commencer une conversation sur la télé-réalité, son image, et celle des gens qui en regardent. En revanche, il ne sera que le point de départ de ladite conversation puisque, de par le genre et la longueur de l’ouvrage, on ne fait que survoler les concepts. J’ai d’ailleurs eu l’impression que l’on enfonçait parfois des portes ouvertes.
November 17, 2023
A satirical look at reality TV using a graphic novel as the vehicle. It will make you think about how we got to this stage where there are opportunities to be voyeuristic viewers around the clock. Even if you were limited to network channels, you could find a show to watch every night -- and more than one per channel at times. Just tonight, we could have watched Hell's Kitchen followed by the Lego Competition show. Survivor was on last night followed by The Amazing Race. See what I mean? It's exhausting. This book got a bit into the weeds, but I get the gist of it. Was not a huge fan of the overblown illustrations and some of the pages were VERY busy.
Thank you to Europe Comics and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Europe Comics and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
December 20, 2023
*Thank you NetGalley and Europe Comics for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.*
This was a hard one for me. I did not connect with the illustrations or with the humor of this book. The bones of graphic novels being the art style, it defines the reader experience rather quickly. And while the current choice made sense, it unfortunately did not make me appreciate it more.
As for the actual content, I am a bit conflicted. Even though there was a lot of interesting information and data about the psychology behind reality TV, they sometimes crammed too much into those pages making it hard to digest.
Bottom line, I see what they tried to do but I'm not sure they went the right way about it.
2/5
This was a hard one for me. I did not connect with the illustrations or with the humor of this book. The bones of graphic novels being the art style, it defines the reader experience rather quickly. And while the current choice made sense, it unfortunately did not make me appreciate it more.
As for the actual content, I am a bit conflicted. Even though there was a lot of interesting information and data about the psychology behind reality TV, they sometimes crammed too much into those pages making it hard to digest.
Bottom line, I see what they tried to do but I'm not sure they went the right way about it.
2/5
December 27, 2023
I really enjoyed this comic about reality TV, and why we as a society are so addicted to it. The part I enjoyed the most was the in depth analysis of the psychology behind the book. Eventhough there could have been more of a story, I consider the psychology part way more interesting.
The point of view of Lenina, one of the stars was in fact so real: celebrities have a rapacious need for attention and fame., herself being the main star of the show. The reality show she belongs to promotes normal people who have become micro-celebrities.
The entire read was so entertaining and I liked a lot how they talked about the transformation of celebrities from a psychological and sociological point o view.
***received from NetGalley
The point of view of Lenina, one of the stars was in fact so real: celebrities have a rapacious need for attention and fame., herself being the main star of the show. The reality show she belongs to promotes normal people who have become micro-celebrities.
The entire read was so entertaining and I liked a lot how they talked about the transformation of celebrities from a psychological and sociological point o view.
***received from NetGalley
November 13, 2023
I loved this book.
It's so fantastic and fun.
I enjoy seeing Reality TV, and reading about it was extraordinary.
I loved the characters, their energies and personalities.
It was a book that I couldn't put down, it was really invested in the story, and the illustrations are beautiful. They really bring the story to life with the colors, personality and expressions of the characters.
It's really a book that I recommend, you will have a lot of fun and learn about something that we all enjoy seeing even if it's just a little tiny bit.
A huge thanks to
the author Stella Lory and Tilila Relmani
the publisher Europe Comics
and to Netgalley
A HUGE thanks.
It's so fantastic and fun.
I enjoy seeing Reality TV, and reading about it was extraordinary.
I loved the characters, their energies and personalities.
It was a book that I couldn't put down, it was really invested in the story, and the illustrations are beautiful. They really bring the story to life with the colors, personality and expressions of the characters.
It's really a book that I recommend, you will have a lot of fun and learn about something that we all enjoy seeing even if it's just a little tiny bit.
A huge thanks to
the author Stella Lory and Tilila Relmani
the publisher Europe Comics
and to Netgalley
A HUGE thanks.
November 14, 2023
What a heartwarming story!
As a curious person who's inclined to want to know how certain things or phenomena are wired, this book just ticked that box off and truly surpassed my expectations.
Not only did it accomplish what it set out to do, but it also remained authentic to its promise of having a story and narrative that's accessible to people regardless of education or background. I truly feel like the book didn't dumb its readers down, nor did it try to use terms or language that are harder to understand to the average reader.
I cannot wait to be able to own a copy of this marvelous book, and I know for a fact that I'll be encouraging my friends to have a look at this title.
As a curious person who's inclined to want to know how certain things or phenomena are wired, this book just ticked that box off and truly surpassed my expectations.
Not only did it accomplish what it set out to do, but it also remained authentic to its promise of having a story and narrative that's accessible to people regardless of education or background. I truly feel like the book didn't dumb its readers down, nor did it try to use terms or language that are harder to understand to the average reader.
I cannot wait to be able to own a copy of this marvelous book, and I know for a fact that I'll be encouraging my friends to have a look at this title.
January 9, 2024
"Praising the surface" is a comic strip that reflects a kind of psychosocial study of reality show participants. The main character, Yasmina, is a psychologist and reality TV fan. Something her family and friends don't understand, finding that these programs represent the lowest depths of human stupidity. Especially as Yasmina comes from a family of scholars and wants to prove to them that reality TV is worthy of research. To understand the mechanisms that drive people to become passionate about watching strangers reveal their lives on TV, Yasmina decides to apply to take part in the next reality show. Instead of being recruited as a contestant, she is recruited as a script girl, and follows the show over long, exhausting weeks. In the midst of her fun-filled days, she shares with us the mechanisms at play in the addiction to these programs, and the universality of the people it affects. The comic strip is amusing and rather gripping. I found the subject matter very interesting, and the behind-the-scenes look captivating.
February 20, 2024
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!!!!
"I'm just not sure that the mindless idiots who watch reality TV will want to understand the mechanisms behind it."
First let me state that I work in retail and after a long day tolerating people, all I want is some brainless entertainment, and reality TV is EXACTLY that!
Second, I'm not a mindless Idiot and I did enjoy everything.
Third, THIS was NOT AT ALL what I expected.
From what I thought would be a fun and brainless graphic novel to being surprised and reading a semi educational yet fun and realistic graphic novel.
This is an easy read due to the fact that it is funny as hell.
But it is no brainless read.
Loved it!!!
"I'm just not sure that the mindless idiots who watch reality TV will want to understand the mechanisms behind it."
First let me state that I work in retail and after a long day tolerating people, all I want is some brainless entertainment, and reality TV is EXACTLY that!
Second, I'm not a mindless Idiot and I did enjoy everything.
Third, THIS was NOT AT ALL what I expected.
From what I thought would be a fun and brainless graphic novel to being surprised and reading a semi educational yet fun and realistic graphic novel.
This is an easy read due to the fact that it is funny as hell.
But it is no brainless read.
Loved it!!!
November 22, 2023
Цікава і смішно намальована графічна розповідь про погляд на реаліті шоу з точки зору психології та соціології. Єдною передачою такого штибу, що я дивилася, був перший сезон "Від пацанки до панянки", так що я точно не є цільовою авдиторією цієї роботи. Незважаючи на це, мені було весело спостерігати, як авторки аналізують різні аспекти реаліті за допомогою порівнянь з літературними творами та всеможливих гуманітарних теорій.
Рекомендую прочитати тим, хто зверхньо дивиться на людей, які люблять такі передачі, щоб краще зрозуміти природу та популярність такого продукту.
Рекомендую прочитати тим, хто зверхньо дивиться на людей, які люблять такі передачі, щоб краще зрозуміти природу та популярність такого продукту.
June 25, 2023
Très bonne BD pour ceux qui aiment les émissions de télé-réalité, mais aussi pour ceux qui n’aiment pas ça. A travers des planches colorées et humoristiques, les autrices vont nous présenter les influences de ces émissions sur notre cerveau et notre comportement en société (conscient et inconscient) de façon ludique. Et je vous jure les fratés, vous n’allez plus voir les Marseillais de la même façon. Je recommande fort
November 22, 2023
Praising the Surface is a graphic novel about reality TV, and why we as a society are so addicted to it. I did like the in depth analysis of the psychology behind the book, but I feel like there could have been more of a story. The story sort of takes a back seat in this book, and I feel like there could have been much more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 30, 2024
I did not expect an actually interesting psychological analysis of the reality TV shows phenomenon and why they’re popular! That was surprisingly good, thorough and deep, even if sounded a bit like validating guilty pleasure of watching it (which was the point, I guess ;)). I still find reality TV shows boring, not even a guilty pleasure, but I really enjoyed it, more than expected, even not perfect as a narrative story. Worth the time, though.
November 7, 2023
Sometimes we are so lacking in self-confidence that we need to be validated by others. That’s why we display ourselves on social media. Being seen makes the person feel loved. The number of likes goes to your head for a few minutes… until your true nature takes over again. To make you feel lame and ugly again.
December 5, 2023
This was interesting. As an individual who has been in photoshoots I do realize much of reality TV is staged and fake. The graphics were a bit too graphic for me. I did not appreciate the nudity. But I felt this book showed an accurate portrayal of reality tv and how extreme it is. I did really enjoy the explanations regarding why we are so interested in reality TV.
January 1, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and Europe Comics for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel. Honestly, this graphic novel is interesting but very dense as well. I think it's a semi palatable way to read this information, but I personally couldn't get through it due to the art style and formatting. Because of these points, I have to give this a 2 out of 5 stars.
February 15, 2025
Manière fun et détournée de voir quels sont les rouages sociologiques et psychologiques qui entrent en jeu dans des émissions considérées comme appartenant à une « sous-culture » populaire. Éclaire également sur la façon dont ces programmes perpétuent dans les mœurs les stéréotypes sexistes, racistes et homophobes.
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