The American Mirage: How Reality TV Upholds the Myth of Meritocracy

by Eunji Kim

How the entertainment narrative of upward mobility distorts the harsh economic realities in America

In an age of growing wealth disparities, politicians on both sides of the aisle are sounding the alarm about the fading American Dream. Yet despite all evidence to the contrary, many still view the United States as the land of opportunity. The American Mirage addresses this puzzle by exposing the stark reality of today’s media landscape, revealing how popular entertainment media shapes politics and public opinion in an increasingly news-avoiding nation.

Drawing on an eclectic array of original data, Eunji Kim demonstrates how, amid a dazzling array of media choices, many Americans simply are not consuming the news. Instead, millions flock to entertainment programs that showcase real-life success stories, such as American Idol, Shark Tank, and MasterChef. Kim examines how shows like these leave viewers confoundingly optimistic about the prospects of upward mobility, promoting a false narrative of rugged individualism and meritocracy that contradicts what is being reported in the news.

By taking seriously what people casually watch every day, The American Mirage shows how rags-to-riches programs perpetuate the myth of the American Dream, glorifying the economic winners, fostering tolerance for income inequality, and dampening support for redistributive policies that could improve people’s lives.

Genres: Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

Published May 6, 2025

Reviews

[HJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing work--Can't wait to read the author's next work!

[Katie Diller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very academic but author does a great job of of setting up the literature gap on this topic and explaining its importance - fascinating read on an overlooked connection

[mjk]

DNFing for now just too textbook-y

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The rise in US reality TV shows with "rags to riches" narratives continue to make the average American believe that that the American Dream is well and alive when hard metrics show that social mobility has gone down. Prof. Kim highlights how the premise is almost too simple--and patronizing of the American public--that academics and elite institutions have not done rigorous quantitative studies of these correlations. So for every "but did you consider this other variable X?" question, she hits you with empirical analysis showing why others are not statistically significant. The more dense parts of the book I felt was a note (plea?) to other current and future academics in the field to pay more attention to media that people *actually* consume. But most of the book is very accessible. It's not Fox News that masses are tuning into day in and day out but rather seemingly non-political media content. And what American Idol, Shark Tank, MasterChef implies is that people can make it in this country with talent and grit, which reduces support for redistributive policies. Sobering but delightful book to read.