The Reality TV Multiverse (Pt 2)
A book club update + everything I'm streaming on Netflix
Hi close friends,
With the fanfare of the presidential inauguration in the US on MLK Jr Day and the resulting grab bag of media coverage trying to parse through it, it’s been an unsettling week to say the least. I hope you know this newsletter is a safe space for my readers. Community building and resource sharing will be more important than ever, and my hope is that my book club can be a space of learning for myself and anyone who follows along. I’ll always do my best to enter these conversations with humility and grace, and I hope that you can offer me the same.
Past books we’ve read in book club are…
Cultish by Amanda Montell
Glitch Feminism: A Manifesto by Legacy Russell
We are currently reading…
Trinity of Fundamentals by Wisam Rafeedie
I am finishing up reading Ambition Monster by Jennifer Romolini this week, and will start the book club pick next week, so there’s still plenty of time to join in (I’m aiming to put out my recap by mid-February, but they’ll always be available on my page for you to come back to). This is by no means a strict operation and is evolving with the newsletter, but I usually like to pick non-fiction or relevant diverse fiction. If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments. I’m all ears!
P.S. What does everyone think about the Oscar nominations that just came out?! I am making it my mission to watch Anora before the month is over.
If you missed last week’s newsletter, I covered all the reality TV shows I’m watching on Peacock, including my Brovo-verse picks of the season.
As a follow up to that, can I just say that RHONY took a dark turn?! I was shocked at how raw and real the finale was after this whole season of nothing burger. I am now nervous for the reunion.
What I’m streaming on Netflix…
Selling the City (S1)
I have watched all seasons of Selling Sunset and every spinoff of the show including Selling the OC and Selling Tampa. I’m not going to lie, I was kind of disappointed they picked NYC for their next spinoff location because Owning Manhattan already filled that void for me. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this season!
Maybe it’s because I’m so bored of Jason and Brett being terrible bosses in the original series, but I felt like Eleonara really shined as a character on this show. She’s got an interesting backstory at the company, vulnerable with her team, and clearly growing into her own being a manager. I also love the addition of people who work at Douglas Elliman — Jade, Justin, and Steve — but aren’t on her team, because it makes the infighting all that more dynamic with each cast member having different goals and stakes for their success at the company.
I also love when a reality TV show breaks the fourth wall, and the finale delivered that on a silver platter. Count me in for the next season.
Dubai Bling (S3)
I binged the first two seasons of this show over the holiday break before my trip to India at the beginning of last year. Unfortunately, my parents and I got stuck in a snowstorm for a couple days before leaving, so we had to cancel the Dubai part of our trip, but I got to vicariously visit it through this show at least!
I haven’t started watching this season yet because my Peacock shows have been keeping me busy, but the gist I’ve gathered from everything I’ve been scrolling past on Reddit is that Ebraheem is going to be more annoying than ever this season. The fact that this show started with him and Loujain on a date honestly feels like a fever dream. Regardless, I think this will fill the Love Is Blind Habibi shaped hole in my heart.
Single’s Inferno (S4)
I can’t believe we’re already on season four of this show. I watch a lot of reality TV dating shows specifically (if it wasn’t already obvious), and I always find it so fascinating how the flirting styles, dating culture, and beauty standards shift depending on the country the show takes place in. If you haven’t watched Single’s Inferno before, it’s basically like the Korean version of Love Island, with the same amount of abs, but waaaay less raunchy. They also have a Netflix panel of commentators which is a bit jarring at first because they interrupt dramatic moments throughout the show to give their thoughts, but after I got used to it, I loved it because I’m the type of person to go and watch reaction videos or recap podcasts about shows afterwards, so this is like killing two birds with one stone.
I’m only a couple episodes in to this new season, but I’m already intrigued by how little we’re seeing of the challenges this time around, yet how significant they are in determining whether the contestants go to “paradise” or get the chance to swap “infernos” and meet others. I feel like that’s already impacting the connections that are being formed, and I kind of feel bad for the girls that are getting the short end of the stick in this regard.
Honorable Mention: The Boyfriend (S1)
Okay, so this show actually came out last year, but I’ve only gotten around to watching it now, which is very unlike me considering how GAY it is. If you’re in the mood for something heartwarming and wholesome, I highly recommend it. All the boys live in a house together and make connections over the course of a few weeks as they work at a coffee truck together in alternating pairs.
My favorite boys are Ryota, a tall bisexual model, and Gensei, a well-dressed makeup-artist, who are the sweetest cinnamon rolls EVER. I won’t spoil whether or not they find connections in the house, but I will say that it’s been so long since I’ve genuinely rooted this hard for people on a reality TV show.
And with that, the great reality TV roundup comes to a close. I’ll see you next week, and in the meantime, stay safe and sane! xoxo