Perusing Reality (T.V.) - Josh Foley, Non-Core Post

It's hard to grasp exactly what counts as "reality T.V." After perusing some of the offerings listed under that title on Netflix, some choices include Lucha Underground, a show in which lucha libre wrestlers "compete" for $100,000; Buy Herself, an HGTV style house hunting show about single women looking to buy property; and Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!, whose title pretty much says it all: it's a show about debt collection and evictions in the U.K. The variety of reality T.V. on Netflix is striking, but also worth noting is how they each depend on competition in varying degrees, which cleaves closely to Anna McCarthy's reading of the affective and actuarial modes in reality T.V. Reality in these shows is heightened, given a narrative form, and there's ultimately something to be won or lost.