Out August 25, 2026

Reality TV for Snobs

Everything You Need to Know About the Shows You're Too Intellectual to Watch

Turn skeptics into fans and fans into scholars with this smart, entertaining guide to 20 influential reality shows, from The Real World to The Traitors.

Get the Book → See Tour Dates
Reality TV for Snobs by Ali Barthwell. Book cover: a classical marble bust wearing heart-shaped sunglasses and a bikini, holding a glass of red wine, on a black background with teal lettering.

Get the book.

Out August 25, 2026 from Quirk Books. Twenty binge worthy reality TV shows, one crash course. Order from wherever you like to buy books.

Quirk Books → Amazon → Barnes & Noble → Books-A-Million → Bookshop.org → Target →

Asking your local independent bookshop to order it works too, and they like that.

What it's about.

Reality TV isn't just entertainment; it's a cultural phenomenon! But much like reality itself, there's simply too much of it to keep up with! Whether you're a devoted fan, a curious skeptic, or just tired of missing the references everyone else seems to get, this witty, insightful guide is your crash course to the shows that shaped reality television.

Written by Emmy Award winning comedy writer and longtime reality TV critic Ali Barthwell, Reality TV for Snobs explores 20 of the most influential reality television series, from The Real World and Survivor to The Bachelor, The Real Housewives, America's Next Top Model, and The Traitors. With sharp humor and insightful cultural analysis, this guide reveals how these shows transformed television, launched careers, fueled internet memes, and changed the way we watch and talk about entertainment.

The second installment in the Outsider's Guide series, Reality TV for Snobs delivers the perfect crash course in reality television and modern pop culture, so you can understand the references, memes, and moments everyone else seems to be talking about, even if you've never watched a single episode. Join the conversation or convince your favorite snob to join it with you!

Come say hi.

Ali is on the road for Reality TV for Snobs. Bring a friend, bring a snob.

  1. August 25 6:30 PM

    Chicago

    Three Avenues Bookshop

    3009 North Southport Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657

    In conversation with Diamond Sharp

    Tickets →
  2. August 27 7:00 PM

    Boston

    Harvard Book Store

    1256 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

    In conversation with EB Bartels

    Tickets →
  3. September 2 7:00 PM

    Los Angeles

    Skylight Books

    1818 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

    In conversation with Kristin Chirico

    Tickets →
  4. September 8 7:00 PM

    New York

    Cafe con Libros

    724 Prospect Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11216

    In conversation with Josh Gondelman

    Tickets →
  5. September 29 8:00 PM ET

    Virtual

    The Audacious Book Club

    Hosted by Roxane Gay

    Join →
Ali Barthwell, author of Reality TV for Snobs, smiling outdoors in tortoiseshell cat-eye glasses, gold hoop earrings and a lilac collared shirt, against blurred green trees.

About the Author

Ali Barthwell is a four-time Emmy Award winning writer for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and a two-time Writers Guild Award and Peabody Award winner. She is also known as Vulture's longtime Bachelor Cinematic Universe recapper, covering The Bachelor franchise and the wider world of reality TV since 2015.

Before television writing, Ali was an actor, teacher, and the first Black female director at The Second City. She also co-founded Wakandacon, a celebration of Afrofuturism in pop culture, gaming, and technology.

A proud Wellesley College graduate, leukemia survivor, and Chicago native, Ali lives in Chicago, where she writes about reality TV, comedy, and modern culture.

More of Ali's Work Contact & Press