Holding Television Accountable

This work discusses the impact of television show audience participation and expectations in the age of social media through reception theory, content analysis, and primary research on social media platforms. It explores how audience reception can influence creative decisions and initiatives, such as “cancel culture” and diversity efforts, by thoroughly and critically analyzing shows like Girls, The 100, Big Brother, and Southern Charm to illustrate this phenomenon. Various types of television are examined, including reality TV, network and cable TV, and streaming TV, to explore the influence of audience reception on creative ownership and accountability, thus demonstrating the power of social media in the hands of viewers.

Allison Christina Budaj is a department chair for general education at Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences and teaches interdisciplinary studies courses at Southern New Hampshire University. Jonina Anderson-Lopez is a professor with the general education department at Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences, and also teaches writing and literary courses at the University of South Florida.

Edited by Allison Christina Budaj and Jonina Anderson-Lopez
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 297
Bibliographic Info: 22 photos, bibliographies, index
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9158-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5449-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments v
Introduction
Jonina Anderson-Lopez and Allison Christina Budaj 1

Part 1: Reality Television

Audience Interventions and the Plight of Systemic Racism on Big Brother
Ragan Fox 17

Canceling CBS: Black Alliances and Diversity on Reality TV’s Survivor and Big Brother, 2021–22
Christina S. Walker, Esq., J.D. 35

“You don’t work for me anymore”: Race, Cancel Culture, and Vanderpump Rules
Camille S. Alexander 53

Just Change the Channel? Analyzing Bravo’s Response to Online Calls for Cancellation
Rosemarie Jones 64

The Role of Crisis in Online Audience Participation’s Influence on Television Content: A Case Study of The Activist
Lukasz Swiatek, Marina Vujnovic, Chris Galloway, and Dean Kruckeberg 81

Part 2: Network and Cable Television

Tug of War: Social Media, Cancel Culture, and Diversity for Girls and The 100
Jonina Anderson-Lopez, R.J. Lambert, and Allison Christina Budaj 95

Black Dude Dies First: Portrayals and Casting Choices in Fear the Walking Dead
Juanita “Tico” Tenorio 120

Some Kind of Wonderful: An Analysis of Audience Reaction for The Wonder Years 2021 Reboot
Erin E. Gilles and Saleema Mustafa Campbell 130

#TheySilencedThem: The Strange Case of Supernatural’s Queerbaiting
Anna Caterino 148

Celebration and Mourning: Audience Reception of Queer Relationships in Schitt’s Creek and The 100
Chandrama Basu 172

Part 3: Streaming Television

The Races and Genders of Jarl Haakon: Historical Fiction Caught Between Accuracy and Authenticity in Vikings: Valhalla
Paul Csillag 193

The Marketing of Fictional Portrayals of ­Real-World Social Causes on Broadcast and Streaming Networks
Ronen Shay and Arien Rozelle 210

“An absolute travesty”: Probing Parasocial Relationships and Audience Negativity in HBO’s And Just Like That…
Erin E. Gilles 223

Ms. Marvel Beyond Cancel Culture: Multicultural Casting and Mixed Reviews
Farha B. Ternikar 243

Streaming and ­Video-on-Demand (SVOD) Has Become the “New Queer Cinema”
Victor D. Evans 255

Conclusion
Jonina Anderson-Lopez and Allison Christina Budaj 275
About the Contributors 281
Index 285