Makeover TV: Selfhood, Citizenship, and Celebrity

In 2004, roughly 25 makeover—themed reality shows aired on U.S. television. By 2009, there were more than 250, from What Not to Wear and The Biggest Loser to Dog Whisperer and Pimp My Ride. In Makeover TV, Brenda R. Weber argues that whether depicting transformations of bodies, trucks, finances, relationships, kids, or homes, makeover shows posit a self achievable only in the transition from the “Before—body”—the overweight figure, the decrepit jalopy, the cluttered home—to the “After—body,...