Chicago Tribune: Rapping discusses popularity among women of reality TV

UB pop-culture expert Elayne Rapping, professor of American Studies, is quoted in a Chicago Tribune story about the popularity among women of reality TV shows that sometimes portray women in unflattering ways as they compete against one another. "What the shows encourage is the old-fashioned pre-'60s competitiveness among women. In those days it was because women didn't have jobs so there was catfighting over men," she says. "This is a somewhat different version. It's 'Who's going to get the prize?' But I think it brings out the nastiness in women," Rapping said. The article, which originated in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, has appeared in numerous newspapers throughout the nation, including the Modesto Bee, Boston Globe and Arizona Republic.