Disrupting The Amazing Race: Education, Exploration, and Exploitation in Reality Television

Abstract

This article draws on research in the fields of visual culture and critical media literacy to establish a rationale for utilizing popular culture in social studies classroom instruction. One reality television show, CBS's The Amazing Race, introduces viewers to diverse people and places. Although the decision to use this show to support social studies instruction may come from well thought-out pedagogical objectives, this medium could still project a message of “culture-gazing” or ethnocentric representations of the world. The author provides a textual analysis of two seasons of the show to demonstrate how teachers can help students identify and critique oppressive views of the world promoted through reality television. Practical suggestions are offered for reconstructing anti-ethnocentric views of the world after these images have been disrupted.