Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- the real scandal: portrayals of black women in reality tv / Jervette R. Ward -- Black women: from public arena to reality tv / Sheena Harris -- Selective reuptake: perpetuating misleading cultural identities in the reality television world / Latoya Jefferson-James -- Striving to dress the part: examining the absence of black women in different iterations of say yes to the dress / Alison D. Ligon -- The semiotics of fashion and urban success in the Real housewives of Atlanta / Cynthia Davis -- A home without walls, a family without boundaries: how family participation in reality television impacts children's development / Detris Honora Adelabu -- Where is Clair Huxtable when you need her?: the desperate search for positive media images of African American women in the age of reality tv / Monica Flippin Wynn -- Questions of quality and class: perceptions of hierarchy in African American family-focused reality tv shows / Preselfannie E. Whitfield McDaniel -- Contemplating Basketball wives: a critique of racism, sexism, and income level disparity / Sharon Lynette Jones -- Exploiting and capitalizing on unique black femininity: an entrepreneurial perspective / Terry A. Nelson -- Reunion chapter: a conversation among contributors / Jervette R. Ward -- Appendix: reality tv shows that prominently feature black women.

Description based on print version record.