Page numbers listed correspond to the print edition of this book. You can use your device’s search function to locate particular terms in the text.
Footnotes are indicated by n after the page number.
Absolutely Fabulous (TV show), 97
Access Hollywood tape, 230–31, 232–33, 234, 259
Adams, Cindy, 62
Adkins, Trace, 140
Adorno, Theodor, 183
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The (Twain), 214
Agnew, Spiro, 262
Aiken, Clay, 127
Ailes, Roger
Glenn Beck and, 159
launch of Fox News Channel, 152, 167, 168, 221
Mike Douglas Show, The, 151, 152
Richard Nixon and, 151–52, 156
sexual harassment scandal, 154, 163, 229, 250, 276
as Trump’s debate consigliere, 229
Air Force One (movie), 235
Albert, Eddie, 28–29
Alice (TV show), 32
Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction? (TV show), 109
All in the Family (TV show), 29, 50, 89–91, 110, 214, 276
Ally McBeal (TV show), 72
alt-right movement, 91, 185–87, 220
Amazon, 73, 74
“America First,” 105, 253
American Bible Challenge (TV show), 180
American Family, An (TV show), 110
American Graffiti (movie), 64
American Idiot (musical), 174
American Idol (TV show), 73, 109, 114, 117, 127, 131–32, 137, 177
American Nerd (Nugent), 75
America’s Got Talent (TV show), 143
America’s Newsroom (TV show), 153
Amusing Ourselves to Death (Postman), xiv–xv, 27, 145
Anatomy of Criticism (Frye), 88–89
Andersen, Kurt, 27, 63, 158
Andy’s Gang (TV show), 256
Angry Black Woman template, 125
Animal House (movie), 33
antihero narratives
comic book superhero movies and, 104–5, 107
HBO in 1990s, 92
overview, 88, 92, 95–96, 97–99
Trump, pre-election, 105–6, 126–27, 136
Trump, in general election campaign, 227, 229, 234, 274
Trump, in inaugural address, 245
TV’s early antiheroes, 89–92
see also reality TV; specific TV shows
Anton, Michael, 100
Apple, 75
Apprentice, The (TV show)
antihero narrative and, 126–27
Apprentice: Los Angeles, The, 138–39
boardroom set, 118, 123, 127
candidates in the boardroom, 123, 129, 132–34, 135
cocktail party at Playboy Mansion, 17
fans’ parasocial bond with Trump, 234–35
Fox & Friends and, xii–xiii, 161
Jeff Zucker and, 205
launch of, xvii–xviii, 82, 118–21
product placements, 137
race and, 125, 128n
ratings, 135, 137–38, 230, 246
as reality show, overview, 124–31, 132
ritual sequence of episodes, 121–24
Trump as the You’re Fired Guy, 136, 140–41, 162, 171, 174, 203
Trump discussion of, on other TV shows, xiii, 136
Trump’s role, xii, 118–31, 132, 135–37, 140–41, 226, 241, 273
see also Celebrity Apprentice, The
Arendt, Hannah, 247, 248, 261
Arnold, Tom, 271
Arsenio Hall Show, The (TV show), 210
Art of the Deal, The. see Trump: The Art of the Deal
A-Team, The (TV show), xxi
Auletta, Ken, 147
Aunt Jemima, 65
Austin, Steve, 199
“Baby Jessica,” 147
Bachelor, The (TV show), 109, 114, 119, 130
Back to the Future (movie), 214–15, 216
Back to the Future Part II (movie), 33
Baio, Scott, 223
Banfield, Ashleigh, 166
Bannon, Steve, 91, 134, 186, 262, 264
Barnes, Clive, 15
Barnum, P. T., 16, 78, 197
Barr, Roseanne, 263
Barrett, Rona, xi–xii, xiii, 26–27, 33, 171, 251, 273
Barrett, Wayne, 61
Barthes, Roland, 198, 201, 227
Batman, 43, 77, 104–5, 106
Baudrillard, Jean, 38, 64
Beard, James, 4
Beard, Mary, 185
Beatty, Ned, 123
Beavis and Butt-Head (TV show), 77
Beck, Glenn, 157, 158–59, 164, 170
Bedtime for Bonzo (movie), 26
Begley, Sharon, 23
Being John Malkovich (movie), 129
Bell, Art, 158
Benjamin, Walter, xxii
Bennett, William, 183
Bentham, Jeremy, 116
Benza, A. J., 18
Bergdahl, Bowe, 203, 212
Berle, Milton, 4
Berlin, Irving, 7
Beverly Hillbillies, The (TV show), 28, 34, 181, 215, 222
Beverly Hills, 90210 (TV show), 71, 177
Beyoncé, 216
Bezos, Jeff, 73
Bianculli, David, 34
Biden, Joe, 224
Big Brother (TV show), 116, 251
Birth of a Nation (movie), 214
Black, David, 15
Blackish (TV show), 274
Black Mirror (TV show), 240
Blagojevich, Rod, 161
Blitzer, Wolf, 233
Bloodsport (movie), 14
Bloom, Allan, 183
Boardwalk Empire (TV show), 229
Boesch, Rudy, 114
Bolton, John, 250
Bonfire of the Vanities, The (Wolfe), 69
Book of Virtues, The (Bennett), 183
Boorstin, Daniel, 145, 148, 179
Bowie, David, 47–48
branding, defined, 55
Braudy, Leo, 210
Braun, Jonathan, 127, 128
Brave New World (Huxley), xiv, 239, 240
Breaking Away (movie), 35
Breaking Bad (TV show), 88, 96–97, 98, 99, 227, 276
Breitbart, Andrew, 186
Breitbart (news site), 91, 186, 217, 262
Breslin, Jimmy, 56
Breslow, Jeffrey, 57
Bressler, Heidi, 130–31
Brinkley, David, 149
Broad City (TV show), 216
Broderick, Matthew, 50
Brokaw, Tom, 21–22
Brown, Bobby, 43
Brown, John Y., 65
Brzezinski, Mika, 255
Buchanan, Pat, 150, 160, 183, 187
Buis, Greg, 115
Bunim, Mary-Ellis, 110
Bunker, Archie (TV character), 50, 89–90, 91, 97, 214, 219
Burnett, Mark
Apprentice, The, 118–19, 124–25, 126, 127, 130, 253
Restaurant, The, 139
Survivor, 113, 115, 118, 124, 125
Burton, Richard, 62
Bush, Billy, 230
Bush, George H. W., 111, 150, 152, 183, 216, 245
Bush, George W., 100, 150, 242
Bush, Jeb, 36, 200, 208
cable news
coverage of 9/11 attack, 150, 155–56
coverage of Trump presidency, 253–55, 270–71
“fake news,” 254
feedback cycle with Trump, 257–58, 271–72
incentive systems, 143–44
model for 24/7 news, 147–48
need for constant excitement, 145, 148, 149, 152–54
obsession with finding tapes of Trump, 270–71
reality TV and, 142–44
Trump campaign use of, 205–9
see also news and newsrooms on television; specific networks
cable TV
audience fragmentation and division, xv–xvi, 30–32, 87, 112, 179–84
growth after 1980, xiv–xv, 31, 89
reality TV and, 142–44
subcultures and, 182, 184, 222, 273
symbiosis with Trump, xvi, 119, 169–70, 255
see also specific networks and shows
Caddyshack (movie), 35–36, 50
Call Me Madam (musical), 7
Campbell, Joseph, 81
Campos-Duffy, Rachel, 112
Candid Camera (TV show), 110
Candid Microphone, The (radio show), 110
Cannon, Lou, 210
Carlson, Gretchen, 162–63, 166
Carlson, Tucker, 264
Carnegie, Dale, 10
Carpenter, John, 157
Carrey, Jim, 265
Carter, Chris, 157
Carter, Graydon, 63
Carter, Jimmy, 22, 26, 51
Carvey, Dana, 227–28
Case, Steve, 73
Cavuto, Neil, 161
Celebrity Apprentice, The (TV show)
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 137, 228
Clay Aiken, 127
Fox & Friends and, 160, 161, 162, 165–66, 168, 170
Gene Simmons, 189
Ian Ziering, 177
overview, 139–40
Piers Morgan, 140, 143
ratings, 137, 140
see also Apprentice, The
Charlie’s Angels (TV show), 30
Chase, David, 94–95, 96
Chasing Hillary (Chozick), 207
Cheers (TV show), xxi, 72
Cheney, Dick, 100
Chick-fil-A, 184
Chico and the Man (TV show), 32
Chiklis, Michael, 103
Chozick, Amy, 207
Churchill, Winston, 6
Chutes and Ladders (board game), 58
Citizen Kane (movie), 14
Civil War, 214
Clinton, Bill, 27, 87–88, 152, 209–10, 227–28, 232
Clinton, Hillary
conspiracy theories about, 152
election loss in 2016, 233–35, 260
Matt Lauer and, 207
private e-mail server, 233
Trump and, 161, 202, 208, 227, 228–29, 232, 233
Closing of the American Mind, The (Bloom), 183
CNN (Cable News Network)
“Baby Jessica” story, 147
Crossfire, 149–50
debates promoted as prizefight in 2016, 27n
first Gulf War in 1991, 147
Jeff Zucker and, 205
launch of, xiv, 31, 146–47
need for constant excitement, 148, 152
O. J. Simpson trial, 148
Coates, Ta-Nehisi, 227
Coca-Cola, 2014 Super Bowl ad, 216–17
Cohen, Michael, 128n
Cohn, Roy, 11, 16, 53, 54, 261
Colbert Report, The (TV show), 180, 247
Collier, Chet, 152
Collins, Joan, 34
Collins, Suzanne, 239
Comey, James, 233, 251, 257
Conger, Darva, 108
Conn, Billy, 3–4, 6
Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), 165, 169
conspicuous consumption, 47
Convoy (movie), 51
Conway, Kellyanne, 233, 246
Cooper, Anderson, 166
Costello, Elvis, 43
Coulter, Ann, 266
“Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)” (Keith), 242
Cowell, Simon, 114, 118
Crain’s New York Business, xvii–xviii
Cranston, Bryan, 96, 97
Crime and Punishment (Dostoevsky), 89
Cringely, Robert X. (Mark Stephens), 74
Crockett, Davy, 11–12, 102
Cronkite, Walter, 149
Crossfire (TV show), 149–50
Cruz, Ted, 208, 220, 221, 225
Culkin, Macaulay, 60
Culture of Narcissism, The (Lasch), 19
culture war, 87, 153, 179, 184, 187, 250, 262, 273
Cummings, Elijah, 266
Dallas (TV show), 33–34, 45, 70, 85
Damages (TV show), 97
Dancing with the Stars (TV show), 117, 144
Dangerfield, Rodney, 35
Dann, Michael, 29
D’Antonio, Michael, 10, 11, 124n
Daria (TV show), 149
Dark Knight, The (movie), 104
Dark Knight Rises, The (movie), 43
Darnell, Mike, 109
David, Larry, 208
Davy Crockett (TV serial), 11–12, 102
Dawkins, Richard, 189
DC Comics, 104–5
Deadwood (TV show), 88, 94
debates
covered as “boxing matches,” 27n
Crossfire, 149–50
general election debates in 2016, 27n, 229–30
Nixon and Kennedy in 1960, 151
primary debates in 2008, 101
Reagan and Carter, 26–27
as reality TV, 218–19
Republican primary debates in 2011, 144
Republican primary debates in 2016, 36, 101, 125, 210, 218–21, 222–23
Rick Perry in, 144
Ross Perot and, 72
Trump and, 36, 101, 125, 210, 218
DeLay, Tom, 144
DeLillo, Don, 6
Democratic National Convention (1968), 204
Democratic National Convention (2016), 224
Derek, Bo, 67
De-Valuing of America, The (Bennett), 183
Devine, Andy, 256
“Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” performance by Marilyn Monroe, 48
Dick, Philip K., 157
Dictionary of Teleliteracy (Bianculli), 34
Difficult Men (Martin), 94
Diff’rent Strokes (TV show), 50, 67
Dire Straits (band), 48–49
Dirty Jobs (TV show), 181
Disney, Walt, 16, 277
Disneyland (theme park), 115, 277, 279
Disneyland (TV show), 11–12
Dobbs, Lou, 164, 265
Dole, Bob, 56, 216
Donahue, Phil, 56, 126
Donahue (TV show), 56–57, 61, 72, 195
Donald J. Trump Presents The Ultimate Merger (TV show), 126
Doocy, Steve, 159, 162, 168, 171, 187, 257
Dora the Explorer (cartoon character), 256
Dostoevsky, Fyodor, 89
Do the Right Thing (movie), 69, 70
Dowd, Jim, 136, 246
Dragnet (TV show), 11
Draper, Don (TV character), 88, 95, 229, 275, 277
Drew Carey Show, The (TV show), 60, 126
Dr. Oz Show, The (TV show), 228
Duck Dynasty (TV show), 48n, 181–82, 215, 225n
Duffy, Sean, 112
Dukakis, Michael, 216
Dukes of Hazzard, The (TV show), 33, 181
Duran Duran (band), 47
Dynasty (TV show), 34, 46, 62, 70, 71
Ebola, 189
Ebsen, Buddy, 28
Eco, Umberto, 115, 119, 279
Eden, Barbara, 33
Edwards, John, 228
“Effective Speaking and Human Relations” (Carnegie), 10
Eisenhower, Dwight, xix, 7–8, 216, 231
Elizabeth II, Queen of England, 4, 6–7, 55, 258
Ellison, Larry, 73
“Enemy of the People,” 253–54, 260
Ensler, Eve, 87
Entertainment Tonight (TV show), 41
ER (TV show), 112
“Establishment Conservative’s Guide to the Alt-Right, An” (Yiannopoulos), 186
“E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction” (Wallace), 77–78
Ewing, J. R. (TV character), 33–34, 86
Expedition Robinson (TV show), 115
Extra (TV show), 160–61
Facebook, 106, 178–79, 232, 272
Fahrenheit 451 (Bradbury), 240
“fake news,” 254
Falcon Crest (TV show), 34
Fallon, Jimmy, 207
Fallon, Tiffany, 139
Family Feud (TV show), 272
Family Matters (TV show), 75
Family Ties (TV show), 50–51
Fantasy Island (TV show), 33
Farhat, Ed (“Sheik of Araby”), 197
Fast N’ Loud (TV show), 181
Father Knows Best (TV show), 13
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (movie), 50
Fiorina, Carly, 206
Fire and Fury (Wolff), 263
Fisher, Marc, 32
“Flight 93 Election,” 100
Fonda, Jane, 73
Ford, Christine Blasey, 266–67
Ford, Gerald, 15, 30, 218
Ford, Harrison, 235
Foster, Vince, 152
Fountainhead, The (Rand), 117
Fox & Friends (TV show)
about, 159–60
Apprentice and Celebrity Apprentice coverage, xii–xiii, 160, 161, 162, 165–66, 168, 170
MOAB and, 242
“Mondays with Trump,” xii–xiii, 141, 165–66, 167, 171–72
Trump guest appearances, 160–65
Trump presidency and, 255, 256–58, 259, 265
Trump’s tweets and, 187, 256–57, 259
Fox, Michael J., 50, 56, 67, 215
Fox News Channel
America’s Newsroom, 153
border security and immigration, 169, 188, 257, 266
launch of, 152–53, 154
overview, 152–54, 155–56, 248
paranoid style, 156–59, 224
Republican primary debates in 2016, 219
slogans, 152, 167, 221
symbiosis with Trump, 169–70
Trump challenge of in primaries, 221–22
“War on Christmas” theme, 153, 168, 185
“frankenbiting,” 112
Franz, Dennis, 92
Frasier (TV show), 72
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The (TV show), 67, 68, 126, 195
Friday Night Lights (TV show), 274, 276
Friend, David, 87
Friends (TV show), 70, 112
Frye, Northrop, 88–89
Fuller House (TV show), 209
Funt, Allen, 110
Furstenberg, Diane von, xi
Gabler, Neal, 81
Gabor, Eva, 28–29
Game of Thrones (TV show), 97
GamerGate, 185, 262
Gandolfini, James, 92, 94, 97, 229
Gates, Bill, 73, 74
General Electric Theater (TV show), 26, 210
Gentleman’s Agreement (Hobson), 90
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (movie), 48
Ghostbusters (movie remake, 2016), 185–86, 216, 250
Ghostbusters II (movie), 43
Ghosts Can’t Do It (movie), 67
Gibbons, Leeza, 170
Gibson, John, 153
Gilligan, Vince, 96–97
Gilligan’s Island (TV show), 115
Gingrich, Newt, 241
Girls (TV show), 98
Giuliani, Rudy, 249, 259
Glee (TV show), 180, 182
Godfather, The (movie), 85, 98
Godfather: Part II, The (movie), 98
Goetz, Bernhard, 69–70
gold, substance and idea of, 37–39
Goldwater, Barry, 26, 158
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (TV show), 25
Gong Show, The (TV show), 110
Goodfellas (movie), 94
Good Morning America (TV show), xi, 143, 166
Good Times (TV show), 29
Good Wife, The (TV show), 97, 180
Gore, Al, 125, 161, 209
Gorgeous George, 197
“gorilla channel” joke (Ben Ward), 263–64
Gorka, Sebastian, 250
Gosselin, Kate, 170
Graham, Billy, 6
Gramsci, Antonio, 185
Grant, Ulysses S., 278
Green, Joshua, 188
Green Acres (TV show), 28–29
Griffith, D. W., 214
Ground Zero mosque, 163
Gunn, Anna, 98
Haberman, Maggie, 232–33
Hagman, Larry, 33–34
Hallam, Julia, 7
Hall of Presidents (Walt Disney World), 277–81
Halperin, Mark, 276
Hamilton (musical), 216, 275
Hammond, Darrell, 65
Hannity, Sean, 166, 264, 265
Happy Days (TV show), 30, 32
Harrah’s (Atlantic City), xiii
Hartman, Phil, 44
Haskell, Nikki, 42
Hatch, Richard, 113–14, 116, 221, 234
Hawk, Susan, 116
Hayes, Helen, 8
HBO (Home Box Office), xxi, 92–94, 112–13, 149
Hebdige, Dick, 184
Heene, Falcon (“Balloon Boy”), 142–43
Heene, Richard, 142–43, 147
Hefner, Hugh, 13, 16–17, 128, 138n, 139, 154, 228
Hellcats of the Navy (movie), 51
Helmsley, Leona, 42–43
Heston, Charlton, 214
Hicks, Hope, 263
Hill, Anita, 267
Hill, E. D., 156
Hill, Henry, 94
Hillbilly Elegy (Vance), 182
Hill Street Blues (TV show), 31, 70, 91, 102
Hilton, Paris, 117, 118
hip-hop, 76, 275
Hobson, Laura Z., 90–91
Hofstadter, Richard, xv, 156–57, 158–59, 164
Hogan, Hulk, 199, 200
Hogan’s Heroes (TV show), 25
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (movie), 60–61, 62, 119
Homeland (TV show), 97
Honeymooners, The (TV show), 89
Hooks, Jan, 44
Horkheimer, Max, 183
Hot Tub Time Machine (movie), 214
Hughes, John, 50
Humbard, Rex, 6
Humphrey, Hubert, 204
Hunger Games (Collins), 239, 240
Hunt for the Trump Tapes, The (TV series), 271
Hurley, Elizabeth, 67
Huxley, Aldous, xiv, 239
Iacocca, Lee, 52–53
Iacocca: An Autobiography (Iacocca), 52–53
Idea of a President, The (short film), 278
I Didn’t Come Here to Make Friends (Robertson), 114
Idiocracy (Judge), 272
I Dream of Jeannie (TV show), 33
I Love to Eat (TV show), 4
Image, The (Boorstin), 145
income of Americans in 1980s, 46
Indian Removal Act of 1830, 12
Infinite Jest (Wallace), 69, 77–78
InfoWars, 158
Instagram, 178, 186, 190, 252
Internet
audience fragmentation, 32, 184–87
Rule 34, 32
subcultures and, 184–87
see also social media
Interview (magazine), 17
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (movie), 157
Ivanhoe (Scott), 214
Jack Paar Program, The (TV show), 151
Jackson, Andrew, 12, 227, 278
Jackson, Janet, 183
Jackson, Kwame, 128
Jackson, LaToya, 166
Jackson, Michael, 40, 81, 161, 174
Jamaica Estates, NY, 7, 8
Jason (Cuban American man in Florida), 209
Jay-Z, 216
Job, The (TV show), 67
Jobs, Steve, 75
Johnson, John, xi–xii
Jon and Kate Plus Eight (TV show), 170
Jones, Leslie, 185
Jones, Samantha (TV character), 68
Kaepernick, Colin, 184
Kafka on the Shore (Murakami), 66
Kaplan, E. Ann, 47
Kardashian, Kim, 178, 190
Kaufman, Andy, xxiii
Kavanaugh, Brett, 266–67
kayfabe, 198, 209, 248, 254
Keeping Up with the Kardashians (TV show), 178, 190
Kelly, Megyn, 219, 221–22
Kennedy, John F., 151, 191, 245
Kentucky Fried Chicken, 65
Kepcher, Carolyn, 123
Kerry, John, 228
Khan, Khizr, 224
Kill All Normies (Nagle), 185
Killer Tomatoes Eat France! (movie), 108
Kilmeade, Brian, xiii, 159, 168, 257
Kim Jong Il, 243–44
Kim Jong Un, 168, 243–44
Kim Kardashian: Hollywood (smartphone game), 190
King, Don, xvi, 121
King, John, 233
King, Larry, 72–73, 144, 237
Klein, Paul L., 25
Klemesrud, Judy, 18–19
Knight, Ted, 35
Knopfler, Mark, 49
Knots Landing (TV show), 31, 34
Knute Rockne, All American (movie), 26
Koch, Ed, 53
Kruse, Kevin, 180
Kudlow, Larry, 250
Ku Klux Klan, 214
Kushner, Jared, 168
Lady Gaga, 174
Landlord’s Game, The (board game), 58
Larry King Live (TV show), 148
Larry Sanders Show, The (TV show), 72, 92
Lasch, Christopher, 19, 30
Lashley, Bobby, 199
Late Night with David Letterman (TV show), 79, 80–81, 173
Lauer, Matt, 82, 207, 276
Laverne & Shirley (TV show), 32–33
Leach, Robin, 41, 126
Lear, Norman, 29, 71, 89, 91
Least Objectionable Program (LOP), 25–26, 28, 30, 89, 188, 226
Lebowitz, Fran, 119
Ledger, Heath, 104
Lee, Spike, 69, 70
Lee, Tammy, 129
Leftovers, The (TV show), xxi
Leonard, John, 86
Letterman, David, 72, 79–81, 173
Levene, Sam, 15
Lewandowski, Corey, 260
Lewinsky, Monica, 87
Life (board game), 58
Life Is Worth Living (TV show), 6
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (TV show), xi, 41, 44, 119
Life the Movie (Gabler), 81–82
Limbaugh, Rush, 152, 164
Lincoln, Abraham, xii, xiv, 277, 278
Lion of the West (play), 12
Lord of the Rings, The (Tolkien), 240
Loud, Will and Pat, 110
Louis, Joe, 3–4, 6
Louis C.K. (Louis Székely), 276
Love Boat, The (TV show), 30
Löwenthal, Leo, 42
MacDonald, Dwight, 24
Mack, The (movie), 128
Maddow, Rachel, 270
Mad Men (TV show), 88, 95, 180, 275
Madonna, 48, 76
Magie, Elizabeth, 58
“mainstream media” as conservative insult, 204
“Make America Great Again,” 211–13, 215, 217, 254
Making of the President 1960, The (White), 272
Manafort, Paul, 259
Manigault, Omarosa. see Omarosa
Maples, Marla, 62–63, 67
Mar-a-Lago, 55, 120, 123, 130, 200, 255
Marcos, Imelda, 42
Mariano, “Boston Rob,” 219
Married . . . with Children (TV show), 153
Martin, Brett, 94
Mary Tyler Moore Show, The (TV show), 29, 274
M*A*S*H (TV show), 29, 275
mass communication, effect of, 5
Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), 242
“Material Girl” video (Madonna), 48
Matrix, The (movie), 185
Mattis, James “Mad Dog,” 243
Maude (TV show), 29
Max Headroom (TV show), 206
McCain, John, 170, 216
McCarthy, Joseph, 10, 15, 159
McCarthy, Melissa, 249–50
McCarthyism (McCarthy), 159
McChrystal, Stanley, 162
McClure, Jessica, 147
McEntire, Reba, 65
McIntosh, Sandy, 13
McLuhan, Marshall, xiv, 151, 179
McMahon, Vince, 12, 198–99, 225, 254–55
Meatballs (movie), 33, 35
Meet the Press (TV show), 100, 238, 249
Melman, Larry “Bud” (Calvert DeForest), 79
memes, 187, 189, 220
Men in Black (movie), 214
#MeToo movement, 276
Meyers, Seth, 167
Michael (movie), 14
Michigan, nostalgia in, 213
Mike Douglas Show, The (TV show), 151, 152
Milton Bradley, 57
Miranda, Lin-Manuel, 275
Miss Universe pageant, 120, 130, 228, 229, 271
“Mondays with Trump,” xii–xiii, 141, 165–66, 167–68, 171–72
“Money for Nothing” (Dire Straits), 48–49
Monopoly (board game), 44, 51, 58
Monroe, Marilyn, 17, 48, 54
Moody, John, 159
Moonlighting (TV show), 77
Moonves, Les, 207, 276
Morgan, Piers, 140, 143–44
Mork & Mindy (TV show), 30
Morning Joe (TV show), 255, 263, 266
Morris, Errol, 14
Mosaic (web browser), 87
“Mother of All Bombs” (MOAB), 242
Mr. Mom (movie), 52
MSNBC, 154–55, 270
MTV, early years of, 31, 47–49
Mueller, Robert, 249, 266
Mulcahy, Susan, 18
Murakami, Haruki, 66
Murdoch, Rupert, 17, 152, 153
Murphy Brown (TV show), 71, 77, 183, 274
Murray, Jonathan, 110
Murrow, Edward R., 11
“My Appearance” (Wallace), 79
Nagle, Angela, 185
Naked Cowboy, The, 241
Nanny, The (TV show), 67
Nash Bridges (TV show), 102
National Anthem, NFL players kneeling during, 261–62
Naughty Nineties, The (Friend), 87
Navratilova, Martina, 55
Network (movie), xiii, 123, 272
Newman, Omarosa Manigault. see Omarosa
news and newsrooms on television
coverage of 9/11 attacks, 150, 155–56
coverage of Trump presidency, 253–55, 270–71
“fake news,” 254
incentive systems, 143–44
model for 24/7 news, 147–48
need for constant excitement, 145, 148, 149, 152–54
Obama’s disdain for TV news, 252
obsession with finding tapes of Trump, 270–71
paranoid style, 156–59
pseudo-reports, 148, 149
reality TV similarity to, 142–44
style of, 145–46
in three-network era, 149
Trump campaign use of, 205–9
zipper graphic, 155, 253
New York City
economic problems in 1970s, 15
tourist attractions, 39–40, 44, 60
New York Post purchase by Murdoch, 17
NFL players kneeling during National Anthem, 261–62
nicknames for Trump’s opponents, 208, 245, 260
Nikki Haskell Show, The (TV show), 42
1984 (Orwell), xiii–xiv, 239, 240, 247, 260
Nixon Answer, The (TV series), 151–52
Nixonland (Perlstein), 231
Nixon, Richard
“Checkers speech,” 231–32
“not a crook,” 234
presidential campaigns, 11, 151–52, 156, 209, 218
resignation, 30
Northern Exposure (TV show), 94
Notes from Underground (Dostoevsky), 89
Nugent, Benjamin, 75
Nugent, Ted, 213–14
Nussbaum, Emily, 97
NYPD Blue (TV show), 92
Obama, Barack
as “bad negotiator,” 168
birther conspiracy and, 79, 164–67, 168, 175, 221
as a “celebrity,” 216
conservative backlash against, 144, 156
disdain of TV news, 252
election in 2008, 156
Fox News Channel and, 156, 158
government shutdown in 2013 and, 255
inauguration (2009), 245, 248
machine in Hall of Presidents, 278
MOAB and, 242
NCAA brackets, 210
reelection, 187
reported tapping of reporter’s phone, 249
state dinner party, 143
as storyteller, 275–76
Twitter use, 175, 176
White House Correspondents’ Dinner, 167, 199
Obama, Michelle, 223, 269
O’Brien, Soledad, 155
O’Connor, Carroll, 50, 89–90
Octomom, 143
O’Dell, Nancy, 230
O’Donnell, Rosie, 118, 161
Official Preppy Handbook, The (Birnbach et al.), 49–50
O’Keefe, Michael, 35
“Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll” (Seger), 213
Omarosa (Omarosa Manigault Newman)
Apprentice, The, 125–26, 133, 135, 210–11, 218, 250–51
Trump presidency and, 167, 242, 250–51, 271
One Day at a Time (TV show), 30
Oprah Winfrey Show, The (TV show), xx, 56–57, 72
Orlando nightclub shooting, 205
Orwell, George, xiii–xiv, 239, 247
Osbourne, Ozzy, 117
Osbournes, The (TV show), 117
Outline, The (news site), 175
Overspent American, The (Schor), 46
Overton window, 254
Oz (TV show), 92
Palin, Sarah, 144, 162
panopticon, 116
Parallax View, The (movie), 157
“Paranoid Style in American Politics, The” (Hofstadter), 156–57
Paris Is Out! (play), 15
Parker, Fess, 11–12
Parker, Sarah Jessica, 68
Parker Brothers, 58
Parks and Recreation (TV show), xxi, 274
Pasdar, Adrian, 85
Pattinson, Robert, 175
Paul, Rand, 218
Paycheck, Johnny, 51
Peale, Norman Vincent, 10, 123
Pence, Mike, 252, 275
People (magazine), 17, 41, 62, 150
Perlstein, Rick, 231
Perot, H. Ross, 72–73, 80, 198
Perry, Rick, 144
Pershing, John J., 212
Petersen, Anne Helen, 42, 178
Petticoat Junction (TV show), 28
Picon, Molly, 15
Pinkett, Randal, 128n, 174
Pirro, Jeanine, 265
Planet of the Apes (movie), 214
Playboy (magazine), 13, 16, 34, 138n
Playboy Mansion, 16–17, 138n
Playgirl (magazine), 56
Plaza Hotel, New York City, 60–61
Plot Against America, The (Roth), 105
podcasts, 270
political correctness (PC), 111, 153, 182
Poniewozik, James
career as critic, xxi
interview of Trump, xvii–xviii
Time magazine, xvii–xviii, 150
Trump–Fox & Friends feedback loop and, 257–58
Poop Cruise, 205
conservatives and, 183–84, 185–87, 216–17, 224–25
Donald Trump and, 32, 34, 186, 216, 217
myths and archetypes, 276
of 1960s, 19, 25, 28, 33, 35
of 1970s, 17, 19, 28, 30, 32–33, 95, 128
of 1980s, 45–50, 57, 69
of 1990s, 60–61, 69–72
Republican Party and, 216
Postman, Neil
Amusing Ourselves to Death, xiv–xvi, 27, 145–46
Huxley and Orwell comparison, xiii–xiv, 239
“information-action ratio,” 5
on TV-era politics, xiv–xv, xvii, 27, 204, 272
postmodern theory, 64, 114–15, 169
PotCoin, 244
Power of Positive Thinking, The (Peale), 10
Pozner, Jennifer L., 125
Pretty in Pink (movie), 23
Priebus, Reince, 134, 258
Primetime Live (TV show), 63
Prisoner, The (TV show), 25
Private Parts (movie), 87
Probst, Jeff, 114, 115, 118
Profit (TV show), 85–87, 88, 89, 136
Protocols of the Elders of Zion, The, 205
pseudo-events, 145, 148
pseudo-reports, 148, 149
Psyience Detectives, The (Internet series), 143
Quaker Oats Company, 65
Quayle, Dan, 183
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (TV show), 117
“racehorse theory,” 124n
Rainey, David “Puck,” 111
rallies, 199–201, 202–4, 206–7, 212–13, 215, 261
Ramis, Harold, 35, 36
Ramsey, JonBenet, 148
Rand, Ayn, 117
Reagan, Nancy, 34, 51
Reagan, Ronald
career before presidency, xix, 26, 191, 210
comparison with Trump, 210–11, 240–41
culture during Reagan era, xi, 30, 33–34, 51, 57, 191
debate with Carter, 26–27
election, 34, 146, 212
“Morning in America” ad campaign, 204
reelection, xiv, 27, 204
Roger Ailes and, 152
“Real American” (Derringer), 199
Real Housewives of D.C., The (TV show), 143
reality TV
after September 11, 2001, attacks, 116, 118
authenticity, 107, 111, 112, 178, 224
cable news and, 142–44
fighting as an end, 263
history, 110
overview, 107, 112, 116–17, 131–32
Republican primary debates in 2016 as, 218–21, 220
symbolism used, 109, 119, 124, 223
techniques of, xvi
Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?, 108–9, 112, 113
see also antihero narratives; specific TV shows
Real People (TV show), 110
Real World, The (TV show), 73, 110–12, 125, 219
Reddit, 12, 185, 186, 206
Reeve, Christopher, 104
Reeves, George, 104
Reliable Sources (TV show), 263
Republican National Convention (2016), 48n, 122, 223–26, 248
Restaurant, The (TV show), 139
Revolution Was Televised, The (Sepinwall), 98
Ribeiro, Alfonso, 67
Rich, Frank, 62, 150
Richie, Nicole, 117
Riefenstahl, Leni, 105
Riney, Hal, 204
“Rio” (Duran Duran), 47
Risky Business (movie), 50
Rivera, Geraldo, 170
Robertson, Courtney, 114
Robertson family, 181–82
Robertson, Phil, 182
Robertson, Willie, 225n
Rocca, Antonino, 197
“Rocket Man” (John), 202
Rockford Files, The (TV show), 94
Rocking Around the Clock (Kaplan), 47
“Rockin’ in the Free World” (Young), 196
Rockwell, Rick, 108, 109
Rocky II (movie), 81
Rodman, Dennis, 168, 243, 244
Rolling Stones, 15, 202
Romney, Mitt, 168, 170, 176, 222, 241–42
Romper Room (TV show), 256
Rona Barrett Looks at Today’s Super Rich (TV show), xi–xii
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 191
Roosevelt, Theodore, 227
Rose, Charlie, 276
Roseanne (TV show), 70
Roth, Philip, 105
Rove, Karl, 166
Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In (TV show), 151, 209
Rowe, Mike, 181
Rubio, Marco, 63, 222
Rushkoff, Douglas, 240
Russert, Tim, 100, 101
Russian propaganda, 248
Ryan, Paul, 245
Ryan, Shawn, 102–3
Sabato, Antonio, Jr., 223
Salahi, Michaele and Tareq, 143
Saltz, Jerry, 178
Sanders, Bernie, 224
Sanders, Harland (Colonel), 65–66
Sanders, Sarah Huckabee, 250, 262
Santelli, Rick, 144
Saturday Night Live (SNL) (TV show), 44, 77, 134, 136, 207–8, 210, 228, 249
Say Yes to the Dress (TV show), 250
Scaramucci, Anthony “The Mooch,” 134, 250, 265
Schonfeld, Reese, 146
Schor, Juliet B., 46
Schumer, Charles, 260
Schwartz, Tony, xxi
Schwarzenegger, Arnold, 137, 228
Scott, Walter, 214, 218
Scutt, Der, 39, 44
Secret, The (Byme), 56
See It Now (TV show), 11
Seger, Bob, 213–14
Seinfeld (TV show), 70
Sepinwall, Alan, 98
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks
antihero dramas and, 99–102, 104
cable news coverage of, 150, 155–56
comic book movies and, 104–5
overview, 99–100
reality shows and, 116, 118
Sesame Street (TV show), xxi, 256
Sessions, Jeff, 255
Sex and the City (TV show), 67–68, 92
Sexton, Jared Yates, 203
Shaffer, Paul, 79, 81
Shah, Raj, 251
Shales, Tom, xii
Sharknado (TV movie), 177
Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! (TV movie), 177
sharks, summer of, 150
“Sharp Dressed Man” (ZZ Top), 48, 181
Shaw, Jamiel, 200–201
Sheen, Charlie, 166
Sheen, Fulton J., 6
Sherman, Gabriel, 152
Shield, The (TV show), 102–4
Shine, Bill, 250
“shy Trump effect,” 91
Silverman, Ben, 139
Simmons, Gene, 189
Simple Life, The (TV show), 117
Simpson, O. J., 62, 148
Simpsons, The (TV show), 77, 153, 183, 216, 222, 243
Singer, Mark, 14
Site, The (TV show), 155
60 Minutes (TV show), 56, 119, 126, 149, 259
Slacker (movie), 70
Smith, Liz, 18, 62, 72
Smith, Shepard, 142
Smokey and the Bandit (movie), 51
Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The (TV show), 25
Snowden, Edward, 212
social media
control of population with information, 248
culture war and, 179, 184, 187
Facebook, 106, 178–79, 232, 272
Instagram, 178, 186, 190, 252
as partner to TV, 176–77
politics and, 191–92
“social-media fasts,” 271
two-way communication on, 189–91
see also Twitter
solar eclipse (2017), 268
Solovey, Sam, 123–24
Soprano, Tony (TV character), 93–95, 202, 229, 234, 274–75
Sopranos, The (TV show), xxi, 92–95, 96, 98–99, 112–13, 202, 229, 274–75
Spelling, Aaron, 71
Spicer, Sean, 134, 246, 249–50
Sports Night (TV show), 72
Spy (magazine), 63, 222
Stahl, Lesley, 259
Starr, Kenneth, 88
Star Wars (movie), 35, 185
Steinbrenner, George, 16
Stephanopoulos, George, 166
Stern, Howard, 81n, 87, 160, 228
Stewart, Jimmy, 8
Stewart, Kristen, 175
Stewart, Martha, 66, 138, 205
Stiller, Ben, 88
Sting, 49
Stone, Roger, 98
Suddenly Susan (TV show), 67
Sullivan, Ed, 28, 48
Super Fly (movie), 128
Superman, 104–5
Supertrain (TV show), 30–31
Survivor (TV show), 113–16, 117–18, 119, 122, 124–25, 171, 219, 221
Sutherland, Kiefer, 100, 101
S.W.A.T. (TV show), 29
“Take This Job and Shove It” (Paycheck), 51
Tapper, Jake, 206, 258
Taylor, Elizabeth, 62
Taylor, Niki, 166
Tea Party, 144, 162, 174
Tebow, Tim, 184
technology wealth, 73–75
Technopoly (Postman), xvi
telegraph, effect of, 5
television (general)
advertising, 19, 28, 30–31, 46, 70
as art form, xv, xxi–xxii
as attention machine, xxi, xxii
opportunity or threat from, 8–9, 173
real-estate business compared with, 5, 10
virtual space and, 5–6, 8, 10
television, in three-network era before 1980
“Age of Television,” xiv
country shows and rural purge, 28–29, 90
evening newscasts, 149
as homogenizing force, xv, 24
Least Objectionable Program (LOP), 25–26, 28, 30, 89, 188, 226
peak of mass-media audience, 24, 30, 46
working-class heroes, 32–33
see also specific TV shows
television, post-1980
audience fragmentation and division, xv–xvi, 30–32, 87, 112, 179–84
cable TV growth, xiv–xv, 31, 89
fascination with the rich, 33–35
focus on demographic groups, 30–31
red light and Trump, 195–96, 203–5, 211, 225, 235, 237, 262, 280
shows liked by liberals or conservatives, 180–82
see also antihero narratives; specific TV shows
Temptation Island (TV show), 109, 153
Texaco Star Theater (TV show), 4, 231
theory of mind, 211
Theory of the Leisure Class, The (Veblen), 47
There’s Something About Mary (movie), 88, 92
Thesz, Lou, 198
They Live (movie), 157
Think Big (Trump), 187
This Old House (TV show), 44–45, 122
Thomas, Jay, 108
Three Blind Mice (Auletta), 147
Three’s Company (TV show), 30
“ticking time bomb” scenario, 104
Time (magazine), xvii–xviii, 69, 252
Timeless (TV show), 214
Today Show, The (TV show)
David Letterman and, 79
Jeff Zucker and, 205
Matt Lauer and, 82, 207
Tom Brokaw and, 21–23, 26, 30, 33, 79, 126, 136, 146, 195
Todd, Chuck, 238, 249
Toma (TV show), 29
Tonight Show (TV show), 65, 93, 165, 207
torture in television and movies, 101, 104–5
Traister, Rebecca, 229
Transparent (TV show), xxi
Travels in Hyperreality (Eco), 115, 279
Travolta, John, 14
Triumph of the Nerds (documentary), 74
Triumph of the Will (Riefenstahl),
105–6
Trow, George W. S., xv, xxi, 24, 54, 180, 272
Truman Show, The (movie), 265–66
Trump, Barron, 138
on Abraham Lincoln, xii, xiv
Access Hollywood tape, 230–31, 232–33, 234, 259
Al Gore and, 161, 209
as an attention machine, xxii
antihero narrative and, 105–6, 126–27, 136, 227, 229, 234, 245, 274
“baby” as an insult, 259, 260
Barrett interview, xi–xii, xiii, 26–27, 171, 251
birther conspiracy and, 79, 164–67, 168, 175, 221
birth of, 3
border security and immigration, 169–70, 188, 257, 260, 266
Brokaw interview, 21–23, 27, 29–30, 31, 35, 56, 126
business downfall, 61–62, 75, 121
businesses bought in 1980s, 55–56
campaign ads, 205
campaign announcement, xxiii, 129, 196–97
campaign appeal to resentment of elites, 71
campaign rallies, 199–201, 202–4, 206–7, 212–13, 215
celebrity lifestyle, 15–21, 274
“Central Park Five” and, 70, 160, 165, 169
challenge of Fox News in primaries, 221–22
childhood, 4–5, 6, 8–10
comeback story, 67, 81–82, 120–21
comparison to Reagan, 210–11, 240
at Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), 165, 169
control by TV during presidency, 237–38, 257–58, 259, 264–66, 268
as corporate mascot, xxiii, 64–65, 68
decision not to run in 2012, 167
dependence on TV during presidency, 240, 252–53, 254–55, 258–60, 264–66, 270
divorce from Ivana, 62–63
dominance politics in campaign, 219–20
early nonpolitical tweets, 173–74, 177, 274
early style and public image, 23, 27, 41–43, 53–57, 63, 75–76
Eddie Albert sketch, 29
education, 8, 13, 14, 18, 131
election of, xxi, 27, 233–35
“Executive Time” during presidency, 259
“fake news” and, 254
Fox & Friends and Trump presidency, 255, 256–58, 259, 265
Fox & Friends guest appearances, 160–65
general election campaign (2016), 226–33
government shutdown (2019), 265
Harrah’s opened, xiii
hats (“Make America Great Again”), 211, 215
Hillary Clinton and, 202, 208, 227, 228–29, 232, 233
in hip-hop lyrics, 76
Howard Stern and, 81n, 160, 228
idea of gold and, 38–39
inauguration, 245, 248
influence of father’s business, 10
Kavanaugh confirmation and, 267
Kim Jong Un and, 243–44
lies and hypocrisy during campaign, 221
lies told during presidency, 246–47, 253
loan restructuring, 61–62
machine in Hall of Presidents, 278–81
“Make America Great Again,” 211–13, 215, 217, 254
“Mondays with Trump,” xii–xiii, 141, 165–66, 167–68, 171–72
movie and TV appearances, 60–61, 67–68, 76–77, 80–81, 126, 134
nicknames for opponents, 208, 245, 260
nostalgia act in campaign, 212–15, 217–18, 228
numbers fixation, 137
obsession with media, 238
plan to use TV as tool during presidency, 236–37
playing the role of “Donald Trump” in 1990s, 64, 66–69, 76–77, 119–21, 171
political conflicts and fights during presidency, 262–63, 267
political tweets, 174–76, 187–88, 190–91
Poniewozik interview, xvii–xviii
pop culture and, 32, 34, 186, 216, 217
presidential appointments and hiring, 241–42, 243, 250
President Trump’s tweets, 244, 254–55, 256–60, 263, 267, 272, 275
press coverage during presidency, 253–55
profile in the New York Times (1976), 18–19
“props for the show,” 56, 61, 76
pro wrestling and, 11, 12, 198–99, 225, 254–55, 272
racism and, 79, 160
real-estate career choice, 13–14
red light of television and, 195–96, 203–5, 211, 225, 235, 237, 262, 280
Reform Party campaign in 2000, 150
Republican National Convention, 48n, 122, 223–26, 248
Republican nomination in 2016, 17
Republican primary debates, 36, 101, 125, 210, 218–21, 222–23
retweets, 188, 190–92, 220, 259
Ross Perot compared to, 73
on Russian hacking, xvi
Sean Spicer and, 246, 249–50
separation from his private businesses during presidency, 242
show business combined with business, 14–15
similarity to Al Czervik (Caddyshack), 36
solar eclipse and, 268
symbiosis with cable TV, xvi, 119, 169–70, 255
symbolism used, 130, 242–43, 262
TV as basis of success, xix–xxii
TV effect on, during childhood, 4, 6, 8–9, 10–12, 236, 256
TV punditry, 160–66
unhealthy behavior, 269–70
use of TV news in campaign, 205–9, 237
White House Correspondents’ Dinner, 167, 199
as You’re Fired Guy, 136, 140–41, 162, 171, 174, 203
see also Apprentice, The; Trump: The Art of the Deal
Trump, Eric, 14
Trump, Frederick Christ
in business, 5, 9–10, 160
as Donald’s father, 3, 10, 12–13, 124, 259
television and, 4, 9, 231, 258
Trump International Hotels, 38–39, 64, 119, 128, 250
Trumpism, 49, 183, 261, 274
Trump, Ivana, 40, 42, 44–45, 54, 62, 77, 122
Trump, Ivanka, 123, 161, 168, 263
Trump, Mary Anne (Donald’s mother), 3, 4–5, 6, 7, 10, 55, 124, 258
Trump, Melania, 138, 163, 196, 223, 253
Trump Steaks, 136, 223, 242
Trump: Surviving at the Top (Trump and Leerhsen), 93–94
Trump Taj Mahal, 55, 120, 121, 128, 129
Trump: The Art of the Comeback (Trump), 67, 81–82, 120
Trump: The Art of the Deal (Trump and Schwartz)
about, 53–54, 56, 81
Bonwit Teller friezes, 22
Mark Burnett and, 118
Mary Trump, 4–5, 258
performance of Trump, xx–xxi, 120
Trump’s early life, 4, 13
on virtue signaling, 261
Trump: The Game (board game), 57–59
Trump: Think Like a Billionaire (Trump and McIver), 54
Trump: Think Like a Champion (Trump and McIver), 54, 173
Trump Tower
as advertisement, 39–40, 43–44
apartments, 16, 40, 44–45, 119, 123
atrium, xxiii, 43, 44
C-SPAN live-cam in the lobby, 241
descriptions of, 39, 43
groundbreaking, 22
This Old House tour, 44–45
Trump’s campaign announcement, 196–97
Trump’s offices, xvii, 43
Truth About Trump, The (D’Antonio), 124n
Tufekci, Zeynep, 248
Turner, Ted, 73, 146
TV Guide (magazine), 25
Twain, Mark, 214
Twelve Years a Slave (movie), 216
24 (TV show), 100–102
Twilight Zone, The (TV show), 25
Twin Peaks (TV show), 72
epidemics and, 189
format and message length, 178
Iran’s pro-democracy “Green Movement,” 176
Obama’s Twitter use, 175, 176
overview, 176
as partner to TV, 176–77, 178–79
politics and, 191–92
retweets, 176, 188, 190–92, 220, 259
Trump’s early nonpolitical tweets, 173–74, 177, 274
Trump’s political tweets, 174–76, 187–88, 190–91
Trump’s tweets as president, 244, 254–55, 256–60, 263, 267, 272, 275
two-way communication on, 189–91
Two and a Half Men (TV show), 166
Tyson, Mike, 80
Unhinged (Omarosa), 251
Vagina Monologues, The (play), 87
value, types of, 38
Vance, J. D., 182
Van Damme, Jean-Claude, 14
Vanderbilt, Cornelius, 74
Veblen, Thorstein, 47
Ventura, Jesse “The Body,” 198
Vila, Bob, 44–45
virtue signaling, 261
Vongerichten, Jean-Georges, 128
Walking Dead, The (TV show), 181, 276
Wallace, David Foster, 69, 77–79
Wallace, George, 26
Wall Street (movie), 23, 45
Walt Disney’s Disneyland, see Disneyland (TV show)
Walt Disney World (theme park), 277–79
Walters, Barbara, 51
Waltons, The (TV show), 32, 183
Ward, Ben, 263–64
Warhol, Andy, 17, 54–55, 178
War of the Worlds, The (Wells), 157
“War on Christmas, The,” 153, 168, 185
W.C. (musical), 15
“We Are the Champions” (Queen), 226
Webb, Jack, 11
Webster (TV show), 50
Weeds (TV show), 98
Weinstein, Harvey, 276
Welcome Back, Kotter (TV show), 32
West, Adam, 77
West, Kanye, 177–78, 241
West Side Story (musical), 13
White, Theodore H., 272
Whitehorn, Katharine, 13
White House Correspondents’ Dinner, 167, 174, 199, 262
White Noise (DeLillo), 6
Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? (TV show), 108–9, 112, 113
Wife Swap (TV show), 143
Wiglesworth, Kelly, 116
Williams, Robin, 30
Wilson, Joe, 144
Wilson, Woodrow, 214
Winfrey, Oprah, 56, 66, 218
Wing and a Prayer, A (movie), 211
Wire, The (TV show), 94, 275
Within the Context of No Context (Trow), xv, 24
Wolfe, Tom, 69
Wolff, Michael, 211, 263
Women’s March, 245
wrestling
as an open-air performance, 201
kayfabe, 198, 209, 248, 254
Monday Night Raw, 174, 198
overview and history, 197–98
in Trump’s casino and theatrics, 11, 12, 198–99, 225
WrestleMania, 12, 198, 199, 255
WWE Smackdown, 198
WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), xx, 198–99, 209, 225, 273
Wright, Jeremiah, 156
X-Files, The (TV show), 157–58, 175
Yahoo!, 73, 74
Yalamanchili, Surya, 138n
Yang, Jerry, 73
Yiannopoulos, Milo, 185–87, 262
You Asked for It (TV show), 110
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” (Rolling Stones), 202
You Can’t Fire Me, I’m Famous (TV show), 143
YouTube, xii, 143, 206
Zamora, Pedro, 111, 112
Zelizer, Julian, 180
Zervos, Summer, 133
Ziering, Ian, 177
zipper graphic, 155, 253
Zucker, Arianne, 230–31
Zucker, Jeff, 205
ZZ Top (rock band), 48, 181