Book Review: "I Like To Watch" by Emily Nussbaum
“I Like To Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution” by Emily Nussbaum
Publisher Synopsis: From her creation of the “Approval Matrix” in New York magazine in 2004 to her Pulitzer Prize–winning columns for The New Yorker, Emily Nussbaum has argued for a new way of looking at TV. In this collection, including two never-before-published essays, Nussbaum writes about her passion for television, beginning with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the show that set her on a fresh intellectual path. She explores the rise of the female screw-up, how fans warp the shows they love, the messy power of sexual violence on TV, and the year that jokes helped elect a reality-television president. There are three big profiles of television showrunners—Kenya Barris, Jenji Kohan, and Ryan Murphy—as well as examinations of the legacies of Norman Lear and Joan Rivers. The book also includes a major new essay written during the year of #MeToo, wrestling with the question of what to do when the artist you love is a monster.
More than a collection of reviews, the book makes a case for toppling the status anxiety that has long haunted the “idiot box,” even as it transformed. Through it all, Nussbaum recounts her fervent search, over fifteen years, for a new kind of criticism, one that resists the false hierarchy that elevates one kind of culture (violent, dramatic, gritty) over another (joyful, funny, stylized). I Like to Watch traces her own struggle to punch through stifling notions of “prestige television,” searching for a more expansive, more embracing vision of artistic ambition—one that acknowledges many types of beauty and complexity and opens to more varied voices. It’s a book that celebrates television as television, even as each year warps the definition of just what that might mean.
Rating (out of 5): 4.25
Trigger Warnings: descriptions of violent murders (the show “Hannibal”), sexual assault (Harvey Weinstein, primarily)
Review: I have been reading Emily Nussbaum’s TV writing for years—recaps, criticisms, and profiles. (See her New Yorker archive here and her New York Magazine archive here.) I picked this one up on a whim at The Strand, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I didn’t realize at first that not all of the essays are new, but if you’re a pop culture aficionado like myself, I predict you’ll thoroughly enjoy this. (I also prefer TV over movies, which probably contributed to my enjoyment.) The essays were somewhat chronological, kicking off with Nussbaum’s first reactions to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and how she became a critic, delving into “The Sopranos” and “Sex and the City,” and finishing with a profile of Ryan Murphy, one of today’s most prolific showrunners. There was also a look back at “All In The Family” and some thoughts on how television has become what it has today—a much more respected medium than it was in the 1970s.
I didn’t love the essay on Joan Rivers; I thought it relied too much on a conversation Nussbaum had with a friend who knew Rivers. And while I’m still a fan of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” I do agree with plenty of Nussbaum’s points—that it’s a portrayal of a lifestyle accessible to few and borders on caricature at points. But her essay examining sexual violence in Hollywood and on television was spot on (and not just because I have always hated Louis C.K.), and a much needed perspective two years after the beginning of #MeToo.
(And, while it may not have aged well, there’s no denying that “Sex and the City” was quite progressive for 1999—and that it ended on a low note—just two of the other things Nussbaum and I agree on.)
If you haven’t watched a particular show that Nussbaum focuses on, you may be inclined to skip the corresponding essay; I have never watched “Hannibal” or “The Good Wife” so I did find myself skimming those portions. But, Nussbaum is absolutely one of the foremost voices on popular culture, and I respect (and share) her healthy skepticism of the tortured white male genius that so many shows (“Mad Men,” “Louie,” “Breaking Bad,” etc…) rely upon. She may even convince you to take another look at a show you otherwise put on the back burner. (Should I watch “Jessica Jones”?)
There was a period of time in my early 20s when I was too cheap to buy a TV, and I’d snobbily declare, “I don’t own a TV,” while still streaming “Breaking Bad” on my laptop. Well, it’s just about 2020, and I now own two TVs in my one-bedroom apartment—just in case I don’t want to walk the 20 steps from my bed to my couch. Television as a medium has come a long way, and it’s exciting to have been a witness to it. Emily Nussbaum’s writing, and her opinions, just make it that much more enjoyable.
TL;DR: A fun, yet timely (post-#MeToo) take on a medium that has come a long way since the 1950s. Nussbaum reviews television with the respect it deserves; her writing is sharp, funny, and I predict that if you’re into pop culture, you’ll like this as much as I did.
If you liked this, try:
“Trick Mirror” by Jia Tolentino (my review here)
“Catch and Kill” by Ronan Farrow (Elizabeth’s review here)
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