Act Four: The best journalist to read if you want to understand reality television

I can't cover every story, but I can tell you who I read when I can't.   Alyssa Rosenberg on culture and politics   “Bachelor” host Chris Harrison in West Hollywood, Calif., in 2012. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/Associated Press) As a critic without a specific beat, I get to range across television, books, movies, music, cable news and politics. But that also means I can’t cover everything on those beats, even though I’m interested. And since I am only one woman, with the same 24 hours in my day as everyone else, I rely on great writers and reporters who are more specialized than I am when a controversy flares up and I want to truly understand what’s going on. It’s occurred to me that I don’t always tell you who I’m reading when something like this happens, and that if I can’t cover something, it would be worth pointing you to the person who’s shaping my thinking on a big story. In the case of the allegation that a contestant had been filmed sexually assaulting another contestant on “Bachelor in Paradise,” the person I’m reading is Andy Denhart, who runs the website reality blurred. Denhart is a terrific reporter and critic who does an excellent job of explaining why a reality show is compelling but is also clear about what the conventions of the genre’s various formats are. And he’s one of the sharpest people I know about calling out networks that are ostensibly dedicated to airing serious informational programming when they order junk. When it comes to this unfolding story, which may involve canceling the entire season of the show, Denhart has a great roundup of the developments as they happen, but he’s also been sharply critical of ABC and “Bachelor” franchise host Chris Harrison for being less than forthcoming. In general, if you want to understand the reality television industry more broadly, Reality Blurred is a great place to start. And if you want to support independent entertainment journalism, Denhart is a great person to start with. ADVERTISEMENT   ‘The Trump Show,’ Season 1, Week 21, reviewed "The Trump Show" wants to be part of the tradition of great anti-hero dramas. But so far, the showrunners don't know what makes those series so compelling. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   Blaming political violence on someone other than the perpetrator? Reconsider. You don't have to blame Sarah Palin for a political assassination or "Oldboy" for a mass shooting to recognize that when something's gone wrong in our culture. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   Critics have been having the same debates about art and politics forever. Ours are just dumber. A sharp memoir by an ambitious critic reminds us that though the players have changed, we keep coming back to the same arguments. By Sonny Bunch  •  Read more »   ‘House of Cards’ desperately wants to be relevant. It still has nothing meaningful to say. The series' long-standing insistence that no one in Washington actually cares about anything is particularly ugly in the Trump administration. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   When they cower before Trump outrage, corporations make us angrier and dumber Bank of America and Delta's decision on the Public Theater's production of "Julius Caesar" is a disturbing sign of cultural illiteracy. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Recommended for you   The Health 202 Your daily guide to Washington's health-care debate. Sign Up »         Share Act Four:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Act Four. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2017 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071