How to Read Emily Nussbaum: Recommended Paths
As a non-fiction author, Emily Nussbaum's works do not follow a traditional fictional timeline. However, they represent two very different styles of cultural criticism and media history. Depending on what you want out of your reading experience, there are two distinct starting points.
Option 1: The Chronological-History Path (Start with Cue the Sun!)
If you want a linear understanding of modern television's evolution, we recommend starting with her 2024 book, Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV. Although published later, it serves as an excellent historical foundation. This book traces reality television from its earliest precursors in radio and Candid Camera up to the early 2000s explosion of shows like Survivor, Big Brother, and The Apprentice. Reading this first gives you the historical context of how the television industry shifted its business and creative models.
Option 2: The Essayistic Criticism Path (Start with I Like to Watch)
If you prefer analytical, voice-driven criticism that examines the cultural impact of specific narrative series, start with her 2019 collection, I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution. This collection compiles her famous essays and columns from The New Yorker and other outlets. Here, Nussbaum examines groundbreaking series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sex and the City, The Sopranos, and Jane the Virgin, fighting against cultural snobbery and arguing for television as a legitimate, complex art form.
Emily Nussbaum Books in Publication Order
If you prefer to read Nussbaum's books in the order she wrote and published them, follow this list:
- I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution (Random House, 2019) – A collection of essays, profiles, and critical columns tracing the rise of prestige television and her own evolution as a critic.
- Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV (Random House, 2024) – A detailed, narrative-driven history of reality television, detailing the creators, strikes, and cultural factors that birthed the genre.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into Emily Nussbaum's books, it is helpful to keep a few context clues in mind to maximize your enjoyment:
- Pop Culture Literacy: Nussbaum's writing assumes a general familiarity with major TV shows. While she provides enough summary to follow her arguments, you will get the most out of I Like to Watch if you have watched (or are familiar with the plots of) shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sex and the City, The Sopranos, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad.
- Redefining Prestige: Nussbaum is famous for dismantling the traditional critical view that only dark, gritty, male-dominated dramas count as "quality" TV. She frequently champions colorful, emotional, and feminine-coded shows, such as Jane the Virgin and Sex and the City.
- Ethics and Industry History: While I Like to Watch is an appreciation of the artistic capabilities of TV, Cue the Sun! is a more journalistic and sometimes dark look at the labor exploitation, corporate greed, and psychological manipulation that built the reality television industrial complex.