With its multitude of sub-genres, larger than life personalities, and fifteen minutes of fame offerings, reality television has quickly changed the face and economics of television culture. This research examines the disruption of traditional roles of race and class in reality television. Interdisciplinary in content and methodology, this study uses Real Housewives of Atlanta to identify the ways in which various representations of blackness challenge hegemonic understandings of what it means to be black in the United States. Focusing on the fluidity of identity, \"I'm Rich Bitch\" highlights the role that popular culture plays in redetermining populist perceptions of blackness.
","abstract_html":"<p>With its multitude of sub-genres, larger than life personalities, and fifteen minutes of fame offerings, reality television has quickly changed the face and economics of television culture. This research examines the disruption of traditional roles of race and class in reality television. Interdisciplinary in content and methodology, this study uses <em>Real Housewives of Atlanta </em>to identify the ways in which various representations of blackness challenge hegemonic understandings of what it means to be black in the United States. Focusing on the fluidity of identity, "I'm Rich Bitch" highlights the role that popular culture plays in redetermining populist perceptions of blackness.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hannah, Nykia"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts in American Studies (MAST)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Interdisciplinary Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Rebecca Hill","Dr. Griselda Thomas"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-05-13T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-05-13T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:43:09Z","subjects":["neoliberalism","reality television","blackness","respectability politics","black identities","hip hop","African American Studies","American Popular Culture","American Studies","Other Arts and Humanities","Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies","Women's Studies"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/mast_etd/2","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Rebecca Hill","Dr. Griselda Thomas"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hannah, Nykia"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-01-24T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Interdisciplinary Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts in American Studies (MAST)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["neoliberalism","reality television","blackness","respectability politics","black identities","hip hop","African American Studies","American Popular Culture","American Studies","Other Arts and Humanities","Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies","Women's Studies"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/mast_etd/2"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["With its multitude of sub-genres, larger than life personalities, and fifteen minutes of fame offerings, reality television has quickly changed the face and economics of television culture. This research examines the disruption of traditional roles of race and class in reality television. Interdisciplinary in content and methodology, this study uses Real Housewives of Atlanta to identify the ways in which various representations of blackness challenge hegemonic understandings of what it means to be black in the United States. Focusing on the fluidity of identity, \"I'm Rich Bitch\" highlights the role that popular culture plays in redetermining populist perceptions of blackness.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["\"I'm Rich Bitch:\" Black Class Performance and the New Nouveau Riche"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Rebecca Hill","Dr. Griselda Thomas"],"dc:creator":["Hannah, Nykia"],"dc:date.available":["2016-01-24T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["With its multitude of sub-genres, larger than life personalities, and fifteen minutes of fame offerings, reality television has quickly changed the face and economics of television culture. This research examines the disruption of traditional roles of race and class in reality television. Interdisciplinary in content and methodology, this study uses Real Housewives of Atlanta to identify the ways in which various representations of blackness challenge hegemonic understandings of what it means to be black in the United States. Focusing on the fluidity of identity, \"I'm Rich Bitch\" highlights the role that popular culture plays in redetermining populist perceptions of blackness.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/mast_etd/2"],"dc:subject":["neoliberalism","reality television","blackness","respectability politics","black identities","hip hop","African American Studies","American Popular Culture","American Studies","Other Arts and Humanities","Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies","Women's Studies"],"dc:title":["\"I'm Rich Bitch:\" Black Class Performance and the New Nouveau Riche"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Interdisciplinary Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts in American Studies (MAST)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:43:09Z"}