The American Mirage: How Reality TV Upholds the Myth of Meritocracy
The 2026 Goldsmith Academic Book Award honors Eunji Kim, a political scientist at Columbia University, for The American Mirage: How Reality TV Upholds the Myth of Meritocracy. Kim’s book tackles a central paradox of contemporary American life: even as income inequality rises and social mobility declines, large numbers of Americans continue to believe fervently in the “American Dream.” Drawing on innovative research, Kim argues that some of the most powerful stories sustaining this belief are not found in editorials or political speeches, but in “success-oriented” entertainment such as American Idol, Shark Tank, and America’s Got Talent. These programs function as modern Horatio Alger tales, repeatedly dramatizing the idea that grit and talent alone separate winners from losers, that structural barriers can be overcome, and that the system is fundamentally fair because ordinary people really do “win big.” Kim shows that exposure to these rags-to-riches narratives strengthens viewers’ faith in upward mobility and, in turn, increases their acceptance of economic inequality and weakens support for the social safety net. The American Mirage offers a compelling and unsettling account of how popular culture shapes political beliefs, making it a distinguished contribution to our understanding of media, democracy, and inequality.