Thank you for the shoutout! I saw this Forum call too, and it's so tempting...

Thank you!!

I must say that the combination of those preferences are rare! 😂 just sent you an email btw!

Wow, I am honored that my book made it into this list! I will definitely check out other books on this list over this winter break. In this age where few people actually read book, thank you for reading :)

can't wait to read this!!

Logo of APSA Preprints, underlined by the text "American Political Science Association" and "American Government and Politics" below.

New to @apsa-preprints.bsky.social -

Unexpected Voices: How Cultural Agents Reshape Political Communication - https://cup.org/46YJjwt

- @eunjikim.bsky.social & Erin York

#preprint

Grateful to Matt Baum, Jamie Druckman, @jonmladd.bsky.social @brendannyhan.bsky.social @dannagal.bsky.social for joining the Author Meets Critics session on The American Mirage tomorrow at 12:00. If you spot me at the conference, ask for my favorite book merch: a custom magnetic bottle opener!

EPSA have announced that they will hold a conference in July 2026.

😵‍💫 We understand that there might be some confusion about EPSS and EPSA.

👉🏽 So we thought we would clarify some things.

A short 🧵

😂

The American Mirage Thank You Gift Thank you so much for pre-ordering my (first and probably last!) book—it really means a lot. As a small token of appreciation, I’d love to send you a little gift. If you’re open to it, just let me kno...

Oh wow! Thank you!! I tried to make it fun and accessible :) any reader from @piie.com who purchases a book can also get a small gift if interested: forms.gle/1YrkYX2t2nPC...

The American Mirage How the entertainment narrative of upward mobility distorts the harsh economic realities in America

Cool book! Americans love reality competition TV. But does it shape political beliefs? @eunjikim.bsky.social says yes—and shows how it fuels faith in social mobility and individualism, despite declining economic opportunity. A subtle lesson in tournament wages: second place is first loser.

Thank you for this!!

Thanks, Don Green, for inviting me to share "Persuasion at Scale: ML, Causality & Information," a course retrospective @ Columbia's DSI.

@eunjikim.bsky.social & I covered the power & limits of causal inference & AI: from RCTs to LLMs

talk: bit.ly/PScaleTalk20...

class: lnkd.in/etbR2Dqc

The Truth About Bullsh*t How On Bullsh*t became a philosophical sensation

Check out our newsletter! On Bullsh*t 20th anniversary | Misbehaving at the Crossroads with Honorée Fanonne Jeffers | Channel Spotlight: LGBTQ+ Studies | Scholarly Sources: Eunji Kim

@princetonupress.bsky.social
@eunjikim.bsky.social
@blklibrarygirl.bsky.social

open.substack.com/pub/newbooks...

Eunji Kim, "The American Mirage: How Reality TV Upholds the Myth of Meritocracy" (Princeton UP, 2025) - New Books Network Support H-Net | Buy Books Here | Join the NBN and NBN en Español on Patreon | Visit New Books Network en Español!

Check out this episode of the @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social podcast and listen to @eunjikim.bsky.social discuss her new book The American Mirage: How Reality TV Upholds the Myth of Meritocracy: newbooksnetwork.com/the-american....

How Reality Television Warps Our Understanding of Political and Economic Realities In the television industry, ratings are often the most valued currency. In political discourse, however, the sheer quantity of onlookers pales in significance. Instead, its composition holds sway. …

Read this excerpt in @literaryhub.bsky.social of @eunjikim.bsky.social's new book The American Mirage, and learn how reality TV warps our perception of political and economic realities: lithub.com/how-reality-....

SICSS-Paris is on!
Today, over 40 scholars from all over Europe (and beyond) gathered at @crestumr.bsky.social for 2 weeks of courses and talks about digital methods and text analysis.
And in the evening, @eunjikim.bsky.social gave the first talk on influencers and political change.

Thanks so much for having me! Cheers to the organizing team 🍷

Thank you!!

Screenshot of the SICSS Paris logo

Next week, CREST is hosting another edition of the Summer School in Computational Social Science (SICSS).

Check out the speakers and participants here: sicss.io/2025/paris/p... and some here:

@bartbonikowski.bsky.social @eunjikim.bsky.social
@austin-van-loon.bsky.social @dirkhovy.bsky.social

thank you!

it was tempting to include that photo! 🤣

Now I’m reading about Eunji’s efforts at driving a truck and recruiting participants at county flea markets, including wearing a donkey Halloween mask. More of this in political science, please.

Thank you Debbie! Since so many scholars wrote important books, I thought I would be better off writing a fun book (!) and I tried my best! :)

The American Mirage How the entertainment narrative of upward mobility distorts the harsh economic realities in America

I just finished the first chapter of “The American Mirage” by @eunjikim.bsky.social and it is one of the most engaging works I’ve read in a long time. Eager to read the rest. Thank you, Eunji!
press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

Yes, that's right.

Today's reporter in the White House press briefing's "new media" seat is Jillian Michaels, the "Biggest Loser" trainer.

So honored (and amazed!) that Andrew Gelman—my senior colleague in political science and statistics—read The American Mirage cover to cover and wrote such a thoughtful review on his blog. Grateful for his generosity and sharp eye.
statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2025/05/22/e...

Eunji Kim

The American Mirage: How Reality TV Upholds the Myth of Meritocracy by Eunji Kim

Didn't get tickets for @eunjikim.bsky.social's sold-out Lectures on Tap event, "The Entertained States of America,” tomorrow (5/22) at 6:30 pm EDT? Follow Lectures on Tap on Instagram & check out their story tomorrow morning for a chance to get last-minute tickets: www.instagram.com/lecturesonta...

Getting photos like these over the past two weeks has been the most unexpectedly endearing part of publishing The American Mirage. Thank you for taking the time to snap a picture and share where the book landed in your lives. It’s heartening beyond words to feel the book out in the world 😍

Actually yes! I actually will be in NH next weekend! I will send a direct message :)