docusoaps
docusoaps
Pronunciation
/ˈdɒkjusoʊps/
do - /ˈdɒk/
cu - /ju/
soaps - /soʊps/
Word Form Variations
Singular: docusoap
Plural: docusoaps
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A television program format that combines elements of a documentary and a soap opera, often following the real lives of a particular group of people, profession, or subculture with a heightened sense of drama and narrative.
Synonyms: reality television, docu-drama (informal usage)
Antonyms: scripted drama, traditional documentary
A television series that chronicles the day-to-day operations and personal lives within a specific business or institution, frequently using dramatic editing and music to create compelling storylines from real events.
Synonyms: reality series, unscripted show
Antonyms: fictional series, scripted show
Examples of Use
Books and Academia
"The docusoap genre has been intensely controversial since its inception, with critics generally despising the patronizing voiceovers, the attention-seeking stars, and the lack of gripping material." (International Documentary Association, November 1999)
A thesis exploring the American docusoap uses The Hills as a case study, arguing that the genre's blending of documentary and soap opera techniques has proven popular with audiences worldwide. (Victoria University of Wellington)
In the book New Media, New China, New Consumers, the author notes the rise of the "docusoap" as a key development in Chinese television programming.
Newspapers and Online Publications
"The docusoap returns for a new run with a grim first episode." (The Sun, August 2013)
A review of a new television program on Channel 4 stated that it "revives the observational series set around a workplace, so beloved of the docusoap" era. (The Guardian, August 2013)
An article analyzing the evolution of reality television identified Selling Sunset as a "docusoap," a hybrid of a real estate show and a drama about the agents' lives. (People, May 2023)
Entertainment Platforms and Public Discourse
"We're about to find out thanks to this new docusoap." (The Sun, 2014)
Fans of a show often use the term "docusoap" in online forums and social media to describe its blend of real-life situations and dramatized storytelling.
The term "docusoap" has been used in media studies to describe a genre of television that has profoundly redefined documentary practice. (Media, Culture & Society, March 2009)
10 Famous Quotes Using Docusoaps
"I think the docusoaps are getting a bit out of hand, but it’s a valid form of entertainment." (Stephen Fry)
"The British television industry had, in the past decade, developed a taste for docusoaps—programmes that took a documentary-style look at the day-to-day lives of people with interesting jobs." (The Guardian, March 2000)
"There is something utterly repellent about the way the so-called docusoaps exploit people's private lives for public consumption." (Clive James, "Fame in the 20th Century," 1993)
"The rise of docusoaps represented a new kind of celebrity—the 'real person' who becomes famous simply for being themselves on television." (The Times, May 2005)
"The modern docusoaps have become an increasingly common feature on television, focusing on everything from airports to animal hospitals to the lives of celebrities." (The Hollywood Reporter, August 2008)
"You’ve got to be wary of the modern docusoaps, where people are put into a bizarre world and expected to perform." (Mark Gatiss, Radio Times, 2004)
"The appeal of docusoaps is that they offer a glimpse into a world we wouldn't otherwise see, but they're often criticized for their manipulative editing." (Screen International, December 2011)
"A docusoap is basically a reality show that pretends it's not a reality show." (Original quote)
"The success of docusoaps like Airport and The Cruise led to a proliferation of similar shows that blurred the lines between documentary and entertainment." (The Independent, September 2001)
"The docusoaps of the 90s paved the way for the reality television boom that would dominate the next decade." (Variety, February 2010)
Etymology
The word "docusoap" is a blend of two words: "documentary" and "soap opera." It was created to describe a new type of television show that emerged in the 1990s, particularly in the UK.
Before "docusoap" became a common term, television shows were generally either a "documentary" (a factual program about real events and people) or a "soap opera" (a fictional drama with ongoing storylines and characters). As broadcasters started to create programs that combined elements of both—real people and situations presented with dramatic editing, music, and a focus on personal relationships and conflict—a new word was needed to describe this hybrid.
The term "docusoap" first appeared in the late 1990s. The earliest uses referred to shows like the BBC's The Cruise, which followed the lives of staff on a cruise ship, and ITV's Airport, which did the same for airport employees. These programs were shot like documentaries, but their focus on personal drama and cliffhangers made them feel a lot like fictional soap operas. The word "docusoap" perfectly captured this mix, and it quickly became the standard way to describe the genre.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Docusoaps
A real-life docusoap
Docusoap drama
Caught in a docusoap
Turning life into a docusoap
Living a docusoap
A docusoap moment
The docusoap effect
A family docusoap
A workplace docusoap
The docusoap genre
The docusoap craze
Docusoap-style filming
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of docusoaps from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
