Slow Burn – Season 10, Episode: Decoder Ring: Selling Out (Encore)
Host: Josh Levin
Release Date: November 4, 2024

Introduction

In Season 10 of Slow Burn, host Josh Levin delves into a transformative period in American cultural history—the early 2000s—focusing on the concept of "selling out." This episode examines the clash between literary integrity and commercial success through the lens of Jonathan Franzen's interaction with Oprah Winfrey's influential book club. By dissecting this pivotal moment, the episode illuminates how the notion of selling out has evolved and diminished in contemporary discourse.

The Genesis of Selling Out

Willa Paskin begins by introducing the episode's central theme: the shifting perception of "selling out," once deemed a cardinal sin in creative circles. The concept traditionally denoted betraying one's principles or art for financial gain.

"Selling out is to betray your principles, your art, your community, yourself for some kind of financial or commercial gain."
— Willa Paskin [00:02]

Historical Context

The discussion traces the origins of "selling out" back to the late 19th century, highlighting its initial usage during the Gilded Age and the Great Depression. Initially a term used predominantly on the political left to accuse corrupt politicians, it later permeated the arts, especially within the African American community.

Bethany Klein, a professor at the University of Leeds, explains:

"What classifies a person as being a sellout for Black people is its your proximity to whiteness in white people."
— Bethany Klein [12:34]

The episode further explores how "selling out" became entrenched in the music industry. From Bob Dylan's controversial electric guitar debut at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival to the grunge movement's disdain for mainstream commercialization in the 1990s, maintaining artistic purity was paramount.

Jonathan Franzen and Oprah Winfrey: A Collision Course

Central to this narrative is Jonathan Franzen, an author striving to bridge literary excellence with mainstream appeal, and Oprah Winfrey, whose book club wielded immense cultural influence.

Willa Paskin recounts how Oprah's book club began as an effort to rejuvenate America's reading habits:

"The Oprah Book Club instantly became a cultural and publishing phenomenon. In the first five years, it featured dozens of authors and sold millions of books."
— Willa Paskin [09:18]

In 2001, Oprah selected Franzen's The Corrections as the club's 45th book. This selection was a significant endorsement, propelling the novel to bestseller status. However, Franzen's ambivalence towards mainstream recognition led to friction.

"I've done the sort of bogus thing where they follow you around with a camera and you try to look natural... this is so fundamentally bogus."
— Jonathan Franzen [39:01]

Franzen feared that Oprah's endorsement would pigeonhole his work as middlebrow, alienating his core literary audience. His discomfort was palpable in interviews, where he expressed concerns about the book's appeal to male readers and the implications of being associated with a mainstream brand like Oprah's.

The Downfall and Aftermath

As tensions escalated, Oprah Winfrey decided to withdraw the invitation for Franzen to appear on her show, marking a public fallout. This incident became emblematic of the waning power of the "selling out" narrative.

Oprah Winfrey reflected on maintaining integrity:

"I will not be a slave to any form of selling out. Maintain your integrity in it."
— Oprah Winfrey [22:48]

The aftermath saw Franzen's reputation tarnished, with critics labeling him as elitist rather than recognizing his struggle to balance artistic integrity with commercial success. Conversely, Oprah's steadfast refusal to compromise her show's quality reinforced the decline of the selling out stigma.

The Evolution of Selling Out

In the years following the Franzen-Oprah incident, the concept of selling out continued to lose its former resonance. The pervasive influence of the internet and social media blurred the lines between personal branding and commercial ventures, making the traditional notion of selling out increasingly obsolete.

Helen Childress, screenwriter of Reality Bites, illustrates this shift:

"I was embarrassed telling the story. I felt like it would be commercializing generational aspects of the movie."
— Helen Childress [05:47]

Today, selling out persists in specific contexts, particularly concerning race and representation, but it no longer holds the same universal cultural weight. The episode posits that selling out has "died" as a prevalent cultural concern, supplanted by the inevitability of commercial entanglement in the digital age.

Conclusion

Josh Levin's exploration in Slow Burn's "Decoder Ring: Selling Out (Encore)" offers a comprehensive analysis of how the concept of selling out has transformed over the decades. Through the Franzen-Oprah saga, the episode underscores a pivotal moment where old and new paradigms of integrity and commercialization collided, leading to the eventual dissipation of selling out as a defining cultural anxiety.

"Selling out had mostly become closed-minded, defensive, anxious, all about keeping your stuff from people or making sure that only the right people were enjoying it."
— Willa Paskin [49:05]

This transformation reflects broader societal shifts towards personal branding and the inescapable intertwining of art and commerce in the modern era.

Notable Quotes

• Willa Paskin [00:02]: "Selling out is to betray your principles, your art, your community, yourself for some kind of financial or commercial gain."

• Bethany Klein [12:34]: "What classifies a person as being a sellout for Black people is its your proximity to whiteness in white people."

• Jonathan Franzen [39:01]: "I've done the sort of bogus thing where they follow you around with a camera and you try to look natural... this is so fundamentally bogus."

• Oprah Winfrey [22:48]: "I will not be a slave to any form of selling out. Maintain your integrity in it."

• Helen Childress [05:47]: "I was embarrassed telling the story. I felt like it would be commercializing generational aspects of the movie."

• Willa Paskin [49:05]: "Selling out had mostly become closed-minded, defensive, anxious, all about keeping your stuff from people or making sure that only the right people were enjoying it."

Further Listening

If you found this episode insightful, consider exploring more of Slow Burn's season dedicated to pivotal moments in American history, or subscribe to Slate Plus for ad-free access and exclusive bonus content.

Produced by:
Benjamin Frisch, Gabriel Roth
Research Assistance: Cleo Levin
Executive Producer: Derek John
Senior Technical Director: Merrick Jacob

Credits:
Books and articles referenced include Kathleen Rooney's Reading with the Book Club that Changed America, Boris Katschka's The Art of Survival and the Survival of Art at America's Most Celebrated Publishing House, and Bethany Klein's Selling Out: Culture, Commerce, and Popular Music.

Contact:
For feedback or to suggest future episodes, email us at decodering@slowburnpodcast.com.