Not Here to Make Friends 3
Delivered to Stack subscribers in
Sep 2025
Obsessed with the real meanings behind reality TV (and the pure fun of it), Not Here to Make Friends uses some of today’s biggest and most popular shows as a way to understand our wider contemporary society. Long, thoughtful essays explore shows like Real Housewives and Dance Moms, getting to grips with the action on screen, and attempting to understand why we find them so addictive.
Name
Elena Foraker
Job title
Executive Producer
What is Not Here to Make Friends?
Not Here to Make Friends is an independently published zine examining reality television through a critical, often anthropologic, always feminist lens. It is a reality reader, as in, an anthology of quasi-academic essays intended to complement reality TV viewership.
What makes it different to the rest?
It is fun and sparkly, but also smart, witty, and academic. It is both a part of college (university) course curriculum and coffee table decor. Equal care has been given to the typography and the writing itself. Not Here to Make Friends is a zine for readers and graphic designers alike.
Who makes Not Here to Make Friends?
I conceive of, produce, and design the zine. I hire an editor for each issue and we work together to commission writers and edit their work. Season 2 was edited by Olivia Crandall. Season 3 was edited by Everett Epstein. My stepdad Michael Matros does the final copy editing.
Who reads it?
Reality TV lovers, skeptics, and haters alike. People interested in examining how mass media influences culture.
Why do you work in magazines?
I have always loved physical media and I grew up in the late 90s / early aughts, collecting magazines before the internet became all-consuming. As a graphic designer, I enjoy the middle ground between digital immediacy and the finality of books.
Aside from the magazine, what else do you do?
I am the Creative Director at BAGGU (everything but the bags). I am also a pop culture archivist and am currently taking screenshots of every time graphic design is mentioned in TV or in movies. I also spend a lot of time hiking in the Oakland hills where I live.
What would you change about Not Here to Make Friends if you could?
I would love to make the making of the zine more sustainable and evolve it beyond a pure passion project. We are currently only able to publish every other year or so because it is a lot of work done for little to no money by very few people. If we had some funding I would like to explore some more expensive printing methods and materials.
Where do you see Not Here to Make Friends in five years?
In five years I see us publishing Season 6 or 7(?!), attending Bravo-con for on-the-ground reporting, and commissioning writing from people who have actually worked behind the scenes or been in front of the camera on a popular reality show.
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