This study considers whether television shows depicting the media industries are reflexive about the challenges currently facing traditional media. It draws upon a multimethod qualitative analysis of five series—30 Rock, Entourage, Mad Men, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip ,a ndUgly Betty—to investigate whether reflexivity constitutes an attempt to safeguardtheseindustries’mythicalplaceatthe‘‘mediatedcenter.’’Wearguethatreflexivity elucidates these shows in 3 ways: via textual reflexivity (within the shows themselves); producer reflexivity (as articulated by the production staff); and research reflexivity (how we, as researchers, engage with the data and their contradictions). We conclude, however, that reflexivity is used to inoculate these representations from highlighting the very real threats facing traditional media industries. An episode from the second season of the NBC Emmy-winning sitcom 30 Rock opens with a promotion for a fictional reality TV series, MILF Island ,i n which teenage boys compete for the attention of attractive older women. Following this vignette, NBC/GE Executive Jack Donaghy coaxes head writer Liz Lemon to develop a spin-off of the show centered on one of the MILF Island contestants, DeBorah: ‘‘just a struggling actress living in LA ...[with] real star quality.’’ Despite Jack’s fervor, Liz declines the spin-off, stating, ‘‘I don’t want anything to do with MILF Island, that show’s kinda lowest common dominator.’’ When Jack responds, ‘‘The critics said the same thing about Shakespeare,’’ Liz counters with, ‘‘Yeah, but Shakespeare never had a Confessional Shower sponsored by Dove Pro-age.’’ Jack says she’s turning down ‘‘an obscene amount of money.’’ Her defense of her artistic integrity is intercut with scenes from her own show, The Girlie Show (TGS), in which Tracy Jordan loses control of the ‘‘Fart Engine’’: ‘‘It’s farting! It’s farting!’’