Game Shows as Ritualization in Spectacle Society: The Case of "Var mısın Yok musun?"

Abstract

This study aims to shed light on the media perception of Turkish audience through the case of “Var mısın Yok musun”. The game show has become one of the biggest phenomena in recent years, differentiating itself from other shows in the same genre. The program is an adaptation from a format that has been watched with great interest abroad and while it was broadcasted for two years in Turkey, it got high ratings and became a program that has been watched and talked about. The main concerns for the article revolve around examining the reasons behind the popularity of “Var mısın Yok musun”. Do the viewers of “Var mısın Yok musun” see the program as a spectacle or are they gathering around the community created by the program? Was this program only watched for entertainment purposes and as an escape from the problems of everyday life? What is the significance of cooperation and ritualization within the program? In this study, how “Var mısın Yok musun” generates a ‘spectacle’ will be analyzed with an ethnomethodological perspective and attempts to reveal how the audience perceives around these situations/rituals/emotions will be made.