Game shows, Talent shows and the ideology of
competition
By Tom Chan, Will Cole, Sacha Curtecka
Main focus points
• Dominant ideology of capitalism in game shows.
• Celebrity culture in our society.
• Why are games shows still so popular?
How the game show format has evolved:
Our hierarchy of game shows:
How does the ideology of capitalism dominate game shows?
• ‘individuals are constructed as different but equal in opportunity’ (Fiske, J 1987) e.g. Deal or no Deal
• ‘to live a good life is to live a winning life’ (Sharif, course guide)
• Dominant classes, through media output, project their views and ideologies on their audience.
Celebrity Culture and its naturalisation within our society: •What’s the significance of celebrity culture in modern society •How has it been naturalised within game shows
•‘Fame I’m going to live forever!’- why do we want it and how this need has effected our society?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8429704.stm
Why are Game Shows still so popular?
• Passive or Active audience?
• It is entertaining to watch people fail.
• ‘Pure entertainment or distraction’
Discussion Questions