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