Abstract

Considering the programs sorted as reality-shows in Turkey, the high ratings they get is an obvious fact. In “Mahmut Tuncer” show, which can be considered as one of the leading reality shows in Turkey, it’s clear that the participants of the program are from the lowest income groups of the country. Various people cannot reach their lovers because of corporeal deficiency, cannot meet money and gold wanted by groom’s side, cannot get married because of unemployment, wants to get married contemplating the program as a “last chance” for reaching his/her dreams. The participants of the program feel as if they are considered important by attending Mahmut Tuncer Show.. The psychology of appearing on the screen is something that they cannot reach during all their life, so they think that appearing on TV makes them “privileged people”. The fact that this type of programs is attributed as a therapy in the society abandoned is supported with ratings. The participant, maybe for the first time in his whole life, has been experiencing the feeling of “being an important person”, even if it is temporary, by establishing a similar identification between important people and himself. By expressing his unemployment, misery, by taking attention to the social pressure applied to him and by stating, “I am oriental, my lover is from İzmir. They didn’t consent for our marriage, and I abducted her” with a rage accumulated within him, the participant also points out to some of the political and economical problems of the country as well. This type of programs began to spread out in all television channels recently. In the article the popular culture used as expressing the political, ethnic and economic dichotomies shared in daily life by the lower classes will be discussed. In the discussion Mahmut Tuncer Show will be taken as a case sample and the deep interview with Tuncer will show how reality shows play an important role on the relationship in between popular culture- political opinions of low income groups.