THE PROCESSING OF IDEOLOGY COSTRUCTION IN THAILAND TELEVISION PROGRAM ‘MIC-MOD-NEE

Abstract

The processing of meaning construction of the “Mic-Mod-Nee” (mic on debt off) television program has three main meaning were; 1) the meaning of being poor, constructed through VTR and interview by the television host about the obligations, responsibilities and debt which the contestants have to face, 2) the meaning of being a good person, constructed through the contestants, television host, judges and song of the program. A good person constructed in the program is a person who being and having; goodness, family leader, struggling, the right attitude, patience, honest, proper gratitude, good conscious mind, gentle and kind parenthood and 3) the meaning of being an opportunity provider and receiver, constructed through the costume. The opportunity providers include a television host and committee with a modern and luxury dress which indicates the middle class has the power to give compassion and to understand the poor people. The opportunity receivers are contestants and their relatives who wear clothing as they have such as an old t-shirt, shirt, trousers, shoes, no accessories, and no makeup. These clothing represents laboring class who have to show their talent or ability to compete and get a better opportunity.

The analysis of ideology in the television programs found out six ideologies consisting of the ideals of a poor, love, encouragement, opportunity, capitalism and sufficiency economy. These ideologies are linked and comprised of the thinking of reproduction from the perspective of the program creator.  It reflected that the poor are still in laboring class of the capitalist society, not people who use the knowledge and innovation to face with poverty; however, the capitalism became a modern parallel with the ideal of sufficiency economy as well.