PEMBINAAN "REALITI" DALAM TELEVISYEN REALITI MALAYSIA: KAJIAN KES AKADEMI FANTASIA, IMAM MUDA DAN TALK TO MY MANAGER

Abstract

ABSTRAK

 Artikel ini meneliti bagaimana rancangan realiti televisyen di Malaysia membina imejan "realiti" menerusi manipulasi produksi, elemen persembahan, dan struktur pertandingan. Bagi mengelakkan generalisasi yang terlalu meluas terhadap keseluruhan ekosistem media tempatan, kajian ini mengambil pendekatan kajian kes spesifik dengan memfokuskan kepada tiga program utama: Akademi Fantasia, Imam Muda, dan Talk to My Manager. Ketiga-tiga kes ini dikaji bagi mewakili fasa evolusi landskap TV realiti yang berbeza, bermula daripada era interaktiviti undian SMS, beralih kepada pelokalan format realiti berunsur dakwah, sehinggalah kepada pengenalan format legasi keluarga di era platform digital. Dapatan kajian berkonseptual ini menunjukkan bahawa paparan "realiti" dalam program-program tersebut bukanlah suatu rakaman spontan, sebaliknya dibina secara strategik melalui teknik pembingkaian visual, naratif bilik pengakuan, dan suntingan produksi. Namun begitu, analisis turut mendapati bahawa peserta tidak hanya menjadi subjek pasif, tetapi mengekalkan agensi mereka melalui keputusan artistik dan penguasaan persembahan di atas pentas. Secara keseluruhan, evolusi ini memperlihatkan anjakan ketara daripada naratif mobiliti sosial dan pembinaan selebriti 'orang biasa', kepada pertembungan antara autoriti agama dan komersialisme televisyen, dan kini didominasi oleh wacana pewarisan selebriti (nepo babies) serta pengurusan modal keluarga. Kesimpulannya, kajian ini mencadangkan bahawa peralihan ini menuntut tahap literasi media yang lebih kritis dalam kalangan khalayak bagi membezakan antara realiti sosial dengan realisme yang dibina (constructed realism), terutamanya dalam mendepani implikasi etika dan budaya penghakiman digital pada masa kini.

 Kata Kunci: Pembingkaian Visual, Agensi Artistik/Persembahan, Pewarisan Selebriti (Nepobabies), Literasi Media.

ABSTRACT

 This article examines how reality television programs in Malaysia construct the image of "reality" through production manipulation, performance elements, and competition structures. To avoid overly broad generalizations about the entire local media ecosystem, this study adopts a specific case analysis approach, focusing on three main programs: Akademi Fantasia, Imam Muda, and Talk to My Manager. These three cases are analyzed to represent different evolutionary phases of the reality TV landscape, starting from the era of SMS voting interactivity, transitioning to the localization of reality formats with dakwah (religious preaching) elements, and culminating in the introduction of family legacy formats in the digital platform era. The findings of this conceptual study indicate that the portrayal of "reality" in these programs is not a spontaneous recording, but is instead strategically constructed through visual framing techniques, confession room narratives, and production editing. However, the analysis also finds that participants do not merely become passive subjects but maintain their agency through artistic decisions and stage performance mastery. Overall, this evolution demonstrates a significant shift from narratives of social mobility and the construction of ‘ordinary’ celebrities to the clash between religious authority and television commercialism and is now dominated by the discourse of celebrity inheritance (nepo babies) and the management of family capital. In conclusion, this study suggests that this transition demands a more critical level of media literacy among audiences to distinguish between social reality and constructed realism, especially in navigating the ethical implications and digital judgment culture of today.

Keywords: Visual framing, artistic/performance agency, celebrity inheritance (nepo babies), media literacy.