The Representation of Persons with Disabilities
in Indonesian Reality Shows
Angeline Anggalimea
1
and Myrtati Dyah Artaria
2
1
Communication Department, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
2
Department of Anthropology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
Keywords: persons with disabilities, stigma, reality show, Indonesia
Abstract: People in society often stigmatise minorities, for example people with disabilities (PWD). Unfortunately,
the media institutions perpetuate the stigma through impressions of reality that seem to reflect the PWD real
life. In this article, we examined the representation of PWDs on reality shows in Indonesia, namely
“Mikrofon Pelunas Hutang” and “Minta Tolong New Season”. We used semiotic analysis by John Fiske
through looking at the depiction of PWDs in those reality shows. The data analysis involves looking at the
three processes of the representation, which consist of: at the level of reality, the level of representation, and
the ideological level. The conclusion is that those two shows often portrayed PWDs as weak and helpless
people
1 INTRODUCTION
Persons with disabilities in Indonesia are still often
stigmatised as Persons with Social Welfare
Problems as stated in the pages of the Provincial
Social Department in Yogyakarta. On its official
website (2018), they say that there are several
criteria for persons with disabilities who have social
welfare problems. Those are the people who
experience obstacles in carrying out activities, have
difficulties in working, and cannot solve their life
problems properly and so forth.
This lasting stigma cannot be separated from the
influence of mass media, especially television.
Television supposedly has a function in providing
useful information, an educational function as well
as having an entertainment function (Effendy, 1993).
However, in fact, the media often brings up
ideological issues when they show a representation
that relates to social reality (real world), then it
raises ideological problems in social and cultural life
(Sobur, 2016). Though the media tend to display the
reality that has been edited by sorting facts or
information that is considered essential (Sobur,
2016).
As a result, certain realities are portrayed by the
media to audiences that are able to shape public
opinion about the real reality (Hamad, 2004). This
reality construction cannot be detached from the role
of language since it becomes the primary instrument
for telling stories in both print and electronic media.
It also occurs in reality shows, especially those
which show people with disabilities.
Until now those reality shows have remained in
production because people always show their
interest. The reality show has an entertainment
element and is able to attract viewers to enjoy 'real
people’s lives'. Moreover, it also highlights the
nature of voyeurism, where it is used to target the
audience’s emotions which can bring pleasure to
them (Hill in Noviani, 2012).
According to Sugihartono (2004), three types of
impressions can be categorised as reality shows:
firstly, reality shows that place viewers as passive
viewers who follow a person's professional or
personal activities; secondly, a hidden camera which
is placed to record unexpected activities in ordinary
or unreasonable situations; thirdly, reality game
shows which film contestants who are competing to
win a competition.
This study wants to see how the reality shows in
Indonesia try to describe people with disabilities.
Two reality shows will be analysed: “Minta Tolong
New Season” and “Mikrofon Pelunas Hutang.”
132
Anggalimea, A. and Ar taria, M.
The Representation of Persons with Disabilities in Indonesian Reality Shows.
DOI: 10.5220/0008817901320136
In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Contemporary Social and Political Affairs (ICoCSPA 2018), pages 132-136
ISBN: 978-989-758-393-3
Copyright
c
2019 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
Minta Tolong New Season is a television
program on the GTV channel which was previously
called Global TV that follows the story of people
who are struggling in asking help from others. This
program claims to be a social experiment that is
testing people’s sincerity in terms of whether there
are still good people who want to help people in
need. In ensuring the originality of this social
experiment, a hidden camera is placed to record
every event.
Mikrofon Pelunas Hutang is a program on the
Indosiar channel that focuses on paying off
contestants’ debts. Later on, the contestants will be
asked to stand on the stage to talk about their
difficulties due to having a lot of debt. If the
microphone that is used by the contestant to sing is
turn on, then the television will pay their debt.
2 METHODS
This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach
based on the semiotics study by John Fiske.
Semiotics is a model of science that tries to
understand the world as a system of relationships
through a basic unit called a sign. Therefore, a
semiotics study is a study that learns the nature of a
sign’s existence and whether the construction is
through symbols and words within a social context
(Sobur, 2003).
Fiske (1987) sees that, in the television world,
there is a connected code that is often used to form a
meaning. According to him, the codes in the world
of television are divided into three levels: firstly, the
level of reality relating to appearance, dress,
makeup, environment, behaviour, speech, gesture,
expression and sound; secondly, the level of
representation relating to cameras, lighting, editing,
music and sound; thirdly, the level of ideology in
which there is individualism, patriarchy, race, class,
materialism and capitalism.
The unit analysed in this study is a scene
involving people with disabilities in both reality
shows. The first is Mikrofon Pelunas Hutang’s
episode Dini Juniawati, Gadis Kecil yang Berhati
Mulia and Minta Tolong New Season’s episode
Tuna Netra Minta Diantar Beli Beras, Ini Reaksi
Orang Sekitar.
3 RESULT
In the reality show from the Mikrofon Pelunas
Hutang episode Dini Juniawati, Gadis Kecil yang
Berhati Mulia, the writer divided the scene into two
parts. The first is the scene that shows the video clip
that captures the daily life of the blind person Dini.
The second scene shows Dini standing on the stage
of Mikrofon Pelunas Hutang.
In the first scene, the analysis is based on the
reality level and representation level, as follows:
Table 1: Level of Reality from Video Clip about Dini’s
Daily Life as a Blind Person
Level of Reality
Scene
Appearance
Dini described as having a simple
appearance
Dress
Dini uses elementary school
uniform
Makeup
Dini does not use makeup
Environment
The walls of Dini’s house are not
cemented and in black colour
Behaviour
Dini is polite to the teacher and
helps her grandmother diligently
Speech
Dini has flat speaking style
Gesture
Dini does not have many body
gestures
Expression
Dini’s face looks sad
Sound
The sad atmosphere in the music
video clip
At the reality level of the video clip that depicts
Dini's daily life, she is described as a hard-working
and simple figure. Economic difficulties do not
cause her to give up; she continues to help her
grandmother in selling Saroja cakes.
Table 2: Level of Representation from Video Clip about
Dini’s Daily Life as a Blind Person
Level of
Representation
Scene
Camera
Medium shot (MS) is used to
depict Dini’s daily routines
starting from going to school to
selling the Saroja cakes
Close up (CU) was used when
Dini told of her grandmother's
debt problems
Lighting
It tends to be dark
Editing
None
Music
Sad song
Sound
Dini’s voice when she tells of her
daily life
The Representation of Persons with Disabilities in Indonesian Reality Shows
133
At the level of representation, the video clips of
Dini’s daily life are mostly shot in a medium shot
(MS) and close up (CU). Lighting used in this video
clip tends to be dark and also accompanied by sad
songs.
Based on the scene showing Dini to be blind, the
level of ideology displayed in this reality show is
about social class. This show portrays Dini’s life as
being in line with people from the lower class who
have a lot of debt because of her ill grandmother’s
treatment. She also had to work hard to help her
grandmother to sell Saroja cakes after school.
In the next scene, when the host is interviewing
Dini on stage, the researcher analyses it based on the
level of reality and the level of representation, as
follows:
Table 3: Level of Reality when Dini is Interviewed on the
Mikrofon Pelunas Hutang Stage
Level of Reality
Scene
Appearance
Dini described as having a simple
appearance
Dress
Dini uses a simple shirt and
headscarf
Makeup
Dini only uses face powder
Environment
The event atmosphere is quiet
Behaviour
Dini has a polite attitude towards
the host
Speech
Flat speaking style
Gesture
Dini does not have many body
gestures
Expression
Her face is sad with tears
Sound
Sad musical backsound
At the reality level, when Dini is interviewed on
the Mikrofon Pelunas Hutang stage, she is described
as a person who has suffered because her
grandmother had a lot of debt. Dini has teary eyes
when she talks about her difficulties that make the
host cry sadly.
Table 4: Level of Representation when Dini is Interviewed
on the Mikrofon Pelunas Hutang Stage
Level of
Representation
Scene
Camera
Close up (CU) used when the host
interviews Dini
Big close up (BCU) used when
Dini tell the stories about her
grandmother’s debt along with
her dreams
Lighting
Light and focus on Dini
Editing
None
Music
Sad song
Sound
Dini’s voice telling her stories
From the table above, the shots are mostly taken
close up (CU) and in big close up (BCU). The
lighting used in this scene is bright and focused on
Dini. The background music being played is
rhythmically sad to make a touching atmosphere for
the audience.
Based on the scene that shows Dini interviewed
on the stage of Mikrofon Pelunas Hutang, the level
of ideology is still about class. This show portrays
Dini’s dreams, her wish for her grandmother's debt
to be paid off immediately and her wish to buy a
keyboard and a braille machine to study.
Meanwhile in the reality show Minta Tolong
New Season episode Tuna Netra Minta Diantar Beli
Beras, Ini Reaksi Orang Sekitar, the scene that is
being analysed is when Saman is looking for people
who want to help him at the roadside. The analysis
examines the level of reality and level of
representation, as follows:
Table 5: Level of Reality Saman looking for people who
are willing to accompany him in buying rice
Scene
Saman described as having a
simple appearance
Saman wears a faded shirt, cloth
pants and is using a stick to walk
Saman does not use makeup
Saman is looking for people who
are willing to help him at the
roadside
Saman has a polite attitude
towards his surroundings
Saman's speaking style is gentle
and he always repeats his story
about his desire to buy rice with a
little money
Saman does not have many body
gestures
Saman loves to smile
There is no back sound
In the table above, Saman is described as a
friendly and courteous figure when asking for help.
He always repeats the story about his difficulty in
buying rice to the passing by people.
Table 6: Level of Representation when Saman is Looking
for Someone to Accompany Him Buying Rice
Level of
Representation
Scene
Camera
Long shot (LS) used to portray
when Saman is looking for
someone who wants to help him
Medium long shot (MLS) used
ICoCSPA 2018 - International Conference on Contemporary Social and Political Affairs
134
when Saman asks people passing
by to talk
Medium shot (MS) used to show
when Saman is talking intensely
with the person whom he wants to
ask help from
Lighting
No lighting and reliance more on
the sunlight
Editing
None
Music
The sound of passing vehicles
Sound
Saman’s voice in seeking help
From the table above, the most widely used of
the shot types are long shot (LS), medium long shot
(MLS) and medium shot (MS). Because the program
Minta Tolong New Season is claimed to be a social
experiment event, there is not much artificial
lighting and sound.
Based on the level of reality and the level of
representation of the reality show Minta Tolong
New Season, it can be seen that the level of ideology
discussed is about class. People with disabilities,
namely Saman, are described as those who are
unable to solve their own problems meaning they
need someone else to help them.
4 DISCUSSIONS
Based on the analysis, impressions of Mikrofon
Pelunas Hutang and Minta Tolong New Season have
a similar tendency in commodifying poverty. This
conclusion is similar to that of previous research
entitled Poverty Commodification in Indonesian
Television: Comparative Study between “Jika Aku
Menjadi” in Trans TV channel and the program
“Bedah Rumah” in RCTI channel. In this study, the
commodification of poverty in reality shows is
illustrated through dramatic moments. It is evident
from the depiction of the poverty situation, the
sensation of joy, inviting sympathy and emotion, and
stimulating the laughter of viewers (Arya et al.,
2013).
The difference between this research and
previous research is that this research describes
people with disabilities who have become a subject
of poverty commodification. Persons with
disabilities are described as people in the lower
class, who cannot solve their own problems which
makes them need the help of others. This image is
shaped by reality show impressions that position the
lower classes as a group of fools who have
dysfunction in their social lives (Liestyna, 2009).
In order to give a focus and arouse the audience's
sense of interest in the Mikrofon Pelunas Hutang
program, most of the shots that are taken consist of
medium shots (MS), close up (CU) and big close up
(BCU) shots. A medium shot is used to highlight the
human figure in the frame, such as through eye
contact, clothing, hair colour and appearance
(Thompson and Bowen, 2009). A close-up is used to
show the human face by revealing the details of the
eye and highlighting the emotions through the eyes,
mouth and facial muscles clearly (Thompson and
Bowen, 2009). A big close up (BCU) is a shot type
that highly accentuates every detail of the face, like
facial movement or expression.
Unlike Mikrofon Pelunas Hutang, the picture
shot from Minta Tolong New Season is mostly using
a long shot (LS), medium long shot (MLS) and
medium shot (MS). The long shot (LS) images are to
display the environment around objects, people and
actions and often show better physical space
connection (Thompson and Bowen, 2009).
Meanwhile, a medium long shot (MLS) further
highlights human figures such as showing clothing
details, gender and expression (Thompson and
Bowen, 2009). The use of this shot is because Minta
Tolong New Season is a social experiment that is
trying to take pictures from a distance and use a
hidden camera.
5 CONCLUSION
Although following different themes, the reality
shows of Mikrofon Pelunas Hutang and Minta
Tolong New Season present similar ideology
relating to social class. People with disabilities who
are represented in both reality shows are described
as being weak and from a low social status. The
conclusion from this study is that reality shows in
Indonesia still present people with disabilities as a
category of people from low-class society who
cannot solve the problems they face.
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