THE EVALUATION OF THE PERCEPTION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING, POPULAR WITH TELEVISION SERIES, IN THE CONTEXT OF META FETISHISM: SAMPLE OF KIRMIZI ODA

Abstract

Since its emergence and widespread use as a mass communication medium, the entertainment function of television, in addition to its basic functions such as idealized education and information, continues to exist as indispensable practices. The most basic television content for the entertainment function is undoubtedly serials. In addition to this basic function, serials have been the most suitable presentation medium for commodity fetishism. In these examples of commodity fetishism, in which facts and events from every field of daily life can be seen as serial contents, serials in which psychological analyzes predominate have come to the fore. This study aims to explain the place of psychological counseling/psychotherapy in TV series and its relationship with commodity fetishism. The study is based on the analysis of Kırmızı Oda series, which was selected by purposive sampling method to examine the subject of fetishism, which has not been researched much in Turkish television. In this context, ‘Kırmızı Oda’, which was determined to reflect the phenomenon of meta fetishism, was chosen as a clear presentation of the psychological treatment process as the content of the series, from the universe consisting of TV series in which the psychological counseling profession and psychological analysis predominate. The aim of the study is to analyze how a private subject such as the patient-doctor relationship is used as a rating element and how it is handled as a commodity fetishism element in the related series. In addition, how the main character is depicted and how he is shown in a relationship with other people will be examined on the basis of the concept of fetishism. Before the analysis of the series, the concept of fetishism and commodity fetishism are also mentioned in order to provide a theoretical background. Kırmızı Oda series broadcast on TV8, one of the series on psychotherapy, was chosen as a sample. In the study, it was concluded that mental disorders and psychological disorders and related psychotherapies, which were generally considered as a situation comedy element in the previous periods, were fetishized for rating purposes simultaneously with the popularization of television series content.