Research On Idol Cultivation From The Perspective Of Ritual View Of Communication

"Cultivation" is a behavior of participatory growth,which prompts people to spend time,emotional energy or even money resorting to their involvement,identity and self-actualization.This kind of behavior which has unique effects attracts the idol industry to combine with it,giving birth to idol-cultivated variety shows in recent years.Different from traditional talent shows which focus on competition,idol-cultivated variety shows take "cultivation" as the core.They focus on participation and faith sharing,which are in accordance with the connotation of the ritual view of communication.A ritual view of communication is directed not toward the extension of messages in space but toward the sacred ceremony that draws people together.It sees the highest manifestation of communication in the construction and maintenance of an ordered,meaningful cultural world.From this point of view,idol cultivation is not only the cultivation and growth of idols,but also the development of values and the creation of common beliefs.From the perspective of the ritual view of communication,this study take Youth with You Season 2 as the research object which is a popular program in 2020.Firstly,this study explores the specific strategies in constructing the idol cultivation ritual through participant observation.Then,making use of questionnaires and in-depth interviews to study the influences of the program such as emotional involvement,identity,etc.According to the research,Youth with You Season 2 regards communication as a ritual.It establishes idol cultivation culture by constructing campus scenes and converting the backstage performances to the front.It also uses symbols of dream and symbols of class to strengthen the identity of cultivation.Moreover,empowering audiences to participate in cultivation stimulates their enthusiasm.These three strategies work together to create this idol cultivation ritual,which attracts audiences to share the culture of cultivation,and enables them to obtain self-identity and self-actualization in the process of supporting their idols.In the end,the audiences’ emotions converge,forming fan communities around the idols,which realizes the cultivation of both idols and fans.