Araştırma Makalesi
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Ahlak Nerede Yaşar: “Adventure Time”da İyilik ve Kötülük Mekânları

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 5 Sayı: 2, 311 - 328, 30.09.2025
https://doi.org/10.59534/jcss.1698424

Öz

Bu makale, çocuklara yönelik animasyon dizisi Adventure Time’ın mekânsal ve ahlaki semiyotiğini inceleyerek, çizgi filmlerdeki görsel çevrelerin etik değerleri nasıl ilettiğini Yuri Lotman’ın semiyosfer kuramı üzerinden analiz eder. Çalışma, animasyon anlatılarında mekânsal tasarımın yalnızca dekoratif değil, aynı zamanda ahlaki ikilikleri görsel olarak kodlayan anlatımsal bir araç olduğunu savunur. Lotman’ın mekânsal kategorileri olan topografik, topolojik ve semantik alanlar aracılığıyla, Adventure Time’daki Şeker Krallığı, Buz Krallığı ve Geceküresi gibi diyarların nasıl birer metaforik alan olarak ahlaki düzeni, belirsizliği ve kaosu temsil ettiğini araştırır. Bu sembolik coğrafyalar, daha derin kültürel yapıları yansıtarak izleyicinin iyi ve kötüye dair algısını şekillendirir. Ayrıca, çalışma geleneksel animasyonlarda sıklıkla görülen “güzelliğin iyilikle, çirkinliğin kötülükle eşleşmesi” gibi estetik stereotiplerin çocuk izleyiciler üzerinde yaratabileceği etik sonuçları eleştirir. Bununla birlikte, Adventure Time zaman zaman bu kalıpları tersyüz ederek ahlaki belirsizliklere yer açar. Lotman’ın mekânsal semiyotiğiyle yapılan bu analiz, animasyonlarda mekânın eğitsel gücünü vurgular ve görsel anlatıların eleştirel bir gözle okunmasını teşvik eder. Bulgular, animasyonlardaki mekânsal estetiğin kültürel kodlarla derinden ilişkili olduğunu ve bu kodların etik mesajlarının medya çalışmaları açısından dikkatle incelenmesi gerektiğini göstermektedir.

Kaynakça

  • Adventure Time Seasons 1–7. (2010). [TV series]. In P. Ward (Director), Adventure Time. Cartoon Network. Blu-Ray.
  • Clark, N. (2012). Adventure Time's target audience is all of us. In N. Michaud (Ed.), Adventure Time and philosophy: The handbook for heroes (pp. 35–47). Open Court.
  • Clarke, L. L., Hine, B., England, D., Flew, P. P. M. S., Alzahri, R., Juriansz, S. N., & Garcia, M. J. B. C. (2024). The gendered behaviors displayed by Disney protagonists. Frontiers in sociology, 9, 1338900. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2024.1338900
  • Daemmrich, I. G., & Horst, S. D. (1995). Themen und Motive in der Literatur: Ein Handbuch. Francke Verlag. Dion, K., Berscheid, E., & Walster, E. (1972). What is beautiful is good. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24(3), 285–290. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0033731
  • Eagly, A. H., Ashmore, R. D., Makhijani, M. G., & Longo, L. C. (1991). What is beautiful is good, but…: A meta-analytic review of research on the physical attractiveness stereotype. Psychological Bulletin, 110(1), 109–128. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.110.1.109
  • Ewalt, D. M. (2011, November 15). It's Adventure Time! Pendleton Ward talks about his hit cartoon. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2011/11/15/its-adventure-time-pendleton-ward-talks-about-his-hit-cartoon/
  • Feeney, N. (2013, March 29). The weird world of Adventure Time comes full circle. Time. https://entertainment.time.com/2013/03/29/the-weird-world-of-adventure-time-comes-full-circle/
  • Fouts, G., Callan, M., Piasentin, K., & Lawson, A. (2006). Demonizing in children’s television cartoons and Disney animated films. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 37(1), 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-006-0016-7
  • Giroux, H. A. (2004). Cultural studies, public pedagogy, and the responsibility of intellectuals. Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, 1(1), 59–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/1479142042000180926
  • Gökçeaslan, A. (2008). Canlandırma sinemasında mizahın kullanımı. Gazi Üniversitesi Güzel Sanatlar Fakültesi Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi, 2.
  • Jane, E. A. (2015). “Gunter’s a Woman?!”— Doing and undoing gender in Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time. Journal of Children and Media, 9(2), 231–247. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2015.1024002
  • Killen M, Dahl A. Moral Reasoning Enables Developmental and Societal Change. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2021 Nov;16(6):1209-1225. doi: 10.1177/1745691620964076. Epub 2021 Feb 23. PMID: 33621472; PMCID: PMC8380749.
  • León González, M., Infantes Paniagua, Á., Thornborrow, T., & Contreras Jordán, O. (2020). Associations Between Media Representations of Physical, Personality, and Social Attributes by Gender: A Content Analysis of Children’s Animated Film Characters. International Journal of Communication, 14, 23.
  • Lotman, Y. M. (1990). Universe of the mind: A semiotic theory of culture. I.B. Tauris.
  • Lotman, Y. M. (1975). On the metalanguage of a typological description of culture. Semiotica 14 (2).
  • Lotman, Y. M. (1977). The Dynamic Model of a Semiotic System. Semiotica, 21(3-4), 193-210. https://doi.org/10.1515/semi.1977.21.3-4.193
  • Luckmann, T. (1986). The communicative construction of reality. Routledge.
  • Luhmann, N. (2000). The reality of the mass media. Stanford University Press.
  • Lutman, J. M. (1993). Die Struktur literarischer Texte. Fink Verlag.
  • Michaud, N. (Ed.). (2015). Adventure Time and philosophy: The handbook for heroes. Open Court.
  • Morrow, P. C. (1978). Functionalism, Conflict Theory And The Synthesis Syndrome In Sociology. International Review Of Modern Sociology, 8(2), 209–225. Http://Www.Jstor.Org/Stable/41420656
  • Myers, D. G. (2002). Social psychology. McGraw-Hill.
  • Nieto, L. M. H. (2014). Between genius and dummy, good and evil: Rotwang, Frankenstein, and Wernher von Braun: The portrayal of scientists in the TV-cartoon Kim Possible. 13th International Public Communication of Science and Technology Conference, Brazil.
  • Nöth, W. (2015). The topography of Yuri Lotman’s semiosphere. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 18(1), 11–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877914528114
  • Praveen, C. K., & Srinivasan, K. (2022). Psychological Impact and Influence of Animation on Viewer's Visual Attention and Cognition: A Systematic Literature Review, Open Challenges, and Future Research Directions. Computational and mathematical methods in medicine, 2022, 8802542. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/8802542
  • Şentürk, R. (2011). Çocuk filmlerinde kaygı ve korku. Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 11.
  • Taşkın, H ve İnanç, A. (2023). Reflections of the Female Identity Constructions in Animation Movies: An Analysis on of Disney andHayao Miyazaki Movies. Erciyes İletişim Dergisi, 10(1), 57-78 https://doi.org/10.17680/erciyesiletisim.1183539
  • Tiit Remm (2022). Is there a Lotmanian method for the semiotic analysis of spatial texts? Human being: Image and essence. Humanitarian aspects. Moscow: INION RAN. Vol. 1(49): Semiosphere: spacial aspects. To the 100th anniversary of Yu.M. Lotman, pp. 88-107. DOI: 10.31249/chel/2022.01.05
  • Vaidya, Ruta & Osman, Yousra. (2024). Disney characters as moral role models: a discourse analysis of Coco and Encanto. Frontiers in Communication. 9. 10.3389/fcomm.2024.1375133.
  • Webb, C. S. (2024). Cartooning evil: An exploration of the archetype of evil in cartoons as public pedagogy [Master’s thesis, Purdue University]. https://doi.org/10.25394/PGS.25669860.v1
  • Zengin, E. (2013). Mekan kuramı çerçevesinden Yade Kara’nın eseri Selam Berlin. Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, 30(1).

Where the Morality Lives: Good and Evil Spaces in “Adventure Time”

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 5 Sayı: 2, 311 - 328, 30.09.2025
https://doi.org/10.59534/jcss.1698424

Öz

This paper explores the spatial and moral semiotics of the animated series Adventure Time, drawing on Yuri Lotman's semiosphere theory to analyze how visual environments in children's media communicate ethical values. The study argues that in animated narratives, spatial design is not merely decorative but functions as a narrative device that visually encodes moral dichotomies. Through the lens of Lotman’s topographic, topological, and semantic spatial categories, the paper investigates how Adventure Time constructs realms such as the Candy Kingdom, Ice Kingdom, and Nightosphere as metaphorical spaces symbolizing moral order, ambiguity, and chaos. These symbolic geographies reflect deeper cultural structures and shape the viewer’s perception of good and evil. Furthermore, the research critiques how conventional animation often reinforces aesthetic stereotypes—such as beauty aligning with goodness and ugliness with evil—posing potential ethical implications for young audiences. However, Adventure Time occasionally subverts these norms, offering spaces where moral ambiguity is acknowledged. By applying Lotman’s spatial semiotics, this study highlights the pedagogical power of animated space and encourages a critical reading of visual storytelling in children’s media. The findings suggest that animated spatial aesthetics are deeply tied to cultural codes, and their ethical messaging warrants closer scrutiny in media studies.

Kaynakça

  • Adventure Time Seasons 1–7. (2010). [TV series]. In P. Ward (Director), Adventure Time. Cartoon Network. Blu-Ray.
  • Clark, N. (2012). Adventure Time's target audience is all of us. In N. Michaud (Ed.), Adventure Time and philosophy: The handbook for heroes (pp. 35–47). Open Court.
  • Clarke, L. L., Hine, B., England, D., Flew, P. P. M. S., Alzahri, R., Juriansz, S. N., & Garcia, M. J. B. C. (2024). The gendered behaviors displayed by Disney protagonists. Frontiers in sociology, 9, 1338900. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2024.1338900
  • Daemmrich, I. G., & Horst, S. D. (1995). Themen und Motive in der Literatur: Ein Handbuch. Francke Verlag. Dion, K., Berscheid, E., & Walster, E. (1972). What is beautiful is good. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24(3), 285–290. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0033731
  • Eagly, A. H., Ashmore, R. D., Makhijani, M. G., & Longo, L. C. (1991). What is beautiful is good, but…: A meta-analytic review of research on the physical attractiveness stereotype. Psychological Bulletin, 110(1), 109–128. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.110.1.109
  • Ewalt, D. M. (2011, November 15). It's Adventure Time! Pendleton Ward talks about his hit cartoon. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2011/11/15/its-adventure-time-pendleton-ward-talks-about-his-hit-cartoon/
  • Feeney, N. (2013, March 29). The weird world of Adventure Time comes full circle. Time. https://entertainment.time.com/2013/03/29/the-weird-world-of-adventure-time-comes-full-circle/
  • Fouts, G., Callan, M., Piasentin, K., & Lawson, A. (2006). Demonizing in children’s television cartoons and Disney animated films. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 37(1), 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-006-0016-7
  • Giroux, H. A. (2004). Cultural studies, public pedagogy, and the responsibility of intellectuals. Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, 1(1), 59–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/1479142042000180926
  • Gökçeaslan, A. (2008). Canlandırma sinemasında mizahın kullanımı. Gazi Üniversitesi Güzel Sanatlar Fakültesi Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi, 2.
  • Jane, E. A. (2015). “Gunter’s a Woman?!”— Doing and undoing gender in Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time. Journal of Children and Media, 9(2), 231–247. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2015.1024002
  • Killen M, Dahl A. Moral Reasoning Enables Developmental and Societal Change. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2021 Nov;16(6):1209-1225. doi: 10.1177/1745691620964076. Epub 2021 Feb 23. PMID: 33621472; PMCID: PMC8380749.
  • León González, M., Infantes Paniagua, Á., Thornborrow, T., & Contreras Jordán, O. (2020). Associations Between Media Representations of Physical, Personality, and Social Attributes by Gender: A Content Analysis of Children’s Animated Film Characters. International Journal of Communication, 14, 23.
  • Lotman, Y. M. (1990). Universe of the mind: A semiotic theory of culture. I.B. Tauris.
  • Lotman, Y. M. (1975). On the metalanguage of a typological description of culture. Semiotica 14 (2).
  • Lotman, Y. M. (1977). The Dynamic Model of a Semiotic System. Semiotica, 21(3-4), 193-210. https://doi.org/10.1515/semi.1977.21.3-4.193
  • Luckmann, T. (1986). The communicative construction of reality. Routledge.
  • Luhmann, N. (2000). The reality of the mass media. Stanford University Press.
  • Lutman, J. M. (1993). Die Struktur literarischer Texte. Fink Verlag.
  • Michaud, N. (Ed.). (2015). Adventure Time and philosophy: The handbook for heroes. Open Court.
  • Morrow, P. C. (1978). Functionalism, Conflict Theory And The Synthesis Syndrome In Sociology. International Review Of Modern Sociology, 8(2), 209–225. Http://Www.Jstor.Org/Stable/41420656
  • Myers, D. G. (2002). Social psychology. McGraw-Hill.
  • Nieto, L. M. H. (2014). Between genius and dummy, good and evil: Rotwang, Frankenstein, and Wernher von Braun: The portrayal of scientists in the TV-cartoon Kim Possible. 13th International Public Communication of Science and Technology Conference, Brazil.
  • Nöth, W. (2015). The topography of Yuri Lotman’s semiosphere. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 18(1), 11–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877914528114
  • Praveen, C. K., & Srinivasan, K. (2022). Psychological Impact and Influence of Animation on Viewer's Visual Attention and Cognition: A Systematic Literature Review, Open Challenges, and Future Research Directions. Computational and mathematical methods in medicine, 2022, 8802542. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/8802542
  • Şentürk, R. (2011). Çocuk filmlerinde kaygı ve korku. Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 11.
  • Taşkın, H ve İnanç, A. (2023). Reflections of the Female Identity Constructions in Animation Movies: An Analysis on of Disney andHayao Miyazaki Movies. Erciyes İletişim Dergisi, 10(1), 57-78 https://doi.org/10.17680/erciyesiletisim.1183539
  • Tiit Remm (2022). Is there a Lotmanian method for the semiotic analysis of spatial texts? Human being: Image and essence. Humanitarian aspects. Moscow: INION RAN. Vol. 1(49): Semiosphere: spacial aspects. To the 100th anniversary of Yu.M. Lotman, pp. 88-107. DOI: 10.31249/chel/2022.01.05
  • Vaidya, Ruta & Osman, Yousra. (2024). Disney characters as moral role models: a discourse analysis of Coco and Encanto. Frontiers in Communication. 9. 10.3389/fcomm.2024.1375133.
  • Webb, C. S. (2024). Cartooning evil: An exploration of the archetype of evil in cartoons as public pedagogy [Master’s thesis, Purdue University]. https://doi.org/10.25394/PGS.25669860.v1
  • Zengin, E. (2013). Mekan kuramı çerçevesinden Yade Kara’nın eseri Selam Berlin. Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, 30(1).
Toplam 31 adet kaynakça vardır.

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil İngilizce
Konular İletişim ve Medya Çalışmaları (Diğer)
Bölüm Araştırma Makaleleri
Yazarlar

Hakan Keleş 0000-0003-3004-8489

Erken Görünüm Tarihi 30 Eylül 2025
Yayımlanma Tarihi 30 Eylül 2025
Gönderilme Tarihi 13 Mayıs 2025
Kabul Tarihi 9 Eylül 2025
Yayımlandığı Sayı Yıl 2025 Cilt: 5 Sayı: 2

Kaynak Göster

APA Keleş, H. (2025). Where the Morality Lives: Good and Evil Spaces in “Adventure Time”. İletişim ve Toplum Araştırmaları Dergisi, 5(2), 311-328. https://doi.org/10.59534/jcss.1698424



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