The Mask Thai Literature: An Adaptation of Thai Literature in Popular Culture

Abstract

The Mask Thai Literature is a television program produced by Workpoint Entertainment Co., Ltd. This program selected some motifs from Thai literature to create masks for a celebrities’ singing contest in which competitors must hide themselves behind masks and costumes. This article aimed to study an adaptation of Thai literature in The Mask Thai Literature and the practices that happened as a part of the entertainment industry in popular culture. The result covered three issues. First, the origin of masks in The Mask Thai Literature came from the characters and places in Thai literature. These masks were chosen by celebrities and producers to adapt for the singing contest, and they also provide spaces for construction of celebrities’ identities. Next, adaptation of Thai literature in this program made the program a space for blurring the boundaries between “high culture” and “popular culture”. Last, when considering this program as a part of the entertainment industry, it is found that The Mask Thai Literature is related to a world-wide representation of Thai identity, a vision of the same company’s TV program production, and a commodification too. To sum up, The Mask Thai Literature is a practice of adaptation of Thai literature in the entertainment industry via a television program, and also a space for interacting between Thai literature and popular culture.