FENOMENA GASLIGHTING DI KALANGAN PEMBACA WEBTOON (STUDI RESEPSI PADA PEMBACA KOMIK “DEDES”)

This study examines audience reception of the “Dedes” Webtoon regarding the phenomenon of gaslighting. Audience reception is analyzed based on the informants personal experiences and knowledge. Using an interpretive-constructivist paradigm, this study employs a qualitative method with a descriptive approach. Six informants were selected through purposive sampling, all of whom are readers of the Webtoon Dedes. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews, observation, documentation, and literature review. The research focuses on the conflict between the characters Arok and Dedes in “Dedes” Webtoon. Grounded in Stuart Hall’s reception theory, this study centers on the subjects encoding-decoding process. The results show that all six subjects occupy a dominant-hegemonic position in their initial reception, identifying gaslighting in flashback scenes where Arok acts as the gaslighter and Dedes as the victim. Regarding the six specific gaslighting scenes, the subjects positions vary based on their personal experiences and understanding of gaslighting. This variation occurs due to differences in the gaslighting techniques they have experienced, the information they possess, and the timeframe of their awareness and recovery from gaslighting.