Media usually gives the most attention to what is newest. When something is first released, people are interested. As time passes, interest drops. Popularity fades. Japanese variety shows may not need to follow this pattern as closely. The value of a variety show is not in a long story or a deep narrative. The value is in the fun of each moment. Viewers watch to enjoy what is happening right then and there. For people who like this kind of program, that is enough. Of course, celebrities appear on Japanese variety shows mainly for promotion. If they have a new film, drama, or album, the show helps them promote it. On a variety show, they can show a more relaxed and funny side of themselves. This makes viewers feel closer to them. Datsuryoku News Network looks like a news desk program, but it is fully a variety show. From beginning to end, everyone follows a concept. The hosts and cast guide the guest according to the theme of the episode. They create awkward or strange situations on purpose. The structure is based on boke, where someone says or does something foolish or off target, and tsukkomi, where someone points it out or corrects it. Sometimes the guest must follow the situation given to them, even if it feels strange. But mosts of the comedian guests already know this before it even starts. Once you understand Japanese variety, you realize that the reason to watch is not the topic itself. It is the enjoyment of each small moment. In episode three of DNN, a female comedian in her late forties who has not married appears as the main guest. The show begins in news format, saying that middle aged marriage is becoming a trend. Since this is DNN, even that setup is part of the joke. Several male guests appear one by one in a space made to look like a married couple’s home. They act as if they are in a marriage situation with her. But instead of having normal husband and wife conversations, they bring in completely different real life issues. For example, one male comedian explains that he belongs to a three member comedy group. One member left due to controversy, and now they need someone new. He tells her he wants her to join the team. She responds while moving between being serious and staying inside the fake husband and wife setting. She goes back and forth between the concept and reality. In another scene, a different comedian enters with a strict, patriarchal attitude. He complains about many small things. He says the food is not seasoned properly. He says the bath water is not hot enough. He keeps complaining. After the scene ends, the MC Arita asks her what she thinks about a patriarchal man. She responds with a tsukkomi, saying that this is not patriarchy at all. Japanese variety shows are not mainly about a single episode becoming popular. They are built on a repeatable structure. Guests change. Topics change. Promotion still happens. But the core stays the same. Reality is turned into a concept. The concept is treated as if it were real. Then it is broken by tsukkomi. Because of this structure, the show does not rely only on trends. It relies on format.