Turkish soap operas in the Arab world: social liberation or cultural alienation?
From Gümüş to Noor: linguistic considerations
Translation is a mode of representing identity and triggers a linguistic, philosophical and commercial debate. Each language represents a different vision of the world characterized by its means and values. Several cultural studies scholars have taken this idea into consideration when studying media. Indeed they discussed the public’s reappropriation of mass media entertainment products. There are several ways to translate films or series: subtitling “a transposition from sound into writing” and dubbing “an audiovisual expression with one language seen, another heard”12. Both techniques involve synchronization: “the number of syllables as well as the duration of the spoken line is supposed to correspond with the original” (Rossholm 2006). Translation involves a combination of languages and media.
In Arab media, translations are mostly done through subtitling. As for dubbing, Robert Stam explains that accents and intonations are also essential as they convey cultural and linguistic differences13. When it comes to Arabic, the diglossia of the language is an essential characteristic to consider. It results in major differences between “literary” Arabic (a language that is not mastered by a part of the population) and colloquial Arabic or dialects, the language “of the street” and daily life. The expansion of media has led to different phases of linguistic hegemony. In the early 1990s, Arab musalsalat productions were dominated by dialects, essentially Egyptian. This position can be explained by Egypt’s long cinema history, dating to the beginning of the 20th century, as well as the abundance of Egyptian productions.
The emergence of Al Jazeera would, however, level the playing field, introducing a standardization of literary Arabic in order to help viewers who did not master it. This innovation would also have an impact in the field of entertainment. First, brief incursions of literary Arabic in local productions increased, although the field was traditionally dialectal (such as the Syrian hit series Bab al Hara). Then came MBC’s successful gamble: having Gümüş dubbed into Syrian dialect by Sama production studios in Damascus. This choice challenged the traditional literary Arabic dubbing of Mexican telenovelas that had created a disconnect between the audience, which found the language too complex and inadequate for the scenario, and the series over the years. Dania Nugali, a 16 year-old Saudi, told John Dagge from The Middle East magazine that when she watched telenovelas dubbed in classical Arabic she felt “like (she was) in an Arabic literature class (…) but when I watch Noor, I definitely feel that it is entertainment."14.Most fans who gathered in front of the MBC building when Noor‘s stars visited Dubai agreed with Dania. Therefore, MBC’s use of Syrian dialect was not an obstacle to Noor’s success, but was, on the contrary, one of its main assets, despite the important differences between Syrian dialect and other Arabic dialects.
With accessible language, Arab viewers discovered “the Other”, a neighboring country that history had estranged. Indeed Arab nationalism was essentially a reaction to Turkish cultural hegemony after the Young Turks’ revolution. By “winning hearts and minds”, Noor triggered a sudden reawakening and consideration of these Sanawat al Dayaa’ (“lost years”) as well as several other dilemmas.
The Ottoman Empire strikes back?
Turkish-dubbed series were undeniably an essential factor that led to a reevaluation of Turkish culture by Arab audiences. A feeling of proximity between both societies, Arab and Turkish, that was found neither in Mexican telenovelas nor in American hit series, flourished.
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1 Silver in Turkish
2 Light in Arabic
3 Sakr, Naomi. Arab Television Today. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007.
—. Satellite Realms: Transantional Television Globalization and the Middle East. London: I.B. Tauris, 2001.
4 Çemberimde Gül Oya, a 2004 Kanal D production
5 Ihlamurlar Altında, a 2005 Kanal D production
6 Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates). «Noor’ lights up beacons of change.» 28 July 2008.
7 Beirut hosts The 2nd New Arab Woman Forum (NAWF). 11 September 2008. http://www.ameinfo.com/168434.html
8 According to its official website, the study gives a panorama of annual TV consumption in over 80 countries and territories worldwide http://www.iconoval.fr/publicmedia/original/171/78/fr/2009_%2003_%2024_%20CDP%20l%27ann%C3%A9e%20TV%20dans%20le%20monde%20VF.pdf
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18 Mansour, Mohamed. «Ba'da mawjat al musalsalat al Mexikiya wal Iraniya wa akhiran al Turkiya.» Al Quds Al Arabi, 17 April 2008: 13.
19 Arabic TV serials too costly, MBC Chairman warns. 21 May 2008. http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/05/21/50195.html.
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22 Middle East has its own Brad Pitt. 11 Mars 2009. http://www.welt.de/english-news/article3357687/Middle-East-has-its-own-Brad-Pitt.html
23 Turkish soap star sparks divorces in Arab world. June 29, 2008. http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/06/29/52291.html
24 Turkish soap opera upends traditional Arab gender roles. NBC News, July 31, 2008.
25 Al Rayah (Qatar). Salman al A'wda Yansah' al MBC bi tahzib al musalsal al Turki Noor. June 30, 2008.
26 (Dagge, 2008)
27 For more details about this event and its symbolic significance, please read : Hammond, Andrew. «Reading Lohaidan in Riyadh: Media and the struggle for judicial power in Saudi Arabia.» Arab Media and Society, Issue 7, Winter 2009 http://www.arabmediasociety.com/?article=702#_edn3
28 Sambidge, Andy. MBC expands soap opera shows despite Mufti fury. 21 October 2008. http://www.arabianbusiness.com/535285-mbc-expands-Soap operas-despite-mufti-outrage.
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I think this is a very interesting article as it discusses a new and updated trend that been taking over the Arab media. The invasion of Turkish soap operas has definitely placed a threat on our local media and productions. I like how the article shows the gradual changes that have taken place in history regarding soap operas starting from their first emergence on radio. I think the emphasis placed on marketing decisions placed by MBC regarding airing times and prime time of Turkish soap operas, particularly Noor, reflects their success in the media.
The article also links the success of Turkish soap operas to being a mixture between modern American culture and our traditions as Arabs, particularly that of the family head and leader (i.e. Fekry Bay in Noor). However, I feel the main reason behind the success of Turkish soap operas comes back to being dubbed in a colloquial language in contrast to the semi-formal/ classical dubbing used previously in Mexican soap operas. I think the article did a great job in explaining and highlighting this point.
The article also highlights an essential point of how the Turkish people utilized their media well to market their country and tourism. Filming in landscapes that show the beauty of nature and possible sightseeing in Turkey (in contrast to indoor studio filming used mostly by other countries) has indeed helped boost Turkey’s economy. Although the article does not discuss it, it was previously published in Al Ahram newspaper that Saudi couples have paid fortunes in order to have their wedding done in the residence where Noor was filmed.
The article also does a good job in laying out the negative opinions that surrounded the Turkish soap opera. Several values were contradicting to the Arab values and traditions such as alcohol use, sex, and abortion that were openly discussed in these shows.
All in all I think this article does a good job in laying the pros and cons of the Turkish invasion of soap operas over Arab media. I think it has covered different aspects of the story and shed light to several interesting facts.
Madonna Magdy
I believe that too much attention to one particular type of serial, the romantic drama, which includes the first and most famous ones that caused such a stirr. But this is only one type of Turkish serial that appears on Arab TV, albeit a very popular one. There are others, though, that have a lot of followers, those about rural areas, problems like illicit polygamy, honor crimes, oppression of people by feudal lords or "aghas" as well as political issues such as the conflict in Eastern Turkey and the "deep state" political issue. The one dealing with honor crimes in particular, drew a spirited discussion on the Internet forum dedicated to it as well as renewed discussion in the press in Jordan for one. They demonstrate to Arab audiences that while a certain part of Istanbul may have a glittery, European aura an behavior, the rest of the country is much closer to the Arab world in their mores and behavior. Another type that was also popular was the historical genre, dealing with the Turkish war of independence. The remarks on the forums related to these series related to the struggle against foreign occupation and compared the heroes to those of Arab serials such as Bab al Hara. It was not lost on some viewers that the French occupiers were wearning the same uniforms in "Bab al Hara" as they were in the Turkish serial "Love and War." Then there is "Valley of the Wolves" a phenomenon all on its own. Arab audiences viewed the scenes that so incensed the Israelis and know that a spin-off movie will be out in the Fall, dealing with Palestine. They also viewed the Turkish serial about the occupation of Palestine entitled "Ayrilik."
We need to get beyond what the press, especially in the West, has focused on with regard to the impact of these Turkish productions.
jcg
It is because of Nour (Gumus)the Turkish soap opera dubbed in Arabic that was the inspiration for the independent feature film "Almost a Turkish Soap Opera". The film
captures the turmoils of two young modern Turkish men trying to make a home in the West but finding their lives have turned into a Turkish soap opera.
The film reflects on how Turkish soap operas have become very popular in the Middle East and now in Europe.
The trailer can be seen on youtube at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/3arnb9?feature=mhum
The official movie website is http://www.almostaturkishsoapopera.com
Rinoa
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