If I told you this guy was Turkish, you would frown and tell me "No, he's gotta be a 'stekare'!" (a priveleged Swede from Stockholm with slick hair and preppy clothes who hangs out at Stureplan with HRH princess Madeleine). But no, this Turkish actor, named Kivanç Tatlitug, is the star du jour in Palestine as the male lead in the Turkish soap "Noor".
He plays Mohannad, husband of fashion designer Noor. The series is a huge success in the Arab world. I have watched a couple of episodes, and I understand why it's easy to get intrigued. Let me just give you a recap of two and a half episodes:
Noor is kidnapped, Noor kills the kidnapper after he tries to rape her, Noor is imprisoned and finds that she's pregnant, Noor is released, she gives birth, she has a disagreement with Mohannad and separates from him, they are both involved in a car accident and reconcile.
I think "Days of our lives" has something to learn with regards to the pace of the storyline. As far as I know, Noor and Mohannad were happy in yesterday's episode.
Extremely popular (and influental?)
Everybody watches it. Everybody talks about it. Even grown men are glued to the TV-screen. Studies on the phenomenon of "Noor" shows that the tv-series popularity stems in part from it being the only escape from reality for those who have but the world of television to resort to. Its lavish interior sets and heavy consumption of hair products definitely helps to up the glam factor. But when I ask the average Palestinian woman or girl why she likes the show, she gets a dreamy look and just goes: "Ya (oh) Mohannad!".
Regardless, the fact remains that Noor and Mohannad are on everybody's lips. Hence, it's possible to find their faces on any merchandise you can imagine. You can even buy Noor and Mohannad crisps...
Apparently, the series has had another effect apart from the purely commercial boost. People keep telling me all these stories about couples who have divorced because the women have started to act like the independent Noor. Maybe we have a femenist revolution on our hands, courtesy of a Turkish soap opera?
Everybody watches it. Everybody talks about it. Even grown men are glued to the TV-screen. Studies on the phenomenon of "Noor" shows that the tv-series popularity stems in part from it being the only escape from reality for those who have but the world of television to resort to. Its lavish interior sets and heavy consumption of hair products definitely helps to up the glam factor. But when I ask the average Palestinian woman or girl why she likes the show, she gets a dreamy look and just goes: "Ya (oh) Mohannad!".
Regardless, the fact remains that Noor and Mohannad are on everybody's lips. Hence, it's possible to find their faces on any merchandise you can imagine. You can even buy Noor and Mohannad crisps...
Apparently, the series has had another effect apart from the purely commercial boost. People keep telling me all these stories about couples who have divorced because the women have started to act like the independent Noor. Maybe we have a femenist revolution on our hands, courtesy of a Turkish soap opera?
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