First it was the Mexican telenovelas... now it's the invasion of the Turkish shows. The newest plague dominating Arabic television screens is Turkish shows that have been dubbed in Arabic. Two shows that are broadcast on MBC are apparently having a significant impact on Arab society: 'Nour' and 'Sanawat Al-Dayaa'. Interestingly, these shows are being broadcast at least 3 times a day, morning, afternoon and night, in order to prevent the mostly-female audience from missing a single episode. At this point, over 100 episodes have been broadcast and there is no end in sight.
Being that it's the middle of summer and I have little to do, I decided to research these two shows that have become staples in Arabic-speaking homes and have directly led to divorces and family problems in the middle east. After some web searches and catching a couple of episodes of both shows, some conclusions can be made.
Sanawat Al-Dayaa (Ihlamurlar Altinda in Turkish) and Nour (Gumus) are two shows which practically feature the same main plot: one beautiful woman who is being fought over by two men. In the midst of this is a little bit of adultery thrown in with some villas, abortions, wine consumption and murder. Yup, nothing like a western-influenced serial portraying 'normal life circumstances' to Arabs who are all too willing to accept these shows as realistic examples.
The thing that frightens me the most is that the main heroine from Sanawat Al-Dayaa, the 'stunning' Lamees which many a female look up to as a role model, has just been revealed to be pregnant with her boyfriend's illegitimate child. I cannot imagine how this show will impact the young girls who watch it alongside their mothers on a daily basis.
Allah yustur.
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