Arab Women Can Fancy Men?
According to Global Voices Online, I happened to learn that a Turkish soap opera, Nur (or Noor, your preference, the former spelling is Turkish, the latter for you to correctly pronounce it), has become a hit in the Arab world, with reports of fights and even divorces occurring because of the obsession of many women with the handsome male star, Kivanç Tatlitug, who plays Muhannad (I did not know such a name existed, by the way). The series it seems, not only caused quite a stir in the Arab speaking blogosphere, but also among all-knowing-always-talking religious clerics.
I am pleased, really. No, not for the supposedly increasing divorce rates but for those who cunningly mask their desire to dominate the female of the species behind religion. They must be in shock. Women… like… men? (I will regret this phrase and the title of this post which will force Google and the company push wild and interesting ads -sigh-) What a novel idea!
Of course, most of the blogs, unlike the small shadows of the God, focused on how and why such an (n-1)th degree cheap crap had created such a turbulence:
What has Noor done to us? I personally criticised the soap when it first started because it was silly and not worth watching. But after watching it for an episode or two, I found myself following it. And I really strive to finish my shopping and prepare dinner before 10pm so that we can enjoy watching Noor while having our dinner. I started questioning our fascination with this soap opera. Is it an escape from boredom and our routine? Or is it an exit from the Arab dramas, which talk to us about drugs, in episodes full of crying, screaming, caves, alleys and fighting? Or is it because Noor and Muhannad are an attractive couple, who are nice to watch and allow our imaginations to take us away? Or is it because of the beauty of Turkey’s nature, the way the soap is filmed, and the setting of this production that we enjoy? We also can’t forget the allure in his eyes, and his character, which no two can argue over. Perhaps the other reasons could be important and Muhannad could be handsome, but I believe that he does not have the characteristics or attractions of an Arab man, which dictate that a man cannot be handsome if he is fair, with soft clear skin. However, those I have asked about their fascination with Muhannad have told me that they miss having blond men with blue eyes in our part of the world! This is perhaps why our women are hysterical over Muhannad the Turk! I have even heard men admit that he is handsome!! Can you imagine that?
While others resented. Quoting one comment from the said post:
Having just come back to Dubai from my two week vacation in Amman, Jordan where my parents live, I can attest that the soap opera Noor is a hot ticket item that is religiously followed by many in the Arab world. It is even a topic of discussion in the print and coffee gatherings. Some countries, Jordan included, have invited the star actors (Mohanad and Noor) for a visit. The bottom line is this: The Arabs have reached such a state of cultural deficit and emptiness that is disheartening. The attention to this story belies a bankrupt intellectual pursuit of Arabs whereas before they were the leaders in science and knowledge, now our intellectual pursuit is to whether Noor was correct in being angry with Mohanad because he hired his ex-wife. Wake up and arise ya Arab!?!?!?!
He was right of course. There is a cultural and intellectual deficit in the region. Yet, waking up and rising will not do any good, nor despising the series. It is a fact of life, like many simple things, a flower in our garden, a joke, small talk, pillow talk etc, and it is necessary! Many refuse to acknowledge it just like the Communists did. Communism collapsed because of, or rather lack of three things:
- Stockings
- Perfume
- Chewing gum.
Do not let any of those so-called political analysts fool you. The officials of the ruling party, the apparatus so to speak, despised these items as capitalistic bullshit to such an extent that these basic and simple commodities became an obsession. People would do anything to get them. And they did, they overthrew communism.
And last word to the male of the species: Let women like you. If they do, you will like them even more!
6 Responses to “Arab Women Can Fancy Men?”