"LIFE ETC."

We now have a brand-new way to determine whether or not someone is intellectual: his/her attitude towards domestic TV series and movies. Complaining about the so-called “TV series inflation” seems like the new requirement for someone who wants to show how “educated” he/she is.
A similar situation exists in terms of comments on movies produced in Turkey. There are different approaches to cinema, but nearly all of them are based on foreign productions, so that people expect a Turkish movie to be similar to either a Hollywood or a European film. So let me recommend something: if you want your ideas be accepted by the majority, never make positive comments about a Turkish movie. Better yet, ignore Turkish films! There is always an American or European movie worth talking about. If people somehow happen to talk about a Turkish movie, exaggerate its negative aspects. Talk about its “nonexistent technical capability” or something like that. At this point, I would advise everyone to accuse the director of turning the movie into a “star-jam.” Of course I'm aware that a movie doesn't need unknown actors/actresses in order to be good, but for some reason, this logic is considered completely out of order when we're talking about a Turkish movie.
That's why the last two episodes of “Hababam Sınıfı” are called “nonsensical 'jams' of popular actors” while “Ocean's Eleven” and “Ocean's Twelve” are accepted as two spectacular examples of action cinema.
But if honesty is more important to us than popularity, we must acknowledge the positive effect of domestic TV series on the Turkish cinema industry. Of course most of them are low-quality, but isn't that a general rule for any product? Who can ignore the role of TV series in increasing the standard of living for veteran Turkish theater actors and actresses? Since these are the facts, it's hard to understand why people in this country think that Turkish TV series deserve less clemency than “The Bold and The Beautiful” or “The Young and The Restless.” I also can't understand why movies such as “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” don't face the criticisms that low-budget domestic productions do. Are we that addicted to subtitles?

orhan@ug.bcc.bilkent.edu.tr