November 22, 2009
UTNE READER

As the World Turns: International Soap Operas

(Page 2 of 2)

May-June 2009
by Jeff Severns Guntzel 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is obsessed with a Turkish soap called Noor that flopped in Turkey and was repackaged for the Arab world. Noor is named after its fiercely independent female lead—a successful fashion designer with a heartthrob husband who treats her as an equal. This dynamic probably explains the success of the show among Saudi Arabia’s women. “Our men are rugged and unyielding,” a 26-year-old housewife told Reuters. “I wake up and see a cold and detached man lying next to me, I look out the window and see dust. It is all so dull. On Noor, I see beautiful faces, the beautiful feelings they share and beautiful scenery.” The show is dubbed in colloquial Arabic, whereas most shows, like the also-popular Mexican soaps, are dubbed in formal Arabic, giving them an academic feel. “I don’t like all that Maria Mercedes nonsense,” 16-year-old Dania Nugali told Reuters. “I feel like I am in Arabic literature class when I watch Mexican shows. But when I watch Noor, I definitely feel that it is entertainment.”

RELATED CONTENT

Thailand
The soap-opera-as-ambassador model has its limits. In 2007 the Thai soap Mekong Love Song was yanked off the TV schedule in neighboring Laos for apparently mocking the country with a scene in which a Thai actor threw the national flower of Laos into a dustbin. In 2003 false reports circulated around Cambodia, where Thai soaps first appeared on bootleg VHS tapes, that a Thai soap star had challenged Cambodia’s claim to the iconic Angkor Wat temple. Cambodians rioted and attacked Thai-owned stores.

Thai soap controversies inside Thailand tend to be relatively benign. Last year a drama centered on a group of catty flight attendants was compelled to exercise restraint after a local airline union complained to the culture ministry. In a press conference, a producer promised change: “There won’t be any more catfight scenes between flight attendants while they are on duty or in uniform in public. The skirts our actresses wear are not shorter than those worn by hostesses at other international airlines. But we will make our skirts longer.”

Page: << Previous 1 | 2 |
Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

Add Your Comment

We’d like to know what you think. To comment, please use this form. E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments. First time registrants: You will receive an email confirming your email address. Once you confirm, your comment will be posted. Questions about our comments policy? Click here.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Utne Reader?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Pay Now & Save $6!
First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Want to gain a fresh perspective? Read stories that matter? Feel optimistic about the future? It's all here! Utne Reader offers provocative writing from diverse perspectives, insightful analysis of art and media, down-to-earth news and in-depth coverage of eye-opening issues that affect your life.

Save Even More Money By Paying NOW!

Pay now with a credit card and take advantage of our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. You save an additional $6 and get 6 issues of Utne Reader for only $29.95 (USA only).

Or Bill Me Later and pay just $36 for 6 issues of Utne Reader!