8. Killing Us Softly 3

Honestly, I didn't think that I would like this documenty. But I even laughed! Maybe because I found very interesting to watch ads in any kind. I like to appriciate the well filmmed commercials, when they have clever points and ironic content.
Killing Us Softly 3, made me think again about which I already found irritating. In my childhood I hated the girls who play only with their barbies,wear pink all over, don't run cause they are afraid to get dirty! By that, I can't deny that I also played with barbies and liked it. But I was not finding them real anyways, in games; I never gave them realistic jobs like teacher or officer, always princess, fairy or pop-star. Moreover I always prefered lego and puzzeles to barbies. But the pressure on children by commercials and so with their peers is enourmous.
Boys, wear blue and hate pink, they play with toy guns and hyper-mascular male figures or super shiny toy car. Instead, girls need to be shy, help the mother, play with their little iron and other house gatgets. Even it's very common that mothers tell their girls that they should not laugh laudy and run very much because its rude.
In documentry, she also mentions that the commercials for kids have an innevitiable connection with power. She gives an example about racism in ads by referencing a little black boy and an older white girl.
There were many different interesting points which I didn't analyze in detail, like;
-How media turns the reality into 'thing' to make it more vulnerable against violence and overcontrol.
-How unapproachable idealized beauty is shown in ads that you have to try all through your life by new products to reach impossible. And this impossible is only the 5% of the american society.
-The message of silence for women is shown by their body language (mouth shut by hands, unhealty,weak gesture) in commercials.
-Pornographic approach to romance and sex in America and how it cause to teenage pregnancy. (By the way,in good way I can say that this topic is not observed in Turkish society however it also creates dangereous illiteracy in sexual education.)

I hope my notes will also be helpful for those follow my blog : )

7.Feminine Means What in Turkey?

I answered one of Sonja’s question before watching the film, but see after watching that it fits very well in general to the subject.

Actually in Turkish culture ‘feminine’ term has not an equal meaning in society. If we take the less-developed side of Turkey, then women don’t have any characteristics same to European societies. Her body is not the symbol of elegance or fragility, instead has the strength of motherhood ,fertility and protection. We can reason it by the agricultural based lifestyle in those areas. But unfortunately male society doesn’t only see women as the mother for their son but also a property that can be controlled and used for family life and themselves. This idea puts women in injustice position in social strafication mostly. However, there are always exceptions like the women of black sea side of Turkey, their attitude is mostly more dominance in society. Because they are the ones who labours in tea fields in common, this economical power gets them social power. Thus their feminism is mostly described as ‘a woman like a man’ as a compliment. Because they are strong -both physically and mentally- , responsible with the economy of the family and moreover known with their temper in arguments. : o

However, in more high-classed side of the Turkey –which is also the side mostly shown in media as an idol- women has more equal feature with general European societies. They are shown as emotional, beautiful, mostly in need of a more powerful figure. And media usually creates two peak point characters for women in conflict like; very cruel mean woman or very pure, innocent figure opposite for it. So media (as a router of social values) continues with a big question; which one you would like to be?

Abstract!

6.Ibrahim Tatlises: A phenomena

After I watched the documentary Tough Guise I had to mention about him. He is a good example for the view of media about masculinity in Turkey.
He is well known and loved man. He is an idol for various social classes but specially for many typical -mostly lower classed- Turkish man because he also came from same root to higher level. He is powerful, has money, has woman and also dominance them. We can find many important elements (and misunderstandings) about manhood in him.
He is known by his striking relationships with women. He is even accused by that he made one of his ex-girlfriends (who was also a belly dancer in his tv show) shot. When I google about their past relationship, I found more than I thought. He even threw her framed photos on floor in his show and shouted about how disrespectful she was. (By the way he becomes absurdly funny when he gets angry ‘show-off’ ) That was a few years ago, but less than a year ago he insulted another woman in front of many audience in a live tv show of his own. He told that she would be a prostitute if he didn’t give her a hand. That was an amazingly awkward situation, because she didn’t tell anything insulting or defensive before these humiliation. (I watched the full argument between two and amazed more; because he had given a didactic speech about how he is protective and kind however she was rude for warning him for not to interfere her while singing. For the video click.) Luckily some programmes and discussions been made on the psychological violence against women but society quickly accepted it as one of his little mistakes. It’s forgotten now.
But people have to think twice about his attitude, he was accusing her for not respecting the societies culture (while doing it he was talking in his eastern accent-my guesses for more sympathy-). He talked about how he is respectful and he also respects the elder. He even says that he is very sorry to hear her words that he could cry!! But right after that he gets immediately furious and tells how he saved her from pimps!!!
I can’t think of the reaction of men who takes him as a role model. They accept his attitude probably good for women, surely he was giving her a lesson. Because he is a very “kind man” . This is one of the misunderstandings on Turkish culture. Males feel like they have to be tough and protective and when it is needed, didactic towards women. Even it contains humiliating them. That’s also explain how responsibles of domesticated violence reason themselves.

I can't belive, I had so much to say. I couldn't stop myself. I hope you will be patince enough to finish it. Thank you anyways : ) .

5.Male advocate the feminism is a very interesting point. Isn't it?

Since we can not change the male dominance in society in a twinkle we have to put man in charge for putting women in more active position in woman rights. Men need to be the leader for creating awareness, because they are still the dominant side. Just think of the Turkish politics. Government puts the female members of Parliament only in positions like ‘The Minister of Women and Children’ which is also a weird ministry because it refers that women need more protection and care than men. On the other hand how can the women minority in parliament would create solutions for problems of female society (It’s also nonsense to ask the rights of the HALF of the society)? Male ministers feel relieved when they put the woman in charge –symbolically- and don’t care about the big picture. So, I can say that we have to become familiar with the idea of men advocate the women till the women make their way into own rights. And humankind starts to focus on improvement of human rights in society as a whole. By that time women absolutely have to try their best to show their reaction against discrimination of women in society (Including me.).

p.s.: I'm sorry to write that much long and serious, but when we talked about the subject after tough guise's 1st part in class I couldn't gather all my thougts and only took some notes. Now I did gather them : ) .

4.The Fall

Dear All,
I'm having hard time trying to find my notes about tough guise! That's horrible! But I still have hope : ) . I will do my best to focus on the male dominance and perspective of media on the issue in my next posts, because it's a good subject to talk about in Turkey.
On the other hand, by that holiday, I had enough leisure time to fulfill my longing to beautiful İstanbul and to my home! However I still didn't watch the movie 'Killing Us Softly 3' but I watched different ones. One of them was named 'The Fall'. It was amazing. I had such a great time : )
If you like colourful fairy tales with well produced visual direction, with a pinch of drama in it you would also be pleased. (If you watched pushing daisies then you will understand what I meant : ) )

p.s. : Unfortunetly I'm unable to find a copyrigted image for the film poster, so I will only give the URL for it :

The Fall Poster [Online Image]. Retrieved November 27, 2009 from
Google Images. http://www.impawards.com/2008/posters/fall_ver2_xlg.jpg

3.Playing with Settings on My Blog

I decided to play with my settings!
Opposite to my style (As I like colourful accssesories a lot) I kept the black background.
It looks depressing - I know. But I read an article about power saving from pc only by changing backgrounds to darker colours. It also helps reader to follow easier. Which means, you can read more from me : )
I also add a little writing about myself. But it's 2 AM. Probably it would need further editing :)

Good night everyone!!
There will be more frequent posts in future!