Melodramas in the Middle East

When Americans think of the Middle East, they may picture vast deserts, broken-down buildings, crowded streets, or armed gunmen. These are the images Americans are presented with in popular television and film. What many Americans don’t realize is that the Middle East is not so different from the U.S. When asked what Arabs or other people from the Middle East do for fun, many Americans have very little knowledge. It may surprise some Americans to find out that people in the Middle East watch television shows just like ours. My earlier post mentioned reality TV – a common type of television in both the U.S. and the Middle East. But reality TV is not the only think Arabs are watching on television. Just like any other region with television, the Middle East hosts all sorts of genres of TV. There are shows that focus on comedy, action, romance, and more. One popular genre that has skyrocketed in the last decade is the melodrama. One show in particular, a show called Noor, is responsible for this growing trend. Noor (Arabic for “light”) is a melodrama that aired in the Middle East from 2005 to 2008. Though it was originally produced in Turkey (under the name Gumus), the show was dubbed in Arabic to be shown across the Arab world.

Noor is the story of a woman named Noor as she marries into a wealthy family. It follows her trials and tribulations in the family, as well as her romantic and personal life. Though the lead characters are Muslim (they are shown observing Ramadan) Islam is not the focus of the show. In fact, the show is well known for its departure from traditional views. Based on the way that Arabs and Muslims are portrayed in American media, one might not expect Noor to be as relaxed and liberal as it is. While Americans are led to believe that Arab women are oppressed and submissive, women on Noor break these stereotypes. Women on the show do not wear headscarves, do not submit to their husbands’ demands, and do not hide in the background. Instead, these women are independent and strong. Characters are shown drinking alcohol, partying, and kissing. Some characters have sex (without being married) and one character even has a child prior to marriage. The main character (Noor) and her husband exhibit a very equal relationship, where they share in responsibilities and decisions equally, and the husband is very supportive of her independent career as a fashion designer. The Arab characters are not shown praying, being unnecessarily violent, or planning terrorist plots as we see in many stereotypical American films. Instead, the characters live everyday lives, and partake in the same kinds of activities as we would see in an American melodrama.

In addition to breaking stereotypes and providing everyday entertainment, Noor has been extremely successful. Literally millions of Arabs claim to watch Noor every day. When its final episode aired in 2008, a record of 85 million Arabs tuned in. Though the show is over, Showtime Arabia has a channel in which viewers can watch episodes of Noor at anytime of day. The show has been so popular that it is now being launched in Greece, and a feature-length film version of the show is currently in production. The film is said to have a budget of over 2 million dollars, and is expected to be very well-received. As we can see from Noor’s popularity and content, the U.S. is not the only country with dramatic, controversial television.

If you would like to watch some of Noor for yourself, check out these clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3XyADSt5V4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uAror0VY6I