Hossein Nushazar - Radio Zamaneh - November 10, 2015
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| Iran's Turks protest over offensive TV show |
The Turks are angry. Azerbaijan's various cities, Tabriz, Ardabil, Urmia, and Meshginshahr have been restless, with reports of clashes between special forces and the people. The Turks are upset about a show called "Fitileh." Stopping this program is not enough. Mohammad Sarafraz, the head of state television, must resign. Whoever appointed him should apologize for this wrong choice and the manipulation of people's emotions, staging crises to downplay deep political issues.
Before we delve into this meaning, some readers might think that the Turks in Iran are overly sensitive. Some might think that we Iranians are generally thin-skinned and can’t take a joke.
The Misunderstanding of Satire by the Mediocre
Comedy programs with generally popular appeal have a large following on television networks worldwide. The difference between "Fitileh" and similar comedic programs lies in the misunderstanding that the producers of this show have about "satire."
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| Hossein Nushazar, writer and journalist. |
Satire emerges in a particular situation. The more pronounced the contradictions in this situation, the more engaging it is. Contradictions such as: a miser versus a generous person.
Satire must always, almost without exception, address a social issue, which is why it typically carries a slight instructive element.
To understand the anger of the Turks, we must consider the situation created in the "Fitileh" program: two Turks, who are ignorant and seemingly newly rich, are staying in a luxury hotel. The supposed educational message of the show, which is apparently aimed at children and teenagers, should be: children, take care of your oral hygiene. But the real hidden message of the story is: these two ignorant Turks do not deserve to be in such a sophisticated environment. (Contradiction of the situation: backward Turk versus modern Persian). They are so foolish that the boy brushes his teeth with a toilet brush, and because of this, the smell of filth spreads everywhere.
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| A scene from the Fitileh Hotel show. |
The System Smells of Rot
The reality, however, is different: "The system" smells of rot. Something in this system has died, and its corpse has been decaying for years. Now, this stench can even be heard from a media outlet that claims to be national but actually serves the interests of one individual and several powerful organizations that act independently of the government and in a self-governing manner.
This stench is the smell of newly rich people who, through war, sanctions, and seizing others' wealth, and relying on the "leader," have gained wealth and power and now despise their origins. The "Fitileh" program is a reflection of this hatred, but it doesn’t express all the hatred at once: the hatred of the central power for the periphery, the hatred of urbanites for rural people, the hatred of Persians for Turks, Turks for Persians, Shiites for Sunnis, and Sunnis for Shiites. This is the stench of a system built on discrimination.
The stench of the system does not come from the mouths of our children. It is heard in the words of Akbar Abdi on the anti-national media, who, when he wants to make a joke, says in front of the television camera that some Arab, on his way to Hajj, proposed to his daughter and was even willing to offer gold equal to her weight, but in response, the daughter said, "I’ll piss on you, Arab."
Who is Mohammad Sarafraz?
He is a cleric’s son who became notorious for violating the rights of prisoners and airing their confessions on Press TV between 2009 and 2013. In any respectable country, he would have resigned for blatantly insulting a nation. The one who should be ashamed is Sarafraz. This is the stench of the system.
Stage Art: A Possessed Fool