It is a fact that government has a big control on T.V. broadcasts. While some things are stopped from being broadcasted, some are put especially on T.V to affect people. Turkish government is probably one of the governments that have a big influence on T.V. probably when we observe the issue worldwide. RTUK, Upper Radio and Television Institution, is working on behalf of the government and determines what can be put on the T.V. programs, and what is not appropriate to broadcast. It’s working order and rules depend on the current Democratic Party that is ruling the country.
For the past 8 years, AK Party, which is the conservative party of Turkey, is leading the country; therefore the programs we watch on the T.V changed a bit. Some of the sex scenes had been cut from the films and some popular programs are broadcasted at late so that the kids don’t watch and get affected. However nothing stays as a secret. Once they cut a scene from a film, they disrespect the efforts of many people working on that project. Producers, directors and the actors of the films spend many hours to shoot just a single scene; therefore they protest the cut of their efforts. When I put myself on their shoes, I would probably do the same and try to save my rights by raising my voice in public.
A T.V series called “Kucuk Sirlar” which means “Little Secrets” faced a problem like this. Since it targets the young people mostly, the government did not want any young person to see the sex scenes. However, their limitation was heard through the newspapers and the actors; and many people started to search for those scenes online. Some people found those cut scenes somehow and it was spread to everyone. So their limitation didn’t work; moreover it raised more attention and even people who did not watch the series found those parts and watched it. Therefore; the government did not do anything but raise more curiosity.
Same thing happened in the film Sex and the City, too. Many people were shocked when they realized that they did not actually watch 151 minutes. Again some of the sex scenes were cut and some other things that were thought as inappropriate.
In my opinion, when you stop someone to do something, that person becomes more eager to try that thing. You raise more attention to the issue from before by accepting the fact that it is not normal. I understand that some things really affect people in bad ways like torture scenes or bias information up to a point but things that are broadcasted everywhere else but not in your country should not be cut. If it is broadcasted everywhere, it means that it does not have an extreme effect that you think it does.So I watched the “Kucuk Sirlar” online all with its scenes, am I different now from the people in Turkey?
(Sorry to spam you - I wrote a post on spam so thought it'd be appropriate.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, you've got me intrigued. My cousins watch Kucuk Sirlar and keep wanting me to watch. You're so right about forbidden fruit - it's like putting a note next to a box saying "don't open the box" - you can retire comfortably knowing that ever person reading that note will open the box. The safest way to keep that box unopened is to leave it alone and let dust gather on it so nobody wants to get their hands dirty. ;-)
I feel like we have a different view on this topic. In your blog you said that it is disrespectful for networks to cut scenes from movies that film-makers spent their time and money to make. I feel that the networks have the right to cut whatever they want from films since they are paying for it. It is not disrespectful because whether or not they air a specific scene the film-makers are still being paid for their work which is not disrespectful at all.
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