Hegemonic Masculinities in Popular Culture and the Appeal of Authoritarian Rule: A Comparative Examination of Magnificent Century (2011–2014) and Resurrection: Ertuğrul (2014–2019)

Year 2021, Issue: 15, 28 - 65, 30.05.2021

Deniz Zorlu

Abstract

This article examines the connections between the representation of hegemonic masculinities in Turkish popular culture and the rising tide of political authoritarianism in Turkey by comparatively examining two historically-based TV series produced in the 2010s, Magnificent Century (2011– 2014) and Resurrection: Ertuğrul (2014 – 2019) with a focus on the representation of two central male characters in these series: Prince (Şehzade) Mustafa and Ertuğrul. Magnificent Century was recurrently condemned by high-ranking government figures for its alleged demeaning misrepresentation of Turkish history. The fourth season of Magnificent Century coincided with the Gezi Park protests of 2013, and during this time, the series started to get a more critical perspective towards governmental power abuses and oppression. It is also during this fourth season that Prince Mustafa emerged as the central character of the series until his death and his scene of execution has become one of the greatest media events of recent Turkish television history. The series’ portrayal of Prince Mustafa draws extensively from left-wing memories of loss and repression in Turkey, and the series’ criticisms of power abuse implicate the contemporary Turkish government as well. For instance, Ottoman people who protest Prince Mustafa’s murder are referred to as “çapulcu,” “marauders” several times in the series, which is the same expression used to disparage Gezi Park protestors. In contrast, Resurrection: Ertuğrul was screened by state channel TRT with endorsements from government officials, who publicly praised the series on multiple occasions. Resurrection: Ertuğrul tells the story of Ertuğrul, a tribe chieftain, who resurrects the glory of a polity in disarray in the early beginnings of what would later become the Ottoman Empire, paralleling the contemporary Turkish governments’ emphasis on revival and resurrection. In the portrayal of Ertuğrul and his men, Islam is recurrently presented as the ultimate marker of national identity. However, the close-textual analysis showcases that, despite their thematic and ideological dissimilarities, both series converge in positing the male leader and his loyal militarist men as the building blocks and guardians of the national polity. Additionally, in the portrayal of Ertuğrul and Prince Mustafa, we find a paradoxical embrace of militaristic, authoritarian displays of power, but also an emphasis on rebelliousness to established authority, and male victimization, which, I argue, constitute the essential constituents of contemporary hegemonic masculinity in Turkey. Hence, I argue that some of the essential components of hegemonic masculinity we encounter in political discourse can be traced to the arena of popular culture where it is reproduced and magnified.

Keywords

Hegemonik erkeklikler, Türk TV dizileri, politik otoriteryenlik, militarizm, direniş, popüler tarih

Popüler Kültürde Hegemonik Erkeklik Temsilleri ve Otoriter Yönetimin Çekiciliği: Muhteşem Yüzyıl (2011–2014) ve Diriliş: Ertuğrul (2014–2019) Dizilerinin Karşılaştırmalı İncelemesi

Abstract

Bu çalışma Muhteşem Yüzyıl (2011–2014) ve Diriliş: Ertuğrul (2014 – 2019) adlı dizilerdeki iki ana karakter olan Şehzade Mustafa ve Ertuğrul’un temsiline odaklanarak 2010'larda yapılan tarih temelli bu iki diziyi karşılaştırmalı olarak incelemekte ve bu karşılaştırma üzerinden Türk popüler kültüründe hegemonik erkekliklerin temsili ile Türkiye'de yükselen siyasi otoriterlik akımı arasındaki bağlantıları ele almaktadır. Muhteşem Yüzyıl, Türk tarihini aşağılayıcı biçimde yanlış tanıttığı iddiasıyla üst düzey hükümet yetkilileri tarafından defalarca kınanmıştır. Dizinin 2013'teki Gezi Parkı protestolarına denk gelen dördüncü sezonunda dizi, iktidar suiistimalleri ve baskılarına karşı daha eleştirel bir bakış açısı kazanmaya başlamıştır. Yine bu dördüncü sezonda, Şehzade Mustafa ölümüne kadar dizinin ana karakteri olarak yer almış ve infaz edildiği sahne, yakın Türk televizyon tarihinin en büyük medya olaylarından biri haline gelmiştir. Dizideki Şehzade Mustafa tasviri, Türkiye solunun kayıp ve baskı anılarından yoğun olarak yararlanmakta ve dizinin iktidarın kötüye kullanılmasına yönelik eleştirileri, çağdaş Türk hükümetini de kapsamaktadır. Örneğin, Şehzade Mustafa'nın öldürülmesini protesto eden Osmanlı halkı dizide defalarca Gezi Parkı eylemcilerini küçümsemek için kullanılan “çapulcu” ifadesi ile anılmaktadır. Buna karşılık Diriliş: Ertuğrul, devlet kanalı TRT tarafından, diziyi birçok kez kamuoyu önünde öven hükümet yetkililerinin onayıyla gösterilmiştir. Diriliş: Ertuğrul, çağdaş Türk hükümetinin yeniden canlanma ve diriliş vurgusuna paralel olarak, daha sonra Osmanlı İmparatorluğu olacak olan yapının ilk başlangıcında kargaşa içindeki bir devletin görkemini yeniden canlandıran bir aşiret reisi olan Ertuğrul'un hikayesini anlatmaktadır. Ertuğrul ve adamlarının tasvirinde İslam, tekrarlı biçimde ulusal kimliğin nihai işareti olarak sunulur. Bununla birlikte, yakın metin analizi, tematik ve ideolojik farklılıklarına rağmen, her iki dizinin de erkek lideri ve onun sadık militarist adamlarını ulusal yönetimin yapı taşları ve koruyucuları olarak konumlandırmada birleştiğini göstermektedir. Ek olarak, Ertuğrul ve Şehzade Mustafa'nın tasvirinde, militarist ve otoriter güç gösterilerinin paradoksal bir kucaklaşmasını ve aynı zamanda, Türkiye’deki çağdaş hegemonik erkekliğin temel bileşenlerini oluşturduğunu iddia ettiğim, kurulu otoriteye isyan ve erkek mağduriyetine yapılan vurguyu bulmaktayız. Bu nedenle, politik söylemde karşılaştığımız hegemonik erkekliğin temel bileşenlerinden bazılarının, yeniden üretildiği ve büyütüldüğü popüler kültür arenasında izlenebileceğini savunuyorum.

Keywords

Hegemonik erkeklikler, Türk TV dizileri, politik otoriteryenlik, militarizm, direniş, popüler tarih

References

• Achilli, G. (2016, December 1). Turkish dramas conquer the world. Middle East Eye, Retrieved from https://www.middleeasteye.net/in-depth/features/turkish-tv-series- surge-popularity-worldwide-127494716
• Arslan, I. & Tezcan, S. (2014). Visitor Onslaught to Prince Mustafa’s Tomb [Şehzade Mustafa'nın türbesine ziyaretçi akını]. Radikal, Retrieved from http://www.radikal.com.tr/hayat/sehzade-mustafanin-turbesine-ziyaretci-akini- 1176614/
• Arxer, S. L. (2011). Hybrid masculine power: Reconceptualizing the relationship between homosociality and hegemonic masculinity. Humanity & Society, 35(4), 390-422
• Atay, T. (2014, June 13). Magnificent Century is a reference point [Muhteşem Yüzyıl bir 'referans'tır!]. Radikal, Retrieved from http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/tayfun- atay/muhtesem-yuzyil-bir-referanstir-1196879/
• Balaji, M., & Hughson, K. (2014). (Re) producing borders and bodies: masculinity and nationalism in Indian cultural texts. Asian Journal of Communication, 24(3), 207-221.
• Basaran, E. (2011, January 29). Ben vurmaya kalktıkları yerden yara almam [I won’t get harmed from where they hit me]. Radikal, Retrieved from http://www.radikal.com.tr/hayat/beni-vurmaya-kalktiklari-yerden-yara-almam-1038276/
• Bhutto, F. (2019, 13 September). How Turkish TV is taking over the world. Guardian, Retrieved From https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/sep/13/turkish-tv-magnificent-century-dizi-taking-over-world
• Bird, S. R. (1996). Welcome to the men's club: Homosociality and the maintenance of hegemonic masculinity. Gender & Society, 10(2), 120-132.
• Charlebois, J. (2010). Gender and the Construction of Hegemonic and Oppositional Femininities. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
• Connell, R. W. (1987). Gender and Power: Society, the Person and Sexual Politics. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ (1995). Masculinities. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
• Çolak, Y. (2006). Ottomanism vs. Kemalism: Collective memory and cultural pluralism in 1990s Turkey. Middle Eastern Studies, 42(4), 587-602.
• Creeber, G. (2006). The joy of text?: Television and textual analysis. Critical Studies in Television, 1(1), 81-88.
• Dalle V. A. (2014). The Body in the Mirror: Shapes of History in Italian Cinema. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
• Demetriou, D. Z. (2001). Connell's concept of hegemonic masculinity: A critique. Theory and Society, 30(3), 337-361.
• Donovan, B. (1998). Political consequences of private authority: Promise Keepers and the transformation of hegemonic masculinity. Theory and Society, 27(6), 817-843.
• Duncanson, C. (2015). Hegemonic masculinity and the possibility of change in gender relations. Men and Masculinities, 18(2), 231-248.
• Eldem, E. (2010). Ottoman and Turkish Orientalism. Architectural Design, 80(1), 26-31.
• Fursich, E. (2009). In defense of textual analysis. Journalism Studies, 10(2), 238-252.
• Gürpinar, D. (2013). Ottoman/Turkish Visions of the Nation, 1860-1950. Springer.
• Hall, S. (1980). Encoding/decoding. In S. Hall, D. Hobson, A. Lowe, & P. Willis (Eds.), Culture, media, language (pp. 107–116). London: Routledge in association with the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies, University of Birmingham.
• Havemann, L. (1999). Method or madness? Textual analysis in media studies. In AANZCA Shifting disciplines: Communication, Discourses and Identities.
• Hearn, J. (2004). From hegemonic masculinity to the hegemony of men. Feminist theory, 5(1), 49-72.
• Iedema, R. (2001). Analyzing film and television: A social semiotic account of Hospital: An Unhealthy Business. In T. van Leeuwen & C. Jewitt (Eds.), Handbook of Visual Analysis (pp. 183–206). London: Sage.
• Kabesh, A. T. (2016). Postcolonial Masculinities: Emotions, Histories and Ethics. London and New York: Routledge.
• Khan, A. J. (2020, August 12). Ertuğrul: how an epic TV series became the 'Muslim Game of Thrones,' Guardian, Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/aug/12/ertugrul-how-an-epic-tv-series-became-the-muslim-game-of-thrones
• Kimmel, M. (2004). Masculinity as homophobia: fear, shame, and silence in the construction of gender identity. In: P. Murphy (Ed.), Feminism and masculinities (pp. 182–199). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Messerschmidt, J. W. (2012). Engendering gendered knowledge: Assessing the academic appropriation of hegemonic masculinity. Men and Masculinities, 15(1), 56-76.
• Messerschmidt, J. W. (2018). Hegemonic Masculinity: Formulation, Reformulation, and Amplification. London and Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.
• Mosse, G. L. (1985). Nationalism and Sexuality: Middle-class Morality and Sexual Norms in Modern Europe. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.
• Mostov, J. (2012). Sexing the nation/desexing: Politics of national identity in the former Yugoslavia. In Mayer, T. (Ed.), Gender Ironies of Nationalism: Sexing the Nation (pp. 89-112). Routledge
• Nagel, J. (2005). Nation. In Kimmel, M. S., & Hearn, J. (Eds.), Handbook of Studies on Men and Masculinities (pp. 397-413). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Phillipov, M. (2013). In defense of textual analysis: Resisting methodological hegemony in media and cultural studies. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 30(3), 209-223.
• Pribram, D. (2012). Emotions, Genre, Justice in Film and Television: Detecting Feeling. New York/London: Routledge. Resurrection Ertuğrul is the Greatest Answer [En büyük cevap 'Diriliş Ertuğrul' dizisidir] (2017, March 3), Sabah, Retrieved from https://www.sabah.com.tr/gundem/2017/03/09/yapilamaz-denenlere-en-buyuk- cevap-dirilis-ertugrul-dizisidir
• Spackman, B. (1996). Fascist Virilities: Rhetoric, Ideology, and Social Fantasy in Italy. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
• Spector-Mersel, G. (2006). Never-aging stories: Western hegemonic masculinity scripts. Journal of Gender Studies, 15(1), 67-82.
• Spicer, A. (2001). Typical Men: The Representation of Masculinity in Popular British Culture. London: I. B. Tauris.
• Suner, A. (2011). Between magnificence and monstrosity: Turkishness in recent popular cinema. New Perspectives on Turkey, 45, 123-154.
• Talbot, K., & Quayle, M. (2010). The perils of being a nice guy: Contextual variation in five young women’s constructions of acceptable hegemonic and alternative masculinities. Men and Masculinities, 13(2), 255-278.
• Toksabay, E. (2012, November 27). Turkish PM fumes over steamy Ottoman soap opera. Reuters, Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-show-suleiman/turkish-pm-fumes-over-steamy-ottoman-soap-opera- idUSBRE8AQ11H20121127
• Traverso, E. (2016). Left-Wing melancholia: Marxism, history, and memory. New York and Chichester, West Sussex: Columbia University Press. Two thousand people in a day [Bir Gunde 2 Bin Ziyaretci]. Aksam, Retrieved from https://www.aksam.com.tr/yasam/sehzade-mustafanin-turbesine-bir-gunde-2-bin-ziyaretci/haber-286482
• Ulus, Ö. M. (2011). The Army and the Radical Left in Turkey: Military Coups, Socialist Revolution and Kemalism. New York, NY: I.B. Tauris.
• Yesil, B. (2016). Media in New Turkey: The origins of an authoritarian neoliberal state. Oxfordshire: University of Illinois Press.
• Yılmaz, Z., & Turner, B. S. (2019). Turkey’s deepening authoritarianism and the fall of electoral democracy. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 46(5), 691-698.