RETRACTED: From nonosh to pasha: The belated debut of queer men in contemporary Turkish popular culture | Intellect Skip to content
1981
  1. Home
  2. A-Z Publications
  3. Film, Fashion & Consumption
  4. Volume 11, Issue 2
  5. Article
Masculinities on Screen
  • ISSN: 2044-2823
  • E-ISSN: 2044-2831

Abstract

The historical drama series, (2021–22), narrating the story of a nightclub at the centre of Istanbul nightlife during the 1950s, achieved great success by becoming the eighth most-watched non-English-language series on an international digital streaming platform. The significant public affirmation the series gained rose on the representation of the leading character – the nightclub star. He directly refers to respected queer singer Zeki Müren (1931–96). Müren has been credited as the greatest performer in Turkey and a modern male icon with his artistic excellence in singing and his outstanding stage performances for over 40 years. He designed his own costumes as well as those of his musicians, the décor for his performances and the choreography of the dancers. Müren appeared on his stage in black tuxedos, suits with sparkling accessories or even mini-skirts with platform shoes. He was aware of the taboos on homosexuality and how this might have affected him. Although his sexuality was in question, his sex never was. He was, after all, an exemplary male citizen of the Turkish Republic with his kindness to his audience, his charity works, his artistic status. Many fans, including the media, referred to him as a , a heroic military commander, to express that he was the most influential artist in Turkey. The referential association of the fictional character with Zeki Müren will be interpreted in the article to further discuss the portrayal of the queer performance in the series. For this purpose, the article will introduce the conceptualization of , a polite yet explicit contempt, and present an embraceable form of queer identity in Turkish society to define the common portraiture of queer in Turkish popular films and TV shows.

© 2022 Intellect Ltd
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/ffc_00048_1
2022-11-01
2024-04-19
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Altıoklar, M. (1996), Istanbul Kanatlarımın Altında (Istanbul Beneath My Wings), Turkey: Umut Sanat.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Altıoklar, M. (1997), Ağır Roman (Heavy Novel), Turkey: Tims Productions.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Arslan, S. (2011a), Cinema in Turkey: A New Critical History, Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Arslan, U. T. (2011b), ‘Sublime yet ridiculous: Turkishness and the cinematic image of Zeki Müren’, New Perspectives on Turkey, 45:1, pp. 185–213.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Baltacı, T. and Yılmaz, C. (2004), G.O.R.A., Turkey: Böcek Yapım.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Baruönü, K. (2018), Arif V 216, Turkey: CMYLZ Fikir Sanat.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Bengi, D. (2014), İşte Benim Zeki Müren (‘This is me Zeki Müren’), Istanbul: Yapı Kredi Yayınları.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Bordwell, D. ([1979] 2008), ‘The art cinema as a mode of film practice’, in Poetics of Cinema, New York: Routledge, pp. 151–69, http://hybridstyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Bordwell-The-Art-Cinema-as-a-Mode-of-Film-Practice.pdf. Accessed 26 January 2022.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Bordwell, D. and Thompson, K. (2008), Film Art: An Introduction, Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Bozdoğan, S. and Kasaba, R. (1997), Rethinking Modernity and National Identity in Turkey, Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Butler, J. (1997), The Psychic Life of Power: Theories in Subjection, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Butler, J. (1999), Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, New York: Routledge.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Çak, Ş. E. (2013), ‘Postmodern Bileşimlerin Bir Aktörü ve Göstergesi olarak Zeki Müren’ (‘Zeki Müren as the actor and indicator of postmodern compounds’), Ph.D. dissertation, Istanbul: Istanbul Technical University.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. The Club (2021–22, Turkey: 03 Media).
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Cumhuriyet (2021a), ‘Kulüp, ilk haftasında Netflix'in en çok izlenen dizileri arasına girdi’, 17 November, https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/yasam/kulup-ilk-haftasinda-netflixin-en-cok-izlenen-dizileri-arasina-girdi-1885535. Accessed 2 February 2022.
  16. Cumhuriyet (2021b), ‘Kulüp dizisinin 2. sezon yayın tarihi açıklandı’, 2 December, https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/yasam/kulup-dizisinin-2-sezon-yayin-tarihi-aciklandi-1889525. Accessed 2 February 2022.
  17. Doğan, İ. T. (2016), ‘Toplumsal Cinsiyet Rolleri Bakımından 1990 Sonrası Türk Sinemasında Eşcinsellik’ (‘Homosexuality in Turkish cinema in social gender roles after 1990s), MA dissertation, Izmir: 9 Eylül University.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Dorsay, A. (2004), Sinemamızda Çöküş ve Rönesans Yılları (‘The years of the collapse and renaissance of our cinema’), Istanbul: Remzi Kitabevi.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Dyer, R. and McDonald, P. (1998), Stars, London: British Film Institute.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Erdem, A. M. (2019), İbne, Gey, Lubunya: A Queer Critique of LGBTI+ Discourses in the New Cinema of Turkey, New York: CUNY Academic Works.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Gür, C. (1996), Zeki Müren ‘Şimdi Uzaklardasın (‘Zeki Müren, you’re far away now’), Istanbul: AD Yayıncılık.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Gürbilek, N. (1992), Vitrinde Yaşamak: 80’lerin Kültürel İklimi, Istanbul: Metis Yayınları.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Hawkins, S. (2018), ‘Queerly Turkish: Queer masculinity and national belonging in the image of Zeki Müren’, Popular Music and Society, 41:2, pp. 99–118.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Hayır, C. (2014), ‘The Turkish cinema between its inception and downfall: A historical overview’, Journal of International Social Research, 7:35, pp. 804–12.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Kahraman, H. B. (2003), Kitle kültürü: Kitlelerin Afyonu (‘Mass culture: Opium of the masses’), Istanbul: Agora Kitaplığı.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Kasaba, R. (1997), ‘Kemalist certainties and modern ambiguities’, in S. Bozdoğan and R. Kasaba (eds), Rethinking Modernity and National Identity in Turkey, Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, pp. 15–36.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Kellner, D. (2003), Media Culture: Identity and Politics between Modern and Postmodern, London and New York: Routledge.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Keyder, Ç. (1997), ‘Whither the project of modernity?’, in S. Bozdoğan and R. Kasaba (eds), Rethinking Modernity and National Identity in Turkey, Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, pp. 37–51.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Keyman, F. (2011), ‘Nationalism in Turkey: Modernity, state and identity’, in A. Kadıoğlu and F. Keyman (eds), Symbiotic Antagonism, Salt Lake City, UT: University of Utah Press, pp. 10–32.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Kiralık Aşk (Love for Rent) (2015–17, Turkey: Ortaks).
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Mutlu Kaya, D. (2007), ‘The Russian monument at Ayastefanos (San Stefano): Between defeat and revenge’, Remembering and Forgetting Middle Eastern Studies, 43:1, pp. 75–86.
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Nysarac (2013), ‘Zeki Müren: Seni Andım Bu Gece (1972)’, YouTube, 26 April, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9URsavaByt8&t=93s. Accessed 27 February 2022.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Oğuz, O. (1992), Dönersen Islık Çal (Whistle If You Turn), Turkey: Uğur Film.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Özgüç, A. (2000), Türk Sinemasında Cinselliğin Tarihi (‘History of sexuality in Turkish cinema’), Istanbul: Parantez Yayınları.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Özpetek, F. (1997), Hamam (Hammam), Italy: Sarpasso Film.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. Öztan, G. G. and Korucu, S. (2017), Tutku, Değişim ve Zerafet – 1950’li Yıllarda İstanbul (‘Passion, change and elegance – 1950s Istanbul’), Istanbul: Doğan Kitap.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Schick, I. C. (2020), Bedeni, Toplumu, Kainatı Yazmak: İslam, Cinsiyet ve Kültür Üzerine (‘Writing the body, society, universe: On Islam, gender and culture’) (trans. P. Tünaydın), 4th ed., Istanbul: İletişim.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Selen, E. (2012), ‘The stage: A space for queer subjectification in contemporary Turkey – Gender, place and culture’, Journal of Feminist Geography, 19:6, pp. 730–49.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Sorak, F. (2008), A.R.O.G., Turkey: CMYLZ Fikir Sanat.
     [Google Scholar]
  40. Sorak, F. (2009), Yahşi Batı (‘Beautiful west’), Turkey: CMYLZ Fikir Sanat.
     [Google Scholar]
  41. Stokes, M. (2012), Aşk Cumhuriyeti Türk Popüler Müziğinde Kültürel Mahrem (‘Cultural intimacy in Turkish popular music’) (trans. H. Doğrul), Istanbul: Koç University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  42. Vargı, Ö. (2017), Kabadayı (‘The bandit’), Turkey: Filmacass.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Yılmaz, A. (1994), Gece Melek ve Bizim Çocuklar (‘Night, angel and our children’), Turkey: Yeşilçam Filmcilik.
     [Google Scholar]
  44. Gurgen Atalay, Deniz and Ulusoy, Nilay (2022), ‘RETRACTED: From nonosh to pasha: The belated debut of queer men in contemporary Turkish popular culture’, Film, Fashion & Consumption, 11:2, pp. 205–23, https://doi.org/10.1386/ffc_00048_1
     [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/ffc_00048_1
Loading
Keyword(s): cinema in Turkey; nonosh; queer performance; stardom; The Club; Zeki Müren

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error