“Esra Erol’la Evlen Benimle” is one of the highest rated daytime television program in Turkey. The main theme of the show is about matchmaking. People from all ages are participating in this program with the promise of so-called “true love”. The participants come to the studio, identify themselves and say what kind of soul mate they’re looking for. And if someone is interested in one of the candidates, he/she calls the studio and tells the candidate that he/she wants to meet; if the candidate is OK, the show invites the person on the phone to the studio and they meet. About the meeting part in the studio, the main theme of their speech is always about money, the first questions candidate asks are “Do you own the house you live in? How much do you get paid? Do you have a car? Do you have a job insurance and retirement grant?” and etc. If the applicant answers the questions negative, the candidate immediately turns down the proposal. It’s like the candidates make their application to show in order to get a “life insurance”, not to find their soul mate.
What I’m trying to say is this show makes Turkish people look like the only thing they care about is money and wealth. This attitude arouses that the Turkish people has a motto like “As long as my wife/husband is rich we won’t have any problems.” and I find it extremely shallow.
sosc111: Studies in Popular Culture 