Strawberry Smell

The Turkish show ‘Çilek Kokusu’ encompasses a story of two lovers who share many major differences in lifestyle, but they still find a way to be together. The show began in 2015 and is still being enjoyed by many viewers. It was written by Asli Engin and directed by Filiz Gulmez Pakman. Also, this show has been translated into Arabic and many other languages, and this shows how the power of the show is so meaningful that the writer wanted to share it across audiences of different cultures. Çilek Kokusu translates to strawberry smell in English, and this made me curious as to why the writer chose to name the show something so random. However, the love story between the two characters begins when an accident occurs while Asli, the female lead, is delivering a strawberry cake for her job at a pastry shop. Burak, the male lead, is involved in the accident and this leads to their first encounter, and the cake is all over Asli from the crash. From that moment, there was an energy of attraction to each other and the strawberry smell from the cake is something that is unique about the situation. The cake could have been any flavor, but I would like to believe that this fruit was chosen because it is often a symbolism of love and romance given its red color. I thought this was interesting when analyzing the concept of this symbolism through a cultural lens, because it portrays a meaning that is able to transcend across cultures.

The differences between Asli and Burak in this television series are significant to the drama of the show and easily draws the audience into the plot. Burak is a rich hotel owner, while Asli is a poor woman looking for a new job after getting fired from the pastry shop due to the cake accident. The opposition in social class makes the story line more interesting and gives viewers content in which they can relate to. In the Arab world, it is traditional for the women to rely on her man to provide for her and this show highlights the idea of this concept because the man in the show is able to provide the women with a new job at his hotel, as well as provide for her romantically. Also, the writer of the show uses humor to attract the audience and keep them engaged into the show because humor is a significant component to Arab culture, and it can be easily understood and shared with others. I enjoyed this show with my mother, and it gives us something to connect over because it contains content that we both find interesting. Especially during Ramadan, we need things to pass the time and this show has been a gateway for us to do that together.

Turkish TV series are often dubbed or subtitled in Arabic and this has become a popular genre to movies and shows. These shows are often enjoyed through satellite TV and this method of broadcasting is very common in Arabic culture. There are many channels in which Turkish shows are dubbed or subtitled for Arabic viewers because gives them more content they can enjoy from other similar cultures. The use of satellite channels has allowed the Arab world to expand their mediascape and share entertainment across the different countries, and this has played a major role on the socialization of the Arab world. They are able to share content and information much faster and enjoy a wider variety of television shows and other broadcasts. Therefore, being able to watch a show that was originally in another language shows how cultures are able to influence each other on multiple levels, and in this situation, a culture was shared through entertainment.

Sourceshttps://www.turkishdrama.com/strawberry-smell-cilek-kokusu.htmlhttps://grasmickproduce.com/2017/02/14/strawberries-the-food-of-love-and-romance/#:~:text=The%20history%20of%20the%20strawberry,to%20its%20many%20exterior%20seeds