There has been a program on Manoto TV channel broadcasted to Iran and around the world from London, UK, known as Academy of Googoosh (AOG).
The program is comparable to American got talent and many other reality shows across the globe who look for a talented person in movie and TV. This one particularly focuses on singing Iranian pop music. the contenders from around the world gather and the instructors pick 12 people for the final stage.
Every week, Iranians who watch they can vote for their favorite contender and who has the lowest will be eliminated.
Over a month ago, the most recent program of AOG just finished by announcing a women who wears Hejab (covered her head, photo below) be the final winner or the most voted for. Those who read Iranian news have seen many articles written about this issues for and against the fact that she was the most voted person in the program.
However, what I wish to discuss here is the fact that reading many Iranians comments on youtube and all other places on the web made me sad. You may wonder why?
Many, not all, attacked those young guys and gals because of the way they look or wear cloths.
If one member was loved by an audience, the rest of contenders were bad mouthed over or put down in some way or another.
Many audiences made fun of Googoosh, the Iranian legendary singer who has started a new career after 20 years of silent in Islamic Republic, and the rest of instructors and VJ.
Not many praised her for supporting such a program (perhaps even paying for the program) and creating it. A program that, so many young Iranians aboard could take the opportunity, learn and obtain skills.
I could go on and on complaining about lack of tolerance in Iranian society towards this show.
But one thing, however, was great and impressed me all along this program, I got impressed with young people who participated in the program. Those who never have been in Iran and have love of mother land. Those who could hardly speak Persian. They were great, respectful, fun and determined to do what they wish and that was quite hopeful for me to see.
I hope many more of these programs or reality shows continue to be released on Iranian TVs across the globe, so we start to learn, to tolerate different looks, opinion, and will of others as long as they are not disturbing anyone freedom. This is what we have to learn and practice.
Ermira who got the first place in 2013.
2 comments:
Hi Alireza, Thanks a lot for this post, and the information about the Iranian version of UK got talent. The name Googoosh academy is phantastic. You did not mentioned if Googoosh herself is involved in the program. If she would lead the jury, the selection of the talents would be of the highest significance, of course. I am really happy that despite the grim political and economic situation in Iran, there are many ex-pats who work on their creative potential whereever in the world they are at the moment and keep the hope that in the near future, an open, liberal Iranian society will start with a big cultural and crative pool of talented people.
About the hijab "issue": in my view, there is a stupid trend in the west to consider a hijab nothing else than a religious statement. It isn't, I am absolute sure. For some woman, a hijab is mainly a stylish attribute, and it can be indeed very beautiful. For some woman, it indeed is a personal affirmation of particulare family values, tradition or faith. And all these are very privat statements, not more and not less. A colleague of mine (in fact the most committed and funny and witty of all) is turkish and she was wearing for 5 years a hijab at work. It was her personal decision, and we never had any issue with this. Suddenly, from one day on, she came without hijab to work. I know the she follows Islam, with or without hijab, but at the same time she is the most tolerant and open-minded person at the institute.
I hope that in the future woman in Iran have the chance to decide by themself what to wear, and if they want to make a statement with this or just like the style.
best regards, Michael
Yes, Googoosh is one of the judges and she is also involves in the process.
I think what to wear and how to act is something totally personal and we have no right to really criticize those, unless is somehow removing freedom of us!
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