"Somuncu, you stupid, populist, eternally uneducated fat pig!"
Hello, you a*** and Dönme Jew. Before you keep opening your big mouth so wide, apologize to the Germans and Turks. They are waiting for it, because you drove them to their deaths." (Internet letters)
From Serdar Somuncu
From Serdar Somuncu
We don't know each other. Or you know me, you think. But I don't know you. Or perhaps you do? I have been in the public eye for over 40 years now. I have gone through different phases of my artistic work. I'm sure I've brought joy to many people, but I've also caused some annoyance. I don't know why you might dislike me, adore me, think I'm one of the greatest or the worst idiots. There is probably some point of connection that brought us together. Some video you've seen of me or something you've read. Some opinion you may or may not share with me. Our relationship is temporary. This means that neither of us should assume that this passion, which may have developed at some point, will last forever. I'm really sorry if I've disappointed you, but I didn't know what I could inspire you with either. I didn't plan it and it wasn't my intention. It was a coincidence.
What happens to me when I read what you think of me? For some, it's just friendly and flattering. For others, it's hurtful and annoying. But are we then the right recipients of our longing? Shouldn't we get these feelings from real people? Who do I represent if you think I'm your friend? And who do I become if I am your enemy? Wasn't it a deceptive trust that you placed in me from the very beginning and which has now mutated into disappointment?
In fact, the stage is a projection screen for the longings, fears, hopes, anger, despair and sadness that we humans all carry within us. The actor has the task of sending these feelings, of transporting them, as well as receiving them. But they are not real. Never. They are always just an illusion. So I now believe that it is an honor to be liked by many different people, but also despised. Because in the end it shows that I have remained true to myself and have not adapted to my viewers' tastes for their sake. And, as we all know, tastes vary greatly.
Especially when it comes to political issues, opinions differ. Some think I'm a revolutionary, others think I'm a systemic figure. It's up to you to interpret me, as long as I stay true to my own message. And that's not always easy. Because even as an artist, you are a human being who has to deal with the emotions of others. As much as the applause flatters you, the boos offend you. Maybe I've even missed my job. After all, it's "Don't stay in the kitchen when you can't stand the heat". I don't think so. Rather, I believe that our consumer behavior today is geared towards making a judgment as quickly as possible about what we see or hear and categorizing it according to what we think. In a way, this is very unfair and at the same time naive. Because while you really think you can make a difference and achieve something with a comment or criticism that you write, those who provide us with this platform are only interested in click figures and reach.
Any criticism, no matter how serious, is therefore nothing more than a redundant duplication of what is being criticized. Because the more criticism there is, the less important what is being criticized becomes. In addition, the anonymity of the internet means that there is no guarantee that it is real people who are criticizing, praising or questioning you.
That's why it might be a solution to focus on more authenticity again, for example through a clear name requirement or identification processes and protocols. But perhaps it's also fine the way it is. After all, anonymity creates a different form of honesty that shows that we humans also have something cruel at the core of our being. We seem to enjoy offending others, hurting them, putting ourselves above them. And perhaps we need the platform of the internet to indulge this predisposition and enjoy the pleasure. Or perhaps it is a moral question. Can we put others through what we can't bear ourselves? Do we lack the necessary empathy and the ability to put ourselves in the other person's shoes if we perceive them as something we can indiscriminately beat up on? Couldn't the internet also be a platform for learning and practicing sensitivity and respect? But how are we supposed to know that? We already lack these values in our everyday interactions. And even if this may sound conservative, I am now firmly convinced that our society is becoming more and more brutalized and primitive. A rampant exhibitionism is countered by a sensitivity that can only collapse and resign itself if it cannot bear what is done to it. Mental illnesses have increased in recent decades due to phenomena such as bullying and internet stress. This is because what we initiate in the virtual world eventually returns to our real lives and then we are frightened because we are confronted with brutal aggression that otherwise seems far away.
Basically, it is a war that we have become involved in. Because it is also about the defense of ideological territories to which we feel we belong. As soon as someone comes along who disputes this, we perceive them as an opponent and try to silence them either through verbal violence or the force of the majority. Then the fascism within us begins to unfold, and it becomes a force that is so irrepressible that we don't know whether we might fall victim to it ourselves at some point. There are also no longer any institutions to teach us what the consequences of our behavior are. So we remain exposed to our own inconsistency when we unconditionally impose what we think is right without thinking about the consequences for ourselves and others. In this collective delusion, there is no other way out than to either withdraw completely or switch to ignorance.
But then why do we move in this space? Because it seems to be a basic human need to be seen, heard and noticed and perhaps to feel what we all miss so much when we lose ourselves in loneliness: Love and affection, sympathy and compassion. A little warmth from the blazing fire that we often burn our fingers on if we think we can control it.
08.04.24
©Serdar Somuncu
Current program "Seelenheil" now downloadable in Shop
*Serdar Somuncu is an actor and director
What happens to me when I read what you think of me? For some, it's just friendly and flattering. For others, it's hurtful and annoying. But are we then the right recipients of our longing? Shouldn't we get these feelings from real people? Who do I represent if you think I'm your friend? And who do I become if I am your enemy? Wasn't it a deceptive trust that you placed in me from the very beginning and which has now mutated into disappointment?
In fact, the stage is a projection screen for the longings, fears, hopes, anger, despair and sadness that we humans all carry within us. The actor has the task of sending these feelings, of transporting them, as well as receiving them. But they are not real. Never. They are always just an illusion. So I now believe that it is an honor to be liked by many different people, but also despised. Because in the end it shows that I have remained true to myself and have not adapted to my viewers' tastes for their sake. And, as we all know, tastes vary greatly.
Especially when it comes to political issues, opinions differ. Some think I'm a revolutionary, others think I'm a systemic figure. It's up to you to interpret me, as long as I stay true to my own message. And that's not always easy. Because even as an artist, you are a human being who has to deal with the emotions of others. As much as the applause flatters you, the boos offend you. Maybe I've even missed my job. After all, it's "Don't stay in the kitchen when you can't stand the heat". I don't think so. Rather, I believe that our consumer behavior today is geared towards making a judgment as quickly as possible about what we see or hear and categorizing it according to what we think. In a way, this is very unfair and at the same time naive. Because while you really think you can make a difference and achieve something with a comment or criticism that you write, those who provide us with this platform are only interested in click figures and reach.
Any criticism, no matter how serious, is therefore nothing more than a redundant duplication of what is being criticized. Because the more criticism there is, the less important what is being criticized becomes. In addition, the anonymity of the internet means that there is no guarantee that it is real people who are criticizing, praising or questioning you.
That's why it might be a solution to focus on more authenticity again, for example through a clear name requirement or identification processes and protocols. But perhaps it's also fine the way it is. After all, anonymity creates a different form of honesty that shows that we humans also have something cruel at the core of our being. We seem to enjoy offending others, hurting them, putting ourselves above them. And perhaps we need the platform of the internet to indulge this predisposition and enjoy the pleasure. Or perhaps it is a moral question. Can we put others through what we can't bear ourselves? Do we lack the necessary empathy and the ability to put ourselves in the other person's shoes if we perceive them as something we can indiscriminately beat up on? Couldn't the internet also be a platform for learning and practicing sensitivity and respect? But how are we supposed to know that? We already lack these values in our everyday interactions. And even if this may sound conservative, I am now firmly convinced that our society is becoming more and more brutalized and primitive. A rampant exhibitionism is countered by a sensitivity that can only collapse and resign itself if it cannot bear what is done to it. Mental illnesses have increased in recent decades due to phenomena such as bullying and internet stress. This is because what we initiate in the virtual world eventually returns to our real lives and then we are frightened because we are confronted with brutal aggression that otherwise seems far away.
Basically, it is a war that we have become involved in. Because it is also about the defense of ideological territories to which we feel we belong. As soon as someone comes along who disputes this, we perceive them as an opponent and try to silence them either through verbal violence or the force of the majority. Then the fascism within us begins to unfold, and it becomes a force that is so irrepressible that we don't know whether we might fall victim to it ourselves at some point. There are also no longer any institutions to teach us what the consequences of our behavior are. So we remain exposed to our own inconsistency when we unconditionally impose what we think is right without thinking about the consequences for ourselves and others. In this collective delusion, there is no other way out than to either withdraw completely or switch to ignorance.
But then why do we move in this space? Because it seems to be a basic human need to be seen, heard and noticed and perhaps to feel what we all miss so much when we lose ourselves in loneliness: Love and affection, sympathy and compassion. A little warmth from the blazing fire that we often burn our fingers on if we think we can control it.
08.04.24
©Serdar Somuncu
Current program "Seelenheil" now downloadable in Shop
*Serdar Somuncu is an actor and director
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