Why people claim Turkish actors/actresses European looking?

[placebo]

I saw many posts people think Turkish television whitewashed like Latin American or Indian etc. But actors doesn't look different than local people. I don't know what makes people think like that?











They don't look like European, I guess people think Turkish cinema full of like this guys/girls:

[Tooting Carmen]

The majority of the people you posted are passable at least as darker-than-average Southern Europeans.

[placebo]

The majority of the people you posted are passable at least as darker-than-average Southern Europeans.

and all look ordinary turkish

[Babak]

I see more people claim they look like Iranians, but i clearly dont see it. Turks(and even turkish kurds) have their own distinct look.

[Hungarian_master]

The main reason of that, many people stereotypes the Turks as MENA-looking people, since they are Muslims and Turkey geographically near to the Arabic countries and Iran.

As a result, if they look into a Turkish soap opera, they will be surprised to see European-looking actors in it.

In the reality, the Turks are not homogeneous MENA-looking, they are very diverse people.

[Mortimer]

The main reason of that, many people stereotypes the Turks as MENA-looking people, since they are Muslims and Turkey geographically near to the Arabic countries and Iran.

As a result, if they look into a Turkish soap opera, they will be surprised to see European-looking actors in it.

In the reality, the Turks are not homogeneous MENA-looking, they are very diverse people.

What is even a strictly mena and strictly european look? I think there is quiete the overlap

[Tooting Carmen]

What is even a strictly mena and strictly european look? I think there is quiete the overlap

Up to a point, but then someone like Simon Kjaer could only really pass in Europe, while someone like Mahmoud Abbas could only really pass in the Middle East.

[Mortimer]

I see more people claim they look like Iranians, but i clearly dont see it. Turks(and even turkish kurds) have their own distinct look.

To me not even iranians look that uneuropean compared to some atypical europeans

[Mortimer]

Up to a point, but then someone like Simon Kjaer could only really pass in Europe, while someone like Mahmoud Abbas could only really pass in the Middle East.

I do not know who simon is but i guess dolph lundgren passes only in europe but many people do not look strictly one thing and to me ordinary turks do not look that uneuropean

[Mejgusu]

Turkish TV shows disproportionate number of lighter individuals, which is obvious. No one says they can’t be Turkish, it is just striking that producer obviously have an obsession for certain type of actors and I am not speaking about attractiveness. Also small minorities like Circissians, Albanians etc are also overrepresented(not that I have anything against them). Especially Albanians and Circissians are objectively very good looking people, Circissian women are known for their beauty. Ottoman and Persian harem were full of them. Since 90% of series show the same nonsensical plot, the sociological aspects of Turkish series are interesting too: Rich family mostly cast by those „European“ looking actors and poor people often cast by darker or more typical Turkish actors.

You referred to Indian film industry which also has a serious problem with fetishizing lighter looking people. No one says they look European, but it is obvious that they prefer such individuals because some racist beauty standars. Most of this actors can pass as Indians too, but owd behavior is obvious like it is in Turkish series.

...

How many Mena people did you see in your life? Nearly all Mena countries have beautiful homogeneous people, this comment shows that you don’t even know what Middle Easterner look like. Levantine and many North Africans have similar look to Turks, but Turks wouldn’t accept it because they are Arabs. Same with Armenians, I agree Turks have their own look but I am since 3 years active here and often Turks act like we are alien to each other.