Moroccans’ IQ Vs. Moroccan TV Content

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

By Youssef Sourgo

Morocco World News

Casablanca, July 17, 2013

Seven days have now elapsed since the start of Ramadan and Moroccans are criticizing the Moroccan TV programs that are exclusively dedicated to the holy month because they have thwarted their positive expectations. The public has almost blacklisted all Ramadan TV programs, except for a scarce few.

Jar ou Majrour, the Moroccan hidden camera show, seems to top the blacklisted Ramadan TV programs. Analysis videos scrutinizing the tiniest details of the show have turned viral on the net. These videos have unveiled a bitter reality behind this genre of TV Shows in Morocco: most of them are merely fabricated!

In one of the scrutinized episodes of Jar ou Majrour, in which Idriss Roukh, a Moroccan actor, was supposed to be the victim, the victim and entire staff seem to have faked the entire scene. A Moroccan internet user, who posted the recorded episode with added remarks, pinpointed the blatant technical mistakes made by the staff and highlighted the absence of creativity in Moroccan TV this Ramadan, raising the question, “Are we this stupid?”

Hence, Moroccans have become more aware of the content of TV shows they watch. The analytical videos have directed vigilant lenses towards anything broadcasted on Moroccan Channels in Ramadan.

Recently, a Moroccan YouTube Channel posted a video, which was ostensibly shot discretely and from a distance, of a TV staff fabricating a hidden camera scene in the street. The video’s title and notifications claimed that the scene was shot for 2m, and that the hidden camera was allegedly part of the Ramadan hidden camera show, Jar ou Majrour.

In the video, the camera operators seemed to collaborate with the actors, who are supposed to be random victims in the street. The video shows a cameraman directing the scene and asking the actress (so-called victim) to go ahead and start the comedy. The gorilla-disguised guy who was supposed to crop up and scare her had already taken his position awaiting the signal of the cameraman.

Comments on the video ranged from sarcastic remarks to boiling attacks at Moroccan TV. One of the comments read, “Do they think we’re that dumb?”

“I think this is the funniest hidden camera show ever, not because the idea is original or well put together, but rather because it’s a fail, and fails are funny,” read another, more sarcastic comment. Other comments were so offensive towards the content of the video that it would be inappropriate to quote them.

While a segment of Moroccan public opinion focused on the cons of Moroccan TV programs for this Ramadan, another segment shed light on the pros despite their scarcity. Moroccan comic show, “Al Couple”, featuring Moroccan talented comedian Hassan El Fad and Dounia Boutazout, seems to have preserved the last glimmers of hope remaining for Moroccan TV to appeal to its unpleased audience in Ramadan.

Episodes of the hilarious TV duo have flooded the web, and comments of satisfaction and recognition have outnumbered those of criticism and disapproval. Al Couple appears to have granted Moroccans a dose of humor that has substituted the disapproval of other TV shows.

In Al Couple, humor has an idiosyncratic appeal unlike any other comic show designed for the Moroccan public. Most positive impressions result from the simplicity of the dialogue between El Fad and Boutazout, and its laughter-inciting affect on the Moroccan audience. El Fad’s well-known, child-like facial expressions and circular reasoning mingle perfectly with Boutazout’s assertive personality and comic facial expressions.

While each episode of the comic duo barely lasts 3 minutes, this laconic span of time has been enough to elicit the positive impressions of the bulk of Moroccan audience. “My daughter and I can’t stop giggling when El Fad utters a word,” said a Moroccan mother. “He looks hilarious, sounds hilarious…well, everything about him is hilarious,” confirmed her daughter.

One more signal of the success of Al Couple is that some of his gags are now in everyone’s conversations. I myself have heard a number of the jokes, that I personally find myself unconsciously blurting them out.

El Fad’s sense of humor, at least in Al Couple, is based on the probing of banalities and facts taken for granted. His circular reasoning, absurd conclusions and contradictory actions and utterances incite the Moroccan spectator to deploy, what could be named “humorous reasoning”, to decode his gags. After decoding the joke, the spectator enjoys a sense of accomplishment coupled with a dose of humor that eventually result in spontaneous, and sometimes ceaseless, laughter.

Other similar TV Shows lack this appeal to people’s sense of “intelligent humor.” The sensation of a déjà-vu alters a great percentage of the humorous effect on the audience. The predictability of humor has always been its antithesis. El Fad’s jokes and gags in Al Couple reflect a discernible handwork invested in the dialogues between both comedians.

The humorous effect is well calculated in terms of positioning, as each scene in the show ensures to leave the spectator with a dose of humor before transiting to the next scene.
What other Moroccan TV Shows have to take into account is the dynamism of the spectator’s intelligence, or I would personally call “TV intelligence.” TV intelligence develops gradually with continuous exposure to TV content.

Hence, TV programmers have to take into consideration the increasing TV intelligence of the Moroccan audience. Creativity is the only way to thwart audiences’ expectations and surprise them. Moroccans need to be challenged in their thoughts and tested in their intelligence, rather than their mental abilities being mocked.

Edited by Allison Kraemer

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

Lost hope in Moroccan schools

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

By Akhajam Saad Eddine

Morocco World News

Rabat, June 12, 2013

I still remember when I was very young, and my father enrolled me in a school near our house. It was ironically called the “hope school.” I think it’s ironic because all that came from my experience there was a feeling of hopelessness. The school is located in a poor neighborhood. I was lucky enough to be raised in a middle class family, but we lived near this school in the very same poor neighborhood.

Before I started primary school, I had two years of nursery school. I still remember that in the first year I was the only one who got bad marks. I got 4/20 in the first semester, and my cousin made fun of me because of my poor performance throughout the whole year. I was really depressed and I grew to hate this “hope school.”

I really couldn’t stand going to school at that time, but I was naturally obliged to go and study in order to succeed in life. Furthermore, my father is a teacher and instilled the value of education in our family. Thus, any thoughts of dropping out, were especially unacceptable and shameful. So I carried on with my studies till the last year in primary school, when I took the regional exam. I couldn’t believe it, but all students did well on that exam. This was thanks to, in part, how well the teachers taught us. In other cases it was just a function of cheating. One of the teachers wrote the answer in my copy book herself.

All those primary teachers were the worst ones I had ever seen. It was really chaotic because either they were unsatisfied with the situation or they seemed bored with the entire education process—both their experiences teaching and our experiences learning. Our school was also the only one in Meknes that broke the golden rule of no cheating on exams. This begins a very bad habit at a young age, a habit that has started to poison Moroccan schools and student ethics.

The students were simply lazy. For example, most students didn’t care about their studies or grades. They didn’t come to class. And the grand majority did not obtain their baccalaureate degree, which is a real shame. Even those who take the bac exam often cheat on it. The statistics on cheating on the bac are also extremely depressing. The teachers are to blame, but so is the government’s education policy in Morocco. There is no one to blame except teachers. Thank god I was safe and carried on my studies and now I m a masters student.

I went through tough situations in which I was blamed by my father for getting bad grades, especially when I repeated my third year in middle school. It was a real challenge for me. And yet I repeated and succeeded, and from that time on I never repeated until the first year at the university level. Then I carried on my studies until I enrolled in a master program in applied linguistics.

The only piece of advice I can give to this coming generation is that education is a non-stop process, which you must cherish and cultivate as much as possible. Last, but not least, take on every challenge you meet with courage and perseverance because the key to a comfortable personal and professional life is a strong and consistent education. This leads to an open mind and an open spirit.

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

Moroccan expats minister meets New York County District Attorney

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

The scourge of green card marriages

April 13, 2013

Isn’t It Time for that Long-Awaited Change in Moroccan Education?

February 23, 2013

Ahmed Assid versus Mahatma Ghandi

May 02, 2013

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March 19, 2013

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February 14, 2013

Highlights of Moroccan editorials, June 11

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AppId is over the quota

Rabat – June 11, 2013 (MAP)

Effects of the government crisis, the re-opening of Morocco-Algeria land borders and the fight against unemployment are making the editorials of this Tuesday June 11, 2013.

GOVERNMENT CRISIS
Rissalat Al Oumma considers that Morocco is living an unprecedented situation under the present government who has been unsuccessful to bring the appropriate answers to its internal divergences and conflicts, showing that those in charge of public affairs management do not possess the required political and constitutional culture to handle their disputes according to the universally-recognized democratic rules and are waging minor battles.

Public officials are violating the most basic rules of politics practice and democratic game and turned political debate into an exchange of insults, accusations and libel, a situation that led the Istiqlal party to walk out of the government and the party heading the government, the Islamic PJD, to ignore this decision and hide behind the monarchy, the editorialist goes.

Considering that involving the monarchy in the government showdown is very dangerous, the editorial regrets that instead of addressing economic hardships and face pressures related to the Sahara issue, the government is busy with personal and partisan conflicts.

REOPENING OF MOROCCO-ALGERIA LAND BORDERS

Le Soir Echos, notes that the decision of Algerian attorneys and MPS to demonstrate in support of Algerians separated by a small river could be the beginning of giant protest movement, stressing that “expectations of the Maghreb cannot afford to remain frozen by models shaped by the cold war”.

It also underlined that the Royal will has expressed the wishes of Moroccans, and certainly of the majority of Algerians who see in the separation wall an unfounded pretext, noting that the Turkish prime minister’s offer to help the two countries get out this sterile phase is a typical pragmatic approach of one of the Muslim world economic and political superpowers.

Turning down the help offer of peace-promoters cannot be justified, particularly when this refusal is not supported by any viable argument, the editorial insists, stressing that the key to end this dispute could be in the hands of the civil society, of separated families, of a single and same people transformed into adversaries by advisors, lobbyists and arms traffickers.

UNEMPLOYMENT

In an editorial titled “Reinventing employment”, Aujourd’hui le Maroc notes that Morocco’s unemployment figures are one of the country’s paradoxes, arguing that at a time Morocco which is an open construction site with important human resources needs in sectors of education and health, thousands of young people are seeking jobs and an income.

However, sometimes all it takes is matching offer and demand, it explains.

It cites in this regard the new position of “farming advisor” launched by the agriculture ministry as an example of new approaches that need to be applied, stressing that patterns of this type can be applied in all sectors, such as tourism, public services, education and transport.

Moroccan expats minister meets New York County District Attorney

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

The scourge of green card marriages

April 13, 2013

Isn’t It Time for that Long-Awaited Change in Moroccan Education?

February 23, 2013

Ahmed Assid versus Mahatma Ghandi

May 02, 2013

Moroccan Singer Sarah K, a Rising International Star

March 19, 2013

Sexual harassment in Moroccan streets, who is to blame?

February 14, 2013

Bombing of Boston: two Moroccan sue the NY Post for defamation, false accusations

By Youssef El k

Morocco world news

Fez, June 7, 2013

The two young Moroccans accused of being portrayed as the perpetrators of the attack in Boston, filed a complaint against the New York Post for defamation, negligent infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy.

After the chaos created by the tragic events of Boston, two Moroccans were shocked to see their picture on the front page of the tabloid daily New York Post with the title of giant "" bag men: Feds Seek these two in the photo to the Boston Marathon. "" The men in the image were the young Athletics Salah Baker of Revere rider and his friend Yassin Zaimi from Malden whose curiosity and love of the race led them to stand near the finish line at the Boston Marathon.

The image of two young innocent men on the first page of the New York Post has had a significant impact on their psyche and sense of security because he subjected them to hatred, contempt and disdain in the spirit of a large part of the Bostonian community.

With the recurring threats and insults to Muslims who have been held responsible for attacks on murderers, Salah Barhoum and Yan Zaimi began this sense of insecurity, particularly after meeting several times wide-eyed and pointing fingers!

Wednesday June 5, Salah Bala and Yan Zaimi filed a lawsuit of defamation in the Superior Court of Suffolk against the NY Post accusing describe them as suspects in the deadly attacks of marathon. The prosecution accuses the NY Post's wording, the negligent infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy and claim for compensation for the damage that the insinuations of false by the New York Post had caused to the young man who left Morocco four years in search of life better conditions in the United States.  Morocco World News contacted Salah Bala to comment on the latest developments in this case, but he refused to comment on this subject.

"I suffer from emotional distress because of this and I can't talk about it at the moment," he said Office Thursday.

 © Morocco World News. All rights reserved. This material cannot be published, rewritten, or redistributed

A Moroccan stabs his best friend to death for an MP3 player

By Youssef Sourgo

Morocco world news

Casablanca, June 4, 2013

A Moroccan, aged 31, was murdered by his best friend for an MP3 player in the rural commune of Zaouiat Ben Hamida, in the province of Essaouira, reports the Moroccan daily today the Morocco Tuesday.

The corpse of Hall J., the victim, was discovered by her mother, who was instantly released at the sight of his son from drowning in his own blood and stripped of his clothes inside a traditional mill.

As a result, members of the RCMP in Essaouira rushed immediately to the scene, where they collected all the evidence before a thorough investigation to find the murderer of Hardy.

After querying all his family members and friends, the Royal Mounted Police detectives noticed the absence of his best friend 26 year, Mohamed M. T., who was later found hidden in an abandoned building, his clothes tainted with blood.

After interrogators, Mohammed admitted killing his friend Hamid for an Mp3 player, because he had refused to lend it to him. He added that they were drunk, and they slept together before quarrel vehemently on the mp3 of Hamid.

"I killed him with a few strokes of the knife," he said.

Why the MEGC boycott the joint meeting between the Moroccan and Turkish businessmen?

By Youssef El k

Morocco world news

FES, 5 June 2013

At a time when the Morocco is a need urgent to benefit from successful experiences in economic matters, such as the Turks that the experience of many commentators describe it as a "miracle," the Moroccan Employers' Federation called employers or MEGC decided to boycott the meeting, which took place Monday, June 3 in Rabat between Moroccan officials and businessmen and the Turkish delegation. The decision taken by the MEGC has been designed by many followers as "incomprehensible" and "embarrassing".

In a statement explaining the reasons for its decision, the MEGC claims that he was not involved in the preparation of the joint between the Turkish businessmen and their Moroccan counterparts and that he was not informed of the meeting up until three days before the meeting took place; a fact which was understood as a marginalization of the national role of the MEGC in the economic fabric. However, this justification did not convince many people who thought that the boycott is only part of the many plots against the Government led by the PJD.

In a statement out of news Lakom, Sakir Al-Ottmani, a Moroccan businessman of Settat, considers that the attitude of the MEGC is "" irresponsible and does not serve the interests of the Morocco. ' " Strongly deny the justification provided by the MEGC, he stressed that it was a "political decision against the Government dictated to the MEGC from outside the Office of Miriam Ben Salih."

According to Lakome, a senior official, who asked to speak on the condition of anonymity, expressed the same attitude and referred to the decision of the MEGC as something "dictated from the outside," stressing that what has happened, in fact, is the manifestation of a serious conflict between media policies; one wants the drug trade and all the business relationships of the pole of the France and the other wants to cut with conventional and open to all international experiences, partners in particular the successes such as Turkish.

In his speech at the Forum of the news agency Arab Maghreb (map) on Tuesday, June 4, Mr. Abedelkbir Benaatik, general Secretary of the Labour Party, has revealed that the main reason behind the boycott of the joint meeting of Turkish and Moroccan businessmen MEGC is the "spirit of hegemony and domination characterizing the PJD group".

Benaatik went further to say that the PJD has "already maneuver and promoted a workers' federation called Amal (hope) close ideologically to replace the MEGC and take control of the Moroccan economy".

On the other hand, Minister of the Morocco was very diplomatic when he apologized the MEGC for its boycott of the meeting when he stated that the decision taken by the latter was "healthy".

Mr. Benkirane, it was necessary to involve the MEGC in the preparations for the meeting with Turkish businessmen. He also praised the MEGC, its subject as the main partner of the Government.

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Moroccan editorial highlights, June 05

Rabat, may 5, 2013 (map)

Moroccan editorial commented this June 5, 2013 on the boycott of the opposition of the head of the question time in the House of representatives of the Government and the boycott of the association of Moroccan company of a delegation visited Turkish Affairs and the question of the use of the Amazigh language.

In an editorial entitled "the weapon of boycott", the evening echo points out that if the boycott of the opposition of the head of the question time in the House of representatives of the Government, has been justified, boycott of the association of entrepreneurs in the delegation's visit a Turkish company was justified for reasons that would not have been relevant, with a delegation of French companies or American.

In both cases, the document argues that the convergence of the views of politics and the business community gives the impression of a coalition of the acting shadow outside the active political institutions represented by political parties with elected representatives.

These problems are not associated with adhesion or sympathy with the leader of the party of the Government, PJD, but involve the whole of the operations of institutions. They raise questions as to our ability to get out of a dogmatic vision and to adapt to reality, not to lose control, as long as we can still, concluded the editorial.

Today the Morocco, which runs an editorial on the Amazigh language, comments that the Amazigh language takes its due and legitimate place on the political and cultural scene as an essential component of the Moroccan identity.

The Parliament, several MPs and staff choose to ask questions in the Amazigh language, as the Minister of health, the daily says, regretting, however, that "the organic law governing the use of this language has not yet was adopted".

Fortunately, more over Moroccan take the initiative of this legislative gap, at the same time, the Government has not even taken measures to facilitate the use of Amazigh, daily stress.