Details of a hidden struggle between Sudanese artists and social media stars

During the last period, it was believed that the Sudanese drama in Ramadan fueled the signs of a hidden struggle between professional actors, graduates of academic institutions concerned with arts and drama in Sudan, on the one hand, and the makers of visual content on digital broadcasting platforms on widespread social networking sites, on the other.

The signs of the muffled conflict were revealed against the background of the overwhelming emergence of “Youtubers” and “TikTokkers”, who took the lead in the scene, and played the starring role in the vast majority of dramas at the expense of professional actors.

The viewers also noticed the heavy migrations of a wide range of “Youtubers” and “Tik Tokers” stars from the digital broadcasting platforms of satellite channels in Sudan.

So what is the story and what are the motives of that migration?!

Salah Shuaib, a journalist, writer, and art and literary critic who specializes in and documents the Sudanese heritage, said in a statement to Al Arabiya.net that what is happening is not necessarily related to a hidden or clear generational conflict between the two groups, explaining that there are representatives belonging to different generations during the current Ramadan season. .

He also considered that those whom we call modern media representatives are not innovations in contrast to the actors produced by the stage, or traditional drama, as they are part of a movement of new creators in all fields competing with generations that have become professional media, cinema, and other writing paths, and therefore the future is in favor of modern media representatives. Rather, they owned the present because they created a broad mass base at a time when previous generations could not keep up with them, given that each time has its own people.

On the other hand, the journalist specialized in art criticism, Haitham Al-Tayeb, has a completely different point of view. He told Al-Arabiya.net that whoever presents on the various social media platforms is not a drama with a professional and scientific description, but rather a performance value linked to the idea of ​​irony and laughter, not comedy, because The details on which the work is based are not the comedy approach with all its paths and tools.

Haitham added that social media details are based on the productivity of the momentary situation with a dose of sarcasm or laughter, and each one fits a state of popular mood that he wants. .

Not a real drama

Haitham emphasized that social media is widely spread and the work that is presented in it is successful in terms of views and participation, asking a question whether this means that it is a developmental movement or an addition to the Sudanese drama.

And he replied that, of course, no, because in its origin, as I said, it is not a real drama, only performance situations based on a certain stereotype of the characters and things that are discussed.

And he ends his speech by saying: Part of the actors went there because the digital broadcasting platforms on social networking sites are a place for the material understanding required for them as the basis of life. There they practice the act of production for the sake of life only, but they are convinced that they are in a valley without drama, and there is definitely a broad conflict between the stars. Social media and professional actors within the social media itself, but it is not a struggle to produce a drama, but only a body movement with some appropriate words to rhythm people and what they want.

Why did they stretch?

As for the reasons for the expansion of social media stars, YouTubers and TikTokkers, at the expense of professional actors in the last two years?

Salah Shuaib argues that the professional actors who were active through traditional creative channels have declined in their stardom due to the lack of a Sudanese theatrical season now, as is the case in the past, as well as the lack of interest in satellite channels in drama. Therefore, the adventure of producers and actors of modern media in creating alternatives to communicate with the audience is what made them in the spotlight. I believe that the successes of young actors in Sudanese cinematic works in the last decade paved the way for the expansion of new stars in the field, and thus stardom became inspiring artistic giving, not a long professional history.

A killer circle of talent!

In turn, Haitham says that the users of social media platforms have all entered there, and have become in a deadly circle for their talents and personalities as dramatists, and I mean professionals, of course, because they have become part of the social media system that sets conditions for your success in terms of all tools, and they are certainly weak tools professionally and technically, but they are successful. there. stardom there.

It is noteworthy that success usually depends on creating what the audience wants from the content.

Specialists say that the drama is on its way to an end unless those concerned move to complete work away from social media, which has embraced acting professionals and drama graduates.

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