SImulacrum
- Oedipal action
- Duality of good and evil
- Happy Smurf on cover
- Due to an illness Cani created his alter ego
- Cani’s father in his Smurf identity is Zeus
- Cani’s family foundation did not even know of him
- Cani took action to be noticed by the foundation
- Papa Smurf presented as a villain
- Cani is known by the society due to the newspapers
- Then people became smurfs
- Cani did not kill smurfs like Clumsy Smurf
- Cani killed Papa Smurf and burned the village down
- Cani is conscientious and anti-hero
- People whom society regarded as good are not good
SIMULATION
- Oedipal action
- Duality of good and evil
- Arthur’s nickname is Happy
- Due to an illness Arthur created his alter ego
- Arthur’s father is Thomas Wayne
- Arthur’s family foundation do not even know of him
- Arthur took action to be noticed by his father
- Thomas Wayne presented as a villain
- Arthur is known by the society due to the newspapers
- Then people became clowns
- Arthur did not kill the dwarf
- Arthur killed the comedian and Gotham was on fire
- Arthur is conscientious and anti-hero
- People whom society regarded as good are not good
SIMILARITIES & DIFFERENCES
Versatile Smurf’s backstory: After he recovered from his illness, he created his alter ego and began to be known as Cani. Similarly, Arthur is in the process of transforming into Joker because he quits the drugs which he used for his mental illness.
Feyziye Mektepleri Vakfı which was founded in 1885 owns a series of high quality schools in Turkey. His family was the founder of that foundation. But he was never educated in the F.M.V. Işık Schools. His family foundation did not even know of his existence. The name of his father in his Smurfy identity is Zeus. He announced that he is one of the heirs of the foundation through newspaper reports. In parallel, Arthur also takes actions to be noticed when he learns that his father is the strongest character of Gotham City, Thomas Wayne. But his father does not care about Arthur’s existence. Like Cani, Arthur is being ignored by his family and does not grow up like one of his family members.
In the reports of the Hürriyet newspaper, Cani talked about his mother being a former painter and a ballerina and his older brother who died when he was a baby. The mental health of a mother who has lost her child can be easily understood from here. Again in parallel, Arthur’s mother is mentally ill and giving her son the cheerful nickname “Happy”. They both speak positively of their mothers and Cani & Arthur love them.
They are both known by the society due to the reports on the newspapers about them. In this way, people become Smurfs and clowns to riot in the streets to support the cause. Cani told Hürriyet that Papa Smurf has the best living conditions in the village and equipped the village with cooperative Smurfs. He stated that Papa Smurf does not care about characters like Clumsy Smurf. Cani declared that the people who regarded as good by society are actually not good. They published that Versatile Smurf killed Papa Smurf, burned down the village and saved the only Smurfs who existed with their titles like Clumsy Smurf.
In parallel to Cani’s action: Arthur does not kill the dwarf for similar reasons to Clumsy Smurf example; he argues on the live TV broadcast that what society considers good is actually not good. Later, he kills the comedian he sees as a father figure, whom he looks up to. After killing the father figure, he transforms into Joker and whole Gotham City is on fire. Both of them reveal their existences through oedipal actions.
Moreover, the classic Joker is unscrupulous and villainous. But Arthur’s Joker is conscientious and anti-hero just like Versatile Smurf. Also, Papa Smurf and Thomas Wayne were presented as villains for the first time.
“Smurfy Revolution” is a process art consisting of happenings, performances, photographs, videos, and newspaper reports. Versatile Smurf is a simulacrum, as Cani’s killing of Papa Smurf is shown as if it was real. Joker is a movie character. Hence it is a simulation.
According to the Hürriyet newspaper reports; Cani grew up in a wealthy house and not understood by the society until he became a Smurf. He made art about the Oedipus complex and thereafter making a presence in the news, earned him a doctorate scholarship from Işık Schools. It proved that he can express himself. Arthur grows up in a poor house and is ostracized by the society. Thomas Wayne refuses that Arthur is his own son very easily and in a cruel fashion. Arthur cannot manage to express himself about what was done to him and he acts out by turning into a killer.
Arthur is approved by the comedian, whom he sees as a father figure in his fantasy world. He also has a girlfriend in his fantasy world. Cani, on the other hand, caused many people to participate in a fairy-tale life with his art. So, Arthur lives in a fantasy world, and Cani lives in the reality of his own creation.
Unknown people become de-identified clowns because of Arthur and protest against Gotham’s rich. But Arthur is aiming for a revolution only for himself. During protests, Arthur does not turn into a clown and he seeks his father’s love and monetary aid. Simply, Arthur only cares about himself. “Smurfy Revolution” project is about democratic emancipation and Cani aims for a revolution for his loved ones. That’s why even if the project belongs to him, everyone has their own Smurf names and identities. Based on these; it is obvious that Arthur wants to be loved, and Cani wants to love.
Arthur unconsciously takes place in the newspaper reports that had made his actions accepted by the public. Cani, on the other hand, consciously cause his actions to take place in newspaper reports.
While the story of “Joker” is a hateful story, “Smurfy Revolution” is a loveful story. Arthur has a duality of good and evil characters within himself and no one knows who he is. He alone kills the father figure, breaks the moral scale, becomes Joker, fueled by hatred. In Cani’s story, he uses Mentor & Versatile Smurfs to represent a duality of good and evil. He kills the father figure, breaks the moral scale and becomes an official artist.
