The reflection of the struggle against male violence on digital platform TV series: Hükümsüz and Mezarlık

Abstract

On digital platforms, works challenging patriarchal ideology are becoming increasingly available. Notably, the television series ‘Hükümsüz,’ which premiered on the Exxen platform in 2021, and ‘Mezarlık,’ which made its debut on Netflix in 2022, have emerged as groundbreaking projects shedding light on the alarming surge in femicides in Turkey in recent years. Both ‘Mezarlık’ and ‘Hükümsüz’ address critical issues: the former reveals the involvement of the police and the state in the murders of women, while the latter underscores the role of gender inequality in femicides and questions the patriarchal system. This study takes a feminist perspective to examine these series as vehicles that challenge male dominance. The representations within these dramas are analyzed concerning gender roles, perpetrator accountability, the portrayal of female victimization due to male violence, the politics of femicide, state responsibility, and efforts to struggle male violence. Utilizing textual analysis, a qualitative research method, it becomes evident that these series are intentionally crafted to subvert the prevailing patriarchal ideology