Mahir Çagri
Encyclopedia
Mahir Çağrı became an Internet
celebrity
in 1999. His picture-laden personal homepage, which exclaimed in broken English
his love of the accordion
, travel, and women was visited by millions and spawned numerous fansites and parodies, one featured on Fox's MadTV
(season 5, episode 20). He was also repeatedly parodied in the 1999s episodes of the Late Show with David Letterman
wearing red Speedo
s and playing Ping Pong. Mahir was ranked #2 in CNET
's Top 10 Web fads (July 15, 2005). The site was also included in PC World
's "The 25 Worst Web Sites" list (September 15, 2006).
Mahir claimed in various interviews that his personal webpage was hacked, with additions such as "I like sex" embedded into his webpage. The site was originally hosted on the now defunct XOOM
web hosting service
which advertised Mahir on their front page during the mania.
Çağrı
was used in British TV advertising for smartgroups.com by St. Luke's advertising agency.
Mahir Çağrı's website was quickly spread through word of mouth on the internet. The website came at a time when "Internet phenomenon" was a new concept for Internet users, media, and the curious public. Novelty pages such as Dancing baby
and The Hamster Dance
created a precedent of mass viewing for Mahir's page.
, when Cohen created his foreign-reporter character for Channel 4
television (called variously, Kristo, Borat Karabzhanov, Borat Dutbayev and Borat Sagdiyev), despite the earliest appearances of these characters predating Çağrı's website.
In the feature film of the same name, Borat not only uses Çağrı's "You can stay my home" catchphrase in the introductory scenes, but also poses during a game of ping-pong in revealing red shorts, referencing two of Çağrı's famous shots. However, Borat had regularly invited viewers to stay with him in broken English before Mahir's website became famous - although this in itself does not prove he wasn't known to Cohen first.
Çağrı has announced that he is travelling to London
to receive an apology from Baron Cohen, and to receive money for the use of his likeness in the film . He said, "the world knows he is copying Mahir. I am not saying this — the world is. I have received so many e-mails from people in the United States who tell me he is imitating me." He added, "the bombshell is going to fall. (Cohen) is making money by using me."
On April 30, 2010 in an interview at ROFLcon in Cambridge, MA, Çağrı said he is going to New York City to find representation for a lawsuit.
In Borat's 1997 "Guide to Britain", the Kazakh reporter speaks with broken English, wears his famous grey suit, has his trademark mustache, invites his audience to stay with him in Kazakhstan and proudly announces his catchphrase, "I like sex." It is unknown whether Çağrı's website existed prior to the production of this episode.
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
in 1999. His picture-laden personal homepage, which exclaimed in broken English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
his love of the accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, travel, and women was visited by millions and spawned numerous fansites and parodies, one featured on Fox's MadTV
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
(season 5, episode 20). He was also repeatedly parodied in the 1999s episodes of the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
wearing red Speedo
Speedo
Speedo International Ltd. is a manufacturer and distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories. Founded in Australia in 1914, the industry leading company is now a subsidiary of Pentland Group Plc. Today, the Speedo brand can be found on products ranging from swimsuits and goggles to wrist...
s and playing Ping Pong. Mahir was ranked #2 in CNET
CNET
CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
's Top 10 Web fads (July 15, 2005). The site was also included in PC World
PC World (magazine)
PC World is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal-technology products and services...
's "The 25 Worst Web Sites" list (September 15, 2006).
Mahir claimed in various interviews that his personal webpage was hacked, with additions such as "I like sex" embedded into his webpage. The site was originally hosted on the now defunct XOOM
XOOM
Xoom was an early dot-com that used to primarily provide free unlimited space web hosting, similar to GeoCities.-History:Xoom was founded by Chris Kitze in September 1996 as a download website offering free clipart and a productivity suite including a word-processing application, centering around a...
web hosting service
Web hosting service
A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to make their own website accessible via the World Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own or lease for use by their clients as well as providing Internet...
which advertised Mahir on their front page during the mania.
Çağrı
Çağrı
Çağrı is a common masculine Turkish given name. In Turkish, "Çağrı" means "The Call", "Appellation", and/or "Distinction". It also means "Falcon".-People:* Çağrı Bey, Seljuq ruler.* Çağrı Yarkın, a Turkish footballer.* Çağrı Türkan, a Turkish author...
was used in British TV advertising for smartgroups.com by St. Luke's advertising agency.
Mahir Çağrı's website was quickly spread through word of mouth on the internet. The website came at a time when "Internet phenomenon" was a new concept for Internet users, media, and the curious public. Novelty pages such as Dancing baby
Dancing baby
The "Dancing Baby," also called "Baby Cha-Cha," refers to an animated 3D model of a baby and 3D-rendered video animations of that baby dancing a sort of cha-cha style of dance for several seconds...
and The Hamster Dance
The Hampster Dance
The Hampster Dance or Hampsterdance is one of the earliest examples of an Internet meme. Created by Canadian art student Deidre LaCarte for a Geocities page, the dance features rows of animated hamsters and other rodents dancing in various ways to a sped-up sample from the song "Whistle Stop" by...
created a precedent of mass viewing for Mahir's page.
Links with Borat
Similarities with the British television character Kristo (who evolved into Borat) were noted as soon as Çağrı's website became famous in 1999, particularly his jobs as journalist, his facial hair, clothing and his use of the catchphrase "I like sex", which featured in The 11 O'Clock Show shows in 1998. Çağrı has asserted that he was the main inspiration for British comedian Sacha Baron CohenSacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen is an English stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and voice artist. He is most widely known for his portrayal of three unorthodox fictional characters: Ali G, Borat, and Brüno...
, when Cohen created his foreign-reporter character for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
television (called variously, Kristo, Borat Karabzhanov, Borat Dutbayev and Borat Sagdiyev), despite the earliest appearances of these characters predating Çağrı's website.
In the feature film of the same name, Borat not only uses Çağrı's "You can stay my home" catchphrase in the introductory scenes, but also poses during a game of ping-pong in revealing red shorts, referencing two of Çağrı's famous shots. However, Borat had regularly invited viewers to stay with him in broken English before Mahir's website became famous - although this in itself does not prove he wasn't known to Cohen first.
Çağrı has announced that he is travelling to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to receive an apology from Baron Cohen, and to receive money for the use of his likeness in the film . He said, "the world knows he is copying Mahir. I am not saying this — the world is. I have received so many e-mails from people in the United States who tell me he is imitating me." He added, "the bombshell is going to fall. (Cohen) is making money by using me."
On April 30, 2010 in an interview at ROFLcon in Cambridge, MA, Çağrı said he is going to New York City to find representation for a lawsuit.
In Borat's 1997 "Guide to Britain", the Kazakh reporter speaks with broken English, wears his famous grey suit, has his trademark mustache, invites his audience to stay with him in Kazakhstan and proudly announces his catchphrase, "I like sex." It is unknown whether Çağrı's website existed prior to the production of this episode.
Quotations
- "I KISS YOU!!!!!!!"
- "Who is want to come TURKEY I can invitate ..... She can stay my home ........"
- "I like music , I have many many music enstrumans my home I can play"
- "I like to be friendship fom different country"
Sources
- More Mahir Mania - Salon.comSalon.comSalon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
, November 8, 1999 - Mahir, Live and in the Flesh - Wired, December 16, 1999
- Mahir to Borat: I Sue You! - Wired Magazine, 14.11
- Evidence for a Mahir vs. Borat Lawsuit - Electronic News Network
- Will the real Borat please stand up? - Yahoo!Yahoo!Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
News November 10, 2006 (Link dead as of 02:00, 15 January 2007 (UTC)) - "Real Borat" hopes to make film - BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
November 9, 2006