The second season of the Egyptian comedy series “Ashghal Shaqa Gedan” (Even More Household Chores) has become a stellar success – but also a source of controversy, with criticism over its portrayal of women, forensic medicine and racism.
In an interview with the Al Arabiya channel, actor Hesham Maged apologized for the outrage and assured that the cast and crew did not intend to offend anyone, stressing that he only desires to create comedic content suitable for family audiences.
He said, “We are constantly trying to avoid any offense, and I do not see that the series includes any racist scenes or anything that might make anyone feel offended.’
Maged added to Al Arabiya channel, “The events are based on reality, and comedy basically relies on exaggerating some situations, but it is not an attack on anyone. If anyone felt offended, we apologize and will take the matter into consideration in the future.”
Regarding specific scenes, such as the episode which introduced the character Sanaa, he clarified, “I think that viewing the subject from an external perspective might lead some to believe it’s offensive, but in reality, it was built on situational comedy without any vulgarity or transgression. We realize that the series is watched by families, and therefore, we were careful not to include anything that would cause embarrassment to viewers.”
Maged confirmed that presenting a new season for any successful series is a huge challenge.
He explained, “The second season of any series is a great responsibility, because the success of the first season puts us in a more difficult situation. If the second season is not as strong or better, it may impact the work as a whole. That’s why we worked hard, especially in the writing phase with Khaled Diab and Sherine Diab, to ensure that the story develops in a way that attracts the audience and maintains the spirit of the series.”
According to Maged, the main plot which involves the ongoing search for a maid and the situations associated with it will remain the core element of the show, alongside a variety of wacky new developments for the characters.
He also praised Mustafa Gharib’s performance as Arabi, which he described as a distinct starting point for a character that causes a lot of trouble for the protagonist.
Regarding the potential for a third season, Maged said, “We have exhausted a lot of comedic ideas in the second season, and we worked very hard on it, so thinking about a third season requires careful study. If we don’t find a strong and new idea, it’s better not to present it, because we don’t want to bring something of a lower standard than what came before.”
Complaint filed over portrayal of women
Some of the most prominent criticism of the series has been over its portrayal of women, with lawyer Ayman Mahfouz filing an official complaint with the National Council for Women claiming that the show poorly represents Egyptian women and encourages ‘moral deviation’.
In his complaint, Mahfouz noted a scene involving a female character admitting she had engaged in so many illegitimate relationships that she doesn’t even remember the names of her various partners, which has led to the birth of her child with an unknown father.
According to Mahfouz, this scene reinforces the idea that women can use legal loopholes to escape punishment for adultery.
He also called for amendments to the ‘adultery’ laws to ensure they are not misused.
Accusations of racism
The show hasn’t escaped accusations of racism either.
These center around the character Madina, a Nigerian maid played by Sudanese actress Islam Mubarak who is portrayed as slovenly and with brutish strength.
Outraged Sudanese audiences claim that the character reinforces negative stereotypes of Black people. Others have come in defense of the show, stating that the humor surrounding the character does not involve her race and is done to serve the plot.
Scientific and forensic errors
The former head of the Forensic Medicine Authority, Ayman Fouda, harshly criticized the series for its representation of the forensic profession, claiming that the show’s forensic character is an inaccurate mockery.
Speaking to Al-Masry Al-Youm, Fouda said: “I demanded the suspension of the series last year, but I was shocked by the production of a new season that continues its violation of the forensic medicine profession, representing it in an inappropriate manner. Forensic medicine is a serious and essential step towards achieving justice, not a field for laughter and mockery.”
Fouda called on the responsible authorities to intervene to stop the airing of the series, adding that portraying a forensic doctor as irresponsible would impact citizen trust in the institution.
Writer Khaled Montaser also pointed out the inaccuracy of some scientific details in the series.
One of the most prominent of these is of the forensic doctor examining counterfeit money, which is a task not within the jurisdiction of forensic doctors but instead for specialized forgery and counterfeiting research experts.
Errors such as these could reinforce misconceptions among the public, Montaser said, and urged the creators of the series to always seek specialized consultants when dealing with scientific or professional topics.
Airing time
In spite of the outrage, “Ashghal Shaqa Gedan” still enjoys a wide audience.
It airs daily at nine pm on the MBC Masr channel, with a repeat episode at midnight.
Besides Maged, the series also stars Asmaa Galal, Mostafa Gharib, Sherine, Salwa Mohamed Ali, Mohamed Mahmoud, Hazem Ehab, Islam Mubarak, Ahmed Abdel Wahab, Abdel Moneim Riad, and Intisar.
The screenplay was authored by Khaled Diab and Sherine Diab, with the former also serving as director.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
