Mahir Çağrı

Mahir Çağrı
Born 1962 (age 53–54)
Kars, Turkey
Nationality Turkish
Other names Internet Mahir
Turkish: İnternet Mahir
I kiss you Mahir
Turkish: I kiss you Mahir
Years active 1999—present
Known for Blogging (Romance and Personal life)
Website [IKissYou.org]
(Malware infected)

Internet information

Web hosting service(s) XOOM
Meme I Kiss You 1999
Signature phrase "I Kiss You"

Mahir Çağrı (IPA: Turkish pronunciation: [maːhir t͡ʃaːɾɯ], born 1962) 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 1999 on episodes of the Late Show with David Letterman wearing red Speedos and playing Ping Pong. Mahir was ranked #2 in CNET's Top 10 Web fads (July 15, 2005).[1] The site was also included in PC World's "The 25 Worst Web Sites" list (September 15, 2006).[2] 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[3] by St. Luke's advertising agency.

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 Cohen,[4] when Cohen created his foreign-reporter character for Channel 4 television (called variously, Kristo, Borat Karabzhanov, Borat Dutbayev and Borat Sagdiyev). It is unknown whether Mahir's website existed prior to the transmissions of these sketches.

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.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Top 10 Web fads". CNET.com. Retrieved 2008-11-17.
  2. ↑ "The 25 Worst Web Sites". PC World. Retrieved 2008-11-17.
  3. ↑ "St Luke chooses Mahir for Smartgroups spokesman".
  4. ↑ Earthtimes, The. "Borat prank gets Sacha Baron Cohen punched, high five!". Earthtimes.org. Retrieved 2008-11-17. |section= ignored (help)
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