''I Men... ke I Den'' (
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
: Οι Μεν... και Οι Δεν; English: ''Those and the others'') is a comedy series which aired on
ANT1
Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece. The alternate spelling is wordplay in Greek; ''ena'' (ένα) is the Greek number ''1'' (one), thus ''ANT1'' is pronounced the same as ''Antenna'' (Αντέννα). It laun ...
for three seasons, from 1993 to 1996. The scripts were written by
Haris Romas
Charis Romas or Haris Romas (Greek: Χάρης Ρώμας) is a Greece, Greek actor, screenwriter, and lyricist. He was born on 23 March 1960 in Piraeus as Haralambos Rassias (Χαράλαμπος Ρασσιάς). He is most well known for co-wr ...
and
Anna Hatzissofia. The series is considered one of the most successful on Greek television, achieving high ratings, and it was rerun multiple times for many years after the original run.
Characters
Dionyssis Dangas
Dionyssis Dangas (Διονύσης Δάγκας, played by
Haris Romas
Charis Romas or Haris Romas (Greek: Χάρης Ρώμας) is a Greece, Greek actor, screenwriter, and lyricist. He was born on 23 March 1960 in Piraeus as Haralambos Rassias (Χαράλαμπος Ρασσιάς). He is most well known for co-wr ...
). Dionyssis was born to a
Rebetiko
Rebetiko ( el, ρεμπέτικο, ), plural rebetika ( ), occasionally transliterated as rembetiko or rebetico, is a term used today to designate originally disparate kinds of urban Greek music which have come to be grouped together since the s ...
singer (played by
Sperantza Vrana
Sperantza Vrana ( el, Σπεράντζα Βρανά; 6 February 1928 – 29 September 2009) was a Greek actress and writer.
She was born as Elpida Homatianou (''Ελπίδα Χωματιανού'') in Messolongi on 6 February, either in 1926 or ...
) and an unnamed father. Later in the series his father was revealed to be a successful
cross-dressing
Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes usually worn by a different gender. From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and self-express oneself.
Cross-dressing has play ...
singer and committed
homosexual
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
who was seduced by a female colleague while drunk.
Dionyssis was raised in poverty and sought scholastic success in order to escape it. His favorite pet as a child was a
rabbit
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...
. While unemployed and unable to get other supplies, his mother killed the rabbit and served it to Dionyssis as
stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables and ...
. This left him with a
psychological trauma
Psychological trauma, mental trauma or psychotrauma is an emotional response to a distressing event or series of events, such as accidents, rape, or natural disasters. Reactions such as psychological shock and psychological denial are typical. ...
.
Dionyssis grew to be a social climbing lawyer and married into an affluent and well-connected family. By the start of the series Dionyssis was highly successful in his chosen profession, having secured a position in the Supreme Court of Greece and a luxurious residence in
Kolonaki
Kolonaki (, ), literally "Little Column", is an upscale neighborhood in central Athens, Greece. It is located on the southern slopes of Mount Lycabettus. Its name derives from the two metre column (located in Kolonaki Square) that defined the are ...
. His marriage on the other hand had grown stale, largely because of his lack of interest in
sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse (or coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion and thrusting of the penis into the vagina for sexual pleasure or reproduction.Sexual intercourse most commonly means penile–vaginal penetrat ...
.
Dionyssis was
nouveau riche
''Nouveau riche'' (; ) is a term used, usually in a derogatory way, to describe those whose wealth has been acquired within their own generation, rather than by familial inheritance. The equivalent English term is the "new rich" or "new money" ( ...
and sought to impress others by showing off his wealth and education. He essentially became a
snob
''Snob'' is a pejorative term for a person who believes there is a correlation between social status (including physical appearance) and human worth.De Botton, A. (2004), ''Status Anxiety''. London: Hamish Hamilton ''Snob'' also refers to a per ...
and hated being reminded of his lowly origins. He was also a
miser
A miser is a person who is reluctant to spend, sometimes to the point of forgoing even basic comforts and some necessities, in order to hoard money or other possessions. Although the word is sometimes used loosely to characterise anyone who ...
and hated expenses that gained him no prestige. One episode revealed his childhood idol to be
Scrooge McDuck
Scrooge McDuck is a cartoon character created in 1947 by Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company. Appearing in Disney comics, Scrooge is a Scottish-American anthropomorphic Pekin duck. Like his nephew Donald Duck, he has a yellow-orange bil ...
, to the point of Dionyssis having his own
Number One Dime
The Donald Duck universe is a fictional shared universe which is the setting of stories involving Disney cartoon character Donald Duck, as well as Daisy Duck, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Scrooge McDuck, and many other characters. Life in the D ...
. He earned his first dime by winning his first trial at the age of five: two kids were fighting over a loaf when he happened pass by. He asked, "Well, who does it belong to?" and one of the kids answered, "It belongs to the other kid. But if you say that it belongs to me I'll give you this dime." And so he earned his first dime by practising his future job.
During the series, Dionyssis grows used to financially supporting both his wife and his neighbours. By the series finale he is a father of two, but is much closer emotionally to the son of his neighbour. The finale suggests Dionyssis is attempting to raise four children instead of two and learning to co-habit with the Stamati family.
Vana Danga
Vana Danga (Βάνα Δάγκα, played by
Anna Kouri). Wife of Dionyssis. Born to socially prominent parents, she grew up in luxury and attended the finest schools. However opportunities were only offered to her due to the financial support of her father. She herself is rather naive, sometimes even childish, and not particularly intelligent. Her studies had no practical use and left her with very little actual knowledge.
After finishing school, Vana was pursued by Dionyssis in his effort in social climbing. Ironically, she was actually in love with him. Her greatest disappointment during the series was being a warm and passionate woman in an essentially passionless and
sexless marriage
A sexless marriage is a marital union in which little or no Human sexual activity, sexual activity occurs between the two spouses. The US National Health and Social Life Survey in 1992 found that 2% of married respondents aged 18 to 59 reported n ...
. She constantly attempted to seduce her husband, with little success. On the other hand, Vana sought to appease her vanity by buying increasingly expensive
fur
Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket t ...
s and other material possessions, thus infuriating her miserly husband.
During the series Vana becomes a strange friend to Nana, always ready to put her down because of her lowly origins and fashion choices, but also ready to follow her lead in various money-making schemes. Several episodes have the women bonding.
By the end of the series Vana is a mother of two, but finds herself much closer emotionally to the daughter of Nana than to her own.
Timos Stamatis
Timotheos "Timos" Stamatis (Τιμόθεος "Τίμος" Σταμάτης, played by
Stelios Mainas). Son of a conservative school teacher, Timos rebelled against the values of his mother and led a
Bohemian
Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to:
*Anything of or relating to Bohemia
Beer
* National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst
* Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors
Culture and arts
* Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...
life. Unemployed throughout the series, Timos supported himself by petty theft, the meager earnings of his wife and loans from his "buddy" Dionyssis.
He won a small apartment in
Kolonaki
Kolonaki (, ), literally "Little Column", is an upscale neighborhood in central Athens, Greece. It is located on the southern slopes of Mount Lycabettus. Its name derives from the two metre column (located in Kolonaki Square) that defined the are ...
in a
game show
A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or Let's Play, demonstrative and are typically directed b ...
. He is an amateur
clarinettist
This article lists notable musicians who have played the clarinet.
Classical clarinetists
* Laver Bariu
* Ernest Ačkun
* Luís Afonso
* Cristiano Alves
* Michel Arrignon
* Dimitri Ashkenazy
* Kinan Azmeh
* Alexander Bader
* Carl Baermann ...
who plays his music at all hours. He is still in love with his wife, and eager for any opportunity for
sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse (or coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion and thrusting of the penis into the vagina for sexual pleasure or reproduction.Sexual intercourse most commonly means penile–vaginal penetrat ...
. Though cunning enough to scam his way to money, Timos is even more naive than Vana, and never understands that Dionyssis dislikes him. His favorite victim is also his best friend, or so he thinks.
By the end of the series he is a father of two, but busy teaching Dionyssis's son the art of theft.
Nana Stamati
Nana Stamati (portrayed by
Joyce Evidi). Daughter of two
flower children and particularly close with her
rock musician
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States and ...
father. To the point of jealous Timos suspecting
Oedipus complex
The Oedipus complex (also spelled Œdipus complex) is an idea in psychoanalytic theory. The complex is an ostensibly universal phase in the life of a young boy in which, to try to immediately satisfy basic desires, he unconsciously wishes to have ...
(actually
Electra complex
In neo-Freudian psychology, the Electra complex, as proposed by Carl Jung in his ''Theory of Psychoanalysis'', is a girl's psychosexual competition with her mother for possession of her father. In the course of her psychosexual development, the ...
).
Equally as bohemian as her husband, Nana is the income provider in the family. She is an "artist" and sells her
jewellery
Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry (U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a wester ...
, statues and other artifacts in
Monastiraki
Monastiraki (Greek: Μοναστηράκι, ''Monastiráki'', , literally ''little monastery'') is a flea market neighborhood in the old town of Athens, Greece, and is one of the principal shopping districts in Athens. The area is home to cloth ...
. She is a shrewdish
con artist
A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibility, and greed. Researchers have def ...
and typically leads either Timos or Vana in money-making schemes, some of which are successful while others backfire.
By the end of the series she is a mother of two, but is closer to Vana's daughter than to her own children.
Television
The program was highly successful in its time, achieving high ratings throughout its run, and was one of the most popular shows in
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
and Greek-language television. Even today, episodes are regularly rerun by ANT1 and continue to find an audience.
External links
*http://patrastoday.gr/TV/series.asp?id=29&eid=3846
*http://tv.pathfinder.gr/ant1/ant10411271220.html
* {{IMDb title, 0259147
1993 Greek television series debuts
1996 Greek television series endings
1990s comedy television series
ANT1 original programming
Men Kai Den
Greek comedy television series
1990s Greek television series
Television shows filmed in Greece