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An Unlikely Role Model
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 12:39 pm    Post subject: An Unlikely Role Model Reply with quote

DAMMAM, Saudi Arabia�Once a month, Nayla says, she writes a letter to Oprah Winfrey.

A young Saudi homemaker who covers her face in public might not seem to have much in common with an American talk show host whose image is known to millions. Like many women in this conservative desert kingdom, Nayla does not usually socialize with people outside her extended family, and she never leaves her house unless chaperoned by her husband.

Ms. Winfrey has not answered the letters. But Nayla says she is still hoping.

�I feel that Oprah truly understands me,� said Nayla, who, like many of the women interviewed, would not let her full name be used. �She gives me energy and hope for my life. Sometimes I think that she is the only person in the world who knows how I feel.�

Nayla is not the only Saudi woman to feel a special connection to the American media mogul. When �The Oprah Winfrey Show� was first broadcast in Saudi Arabia in November 2004 on a Dubai-based satellite channel, it became an immediate sensation among young Saudi women. Within months, it had become the highest-rated English-language program among women 25 and younger, an age group that makes up about a third of Saudi Arabia�s population.

In a country where the sexes are rigorously separated, where topics like sex and race are rarely discussed openly and where a strict code of public morality is enforced by religious police called hai�a, Ms. Winfrey provides many young Saudi women with new ways of thinking about the way local taboos affect their lives � as well as about a variety of issues including childhood sexual abuse and coping with marital strife � without striking them, or Saudi Arabia�s ruling authorities, as subversive.

Some women here say Ms. Winfrey�s assurances to her viewers � that no matter how restricted or even abusive their circumstances may be, they can take control in small ways and create lives of value � help them find meaning in their cramped, veiled existence.

�Oprah dresses conservatively,� explained Princess Reema bint Bandar al-Saud, a co-owner of a women�s spa in Riyadh called Yibreen and a daughter of Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the former Saudi ambassador to the United States. �She struggles with her weight. She overcame depression. She rose from poverty and from abuse. On all these levels she appeals to a Saudi woman. People really idolize her here.�

Today, �The Oprah Winfrey Show,� with Arabic subtitles, is broadcast twice each weekday on MBC4, a three-year-old channel developed by the MBC Group with the Arab woman in mind. The show�s guests, self-improvement tips, and advice on family relationships � as well as Ms. Winfrey�s clothes and changing hairstyles � are eagerly analyzed by Saudi women from a wide range of social backgrounds and income levels.

The largest-circulation Saudi women�s magazine, Sayidaty, devotes a regular page to Ms. Winfrey, and dog-eared copies of her official magazine, O, which is not sold in the kingdom, are passed around by women who collect them during trips abroad.

The particulars of Ms. Winfrey�s personal story have resonated with a broad audience of Saudi women in a way that few other Western imports have, explained Mazen Hayek, a spokesman for the MBC Group.

Saudi Arabia was an impoverished desert country before it was transformed by oil money and, in just a couple of generations, into a wealthy consumer society. Saudi women readily identify with �this glamorous woman from very modest beginnings,� Mr. Hayek said, in a phone interview from Dubai."

For the rest of the story:



http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/world/middleeast/19oprah.html?th&emc=th
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oprah Winfrey is very popular in this part of the world.
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 2:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear scot47,
Here, too, of course. And I'd say that's probably a good thing. I mean, there are a lot of more inappropriate choices for role models.

"Born in rural Mississippi to a poor teenaged single mother, and later raised in an inner city Milwaukee neighborhood, Winfrey was raped at the age of nine, and at fourteen, gave birth to a son who died in infancy. Sent to live with the man she calls her father, a barber in Tennessee, Winfrey landed a job in radio while still in high school and began co-anchoring the local evening news at the age of 19. Her emotional ad-lib delivery eventually got her transferred to the daytime talk show arena, and after boosting a third-rated local Chicago talk show to first place, she launched her own production company and became internationally syndicated."

You've got to admire someone like that. Plus, as mentioned above, she gives a lot back.

"In 1998, Winfrey began Oprah's Angel Network, a charity aimed at encouraging people around the world to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged others. Accordingly, Oprah's Angel Network supports charitable projects and provides grants to nonprofit organizations around the world that share this vision. To date, Oprah's Angel Network has raised more than $51,000,000 ($1 million of which was donated by Jon Bon Jovi). Winfrey personally covers all administrative costs associated with the charity, so 100% of all funds raised go to charity programs.
Although Winfrey's show is known for raising money through her public charity and the cars and gifts she gives away on TV are often donated by corporations in exchange for publicity, behind the scenes Winfrey personally donates more of her own money to charity than any other show-business celebrity in America. In 2005 she became the first black person listed by Business Week as one of America's top 50 most generous philanthropists, having given an estimated $303 million. Winfrey was the 32nd most philanthropic. She has also been repeatedly ranked as the most philanthropic celebrity.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Oprah asked her viewers to open their hearts�and they did. As of September 2006, donations to the Oprah Angel Network Katrina registry total more than $11 million. Homes have been built in four states�Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama�before the one year anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Winfrey also matched her viewers' donations by personally giving $10 million to the cause.
Winfrey has also put 250 African-American men through college.
Winfrey was the recipient of the first Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the 2002 Emmy Awards for services to television and film.
To celebrate two decades on national TV, and to thank her employees for their hard work, Winfrey took her staff and their families (1065 people in total) on vacation to Hawaii in the summer of 2006."

Now, if she'd only make better choices for her "Book Club."
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007



Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 2:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
...explained Princess Reema bint Bandar al-Saud, a co-owner of a women�s spa in Riyadh called Yibreen and a daughter of Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the former Saudi ambassador to the United States..

She is the daughter of Uncle Bandar!!

johnslat wrote:
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Oprah asked her viewers to open their hearts�and they did.

Except Uncle Sam, he refused to open his heart!!

Well, I recommend Oprah Winfrey to be nominated for USA presidency! Laughing
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 2:53 pm    Post subject: O is for O Reply with quote

Dear 007,

Ah, but Oprah has endorsed Obama since May:

"In Chicago, there is no question who carries the title of the Big O. That would be Oprah Winfrey. It�s a safe bet that Senator Barack Obama doesn�t mind playing second fiddle to the talk show icon, particularly when he has her endorsement at his disposal.

Ms. Winfrey, who for years has been a close friend to Mr. Obama, reaffirmed her support for his presidential candidacy during an interview Tuesday evening on CNN�s Larry King Live. It is the first time that Ms. Winfrey has endorsed � not to mention thrown her brand behind � a political candidate."

Regards,
John
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007



Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 3:16 pm    Post subject: Re: O is for O Reply with quote

johnslat wrote:

Ms. Winfrey, who for years has been a close friend to Mr. Obama, reaffirmed her support for his presidential candidacy during an interview Tuesday evening on CNN�s Larry King Live. It is the first time that Ms. Winfrey has endorsed � not to mention thrown her brand behind � a political candidate."

Regards,
John

BTW, John, is Winfrey married?
May be she wants Obama to be the next Steddy when Steddy gets old and toothless like Uncle Scot!! Laughing
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TOOTHLESS ?!!
Begone, foul feline, lest I unleash my hounds on thee !
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desert_traveller



Joined: 28 Nov 2006
Posts: 335

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 8:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

role model, yes, but unlikely? come on ...

standard afternoon program for about half of my former students: out of mcdonalds, into burger king, driving a ford 4x4, starin at mbc2 for a few hours etc etc

its not unlikely at all, it fits very well into the big picture


Last edited by desert_traveller on Sat Sep 20, 2008 7:29 am; edited 1 time in total
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sheikh radlinrol



Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 1222
Location: Spain

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 9:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

desert_traveller wrote:
role model, yes, but unlikely? come on ...

standard saudi urban youth's afternoon program: out of mcdonalds, into burger king, driving a ford 4x4, starin at mbc2 for a few hours etc etc

its not unlikely at all, it fits very well into the big picture

For me the young Saudi man's day is like this.
6.30 Get up, drive dangerously to English class, unshaven. Try to stay awake.
8.00 Breakfast of FOUL and fried eggs. Back to class. Try to stay awake.
2.00 Drive home dangerously. Try to avoid killing your compatriots.
2.30 Heavy lunch (KAPSA).
3.00-9.00 Siesta.
9.00 Out with the boys. Shopping centres. Oggling girls in abayas. Dreaming and talking about s**.
Midnight. Back at one the boys' houses. Porn video, drugs, booze and more talk about girls. Maybe a paid lady arrives.
6.30 Up for English with the the old fart who goes on about phrasal verbs.
And so it goes on and on and on....
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 2:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear desert_traveler,

I'm afraid you'd have to take that up with M Zoepf (And how, I wonder, would one pronounce that name? With great difficulty, I suppose.)


Saudi Women Find an Unlikely Role Model: Oprah

By KATHERINE ZOEPF

However, while scanning through the "readers' comments" on the story, I found this:

"Another mindless story with fictitious characters, that do not represent the saudi society at all!. Saudi women are well provided and afford the level of protection and respect that a woman living in NY who is oogled at, is groped in metro and has to endure lechrous remarks all the time, can only dream of!"

Any comments on the comment?
Regards,
John
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 4:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Those who assume that Saudis all crave for a life like that depicted in "Friends" are mistaken.
Many Saudis look with horror at the televised pictures they get of life in "The West" and thank the Generous One for saving them from the horrors of life as a postmodern USAnian..


Last edited by scot47 on Sat Sep 20, 2008 12:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
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desert_traveller



Joined: 28 Nov 2006
Posts: 335

PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 7:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

johnslat wrote:
"Another mindless story with fictitious characters, that do not represent the saudi society at all!. Saudi women are well provided and afford the level of protection and respect that a woman living in NY who is oogled at, is groped in metro and has to endure lechrous remarks all the time, can only dream of!


scot47 wrote:
Those who assume that Saudis all crave for a live like that depicted in "Friends" are mistaken.
Many Saudis look with horror at the televised pictures they get of life in "The West" and thank the Generous One for saving them from the horrors of life as a postmodern USAnian..


I agree with both of you, and I have edited my previous comment to make it sound less like a general statement. However, there are just as many Saudis who go crazy about the West (I'm not taking sides here). And as for this comment: Saudi women are well provided and afford the level of protection and respect etc etc well it qualifies the person who wrote it and not 'Saudi women'
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Cleopatra



Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago

PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 8:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've long felt that Saudis give pop-culture types like Oprah far more respect than they deserve. Students of mine were genuinely upset when the Oprah show did a long feature on Saudi domestic abuse victim Rania Al Baz (who, as far as I can make out, is widely reviled by Saudi women), but failed to 'balance' this by interviewing 'happy Saudi women'. When I explained to them that Oprah, like most US TV people, is mainly interested in sensationalism and stereotyping, they did not really understand. I know that many of them repeatedly tried to contact Oprah with suggestions for alternative ways to feature Saudi women, but to no avail. Seems like Saudis - at least the wealthy, well-travelled Saudis I mainly deal with - are still craving the approval of the "West". I personally think they would be far better off settling for respect - in whatever form that may take - rather than affection.


Quote:


"Another mindless story with fictitious characters, that do not represent the saudi society at all!. Saudi women are well provided and afford the level of protection and respect that a woman living in NY who is oogled at, is groped in metro and has to endure lechrous remarks all the time, can only dream of!"


Comments? I think it is the usual 'stereotype with a grain of truth' idea. It is of course nonsense to suggest that the typical New York woman (or her counterpart in any "Western" city) is constantly fighting off sexual harrasment, but there is some truth in the notion that Saudi women are protected and shielded from many of the everyday travails women elsewhere consider their lot. Whether it is a price worth paying for the restrictions Saudi women have to endure on a daily basis is a question which can probably never be answered with any degree of certitude. Certainly I would never swap places with a Saudi woman, for all the chaufeurred cars and idle days in the world, but doubtless they would feel the same way in reverse.
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 1:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't think we can "generalize" about how Saudi women feel any more than we can about any other groups. In my nineteen years there, I certainly didn't get to meet many Saudi women, but of those I did get to know (wives of colleagues and ladies I tutored for or helped - usually over the phone - with papers), it seems to me that how they "feel" runs the gamut: from being quite satisfied with how conditions are to chafing against all the restrictions.
Of course, these were all ladies who were at least "well-off" financially. My suspicion is that for many Saudi women, their feelings are a mixture of both of the above: a good percentage would likely like some changes, but do NOT want to be exactly like "Western women." And it's not hard to see why, in my opinion. Every "gain" that "Western women" have made in the areas of equality has been counter-balanced by a "price" that must be paid. So, it's entirely an individual matter as to whether the "gain" is worth the "price."
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't find it any more or less surprising that Oprah attracts the "housewives" of Saudi in the same way that she does in the US. I have rarely watched her show, but unlike the majority of this type of show, she does seem to sincerely want to help people work through their personal demons... not just do a sensationalist Jerry Springer type silliness.

As to the program on Rania... I expect that the dislike of her is mostly that she highlighted what is a large, but hidden problem in the Saudi culture - and made it a national embarrassment - as it should be. One that I have encountered among my own students in the Gulf - hospitalized from brutal beatings by fathers, brothers, or husbands - with no legal protection available for them. Her sin was to display what is supposed to be shamefully hidden from anyone outside the family. A woman is to accept... not run to the authorities and get in the newspapers... even the international press.

And I think it is good that these young Saudi women saw how this issue was looked at in another culture to ponder whether some changes need to come about in their own. (and I can just imagine what gross anti-Arab stereotypes came out in the show)

VS
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