Celebrities in the Arab world, as elsewhere are premium, hot stuff. They are stalked, chased, and hunted down by anything from paparazzi to people with snazzy phone cameras. Their's is a life of pressure and oftentimes distress, as they live every moment in the public gaze, devoid of privacy and the space to keep anything, let alone private marriages, from the media lens.
Scandals, while more commonplace in the western world, can still cause big upsets, marring lives in the Eastern world. Sex is still taboo and strictly for marriage. Arab celebrities can therefore find themselves, dizzy from the constant glare from TV, the internet, 'followed' on Twitter and in the supermarket or salon, caught off guard - wavering between confessions and denials of their on-camera supposedly-off-camera exploits.
Indeed, such controversial scandals can really offend and shake-up the foundations of the somewhat still more conservative Eastern cultures. While sex tapes and fame have become almost synonymous in the world of the Kardashians and the Paris Hilton trend-setters - who catapaulted into fame on the back of these indecent exposures- in the Arab world, we reserve the right to still be shocked. In the Middle East, certainly, home to the conservative Islamic faithful as well as more traditional Christian worshippers, and culturally 'affected' Arab peoples, sexually liberal behavior or out-of-wedlock candor is still very much taboo, on or off camera. Nudity, never mind pornography, can shame and scandalize entire families and the rank and file of society. It is more than just individual careers that come under the stern stamp of ill-repute.
The material from the cases rounded up in this shame-show has come about, reportedly, either from professional film footage including supposedly editited or deleted scenes, or else from privately leaked sources, even rivals looking to sabotage their competition. Otherwise, these expicit scenes discussed in this line-up, have been blatantly obtained unlawfully through security and phone cameras. Al Bawaba's picks of some the stars 'caught in the act' include, possibly the usual suspects: Haifa Wehbe, Nancy Ajram, Marwa, Dina, Dunya Abdel Aziz, "Na Na" and more.
The Tunisian Cutlure minister has banned several artists from performing live shows in Tunisia due to their unsavory reputations. This hard-line censure has raised concern and speculation that Tunisia - much like other newly 'awakened' Arab nations - may be falling under an attempt to Islamisize new Arabia. Will the new Arab world be witnessing attempts to erradicate these pop-celeb influences from a purer Muslim culture?
Even Arab footballers and footballers of Arab background are prone to getting carried away in the culture of scandals. Sami Khedira, of Real Madrid, (German of Tunisian origin), and Mohamed Zidan, (the Egyptian player), have both respectivly fallen foul of the social disgraces of indecent exposure outside the realms of their sport.
The question to ask ourselves is, do we expect this particular band of celebrities that is Arab to adhere to better or 'higher' rules of conduct since they are Muslim or Christian Arabs? Though they can expect the best of the high life that celebrity has to offer, entourages and red carpets and hero worship not excepting, do we count on them to retain the conservative cultural standards that they were borne out of. Or is it their celebrity-given prerogative to select their preferred bits of life in the limelight? Can the beast that is celebrity be reduced to nationality or culture; or is it just one out-of-control black hole of entertainmet fodder for the web-surfing, scandal-scavenging masses?
Leave your comments below. Do you think we have the right to intrude or even 'own' the lives of our very own Arab Celebrities, or do think by exposing themselves, they leave us little choice but to watch their exploits?
