The Kuwaiti information minister suspended a female TV news reader for a week with a cut in salary for indecent behavior as she ended the reading of the news by laughing in an unbecoming manner while the camera was still focusing on her.
Like other women who work for various satellite channels she was punished for a grave mistake. In a critical situation it was not appropriate for her to mix coquetry and levity with news of bloodbaths and destruction.
We applaud the successful performance of our female television reporters, especially those who reported the developments of the war and its terrible price from the frontlines with commendable courage and professionalism. I would like to see more such Arab women who can counterbalance the bad impression created by some of our female newsreaders on satellite channels.
These female TV announcers and newsreaders appear in front of the viewers day and night, wearing a lot of makeup, different fashions and hairstyles to show off their beauty. They also face the camera in a suggestive manner, apparently thinking that this is the quickest and best way to win the hearts of the audience. There are exhibitionism and coquetry there, and as these women appeal to the sexual instincts of their male viewers, they distract their attention from the subject — if any — they are talking about.
I am not against attempts by our female newsreaders to make themselves look attractive. After all, that is their personal decision. Within limits, they have every right to do as they see fit. But I am also against women becoming the victims of male fantasy. At present, the makeup man decides what a woman should look like, the editor decides how she should be presented, and a businessman decides what her job should entail, all of them men.
In doing so they have succeeded in presenting a contradictory picture of women as attractive on the one hand and a dangerous temptation on the other, and in doing so they perpetuate a sense of hostility and confrontation between men and women.
What is wrong with a woman who is beautiful in her heart and soul, beautiful in her intelligence and her moderation? Why do we always confuse beauty with sexual allure?
The beauties we see on television, from newsreaders to dancers in video clips, should understand that their appearance reflects their minds. Intelligence is as essential to attracting people as cosmetics, and the acquisition of knowledge is more vital than the acquisition of fashion and cosmetics. Instead of merely spending time attending makeup classes, they should also spend time at places of intellectual and spiritual beautification, if only now and again.
If it was just a matter of imitating Western culture, then I think opera stars are setting a good example. These opera stars are at the very top of their profession, and they are doing very well out of it. Moreover, they work hard to improve their skills to deal with both their subject matter and their audience. There are not many Arab women who can match them. At the same time, there are hundreds of imitators of Shakira and Britney Spears on every Arab satellite channel.
The ignorance of certain Arab TV personalities has done a great deal of harm to Arab women, their culture and their history. Arab women are distinguished for their modesty and respect for themselves. But these women are merciless in their enticement of men and their dedication to material things. The Arab situation is bitter enough. We should not become mired in a world of sensual pleasures and concerns of the flesh — Saddam Hussein was an example of what happens to a man who cares only for material pleasures and riches.
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(Halah Al-Nasir is a Saudi writer. She is based in Riyadh.)
Arab News Features 25 April 2003
