This tradition became the focus of Ghada Abd El-Aal’s blog “Wanna be a bride,” where she pokes fun at the tradition of these arranged meet-ups and expresses frustration at the types of men who show up to these things.
The Arab-language blog became so popular that Egypt’s printing house Shorouk picked it up for publication as a book in 2008. Now, the blog-turned-book has become the sleeper hit among Ramadan serials on television, especially among women, according to a recent report in Shams newspaper.
“I Want to Get Married,” a comedy written by Abd El-Aal, focuses on a young woman — played by Tunisian actress Hind Sabri — who in every episode must endure men she has no interest in marrying, from a self-righteous fundamentalist to a jittery police officer. Abd El-Aal’s blog (an Arabic) can be read here: http://wanna-b-a-bride.blogspot.com/. Her book has a Facebook page in English titled “Wanna be a Bride.”
