Comments for err...whaterverz

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by A Clever Link « Trading Places: Mask as Mirror

A Clever Link « Trading Places: Mask as Mirror — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:49:03 +0000

[...] http://errwhateverz.com/2010/03/01/how-to-write-about-the-middle-east/ Share this:TwitterFacebookEmailLinkedInPrintLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. [...]

Comment on Glitter, Weaves and Feminism: Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha as Cultural Icons by Jenelle

Jenelle — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:35:57 +0000

I like this post. And I think you make a point. Whether or not it’s “right” to objectify men, their views show the views of our society. And that in many ways women are becoming powerful enough to “use” less powerful men. It may not be “right” buuuut if you can’t beat ‘em- join ‘em, right?

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Mia Amélie

Mia Amélie — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:29:08 +0000

This was brilliant. I may not be able to empathize with this on the same level as those subjected to this level of ignorant generalizations as an anglo-franco Canadian-American, but I certainly appreciate the satire and outrage of this piece. Beautifully executed!

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Mia Amélie

Mia Amélie — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:25:25 +0000

She was mocking the people who actually believe in these stereotypes. The author actually agrees with you! She was imitating bigoted beliefs about “Arabia” to express a frustration with these ignorant generalizations. Give the article another try. It’s satire!

Comment on Good News America: Our Obesity Has Stabilized! by John

John — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:20:35 +0000

Interesting article…food for thought:)

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Jonathan

Jonathan — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:34:07 +0000

I think someone is wearing their feelings on their sleeve….

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by agava

agava — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:56:57 +0000

Mikayel, lack of a sense of humor will kill you one day…

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Sarah Irving

Sarah Irving — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:47:53 +0000

Umm, I think you didn’t get it. See the definition of irony a few comments up…

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Salahuddin

Salahuddin — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:50:36 +0000

ahahaahahh im thinking of doing the same. always asking me dumb questions ( please excuse my graphic descriptions) as to whether women wear their veils while they have sex ( i dont really know how someone could think such a thing) or if the woman behind the veil is a faceless, and oppressed woman yearning to be freed.

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Doctor Faustus (@DoctorWaish)

Doctor Faustus (@DoctorWaish) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:14:08 +0000

Yes, these stereotypes do exist, hence giving them the basis of being stereotypes however- that is not what the point of the article is. It isn’t diminutizing women wearing veils, etc. It is simply pointing out that not every woman in the Middle East wears a veil, and that she needn’t necessarily be Muslim to do it. Same concept goes for all these stereotypes ‘All Arabs are hot-headed Muslim kill-joys that lack a sense of humor and tend to take everything in life too seriously, that the Middle East in its entirety is just this mass of desert terrain filled with uneducated, uncivilized, ill-willed, substandard ‘humans’ if they can even be called that. I need not go on, I think the article has made its point in quite a hilarious way.

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Doctor Faustus (@DoctorWaish)

Doctor Faustus (@DoctorWaish) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:46:32 +0000

Calm your tits please, I myself ‘am an Arab’ as well, not that it matters, you don’t need to be to find this hilarious. Please don’t jump to conclusions and at least have the decency to confirm something before insulting and defending something you needn’t defend in the first place.

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by COMO ESCRIBIR DEL ORIENTE MEDIO « Ramrock's Blog

COMO ESCRIBIR DEL ORIENTE MEDIO « Ramrock's Blog — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:12:22 +0000

[...] http://renostan.wordpress.com/2011/12/28/como-escribir-sobre-oriente-medio/ Fuente original: http://errwhateverz.com/2010/03/01/how-to-write-about-the-middle-east/ A través del blog: EL ISLAM [...]

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by yeah, we know

yeah, we know — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:54:31 +0000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientalism

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Omar

Omar — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:34:09 +0000

Brilliant point about Artists

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Cómo escribir sobre Oriente Medio « رنوستان آزاد

Cómo escribir sobre Oriente Medio « رنوستان آزاد — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:37:02 +0000

[...] por internet me he encontrado con un artículo en el blog Err… whateverz muy curioso titulado How to write about the Middle East que me ha parecido fantástico, y que con [...]

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Reyhan

Reyhan — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:56:29 +0000

Hello Safiyah, precisely this article is about portraying muslims as they really are: people like you and me who live their lives and religion normally, not the empty stereotypes of backwards West-hating suicide terrorists depicted by many journalists.

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by safiyah

safiyah — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:39:57 +0000

I don’t quite understand, are Arabs all NOT religious? Is it such an offence to say that an Arab may be religious? I know many religious Arabs, they wear a weil like many Malay, Turkish, Pakistanis, I know Mexican, Italian, Sweidish Muslims who were veils and I don’t quite understand why is it taken as such a bad stereotype. According to me, but this is just my very modest opinion, you fall in the trap of the Western mentality to consider everything about religion bad, even if you are an Arab Christian or Jew. Nothing wrong with people religious and this is the type of propaganda that wants everyone to dislike religion and its regulations. If someone wants to eat kosher or halal meat and doesn’t want to eat bacon and is an Arab, then that’s not a stereotype cos there’s millions of people like this and if you don’t follow into that category cos u don’t want to follow any particular religion then don’t call others who do as stereotypical, making satirical fun out of people who may come from a simila region as your. I understand that it can be frustrating to see others writing about “Arabs” making generalisations that do not represent you, but making fun out of religious people which are generelly a reality in the Middle East is like denying that Italians eat a lot of pasta and pizza. May be a stereotype, may annoy you if you were italian to be asked so “do u eat pizza all the time” but at the end of the day you personally may not eat pasta and pizza so often but the realities is that lots of Italians (majority Maybe) do. Hope not to have offended. Take care now

Comment on Oh Blackwater, keep on rolling… by your an ID-10-T

your an ID-10-T — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:30:34 +0000

Your a moron

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by the sish

the sish — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:34:02 +0000

Ofcourse!

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Reyhan

Reyhan — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 14:59:14 +0000

Brilliant piece! Do you mind if I translate it for my blog? I would link to the source

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by the sish

the sish — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 08:24:31 +0000

Erm, we did. Right at the very top of the article, just under the title.

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Binyavanga Wainaina

Binyavanga Wainaina — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 04:36:39 +0000

i wish you would have had the courtesy to credit my original work which u have copied here.

http://www.granta.com/Magazine/92/How-to-Write-about-Africa/Page-1

Binyavanga Wainaina

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by jasdye

jasdye — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:22:47 +0000

Awesome! As a White Christian American, I’m so used to the horrible stereotypes. I appreciate any stereotype popping, especially if it’s done so wryly.

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Carl Medearis

Carl Medearis — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:08:17 +0000

This is so horribly true it made me laugh and want to cry at the same time. Well done!

Comment on Generation “Then What?” by Sajib

Sajib — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:46:22 +0000

Well, I think it’s not always about having a long-distant relationship. Sometimes, you gotta move on to another country because the field you’re interested in is much better in the country you’re willing to move than the one you’re living in. Say for example, one country’s education system may be better than another in some instances. Again, this happens when you’re seeking a job. Steve Jobs said, don’t settle until you find the work you love. Sometimes you really seek for a job that you love and the job you love doesn’t have a good market, or reputation, or money, or simply value in the country you live in.

If I were to answer this, I would have said that I always wanted to be a technology journalist in a mainstream international media. However, living here in Bangladesh, it’s not possible. There are technology journalists, but they are not thought to be IT journalists (although they are called so) because, well, what IT event takes place in Bangladesh? More importantly, how often?

If I were, instead, in the UK or the US, imagine what would have happened. Be it silicon valley or anywhere else, there’ll always be something to work on.

In fact, that’s what I’m trying to say. Sometimes you move for the better, not necessary for the better half.

Comment on Glitter, Weaves and Feminism: Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha as Cultural Icons by Em D (@TheLogicker)

Em D (@TheLogicker) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:50:01 +0000

Er…. Excuse me?

It’s staggering that objectifying men is now seen as “self-esteem giving” and “empowering”. Absolute hogwash. Can’t we just STOP the objectifying of BOTH sexes? of EVERYONE?

when Ke$ha, Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj are seen as “symbols of the new generation” and “empowered women” for using their bodies as sex symbols and marketing immorality…. all I can say is, the new generation is in trouble.

Sorry, but this is total rubbish.

Comment on Oh Mrs. Palin, what happened to your life? by J. Nichols

J. Nichols — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:52:15 +0000

Interesting to read these comments at the end of 2011. It’s laughable to see people defending Palin at this point and to truly see how misguided these, older, more mature, and seemingly wiser conservatives are.

As for socialism being a failure?? How about Canada? They seem to be doing well with their socialist’s ways. Their dollar is almost exactly the value of ours.

So where’s the brilliant-forward thinking Palin today? Oh that’s right, she’s a non-issue.

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Forbetterinformationflow

Forbetterinformationflow — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:45:02 +0000

Haha so true, It’s exactly that…. Either Arabs are portrayed as the helpless victims, which leave in the Middle Ages but must be saved, or evil terrorists… Quite exhausting to make people understand, that no your family is not religious, no you are not oppressed as a woman by your family, etc…

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by chris

chris — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:28:32 +0000

loved this blog! I have lived in the middle east so very long, and try to explain .. you did it with irony and style! thank you.

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by RAMI

RAMI — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:34:24 +0000

a poor article from one side , a lot of conflict and for sure he got to write a very typical image , which it doenst have a realy refliction for the realistic situation , so i can say it is not realy usefull ,,,

Comment on ‘Paranormal Activity’ and Gender Politics by Observer

Observer — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:44:42 +0000

I am jumping into the conversation a few years late, but after seeing the third Paranormal Activity, I’m interested in how gender is used to create fear. This was alluded to in your synopsis. I think a large portion of the fear factor comes from the fact that the man (Katie’s father in the third installment, but there is a male lead in each film) has no control over his own property (not just the household, but as head of the household, his significant other, and in the second film as well as the third, his children). To be clear, I am not suggesting that women should be considered men’s property, but rather that this is an established concept of conventional gender roles (the whole “I call it as I see it, not as how it should be” theory). I think this creates fear and anxiety for the male audience members, whether they notice it or not. As was pointed out in the above commentary, the traditional gender roles establish females as subservient to the protection of their male counterparts. The anxiety that comes from losing control of one’s perceived property thus extends to females as well (“My protector has no control”). I think the female audience members actually draw fear from the male lead losing control as well for this reason.

Comment on As History Gently Weeps… by liako

liako — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 22:30:38 +0000

Very nice article. It’s nice to see there are people out there who are still able to think for themselves and not blindly follow what they are told to believe.

Just a note, it’s important to sometimes mention in articles such as this that Alexander the Great was from Macedonia, but has no connection with the the former Ygoslav country called ‘Macedonia’ today (FYROM is the official global name for this nation). Alexander was a Macedonian and thus Greek, just like Leonidas was a Spartan and thus Greek.

In case anyone was wondering…

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by HCG Levels in Early Pregnancy

HCG Levels in Early Pregnancy — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 02:02:13 +0000

HCG Levels in Early Pregnancy Thanks for writing this, it was very handy and helped me quite a bit…

Thanks for writing this, it was very handy and helped me quite a bit…

Comment on ‘Eat Da Poo Poo’: A Critical Perspective by eu9en3

eu9en3 — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:54:30 +0000

youtube.com/eu9en3/

SUBSCRIBE!!!!!!!!!!

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by PDQ machines

PDQ machines — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 00:08:24 +0000

http://www.lapingoleta.com.br/2010/04/toma-engracadinha/

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Shoe Size Convertion

Shoe Size Convertion — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 03:05:52 +0000

good information, I’ll read though it again

Comment on The Unbearable Threat of HyperSexualized Femininity: Why Amanda Knox is the Modern Day Joan of Arc by My Perspective

My Perspective — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:07:02 +0000

Oh please…smh at this article.

Persecuted for what beauty? She is as plain as can be. As a woman, I feel no sympathy for her.

Just another entitled white woman who blames others when she finds herself in trouble. My sympathy is reserved for the REAL victim, Meredith Kercher.

Comment on How to Write about the Middle East by Rcrciitf

Rcrciitf — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:46:45 +0000

kim kardashian mtv,

Comment on Avatar, Palestine, and Dressing-Up for the Cause by The Realvance of Avatar « Majjal

The Realvance of Avatar « Majjal — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:29:51 +0000

[...] get a better chance at the Oscars. The irony of that is…truly ironical. As this post on ewz points out, that Palestinian activists dressed up as Na’vi is, “on a superficial [...]

Comment on The Unbearable Threat of HyperSexualized Femininity: Why Amanda Knox is the Modern Day Joan of Arc by Sam

Sam — Tue, 17 May 2011 23:37:06 +0000

“The Unbearable Threat of HyperSexualized Femininity: Why Amanda Knox is the Modern Day Joan of Arc”

Indeed, especially given the way she lied and blamed everything on a black male. Truly she is the Joan of Arc of our time. My goodness what a threat her femininity is. What is is even more amazing is the current level of insanity, female sexism and nationalism that exists today. yes, white american women are never guilty. Also we as men must fear the Hyper sexualized femininity. Of course, yes, we must. Much like Foxy Knoxy, there are indeed many liers in the world. Though none bigger thant the man hating feminists and their suedo science and mentally ill perspective on the human life. Sick animals, Amanda and all of you!

Comment on Avatar, Palestine, and Dressing-Up for the Cause by Kristabelle

Kristabelle — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 16:25:49 +0000

I’m not easily impressed. . . but that’s impsersing me!

Comment on White Man Raps In African by Darnesha

Darnesha — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 10:04:13 +0000

Thanks alot – your answer solved all my problems after servael days struggling

Comment on Queen Rania, Oprah and the Post-Colonial ‘Other’ (Part II) by Jayan

Jayan — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 08:37:59 +0000

Walking in the presence of giants here. Cool thkninig all around!

Comment on dear boobs, bras, and facebook users by Justis

Justis — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 06:11:10 +0000

nYvQwQ Thanks alot – your answer solved all my probmles after several days struggling

Comment on Egypileaks: What the Egyptian Uprising Tells Us About the West by Kevrell

Kevrell — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 03:59:27 +0000

T9uiVy Glad I’ve finally found smoetnihg I agree with!

Comment on Radia Silence on Indian Media by Janesa

Janesa — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 00:19:47 +0000

Wkalnig in the presence of giants here. Cool thinking all around!

Comment on Why Africa is Poor: A Poorly Perspective by Jose Sanchez

Jose Sanchez — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:24:46 +0000

Money Their Is Enough For All But No One Likes To Share It!

Avery time we feel our comfortable life think and try to feel with those who have not this what we accept normal fresh water enough and clean food health insurance and most medical doctors support for low budget even some country have this for free our mind has to ask WHY! not for all

http://bit.ly/fcRFzg

Comment on Gym, Tanning and Laundry: Controversy over MTV’s Jersey Shore by beach hotel

beach hotel — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 11:21:42 +0000

I bask to taste you from my minor urban center of Trouville in France. I apprize the kind of information you supply . Mayhap a day, I will have the similar valorousness like you ! Regards, Anna from Trouville.

Comment on Money Don’t Buy You Love… Just Friendly Legislation: UK Edition by Bob

Bob — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:53:20 +0000

Thanks for this, now I am so angry I could shit bullets.

Comment on kontribute to ewz by Rene Huyser

Rene Huyser — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:37:37 +0000

The piece on middle east (arabia)- excellent- excellent- excellent . I worked in Riyhad for one year, couple of months in Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon= I traveled all these countries living amongst the locals and man this article from a westerner “s view is spot-on and very well written.

From expat view- i can add a view pointers that will make the readers cry with laughter!
Regards
Rene