Just two weeks after the new series Ramy debuted, Hulu has just announced that it’s been renewed for another season. Because there are so many reasons to watch it, I talked about it on Rising Up with Sonali and wrote about it for Ms. Magazine. Check them both out below. I’d love to hear your thoughts about the show! (more…)
The Promise, Hollywood’s first blockbuster about the Armenian genocide, hits theaters this weekend. The film deserves applause in spite of critics’ poor reviews. Check out this interview on Rising Up with Sonali to hear more about the controversy surrounding the film, what it does well and where it falls short.
If you’re in the LA area (and have a radio!), this interview will air on KPFK, 90.7 FM, on Monday, April 24, which is Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, between 8–9 AM.
My latest essay, New Documentary “Equal Means Equal” Exposes Why We Need an Equal Rights Amendment,” was published today in honor of International Women’s Day, by Bitch. Here’s the full text: (more…)
Heba Amin, an Egyptian visual artist, Karam, an Egyptian-German artist, and Don painted Arabic graffiti on the set of Showtime’s series Homeland [Al Jazeera]
When the German publisher Don Karl approached Heba Amin, an Egyptian visual artist and researcher, to paint Arabic graffiti on the set of Showtime’s series Homeland, her initial impulse was to decline, as others had before her.
She rejected what she viewed as the programme’s orientalism and its framing of diverse peoples from South and West Asia as monolithic evildoers.
But then she reconsidered. What if she could use the moment to spark a dialogue?
So, in collaboration with her colleagues, Karam, an Egyptian-German artist, and Don, she did just that.
Bitch just published my take on the film The Prophet. Check it out by clicking here:
Right after the Super Bowl, I published my take on the halftime show on my blog Feminist in the Suburbs. The next morning Bitch republished the article and got over 14K hits in 3 days! Check it out: Katy Perry’s Extremely Straight Performance of “I Kissed a Girl” at the Super Bowl.
To read this article (in PDF), click here: Jeannie’s American Dream-The Assimilation of a TV Icon. It’s in the winter issue of the print magazine Bitch. Yes, that’s right, print is NOT dead. Get your copy now at your local bookstore, newsstand or on their website.
To hear me interviewed about the article on the podcast Popaganda, click here.
I look at how Jeannie, from the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie, started off as an over-the-top Arab stereotype, but over the show’s five-year run was forced to assimilate due to pressure from network executives who wanted her to be more “likeable,” i.e. American. I also break down how Orientalism helped ratings and why, even though Jeannie calls Tony “Master,” she can be read as a feminist, transgressive character.
I remember walking into the Sanrio store as a little girl and thinking I had landed in heaven. No other store in our suburban mall carried what I needed to survive elementary school: lunch boxes, pencils and their holders, markers, erasers, and so much more. We used to call it “the Hello Kitty store” because the famous white feline’s face—with her black eyes, yellow nose, three whiskers on each cheek, and pink bow over her right ear—appeared on every product.
This was originally published by Bitch on June 25, 2014.
The “Tough Issue” hits newsstands June 1st. I’m honored to have been chosen as one of five featured contributors:
My article, “Alice in TV Land” addresses what went down with ABC’s Alice in Arabia, as well as the divide between media critics and makers but looks to bridge the gap: “As an Arab American feminist trained to critique popular culture, I want to find ways to spark, influence, and create it as well.”
Here’s a pulled quote to wet your appetite:
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Stephanie Abraham 