{"id":102698,"date":"2022-10-20T12:29:19","date_gmt":"2022-10-20T12:29:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/meet-the-pop-icons-who-inspired-a-generation-of-arab-queens\/"},"modified":"2022-10-20T12:29:19","modified_gmt":"2022-10-20T12:29:19","slug":"meet-the-pop-icons-who-inspired-a-generation-of-arab-queens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/meet-the-pop-icons-who-inspired-a-generation-of-arab-queens\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Pop Icons Who Inspired a Generation of Arab Queens"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-preview-slug=\"2022-08-11-arab-icons\">\n    <!-- data preprocessed in process\/process-data.js --><br \/>\n    <!-- ASSET : START --><\/p>\n<p><!-- ASSET : START --><\/p>\n<div role=\"figure\" aria-label=\"svelte\" class=\"g-asset g-svelte g-asset-width-full g-asset-margin\" style=\"\">\n<p><!-- Intro elements --><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"g-svelte\" data-component=\"2\">\n<div class=\"byline-container\">\n<h2 class=\"g-summary\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->A look at the TV stars of Lebanon and the larger Arab world that have influenced a burgeoning drag scene in Beirut.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"role\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->By<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n      <span class=\"name\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Shane O&#8217;Neill<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/span>&#13;\n    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"role\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->photo illustrations by<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n      <span class=\"name\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Mohamad Abdouni<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/span>&#13;\n    <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><!-- ASSET : END --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"g-body \">As children, the drag queens of Beirut didn&#8217;t have to look far for inspiration.  Finding extravagant high femme performance could be as easy as going to a family wedding, walking down the street and (especially) watching TV of the Arab world.\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">Indeed, while Beirut&#8217;s drag queens also take cues from Western pop stars and the American TV show \u201cRuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race,\u201d it&#8217;s not hard to spot the inspiration they&#8217;ve gotten from the Arab stars of the last 20 or 30 years.\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">\u201cWe love kitsch, the over-the-top, the more is more is more,\u201d said Marwan Kaabour, a Lebanese designer living in London who runs Takweer, an Instagram account devoted to the intersection of queer and Arab popular culture.  And stars like Lady Madonna, a singer who frequently appeared on TV dressed as a Christmas tree, and Sherihan, whose appearances on a popular Egyptian TV show during Ramadan featured dozens of costume changes, certainly delivered.\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">One star with an outsize influence on drag in Lebanon is Bassem Feghali, a popular comedian who has been impersonating female celebrities and cross-dressing on television since the 1990s.  Within a culture that values \u200b\u200btraditional gender roles, here was a Lebanese man dressing as a woman on national television, and being celebrated for it across any generational divide.\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- ASSET : START --><\/p>\n<div role=\"figure\" aria-label=\"svelte\" class=\"g-asset g-svelte g-asset-width-full g-asset-margin\" style=\"\">\n<p><!-- Intro elements --><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"g-svelte\" data-component=\"3\">\n<div class=\"intersection-observer-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video-wrapper svelte-jplgh5\" style=\"--aspect-ratio: 1.5\"><video preload=\"auto\" loop=\"\" autoplay=\"\" muted=\"\" playsinline=\"playsinline\" webkit-playsinline=\"webkit-playsinline\" src=\"https:\/\/int.nyt.com\/data\/videotape\/finished\/2022\/09\/1663873958\/bassem-sabah-320w.mp4\" class=\"svelte-jplgh5\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t<br \/>\n\t<img alt=\"poster for video\" class=\"poster hide-mobile svelte-jplgh5\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/int.nyt.com\/data\/videotape\/finished\/2022\/09\/1663873958\/bassem-sabah-320w.jpg?ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"caption\">Bassem Feghali impersonating Morning.<\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n\t<span class=\"credit\">LTV<\/span>&#13;\n<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><!-- ASSET : END --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"g-body \">\u201cBassem Feghali was the only reference point for drag that we had,\u201d said Evita Kedavra, a drag queen who grew up in Lebanon and now lives in Copenhagen.  \u201cA lot of his catchphrases that he would do became part of Arab slang.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">Feghali may have been the rare cross-dresser on TV, but he exists in a culture that prizes drama and showiness.  \u201cPerformance is celebrated,\u201d Kaabour said of his upbringing in Lebanon.  \u201cIt&#8217;s not uncommon to go to your cousin&#8217;s wedding and the men are just belly dancing.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">Several other drag queens in Beirut described their aunties&#8217; ostentatious outfits, hair and makeup at weddings and formal gatherings.\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">\u201cI grew up in an environment with a lot of over-the-top feminine energy,\u201d said Andrea, the stage name for a makeup artist who performs in drag.  Andrea recalled a childhood among \u201cchurch women\u201d with a flair for drama.  \u201cThey were very extravagant, whether it was their personalities, their clothing, their hair, their makeup, their jewelry, everything.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">\u201cBut no one was sexy or somewhat provocative,\u201d Andrea added.\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- ASSET : START --><\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">That changed the first time Andrea saw the Lebanese pop star Haifa Wehbe in a music video, where she first appeared in a chiffon red dress, flipping her hair as the rain poured down.\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- ASSET : START --><\/p>\n<div role=\"figure\" aria-label=\"svelte\" class=\"g-asset g-svelte g-asset-width-full g-asset-margin\" style=\"\">\n<p><!-- Intro elements --><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"g-svelte\" data-component=\"5\">\n<div class=\"intersection-observer-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video-wrapper svelte-jplgh5\" style=\"--aspect-ratio: 1.5\"><video preload=\"auto\" loop=\"\" autoplay=\"\" muted=\"\" playsinline=\"playsinline\" webkit-playsinline=\"webkit-playsinline\" src=\"https:\/\/int.nyt.com\/data\/videotape\/finished\/2022\/09\/1663874099\/new-haifa-320w.mp4\" class=\"svelte-jplgh5\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t<img alt=\"poster for video\" class=\"poster hide-desktop svelte-jplgh5\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/int.nyt.com\/data\/videotape\/finished\/2022\/09\/1663874099\/new-haifa-320w.jpg?ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><br \/>\n\t<img alt=\"poster for video\" class=\"poster hide-mobile svelte-jplgh5\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/int.nyt.com\/data\/videotape\/finished\/2022\/09\/1663874099\/new-haifa-320w.jpg?ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"caption\">Haifa Wehbe in her music video \u201cAgoul Ahwak\u201d (2002).<\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n\t<span class=\"credit\">Rotana<\/span>&#13;\n<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><!-- ASSET : END --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"g-body \">She doesn&#8217;t particularly like Haifa&#8217;s voice, and doesn&#8217;t think she&#8217;s a good dancer either.  That&#8217;s not the point.\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">\u201cHer being in the room and her stage presence was more than enough,\u201d said Andrea.\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- ASSET : START --><\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">Latiza Bomb\u00e9 was similarly captivated by the Egyptian performer Sherihan.  During one of her appearances on the Egyptian TV show \u201cFawazeer Ramadan\u201d you could find her singing in a violet and gold caftan, then sitting atop a cheap facsimile of a car, then hopping around dressed as a boot.\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- ASSET : START --><\/p>\n<div role=\"figure\" aria-label=\"svelte\" class=\"g-asset g-svelte g-asset-width-full g-asset-margin\" style=\"\">\n<p><!-- Intro elements --><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"g-svelte\" data-component=\"7\">\n<div class=\"intersection-observer-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video-wrapper svelte-jplgh5\" style=\"--aspect-ratio: 1.5\"><video preload=\"auto\" loop=\"\" autoplay=\"\" muted=\"\" playsinline=\"playsinline\" webkit-playsinline=\"webkit-playsinline\" src=\"https:\/\/int.nyt.com\/data\/videotape\/finished\/2022\/08\/1660844049\/sherihan-video-320w.mp4\" class=\"svelte-jplgh5\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t<img alt=\"poster for video\" class=\"poster hide-desktop svelte-jplgh5\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/int.nyt.com\/data\/videotape\/finished\/2022\/08\/1660844049\/sherihan-video-320w.jpg?ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><br \/>\n\t<img alt=\"poster for video\" class=\"poster hide-mobile svelte-jplgh5\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/int.nyt.com\/data\/videotape\/finished\/2022\/08\/1660844049\/sherihan-video-320w.jpg?ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"caption\">Sherihan in \u201cFawazir Around the World\u201d (1987).<\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n\t<span class=\"credit\">Egyptian Television Network<\/span>&#13;\n<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><!-- ASSET : END --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"g-body \">\u201cAnyone can have a pretty voice and anyone can look pretty,\u201d said Bomb\u00e9, who has performed as Sherihan at Beirut drag shows.  \u201cBut to have this imagination and this strength and this capability to create these amazing outfits and concepts tells so much about you.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">\u201cThe way she saw herself as a character is really impressive,\u201d Bomb\u00e9 added.  \u201cIn everything that happens, I make sure I have the Sherihan touch which is extra, always.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- ASSET : START --><\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">\u201cExtra, always\u201d could also describe the Lebanese singer Lady Madonna (no relation to Ms. Ciccone), who continues to pop up on talk shows in maximalist looks.\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">Zuhal, a full-time drag queen in Beirut, has drawn inspiration from Lady Madonna&#8217;s onstage charisma.  \u201cThe amount of sensuality she used to offer onstage and in her performances and in her looks is so appealing to me,\u201d Zuhal said.  \u201cI know that I&#8217;m powerful and strong and she inspires me to learn from her.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- ASSET : START --><\/p>\n<div role=\"figure\" aria-label=\"svelte\" class=\"g-asset g-svelte g-asset-width-full g-asset-margin\" style=\"\">\n<p><!-- Intro elements --><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"g-svelte\" data-component=\"9\">\n<div class=\"intersection-observer-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video-wrapper svelte-jplgh5\" style=\"--aspect-ratio: 1.5\"><video preload=\"auto\" loop=\"\" autoplay=\"\" muted=\"\" playsinline=\"playsinline\" webkit-playsinline=\"webkit-playsinline\" src=\"https:\/\/int.nyt.com\/data\/videotape\/finished\/2022\/08\/1661181587\/madonna-smol-2-320w.mp4\" class=\"svelte-jplgh5\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t<img alt=\"poster for video\" class=\"poster hide-desktop svelte-jplgh5\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/int.nyt.com\/data\/videotape\/finished\/2022\/08\/1661181587\/madonna-smol-2-320w.jpg?ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><br \/>\n\t<img alt=\"poster for video\" class=\"poster hide-mobile svelte-jplgh5\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/int.nyt.com\/data\/videotape\/finished\/2022\/08\/1661181587\/madonna-smol-2-320w.jpg?ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"caption\">Lady Madonna on \u201cMasrah al Noujoum\u201d (1988).<\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n\t<span class=\"credit\">Jordan Radio and Television Corporation<\/span>&#13;\n<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><!-- ASSET : END --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"g-body \">\u201cIt&#8217;s a level of camp and glamor that I think is sort of universal in every culture,\u201d Kedavra said.  \u201cI think there are pockets of glamorized camp that queer people relate to on a fundamental level.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">\u201cI don&#8217;t know if it&#8217;s science or genetics or whatever, but you see sequins, you&#8217;re just, &#8216;Hello!&#8217;\u201d she added.\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- ASSET : START --><\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">According to Diva Beirut, a fashion designer and drag queen, Sabah embodies this heady mix of glitz, camp and resilience.  Known as much for her dozens of films and albums as she was for her many ex-husbands (the exact number is disputed, but it could be as many as nine), Sabah leaned into a man-crazy public persona in media appearances and on talk shows during a career that stretched from the 1970s through the 2010s.  And though she died in 2014, she remains a touchstone for camp and showbiz in Lebanon.  Just this year, Feghali appeared on Lebanese TV impersonating her.\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- ASSET : START --><\/p>\n<div role=\"figure\" aria-label=\"svelte\" class=\"g-asset g-svelte g-asset-width-full g-asset-margin\" style=\"\">\n<p><!-- Intro elements --><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"g-svelte\" data-component=\"11\">\n<div class=\"intersection-observer-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video-wrapper svelte-jplgh5\" style=\"--aspect-ratio: 1.5\"><video preload=\"auto\" loop=\"\" autoplay=\"\" muted=\"\" playsinline=\"playsinline\" webkit-playsinline=\"webkit-playsinline\" src=\"https:\/\/int.nyt.com\/data\/videotape\/finished\/2022\/08\/1660843325\/saba-smol-320w.mp4\" class=\"svelte-jplgh5\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t<img alt=\"poster for video\" class=\"poster hide-desktop svelte-jplgh5\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/int.nyt.com\/data\/videotape\/finished\/2022\/08\/1660843325\/saba-smol-320w.jpg?ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><br \/>\n\t<img alt=\"poster for video\" class=\"poster hide-mobile svelte-jplgh5\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/int.nyt.com\/data\/videotape\/finished\/2022\/08\/1660843325\/saba-smol-320w.jpg?ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"caption\">Sabah in the musical \u201cSett el Kell\u201d (1974).<\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n\t<span class=\"credit\">Tel\u00e9 Liban<\/span>&#13;\n<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><!-- ASSET : END --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"g-body \">For Diva, performing as Sabah and incorporating Arab culture into her drag represents a paradigm shift in how Beirut&#8217;s LGBTQ community is defining itself.\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">\u201cWe&#8217;re Arab.  We&#8217;re here.  We&#8217;re queer,\u201d she said.  \u201cWe are doing something very new to us, very new to everyone.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">Evita Kedavra&#8217;s fellow drag queen and friend Anya Kneez also said she felt that the drag scene in Beirut is about more than just fun or entertainment.\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- Each ad needs a unique ID --><\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">\u201cWhen I started drag, my goal was to get free drinks and skip the line,\u201d she said.  \u201cAnd as I got older, I started realizing that there is a lack of Arab representation in drag culture.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">Now in New York, where she teaches design and fabrication at the Fashion Institute of Technology and continues to perform, Anya receives messages on Instagram from aspiring drag queens all over the Arab world.\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">One Instagram message came from a teenager who lived in a conservative village outside of Beirut.  The sender&#8217;s bio read, \u201cFuture Lebanese drag queen.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"g-body \">\u201cThis is what I want to see,\u201d Anya said, using an expletive.  \u201cI want to see young Arab queers coming out and doing their thing.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- ASSET : START --><\/p>\n<div role=\"figure\" aria-label=\"svelte\" class=\"g-asset g-svelte g-asset-width-full g-asset-margin\" style=\"\">\n<p><!-- Intro elements --><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"g-svelte\" data-component=\"12\">\n<div class=\"credits-container\">\n<p><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Original Arabic lettering by Wael Morcos.  Archival images: LBCI (Haifa), Egyptian Television Network (Sherihan).<\/p>\n<p><strong>surfing<\/strong> is a column that explores the intersection of art and life.  Produced by Alicia DeSantis, Leo Dominguez, Jolie Ruben, Tala Safie and Josephine Sedgwick.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><!-- ASSET : END --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A look at the TV stars of Lebanon and the larger Arab world that have influenced a burgeoning drag scene in Beirut. By&#13; Shane O&#8217;Neill&#13; photo illustrations by&#13; Mohamad Abdouni&#13; As children, the drag queens of Beirut didn&#8217;t have to look far for inspiration. Finding extravagant high femme performance could be as easy as going &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/meet-the-pop-icons-who-inspired-a-generation-of-arab-queens\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Meet the Pop Icons Who Inspired a Generation of Arab Queens<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2022\/10\/19\/arts\/surfacing-arab-drag-icons-promo\/surfacing-arab-drag-icons-promo-facebookJumbo-v2.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102698"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102698\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}