Hybrid ethnicities, fashionable bodies and unruly transgressors: Fetishizing Arab ‘first ladies’ in western media1 | Intellect Skip to content
1981
Volume 15, Issue 2
  • ISSN: 1751-9411
  • E-ISSN: 1751-942X

Abstract

Until the Arab uprisings occurred, many Arab first ladies and queens feted by US media received exceptionally favourable coverage that celebrated their physical appearance and western sense of fashion. Grounded in the context of neo-liberal politics which considers them objects of cultural identification, this article studies western media’s representations of Suzanne Mubarak, Queen Rania of Jordan and Asma al-Assad who are framed as virtuous house wives, western by ethnicity, birth place or education, and sophisticated upper-middle class ladies with panic-trigger for both Arab elites and western observers: Egypt’s veiled Naglaa Mahmoud and the architype of a working-class seductress with lust for power, Tunisia’s Leila Trabelsi. Using qualitative textual and visual analysis of narratives and images from media coverage, reports and fashion magazines, the article presents a comparative content analysis of their representations through a set of three dichotomies: the first one pays careful attention to the intersection of neo-liberal politics and the deployment of ethnic hybridity as an ideological apparatus that sets up a binary between Arab and Caucasian or half-White women who emerge as the new ‘saviour’ of Muslim women; the second is a close pairing between the sexualization of the westernized and fashionable first lady and the de-sexualization of her veiled ‘backwards’ counterpart sister; the third entails a juxtaposition of the good and desired seductress with the promiscuous and bad one. Findings show how media discourses of modernity impose neo-liberal and neo-Orientalist demarcations to define Arab Muslim women’s agency, femininity, bodies and status according to western standards.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/jammr_00048_1
2022-10-01
2024-03-29
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Alloula, M.. ( 2004), The Colonial Harem (trans. G. Myrna, and G. Wlad.), Minneapolis, MN:: University of Minnesota Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Al-Zo’by, M.. ( 2015;), ‘ Representing Islam in the age of neo-orientalism: Media, politics and identity. ’, Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research, 8:3, pp. 21738.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Anon. ( 2005;), ‘ Then and now: Queen Noor. ’, CNN.com, 22 August, http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/08/22/cnn25.queen.noor/. Accessed 27 November 2020.
  4. Anon. ( 2011a;), ‘ Leila Ben Ali rose from hairdresser to first lady. ’, The Telegraph, 20 June, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tunisia/8586240/Leila-Ben-Ali-rose-from-hairdresser-to-first-lady.html. Accessed 28 November 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Anon. ( 2011b;), ‘ She who must be obeyed. ’, Marie Claire, https://www.lifehappens-mindfulness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/enc_Marie_Claire.pdf. Accessed 2 June 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Avrech, M.. ( 1980;), ‘ In Anwar Sadat’s Egypt, his feminist wife, Jihan, is the divine disturber of the peace. ’, People.com, 25 February, https://people.com/archive/in-anwar-sadats-egypt-his-feminist-wife-jihan-is-the-divine-disturber-of-the-peace-vol-13-no-8/. Accessed 9 May 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Beau, N., and Graciet, C.. ( 2009), La régente de Carthage: main basse sur la Tunisie, Paris:: La Découverte;.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Bennet, J.. ( 2005;), ‘ The enigma of Damascus. ’, New York Times, 10 July, https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/10/magazine/the-eniga-of-damascus.html. Accessed 1 April 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Borsten, J.. ( 1985;), ‘ Arab world’s most powerful woman. ’, Chicago Tribune, 16 June, https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-06-16-8502080311-story.html. Accessed 1 February 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Brulliard, K.. ( 2012;), ‘ Egyptian first lady-to-be, Naglaa Ali Mahmoud, blends in but sparks debate. ’, Washington Post, 28 June, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/egyptian-first-lady-to-be-naglaa-ali-mahmoud-blends-in-but-sparks-debate/2012/06/28/gJQAqTTZ9V_story.html. Accessed 11 December 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Buck, J.. ( 2011;), ‘ Asma al-Assad: A rose in the desert. ’, Vogue, 11 February, http://www.vogue.com/vogue-daily/article/asma-al-assada-rose-in-the-desert/. Accessed 30 December 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Chrisafis, A.. ( 2012;), ‘ The Arab world’s first ladies of oppression. ’, The Guardian, 28 February, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/feb/28/arab-first-ladies-of-oppression. Accessed 12 May 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Clibbon, J.. ( 2010;), ‘ Queen Rania Al-Abdullah: A diplomatic monarch in a troubled region. ’, CBC News, 3 October, https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/queen-rania-al-abdullah-a-diplomatic-monarch-in-a-troubled-region-1.942163. Accessed 9 April 2021.
  14. Colvin, M.. ( 2011;), ‘ How a gold-digging Tunisian hairdresser, Leila Ben Ali, perfected art of plunder. ’, Culture in Development, 24 January, http://www.cultureindevelopment.nl/News/Discussing_Looting/712/How_a_gold-digging_Tunisian_hairdresser. Accessed 17 April 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Crittenden, A.. ( 1981;), ‘ Jihan Sadat looks on calmly at rites for her husband. ’, New York Times, 11 October, https://www.nytimes.com/1981/10/11/world/jihan-sadat-looks-on-calmly-at-rites-for-her-husband.html. Accessed 27 April 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Deasy, K.. ( 2012;), ‘ Naglaa Ali Mahmoud, wife of Egypt’s president-elect, rebrands “first lady” title Arabic-style. ’, Global Post, 28 June, https://www.pri.org/stories/2012-06-28/naglaa-ali-mahmoud-wife-egypts-president-elect-rebrands-first-lady-title-arabic. Accessed 1 June 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Deeb, L.. ( 2010;), ‘ Gendering Islamophobia and Islamophilia: The case of Shi‘i Muslim women in Lebanon. ’, in A. Shryock. (ed.), Islamphobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend, Bloomington, IN:: Indiana University press;, pp. 94110.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Deutsche Welle ( 2017;), ‘ Asma al-Assad the beautiful face of the dictatorship. ’, 8 September, https://www.dw.com/en/asma-al-assad-the-beautiful-face-of-the-dictatorship/a-40418966. Accessed 12 February 2021.
  19. El Sheikh, M., and Kirkpatrick, D.. ( 2012;), ‘ Egypt’s everywoman finds her place is in the presidential palace. ’, New York Times, 27 June, https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/28/world/middleeast/naglaa-ali-mahmoud-an-egyptian-everywoman-in-the-presidential-palace.html. Accessed 17 March 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Emerson, G.. ( 1980;), ‘ Jehan Sadat Maclean’s the complete archive. ’, macleans.ca, 1 January, https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1980/1/1/jehan-sadat. Accessed 23 January 2020.
  21. Fesperman, D.. ( 1991;), ‘ American-born queen speaks for Jordan: Noor thinks Americans have never made effort to understand Arab world. ’, The Baltimore Sun, 24 February, https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1991-02-24-1991055189-story.html. Accessed 23 April 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Gall, C.. ( 2015;), ‘ Widespread graft benefited Tunisian leader’s family, study says. ’, New York Times, 25 June, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/world/africa/widespread-graft-expanded-after-tunisan-revolt-study-says.html. Accessed 28 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Gamarekian, B.. ( 1988;), ‘ A greater role for Egypt’s first lady. ’, New York Times, 14 February, https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/14/world/a-greater-role-for-egypt-s-first-lady.html. Accessed 12 February 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Hossain, A.. ( 2012;), ‘ Egypt’s veiled first lady provides clues to where women fit into new Egypt. ’, Forbes, 29 June, https://www.forbes.com/sites/worldviews/2012/06/29/egypts-veiled-first-lady-provides-clues-to-where-women-fit-into-new-egypt/#2376930b2bc9. Accessed 13 June 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Ibroscheva, E.. ( 2013;), ‘ The first ladies and the Arab Spring: A textual analysis of the media coverage of the female counterparts of authoritarian oppression in the Middle East. ’, Feminist Media Studies, 13:5, pp. 87180.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Lazreg, M.. ( 2008;), ‘ The trojan horse of Islam and geopolitics. ’, in K. Samman, and M. Al-Zo’by. (eds), Islam and the Orientalist World System, New York:: Paradigm Publishers;, pp. 5576.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Lister, T.. ( 2011;), ‘ Jordanian tribal figures criticize queen, demand reform. ’, CNN.com, 7 February, http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/02/06/jordan.monarchy/index.html. Accessed 2 January 2022.
  28. Lomax, T.. ( 2018), Jezebel Unhinged: Loosing the Black Female Body in Religion and Culture, Durham, NC:: Duke University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Malik, N.. ( 2011;), ‘ Ice queens of the Arab world. ’, The Guardian, 15 February, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/feb/15/queens-arab-middle-east. Accessed 2 January 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Malone, N.. ( 2011;), ‘ The Middle East’s Marie Antoinettes. ’, Slate, 23 March, https://slate.com/human-interest/2011/03/queen-rania-asma-al-assad-and-other-middle-eastern-rulers-wives-who-have-become-symbols-of-inequality.html. Accessed 18 December 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Massad, J.. ( 2015), Islam in Liberalism, Chicago, IL:: University of Chicago Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. McGinn, D.. ( 1999;), ‘ The light of his life. ’, Newsweek, 7 February, https://www.newsweek.com/light-his-life-169048. Accessed 11 June 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Miller, J.. ( 1985;), ‘ Jihan Sadat shocked by changes in Egypt. ’, New York Times, 10 June, https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/10/style/jihan-sadat-shocked-by-changes-in-egypt.html. Accessed 11 March 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Millington, A.. ( 2018;), ‘ The incredible life of Jordan’s Instagram-famous queen, an ex-Apple employee, human rights activist, and global style icon. ’, Business Insider, 4 January, https://www.businessinsider.com/the-incredible-life-of-queen-rania-of-jordan-2018-1. Accessed 11 March 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Moss, H.. ( 2011;), ‘ Suzanne Mubarak summary style. ’, HuffPost, 25 May, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/suzanne-mubaraks-summery_n_209982. Accessed 12 March 2021.
  36. Muhtaseb, A.. ( 2020;), ‘ US media darlings: Arab and Muslim women activists, exceptionalism and the “rescue narrative”. ’, Arab Studies Quarterly, 42:1&2, pp. 724.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Ossman, S.. ( 2011;), ‘ Seeing Princess Salma: Transparency and transnational intimacies. ’, in R. S. Hegde. (ed.), Circuits of Visibility: Gender and Transnational Media Cultures, New York:: New York University Press;, pp. 2134.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Razack, S.. ( 2004;), ‘ Imperilled Muslim women, dangerous Muslim men and civilised Europeans: Legal and social responses to forced marriages. ’, Feminist Legal Studies, 12:2, pp. 12974.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Roberts, R.. ( 2004;), ‘ After the reign. ’, Washington Post, 2 March, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2004/03/02/after-the-reign/ac9c1808-efba-4f0a-8627-5357b922a469/. Accessed 26 February 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Salama, V.. ( 2012;), ‘ Egypt’s ultraconservative first lady Naglaa Ali. ’, The Daily Beast, 27 June, https://www.thedailybeast.com/egypts-ultraconservative-first-lady-naglaa-ali. Accessed 18 February 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Saleh, H.. ( 2012;), ‘ Egypt’s first lady presents new image. ’, Financial Times, 29 June, https://www.ft.com/content/f4747c26-c131-11e1-8179-00144feabdc0. Accessed 18 February 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Sheth, F.. ( 2006;), ‘ Unruly Muslim women and threats to liberal culture. ’, Peace Review, 18:4, pp. 45563.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Sheth, F.. ( 2009), Toward a Political Philosophy of Race, Albany, NY:: State University of New York Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Stoler, A.. ( 1989;), ‘ Making empire respectable: The politics of race and sexual morality in 20th-century colonial cultures. ’, American Ethnologist, 16:4, pp. 63460.
    [Google Scholar]
  45. Sukarieh, M.. ( 2012;), ‘ The hope crusades: Culturalism and reform in the Arab world. ’, Political and Legal Anthropology Review, 35:1, pp. 11534.
    [Google Scholar]
  46. Sukarieh, M.. ( 2015;), ‘ The first lady phenomenon. ’, Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, 35:3, pp. 57587.
    [Google Scholar]
  47. Stabile, C., and Kumar, D.. ( 2005;), ‘ Unveiling imperialism: Media, gender and the war on Afghanistan. ’, Media, Culture & Society, 27:5, pp. 76582.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. Usborne, S.. ( 2008;), ‘ The queen of campaigns. ’, The Independent, 2 December, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/the-queen-of-campaigns-1047103.html. Accessed 8 November 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  49. WalesOnline ( 2009;), ‘ Egypt’s first lady Suzanne Mubarak describes her fight for Arab women’s rights. ’, 9 March, https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/egypts-first-lady-suzanne-mubarak-2116714. Accessed 2 January 2020.
  50. Walsh, C.. ( 2011;), ‘ Suzanne Mubarak. ’, My Hero, 25 August, https://myhero.com/SuzanneMubarak. Accessed 1 January 2020.
  51. Wheeler, C.. ( 2008;), ‘ Queen Rania goes online to challenge stereotypes. ’, The Telegraph, 25 July, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/jordan/2460332/Queen-Rania-goes-online-to-challenge-stereotypes.html. Accessed 5 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  52. Willsher, K.. ( 2011;), ‘ Leila Trabelsi: The Lady Macbeth of Tunisia, Tunisia’s first lady was said to be manipulative and ruthless. ’, The Guardian, 18 January, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jan/18/leila-trabelsi-tunisia-lady-macbeth. Accessed 12 February 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  53. Yeǧenoǧlu, M.. ( 1998), Colonial Fantasies: Towards a Feminist Reading of Orientalism, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  54. Yessayan, M.. ( 2015;), ‘ Monarchical nation branding: Queen Rania’s performance of modernity on YouTube. ’, Celebrity Studies, 6:4, pp. 43042.
    [Google Scholar]
  55. Labidi, Imed Ben. ( 2022;), ‘ Hybrid ethnicities, fashionable bodies and unruly transgressors: Fetishizing Arab “first ladies” in western media. ’, Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research, 15:2, pp. 22748, https://doi.org/10.1386/jammr_00048_1
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/jammr_00048_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/jammr_00048_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error