The Arab World learns two new English words… March 29, 2007

Yes, you heard it folks, the Arab world has learned two new English words through their newest English teacher Haifa Wehbe. A few days ago my younger sister called me into her room to show me “something very funny” and although I didn’t want to see what she had, she promised that it was worth my time so I agreed. We sat on her bed with the laptop in her lap as she browsed through youtube to show me this. Haifa Wehbe falling on Star Academy 4 during her rehearsal for the “brime” (read prime)!! I couldn’t believe my eyes but it was true! I was shocked for a bit, but then I laughed just because she looked so confident as she walked down the stairs and then all of a sudden she’s on the floor. Anyhow, my sister continued to browse through youtube to show me Haifa Wehbe’s newest song that was shown on Star Academy 4. Let’s just clear up just a few things: I don’t like Haifa, I don’t think she’s beautiful, I don’t think she knows how to sing and I don’t like the crap that she comes up with songs , but despite all this, I agreed to listening/watching her newest creation.

So I thought “wa wa” was bad, but then again, Haifa Wehbe never ceases to surprise me. Apparently, Haifa’s newest goal is to be an English teacher because in her latest song she sings using the two English words “naughty” and “good”. Everything about the song was horrible; the lyrics, her voice, and her attitude. I listened to the entire song and I realized that by the end of it, I had pretty much memorized it; not because it’s nice or because it has beautiful lyrics, instead because the words she used were so 2^nd grade-ish. This is the problem with these new songs that are being broadcast daily on Arab television, the lyrics are designed to be simple so anyone can grasp the song and continue singing it all day. Here’s a preview to the song, it goes something like this (translated in English):

Whoever angers mommy… Naughty

Whoever angers poppy (dad).. Naughty

Whoever doesn’t listen to me… naughty, naughtyyyyyy

Whoever gets angry with his friends…naughty

Whoever hits his sister.. naughty

Whoever hits her brother.. naughty

And whoever doesn’t do anything bad to anyone, we all love him and we should all tell him.. good, good, good..

I don’t think I need to go on for you to understand and realize the extent of the pathetic-ness the Arab world is dealing with. I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt as I thought maybe she’s trying to send a positive message to the kids to get them to be “good” and not “naughty”, but what kind of message is she sending when she’s on stage in a tiny dress running and twirling around trying to get the guys in the audience to go crazy over her?! Several questions came to mind: what’s the real purpose of this song, why does she need to sing those two words in English, and why the heck is the Arab world listening, singing, and going crazy over this junk?! It’s so sad to see so many Arab youth preoccupied with this kind of crap while Iraqis and Palestinians are dying daily. I am not suggesting that we stop our lives and be depressed over what is going on in the region, but we need to realize that what is happening to us is a result of our absentmindedness, our carelessness, and our preoccupation with the least important things in life. It’s important that the energy the Muslim and Arab youth have be harnessed to the building of their countries and the development of their societies through all possible means. Maybe Haifa can create a song to get the youth to do that eh?