Meme Weaving

Reality TV is driving reality. –Cynthia Schneider

On the evolution of “losing gracefully”

I’d like to provide some context for the comment about “Afhgans learning to lose gracefully”. Over the course of the first four seasons of the AFGHAN IDOL program, the behavior of the contestants changed. In the first couple of seasons, those who lost did not always take it well, and sometimes reacted strongly, even violently. This behavior has changed over time as contestants and their fans got used to the ups and downs of winning in losing. In recent Afghan history (Russian occupation and Taliban) there have not been many opportunities to experience winning and losing in what otherwise might be normal activities of sports and talent contests. So, it is not surprising that reactions to winning and losing in the public arena of Afghan Star have evolved over time. –Cynthia Schneider

Some recent entertainment developments in the Arab world might surprise you. But Shereen El Feki’s TEDtalk about the deliberate enmeshing process of Islamic and Western cultures is not just an entertaining 5 minutes…

…it’s also a potent conversational seed, as evidenced by the spirited discussion taking place within the comments on the page for this video, regarding what consititutes “real” adherence to ancient doctrines.