Meet the Pop Icons Who Inspired a Generation of Arab Queens Beirut - Arabs HEAD TOPICS

Meet the Pop Icons Who Inspired a Generation of Arab Queens

10/22/2022 11:38:00 PM

A look at the TV stars of Lebanon and the larger Arab world that have influenced a burgeoning drag scene in Beirut

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New York Times Arts

Haifa. Sherihan. Lady Madonna. Sabah . Meet the women who have inspired the drag queens of Beirut . “If you look at all of our female entertainers from the last 20 or 30 years in the Arab world, they invented drag.” A look at the TV stars of Lebanon and the larger Arab world that have influenced a burgeoning drag scene in Beirut . Photo illustrations byMohamad AbdouniAs children, the drag queens of Beirut didn’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. Indeed, while Beirut’s drag queens also take cues from Western pop stars and the American TV show “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” it’s not hard to spot the inspiration they’ve gotten from the Arab stars of the last 20 or 30 years.“We love kitsch, the over-the-top, the more is more is more,” 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 Read more:
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President Joe Biden said Friday that while he has not made a formal decision about running for reelection in 2024, it is his 'intention' to do so. Read more >> World Cup fans could bring political tensions to quiet QatarQatar is a devoutly apolitical place, with speech and assembly heavily restricted and a large population of foreign workers who could lose their livelihoods if they cause a stir. But that could change next month, when an estimated 1.2 million soccer fans descend on the tiny Gulf Arab nation for the World Cup. Devoutly apolitical? You sure about that? There’s no reason the World Cup should’ve ever been held in Qatar. That does not sound apolitical. Please correct headline to anti-political. UFC 280 live results: Updates, highlights and analysis for Oliveira-Makhachev, Sterling-Dillashaw and moreThe showdown for the vacant lightweight title between ex-champion Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev headlines a stacked card for UFC 280 today at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. There is a second title fight between bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and former champion T.J. Dillashaw on the show. Steve Mnuchin testifies on behalf of Trump ally at NYC trialNEW YORK (AP) — Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin testified Thursday that there was nothing suspicious about his interactions with a Donald Trump ally who is being tried on allegations that he secretly fed confidential information to the United Arab Emirates. The Biden administration is a national security threat Need major change in November sure, jan Islam Makhachev says 'Dagestani wrestling is at a different level' as he readies to face Charles OliveiraIt took less than 90 seconds during a conversation with Islam Makhachev for him to lay out his game plan against Charles Oliveira when they fight for the lightweight title Saturday in the main event of UFC 280 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. T.J. Dillashaw says Aljamain Sterling has 'the quit button' in him and he'll push it at UFC 280T.J. Dillashaw has fought one time in the last 34 months. On Saturday, he'll face Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight title in the co-main event of UFC 280 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He's around a 9-5 underdog at BetMGM for the event. By Photo illustrations by Mohamad Abdouni As children, the drag queens of Beirut didn’t have to look far for inspiration.(AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File) Qatar is a devoutly apolitical place, with speech and assembly heavily restricted and a large population of foreign workers who could lose their livelihoods if they cause a stir.Yan is -275 and O'Malley is +220 at BetMGM .testified this month for the government that he was in the dark about Barrack’s dealings with Trump and the Emirates. 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. Indeed, while Beirut’s drag queens also take cues from Western pop stars and the American TV show “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” it’s not hard to spot the inspiration they’ve gotten from the Arab stars of the last 20 or 30 years.2 million soccer fans descend on the tiny Gulf Arab nation for the World Cup. “We love kitsch, the over-the-top, the more is more is more,” 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. There are a number of great bouts on the preliminary card, with a welterweight battle between Belal Muhammad — who will have the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov in his career — against unbeaten Sean Brady headlining it. 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. They might also have to contend with public drunkenness and hooliganism in a conservative, Islamic country where such behavior is deeply taboo and virtually unheard of. 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. The government rested its foreign influence case Wednesday. Within a culture that values traditional gender roles, here was a Lebanese man dressing as a woman on national television, and being celebrated for it across any generational divide. 20, and has spared no expense — thanks to natural gas reserves that make it among the world’s wealthiest countries. Makhachev brings a 10-fight winning streak into the bout and believes his wrestling will be the difference in the fight. .. ADVERTISEMENT But there’s nothing quite like a World Cup.. Dillashaw received a two-year suspension from USADA in 2019 for using EPO. / . Citizens enjoy generous cradle-to-grave welfare paid for by its gas riches. AP NEWS. ... All odds via BetMGM. Bassem Feghali impersonating Sabah. LTV “Bassem Feghali was the only reference point for drag that we had,” said Evita Kedavra, a drag queen who grew up in Lebanon and now lives in Copenhagen. “A lot of his catchphrases that he would do became part of Arab slang. ET, ESPN+ PPV) Lightweight: Charles Oliveira +165 vs. ” Feghali may have been the rare cross-dresser on TV, but he exists in a culture that prizes drama and showiness. “Performance is celebrated,” Kaabour said of his upbringing in Lebanon. “It’s not uncommon to go to your cousin’s wedding and the men are just belly dancing.J.” Several other drag queens in Beirut described their aunties’ ostentatious outfits, hair and makeup at weddings and formal gatherings. “I grew up in an environment with a lot of over-the-top feminine energy,” said Andrea, the stage name for a makeup artist who performs in drag. Andrea recalled a childhood among “church women” with a flair for drama. Mateusz Gamrot -195 Catchweight (127. “They were very extravagant, whether it was their personalities, their clothing, their hair, their makeup, their jewelry, everything.” “But no one was sexy or somewhat provocative,” Andrea added. Andrea as . Sean Brady -145 Middleweight: Makhmud Muradov +165 vs.