lifestyle WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Features

The Abdel Aziz sisters, check their mobiles at their villa. Stars of the Lebanese television reality show “The Sisters” (from left) Nadine, Alice and Farah known as Abdel Aziz sis- ters, pose for a picture at their villa in the upscale area of Beit-Misk north east of the capital, Beirut. — AFP photos All that glitters not TV gold for ‘Lebanon’s Kardashians’ hey were touted as Lebanon’s answer to reality TV icons spice up the Kardashians’ hit series. show ignores educated, hardworking, and down-to-earth though, the show’s undoing appears to have been the lack of the Kardashians, but the stars of “The Sisters” have been “They live in a certain environment, and we live in a certain women. In the show’s first episode, Nadine is late to pick up an scandal that is central to the success of “Keeping up the Tdismissed as not only unrepresentative but even worse- environment. Their lifestyle is really different,” Farah, 22, said of exasperated Alice from the airport because her car runs out of Kardashians,” which focuses on the lives of sisters Kourtney, boring. In the sleek apartment where their show is filmed, the Kardashians. Lebanon, a multi-confessional country of four petrol. Kim and Khloe, and is now in its 10th season. Kaedbey for Alice, Nadine and Farah Abdel Aziz teeter around on high million, is considered among the most liberal in the Arab world “Whenever we have any problems, Daddy is always there to example admits the Kardashians are a “guilty pleasure” for her, heels, in full make-up at all times. with women generally free to wear revealing attire and alcohol fix them for us,” Nadine says to the camera, asking her father to but says “The Sisters” is boring by comparison, plagued by “bad They defend their show as a realistic glimpse into their lives, widely available. But parts of Lebanese society remain deeply send their driver to collect her. That has frustrated Lebanese acting”. and a chance to show how smart Lebanese women are. But conservative, and female representation in politics is minimal: activists who are eager to see more representative depictions The station that airs “The Sisters” did not respond to Lebanese viewers seem to disagree, criticizing the series for only four of Lebanon’s 128 members of parliament are women. of the country’s women in the media. “We try to fight this requests for viewer figures, but online views on YouTube have focusing on a small sliver of the upper class and failing to pro- stereotype picture of Lebanese women, and they always man- gone from 242,000 for its first episode to just 18,000 for its vide the whiff of scandal that animates the infamous “Keeping ‘We aren’t perfect’ age through shows and movies to keep showing it,” says Reem ninth. “Being attractive helps, but it’s not what keeps people up with the Kardashians” US reality show. Alice curates the “Style in Beirut” Instagram page, where she Kaedbey, 27, an activist and researcher on governance. “The on the air... We’re left with story lines that can’t really go in “The Sisters” began in March with much fanfare and local posts photos of glamorous outfits to nearly 200,000 followers. majority of Lebanese women can’t afford this lifestyle.” depth,” says May Farah, a media professor at the American media coverage. It usually features the slender siblings in Nadine, 23, is a professional model and is often seen exercising, University of Beirut. “If we can’t have that, if we just have Beirut’s most expensive restaurants, designer shops, and beau- while Farah, a recent graduate, is working towards becoming a ‘It’s an insult’ them talking about fashion, is it really going to captivate an ty salons, often with friends, each visit usually documented news anchor with the help of her life coach. “Do I look good? “It’s an insult to everything women have tried to accom- audience?” — AFP with a selfie or two. “We want people to see what Lebanese Does the lighting look good on me?” Farah asks Nadine in an plish during recent Lebanese history,” says Sareen Akharjalian, women are like,” says Alice, 26, the trio’s self-appointed chief, impromptu photo shoot in Beirut’s downtown, carrying their a programmer and cartoonist who mocked the sisters on her her tiny figure draped in a bright blue cut-off top and dazzling fluffy white puppy, Stella. “We want to show people that we website. With many Lebanese women holding challenging jewelry. And the sisters do represent a segment of Lebanon’s aren’t perfect,” Alice explains in accented English. jobs, “this show mocks our entire being,” she said. The Abdel most ostentatious wives and daughters, who enjoy similarly “The message isn’t just to be beautiful, to go out, fashion, Aziz sisters are unfazed by the criticism and say upcoming extravagant excursions and designer styles. But they say they and that’s it... People can see how smart Lebanese women are, episodes will feature new career developments. still respect the Middle East’s conservative values, which rule how they don’t have to rely on their parents,” she insists. But Already, Farah has tried her hand at TV presenting, while out the discussions of body parts, boyfriends and sex that that claim is rejected by many Lebanese women, who say the Alice is preparing to launch a fashion line for dogs. Ultimately

Why Open Road is starting early to promote ‘Dope’

ope” defies characteriza- includes new songs from executive tion. The Rick Famuyiwa- producer Pharrell Williams. Plus, the “Ddirected movie is funny music superstar has played a key role and sexy, cool and nerdy, a throwback in its marketing, talking up the film on to ‘90s hip-hop yet a movie defiantly social media and releasing a poster for of its own time. It may be the first the movie on his Instagram account. movie set in South Central Los The presence of Williams and pro- Angeles that’s equally concerned with ducer Sean Combs have been critical drug deals and the Harvard admis- selling points, and the “Dope” team sions process. Think of it as nerds in seems to be relying on a series of the ‘hood. It’s precisely that kind of high-profile ambassadors for the film. genre-bending that made “Dope” James Franco and Russell Simmons stand out when it debuted at are among the fans of “Dope” who This September 21, 2009 file photo shows US President Barack Obama joking with David Letterman during a taping of the Late Show with David Sundance last winter, sparking a fierce have publicly praised the picture and Letterman in New York City.— AFP photos bidding war. The victor in those furi- urged others to go see it. Rather than ous days of Park City deal making, downplay “Dope’s” unconventional Open Road, now faces the daunting elements, marketing materials for the task of evoking the spirit and swagger picture appear to be embracing what How David Letterman broke latenight TV of “Dope” in posters and trailers, all makes it different. The first trailer while releasing the film in the heart of attempted to give a sense of ith his off-kilter sensibility (Stupid Pet Tricks?) doesn’t take into account the many hopefuls who show, which examines the ways in which science mix- summer blockbuster season on June Famuyiwa’s kinetic editing, pop cul- and his penchant for the oddball (what other have wrestled their own large or small piece of the es with popular culture. CMT is readying a June 11th 19, a time of year more hospitable to ture references and offbeat sense of Whost runs across the stage in silhouette end-of-day crowd over the years: Chelsea Handler; launch for “The Josh Wolf Show,” which will examine sequels than edgy indies. humor. The poster depicts the three before starting a show, or strikes up a telephone rela- Joan Rivers; Pat Sajak; Chevy Chase; Arsenio Hall; Joan country-music celebrities from Wednesday to “It’s been a challenge to convey the bookish protagonists on their bikes tionship with a woman who works in an office across Rivers; Phil Cowan and Paul Robin of Fox’s “The Wilton- Saturday. MTV is preparing two late-night concepts: uniqueness of it,” said Jason Cassidy, under the tagline, “It’s hard out here the street?), David Letterman has left everyone who North Report”; Craig Kilborn; Craig Ferguson; Pete “Girl Code Live,” which features three female comedi- Open Road’s chief marketing officer. for a geek,” a play on the Three 6 Mafia enjoys latenight television in stitches. Now, he’s about Holmes; and George Lopez. ennes mixing sketch comedy and celebrity chatter, “It’s different from all the summer song “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” to leave them in splinters. The field will only widen, and ratings will dwindle and “Middle of the Night Show,” which will force an movies, and that’s what we love about from “Hustle & Flow.” “The trailer and When Letterman signs off CBS’ “Late Show”for the as audiences disperse. Consider the fact that 42 mil- unsuspecting celebrity to host a late-night program it. It’s a laugh-out-loud R-rated come- the graphics packages are meant to last time early tomorrow morning, he will deprive TV lion people tuned in to see Carson’s final turn on on the spot from his or her home. of its last direct link to Johnny Carson and an era when “Tonight” in 1992 and just 14.6 million watched Jay dy, and at the same time, it’s a com- connect it to the world of social just one, then two, hosts could dominate the period. Leno’s second adieu to the program in 2014. There is Falling out of fashion ing-of-age story, and sometimes those media,” said Cassidy. “It looks like it The arrivals of Jimmy Kimmel at ABC, then Jimmy still a lot to be said about late-night tradition, which is With all of these bespoke efforts in the pipeline, it’s things don’t mix into a 30-second could have come straight out of Fallon at NBC, and, soon, Stephen Colbert at CBS have why CBS is placing so much importance on Stephen tempting to think the big, broad mainstays of the past spot.” someone’s Instagram feed.” — Reuters given rise to talk of a third generation of late-night tal- Colbert’s debut in September. Many TV networks are falling out of fashion. Not so. Fallon and Kimmel Getting people to show up may ent (if Carson, not Jack Paar or Steve Allen, is to be clearly see opportunity in programs that speak to have revitalized the format by trotting out clever require changing the playbook. seen as the root of this particular tree). A fourth and a interesting niches. stunts tailor-made for a younger audience that would Instead of releasing “Dope” in a tradi- fifth are already starting to grow. National Geographic Channel has already lined up rather stream the best bits at their leisure (what that tional indie platform release, Open Carson was the undisputed king of latenight, and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson for a second season dynamic says about the future of candid moments Road will premiere “Dope” on more Leno and Letterman merely viceroys over large popu- of a weekly run of his “Star Talk” podcast and radio with celebrities is uncertain, though it was heartening than 2,000 screens the same weekend laces. These days, the land has no ruler. Simply put, by recently to see Nicole Kidman confess to a crush on that Pixar’s “Inside Out” opens. Like jumping to CBS from NBC after being passed over for Jimmy Fallon at an earlier time and Fallon acknowl- “Inside Out,” “Dope” is also screening the Carson job on “Tonight” - and tweaking the antics edge he had missed her signals during a failed date). in Cannes, playing in the Directors from “Late Night” for a broader audience at 11:30 pm - Conan O’Brien is also pushing into new frontiers, Fortnight on Friday. Letterman signaled the TV business that anyone could readying a series of road trips that will feature him make a go of it around midnight. mixing it up with interesting people in sundry locales, College screenings much as he did during a recent sojourn to Cuba. “We think it plays well and is relat- Changing the rules Chelsea Handler’s coming format experiment on able,” said Cassidy. “We think it can Thanks to Letterman, the post-local news slot is no Netflix, which she has said will play like a hipper, faster cross over from the art-house audi- longer the main beachhead at evening’s end. He version of “60 Minutes,” will likely draw interest, just like ence and the Sundance crowd and (along with Tom Snyder) proved a younger crowd the investigative humor John Oliver has burnished on would tune in for non-traditional antics in the early HBO’s “Last Week Tonight.” And Time Warner’s TBS broadly speaking play like a hours of the morning. And so we have not only Seth could get into the game in a big way when it launches ‘Superbad.’” Since “Dope” doesn’t have Meyers hanging out in Letterman’s old roost, but a new program featuring former “Daily Show” contrib- big names in its cast, Open Road is try- James Corden stirring things up with a new “Late Late utor Samantha Bee. ing to prime the pump in advance of Show” on CBS that has the vibe of a raucous house None of it would be possible without David its release by screening it extensively party. Meantime, ABC’s “Nightline” has tried transform- Letterman, who bravely left a sure thing - at one on college campuses. The process ing itself into a “you-are-there” magazine program moment his “Late Night” was the coolest thing on TV - began a month ago, and now “Dope” with decent results. for an uncertain one, and pulled it off. Leno won more has been shown at more than 20 But that’s not all. Since Letterman proved that one viewers, but Letterman proved the distinction was in schools such as Harvard, Morehouse, could make a viable grab for less than the whole audi- some ways negligible. Now, as TV viewing continues Yale, NYU and Brown. The film is the ence and still make a go of it, dozens of others have to fragment, advertisers say they are placing more highest-testing release in Open Road’s tried and continue to do so. Time Warner has backed emphasis on audiences that demonstrate true pas- history, Cassidy has said, and that’s Conan O’Brien since he separated from NBC over the sion, not necessarily the shows that always draw the translating into passionate reactions direction of “Tonight.” Comedy Central has fared biggest crowds.—Reuters online and on Facebook and Twitter. extremely well by launching “The Daily Show,” “The File photo shows US comedian and late night While “Dope” may lack recognizable Colbert Report” and “@midnight,” though its success talk show host David Letterman, a Kennedy movie stars in its cast, its profile will will continue to be tested by transition and Jon Center Honoree, during an event in the East get a boost from a soundtrack that Stewart’s departure in weeks to come. And all of that Room of the White House in Washington, DC.