A friend linked me today to a YouTube video that hasn’t gone viral in the Middle East yet, featuring Lebanese TV presenter Razan Moghrabi in an intimate session with friends, discussing sex.
I normally wouldn’t care about such a thing. Sex is a natural thing that we discuss. However, Razan takes this “discussion” to a whole new level with lewd behavior that includes putting her hand up the guy’s shorts.
Lebanese people in general, and women in particular, are already being stereotyped as being overly promiscuous, which, in a region as conservative as the one we live in, isn’t a positive association. We try to tell everyone how this is not true and that those spreading such lies are Saudi men whose only purpose of coming to Lebanon in summer is to get laid.
Then comes Razan Moghrabi (no pun intended). Is it a marketing ploy? I mean, she has been absent for quite some time now and she knew she was being filmed. Having things like this filmed is never a good thing, no?
But is sex really the best way for her to come back? Sure, some rich businessman in the Gulf is probably enticed now, but what good does it do in the long run? People are already starting to call her a “slut” in the comments on the YouTube video. Is that how she wants to be viewed? Is that how she wants girls in her country to be viewed? Sure, Razan is only one Lebanese girl. But she is one Lebanese girl with influence and what people think of her is reflected upon our society, in a way or another.
Check out the video for yourself:
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A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares 
So this is the Lebanese version of a sex tape? Okay notice how her hand is in his shorts near the end – before the camera goes off look at whats happening to the shorts! LOOL this is so embarrassing, so degrading, and yet we wonder why they talk about “Lebanese girls” in the Middle East. THIS IS WHY.
Sma7leh, im all for the sex talk in Lebanon, i’ve done it on my blog, i’ve read it on other blogs, and guess what we all do it – but Razan -like May Hariri – is just ME7EN.
I digress.
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Haha you’ve noticed that shot too 😛
I don’t think this is the Lebanese version of a sex tape. What happened afterwards definitely is though.
And that’s exactly my point. Our girls are not like this but Lebanese girls in the spotlight, so to speak, aren’t exactly giving out the best image there is. And this is what makes this horrible. She’s not thinking this through.
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No, i don’t think it’s a marketing ploy to be talked about again. Be talked about in THIS way?…Nah.
Can you repost the link Elie? I can’t seem to see it.
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Nevermind. I can see it now!
I don’t see anything wrong with what she did. It’s definitely not a sex tape, just sex talk, and it’s what you always see when you hang out with your friends and start talkin about sex.
There’s nothing wrong with putting a beer bottle on a guy’s crotch and pretend ur suckin him but enno you’re a celebrity. Do it with no cameras if u dont want a scandal.
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I agree. You want to sleep around, be lewd, whatever, do it in private. That’s why I said it’s a marketing ploy. She knew she was being filmed and she did it anyway. Look closer towards the end of the vid, she has her hand up his shorts. And I don’t want to describe what she’s doing in the last second or so of the vid.
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Razan is either dumb or nutso for allowing this to be filmed. One thing’s for sure: she lacks class. However, I’m unsure if the same hoopla would have revolved around a guy doing this? Can you imagine Wael slipping his hand into a girl’s skirt? Food for … speculation.
Sadly, Fairouz is no longer a symbol of the Lebanese woman. She who relied only on her voice to win over the hearts of all Arabs and beyond. Even Sabah, whose “daring” outfits have always stirred up controversy, knew better than to degrade herself publicly.
I like Arab culture because it incites to keep private lives private, lest these should cause public discord. So, those who let people in on their private antics are the only ones to blame for their and their kin’s stained reputation. Razan should move abroad now. Yep.
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I agree that there is a drastic double standards when it comes to things like this in these parts of the world (or any part of the world, tbh). If, say, Wael did this, he would be considered, for lack of better word, a stud. Whilst a girl doing this is considered a slut.
And it’s precisely because of this double standard that I think girls shouldn’t invite this to be said about them, let alone a presenter who is, like or not, one of the many faces that represent Lebanon today.
Lebanese culture has come a long way since the days of Fairuz owning hearts with her voice alone. I’m afraid it’s the region below a singer’s vocal cords that stirs things up currently, and it’s sad that our Lebanese singers apparently own that region.
A friend of mine wrote an article about how our accent is also enticing for Arabs. I mean, how sick can that be? someone getting off just because I speak the way I do.
Yes, Razan is allowed to do whatever she wants, but she also needs to be considerate of where she is. Privacy is cherished wherever a person may be, let alone a region as conservative as this. She should have thought about keeping her hormones in check – or at least off camera.
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Yes she knew she was being filmed but she didn’t know it was going to be leaked! She was with her friends who I assume she trusted. Honestly I don’t see why the fuss. She was just having fun and fooling around with her friends. I don’t see porn or sex in this video, at all. This is so not considered sex. The girl didn’t even get naked. So the guy was topless.. big deal !
I see how people in the arab world might consider this as porn but seriously?
I think people are overreacting. I’m sure she wouldn’t have done it if she knew it was gonna be leaked , she’s not that dumb even though I always used to think she’s annoying..
Point is , people are allowed to have fun and fool around.. and even have sex if they want to ! If it leaked then that’s too bad for them . I mean even if it was a REAL sex tape.. so what ? she’s not a virgin? Oh no ! Blasphemy ! come on people , its the 21st century!!!
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Whenever you film something like this, there is a probability that it will leak – regardless of how safe you are. If you look towards the end of the video, you definitely see some tactile sexual stuff there.
I’m not saying people are not allowed to have sex. Sure they do. They can do whatever they please, who am I to stop them, right? And I sure don’t consider this porn. This is not even close. I didn’t even call it “sex tape”.
My main critique about this is that someone in her status, as a Lebanese girl in the spotlight (regardless of how bright that spotlight might be) should be more careful when it comes to these things, especially because of the bad mouthing Lebanese people get, especially our women.
Sure, she’s not a virgin. I don’t even care about that. What I care about is the repercussions this will have on what people will consider as truth regarding girls like my cousin, aunt, friends, girlfriend, etc…
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I know you didn’t say that or think that way but I was just criticizing the comments posted on the video on youtube. It’s ridiculous.. Of course she should have been more careful. But I don’t see how this can affect people considering ur relatives and friends ? If one lebanese girl did that it doesn’t mean they’re all like that. That’s pure stereotyping.. We shouldn’t be worrying about people stereotyping us as lebanese because at the end of the day it is not true/right.
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I didn’t even check the comments on YouTube. I don’t bother honestly, most of the times, the comments on any arabic video are just horrid.
That’s precisely what I meant. It boosts this idea of a stereotype that Lebanese women are painted with. And in her position, as a person involved in media, she boosts this stereotype more than a girl you’d meet on the street. I definitely don’t think the stereotype is right, but we should be working on removing it, not help fortify it.
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To broaden a culture’s horizons, one has to play by the system’s rules, NOT blatantly defy them; Razan did the latter. What’s annoying is that she seemed to act … pour épater la galerie … like a child showing his parents what s/he can do. (Think of Mad TV’s Stuart)
The Lebanese accent sounds cute, indeed. But, it is no reason to wanna jump anything with ‘Lebanese’ written on it.
I, for one, choose to think of Lebanon in Fairuzian terms. Razan & Co. don’t stand a chance. 🙂
Below the vocal cords. Hum, you mean the collar bone? ^_~
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Well, this is something my friend Seif wrote:
http://seifandbeirut.com/2011/04/05/lebanon-the-ultimate-sex-bomb/
I think it highlights what I tried to say.
You’re not Lebanese? if so, I’m glad you still think of us in terms of those giants 🙂
And no, I mean cleavage :p
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I did read Seif’s post. I intend on opining as soon as my mordant mood resurrects. Too chill now. 🙂
Well, to think highly or poorly of a people based on one person would be unwise, don’t you think? It, therefore, is a case-by-case thing for yours truly. That said, y’all are decent folks. Except Ali from Tripoli. … long story … longer than Baalbek. :p
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People tend to generalize based on one-person opinions or encounters. It’s not correct but it happens :p
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True. Luckily, generalizations are not always accurate. Otherwise, God would have created only one human … since all humans turn out to be the same. :p
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Lol yeah we tend to have common misconceptions about each other, I suppose.
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i saw this video earlier and i am so shoked! iv always liked her, you said she has been away from the media for a while, this is not true shes been presenting deal or no deal for a couple of years now and has a new tourism programme coming out soon. i do not think this is publicity stunt at all, i am sure she will be embrressed, i actuli feel sorry for her! i am not going to lie i have changed my opioion about her, i can not look at her the same, some might think i am over reacting but that is just how i feel, however i cant help bt feel sorry for her once she knows everyone has seen this :S
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I guess she hasn’t been as present to Lebanese as she used to be. I had no idea there actually was a “Deal Or No Deal” show yet. I thought it aired on MTV Lebanon.
But yeah, I feel sorry for her too now that this is out. She needs to start damage control now that this hasn’t gone viral yet and try to nip it in the bud.
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People..chill!
We are all representatives of our respective countries. And I’m sure that many of our daily acts are below “Fairouzian” standards set in our heads. We’re just too proud to admit it or just don’t care because we don’t think that we’re under the spotlight. Newsflash. YOU ARE. It all reflects whether you’re aware or you’re not. So just because there’s a youtube clip somewhere to remind you of it it doesn’t mean anyone is in position to judge.
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There are differences in spotlight Elia. Are you under the same spotlight as Razan? I hardly think so. Her actions are, regardless of magnitude, taken out of proportions because of the audience she reaches.
We all mess up. But a regular person making a sex tape doesn’t get the attention that a famous person does for a reason: more people are interested in the famous person.
And in a world where it’s easier to judge than to formulate a coherent sentence, this goes a long way – especially with a country like ours where a disgusting stereotype is applied to us.
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hal 2ad mhayaji ya razan law 7adik ana kenit la3abtik fi ad ma michti2 t7oti edik 3ali
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fi chi motrebi ma 3am ta3mil heik ta techtehir w ekhir chi bet2oul jawza haydi kenit mhayaji bada sex jame3i ma heik
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we knon every women can do this but not like this i see it’sn’t defferen these we see online sex and you can se wthere ever you are so this is real sex
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