Some people have no shame.
One of the biggest pieces of international news yesterday, if you disregard those of war, famine and horrors for a few seconds, was the beautiful story of Ingeborg Syllm-Rapoport. She is a 102 year old pediatrician, and we’re talking about her because she just became the world’s oldest person to receive a PhD. Back in 1938, the Nazis banned her from doing her dissertation for being part Jewish. The years passed and Mrs. Syllm-Rapoport sought out the degree that escaped her because of racist laws. She finally got it, and look how happy she is:
Of course, there are some parts of the world – like where we live, for example – where such news wouldn’t be so cheerful and worth the celebration.
A few days ago, pictures of a 63 year old man presenting his brevet exams surfaced on social media.
The man was identified as Abdallah Taleb, from Marjeaayoun in the South. In 1967, Abdallah had to leave his hometown in order to work with his brother before moving to Saudi Arabia later on. He never got his brevet degree then. Following the liberation of the South, Abdallah came back with his family of two and settled down in his hometown. He became the “mokhtar,” opened a real estate office, but he never forgot that he still never had a degree, which is why he enrolled in school this year to try and catch up to his education and be able to present his brevet degree.
Wonderful story, right?
Well, that didn’t stop Adel Karam and his esteemed show “Hayda Haki” from making fun of Abdallah. Watch the video:
Quite disgusting.
All around the world, people who seek education are respected. Their accomplishments are celebrated, especially when they do so at an age when society had already told them off. Except, of course, when you have people like Adel Karam who see such a man’s quest as yet another moment for comic relief on his TV show.
“Mesh bakkir?” he asked Mr. Taleb. “Isn’t your retirement time soon?” He continued because the first joke clearly didn’t bring the message home. “Will you try and go for a high school degree, too?”
“Do you think he’ll pass?” He snickers. “He should have done the exam last year… everyone passed.”
Yes, Adel Karam, bring the humor. Bring the sheer brilliance of your insane comedy skills.
Yes, make fun of a man whose only fault was to have a dream of having a degree, regardless of how simple it is.
Yes, use that man as material to fill time on your insanely funny TV show.
Yes, there is CLEARLY something weird and funny about a man who, years after he’s supposed to, is trying to get the education that this beautiful country took away from him. Is there any better joke than that?
Shame on the audience there that laughed on his joke. I hope you have 1% of the determination Abdallah Taleb has when you’re his age to seek out what your life’s circumstances had robbed you and not be brought down by people like Adel Karam telling you it’s all futile, pointing their fingers in your face and snickering at you for even trying.
Shame on MTV for allowing such garbage to fill its airways, not that I’m surprised anyway.
The ironic thing is that Abdallah Taleb already answered those who wondered what’s the point of doing this so close to retirement age. His answer? “They force retirement on you and it turns you into a shell. I want to give another idea of people who reach retirement age, that it’s okay to still have ambition and act out on it.”
Clearly, ambition and acting out on such ambition is only allowed to comedians who want to emulate Jon Stewart.
I hope that when Adel Karam is 63 and remembers a life-long dream of his that he doesn’t get someone like him to tell him “mesh bakkir?”
Pity the nation that makes fun of its people who seek an education. Pity the people who find getting an education is something to make fun of.
Tfeh.
A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares 
Before I start my commentary, I want to salute Mr Abdullah for his courage and for his portrayal of what a Lebanese citizen should be known for and that is his will and power to survive, develop, and cultivate themselves no matter the odds. You are a true inspiration for all lebs especially thise living abroad that fave many challenges every day and have to a way to overcome them.
You have shown the resiliant man instead of the belly dancer.
You have shown the strong man instead of the entertainer.
You have shown the educated man instead of the petty.
Thank you…
Adel it is time to grow up and become the man that you should be instead of the clown that will be forgotten in time. In time people will speak of Mr Taleb as the citizen that got his degree at 63 and proved that a man can achieve anything he wants if he puts his mind to it, but I wonder what will you be remembered for or worse what will you remember yourself for when you sit alone and think.
We all love a laugh but we laugh at what is funny not at what is challenging or different than us. Don’t forget at one time people made fun of you when you started and it hurt you….
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That is why our middle eastern, Arabic countries would never develop and always remain one of the third world countries.
SHAME ON US 😢
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We also got people like Mr. Abdallah Taleb
so we will surely develop.
Stay positive bro
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Maybe this writer should learn a thing or 2 about sense of humour, it ws a joke chill, of course he’s going to talk garbage about successful people who made something of their lives, while he’s just an unknown good 4 nothing writer get a life…
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The writer of this article is plenty successful on his own quite frankly and does not need to “trash talk” Adel Karam out of jealousy…
And even the best of comedians – a club that Adel clearly is not a member of- when doing such jokes add an outro of respect to balance out and to clarify the humor.
This was carried out in a manner which was far from funny in my opinion.
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Thank you for the blog and being the voice of this wonderful 63 year old man who against all odds pursued his lost and stolen dream of getting an education. As for Mr Adel Karam I would suggest some education in respect as well as comedy would be beneficial-for the sake of future generation of Lebanon –
will keep our hopes up that he will eventually succeed and pass his exams even if it takes him until age of 63!
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I read all comments before listening to it. My judgement? it was cheap in it’s presentation. But many made too much fuss. Certainly cheap by Adel. But the reactions are a bit exaggerated. There many more issues around to be upset about right now. This is not the top of the list.
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Well he DID Congratulate him and say he was an example for all. you’re a little too sensitive.
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right on cathy! One can always hit low shots to humiliate people..and then (by the tip of the mouth he said what you brought up) everything is forgotten. Let me try with you in public…I will bring you down….and then I will throw a nifty complement to balance it out…
you like? I’m sure you do since you are “less sensitive” than the rest of us.
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It is not about sensitivity Cathy.
If it was, can anyone go on now and mock you in public or on TV for following a dream and trying to get an education!
Let me know when are ready to be mocked in public. Oh and by the way, I’ll make sure I will apologize.
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I can’t thank Mr. Taleb enough, not only for setting the right example for so many Lebanese people and certainly for the youth but also for giving me a small hope. A hope that we still have amazing people our country can bank on.
I am really sorry to see our moral and social system falling behind. It is a shame to hear those kind of jokes. They might be the product of many conflicting feelings of defeat and irrelevance facing Mr. Tale bravery.
Hat’s off for Mr. Taleb
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This is not as bad as the article made it seem… this dude makes a living by doing this. He’s a comedian, thats what they do. He did end up seriously congratulating him towards the end…No need to be butt hurt about this..
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That’s not what comedians do, at least in a country that’s struggling for freedom.
Making people laugh? Helping them blow off steam?
That’s the point, it’s like giving morphine to someone who needs to wake the fuck up and fight.
Comedians use humor to convey smart messages, and not say useless shit – much less hurtful shit :).
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There is no comedy here, just bad taste, indecency and disrespect. Do you accept a self proclaimed comedian to mock you in public? Come on, take one for comedy. And if you end up upset, we can always congratulate you.
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It is universally established that Tragedy is about greater heroes suddenly striving under the threat of a destructive destiny, purifying thus our souls from strong emotions namely: pity and fear; while Comedy is about lesser characters who by the ridicule of their shortcomings purify our characters through laughter.
May any so-called-Comedian tell us where are the shortcomings of Mr. Taleb from which one might need to purify his/her soul and defend his/her ethical values by laughing and ridiculing?
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Well said, The guy’s a clown and mistakes like this were going to happen sooner or later. He’s been making fun of homosexual people for a long time too.
This is mockery, not satire.
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Fucking shit retard. being sarcastic while congratulating. I think he did Brevet 4 time to get a degree because he is a retard as shown on the video.
tfeh 3ala teezak ya Adel karam
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I think in spite of this failure from Adel Karem it should ‘nt be an opportunity to open the war against The MTV
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Who do you think you are Adel?
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A joke is supposed to make us laugh. I didn’t laugh so for me it’s a fail. Bad joke Adel, sorry, bad joke. The congratulation at the end is well intentioned but does not make up for the bad taste in the joke. It actually hits against it and leaves us with an empty feeling of Uhhh….. What was that?!!
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Hmmmm….why….adel ? …….do u have a degree of any kind ?
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Thank you for writing this article. You spoke for many of us.
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This is hilarious, hats off to the man though, but still this is funny, and the thing you should know about comedy is that it shouldn’t be taken seriously, just be a good sport about it, laugh if it amused you or just keep the offensive comments to yourselves.
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I don’t want to waste valuable time criticizing typical Lebanese garbage which is further deteriorating our culture. Instead, I want to congratulate Mr. Taleb on this impeccable achievement that gives us hope to never stop pursuing our dreams.
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Adel Karam did not intend to be demeaning nor maliciou to the 60 years young gentleman. It is a stand up comedy show, and you should possess some humor. He was just having fun at the speed of the aquisition of the diploma. If this at 60, then at this pace, the Bac.at 90.
Do you ppl get it ????
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“do you ppl get it”? ppl ? where the fuck r u from ? rnt u from those ppl ? or u r the smart ass schmuck that understand humor ? u and adel karam sound alike.. both r idiots with a slow pace .
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great article and very true ! i am not a 63 years old nor a too late for education but i experienced failure back in high school and the bad words from people around but with the help of God and my determination i am now presenting my final project for the mechanical engineering degree which was impossible for my school principles and teachers 7 years back ! all i can say never listen to anyone but yourself and never say impossible because if impossible exists Manny Pacquiao wouldnt have been the greatest boxer of our time or Marussia’s Jules Bianchi could have scored 2 points in 2014 for example and others and others …
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In an interview on Future TV Adel Karam mentioned that his least favourite role in Mafi Metlo show was Majdi (Majdi and Wajdi). Yet, he and Abbas Chahine continue to make fun of people who are different. He used the same “skill” when making fun of Mr. Taleb forgetting that we are in 2015.
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It is nowhere near as bad as the article makes it out to be…..
Pathetic journalism by someone waiting for a chance to attack Adel….
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How is Adel imitating Jon Stewart ? Adel is at best a Conan.
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Writer: F yourself
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Not all of the older generation had the opportunity to continue their degrees and education due to wars and unfortunate situations. We nowadays suffer sometimes to read a book or two and go sit for an exam when we have nothing else occupying our life let alone someone at 63 who probably has got so much things going on in his life. Abdulla is a “Mokhtar” in Lebanon and we are all aware that he could’ve easily found his way around obtaining this certificate and even a higher one with no efforts, so he’s obviously not doing that to apply for a job or have more market traction to his profile, he’s just challenging himself and his brain cells and had the guts and even found the time to study and go sit for the exam with the other younger students. We’re not dramatizing things here, I’m a fan of comedy and appreciate the joke scene and the efforts comedians put to make people laugh, but Adel is a Lebanese citizen who’s been through the toughest phases that people went through in Lebanon and should have more appreciation to such people who are trying to take an ethical route and undergoe a challenging experience. So yes you can make a joke because this is your job but as one of the commenters said below, you need to balance your jokes and find the fine line between joking and humiliating an act that should be appreciated. I’d say focus your jokes on our politicians who most of them don’t even hold degrees and are proudly running a country and leaving many people with no jobs to even educate their children these days.
Much respect for you Abdullah, if my dad was in your shoes and undergoing that experience, I would first help him study, crack up when I see his pic in class with all the young students and be so proud and inspired to share his story with everybody I know.
For whoever is feeling bad or sorry for Abdullah, just dont be, I’m sure Abdullah is not waiting for a apology from Adel to continue his life, he had the confidence to take this decision in the first place and people like him simply don’t care for such things and focus their energies on the more important things in life. I can already see him hitting the TV scene again in few years for his next degree.
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well said, but the thing is, nobody here is focusing on Mr. Taleb as much as focusing on the fact that Adel Karam has reached a point of arrogance that permits him to ridicule the effort of that gentleman. I fail to see the humor and the comedy in whatever this man does on his -poorly copied- show. One time he was talking about “cows farting”, I couldn’t be more disgusted.
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Bala zo2 bl marra, howe 3eref zroufo lal zalami w 2iza ma fi zrouff mafroud ihanni msh yetmaskharo.
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Adel Karam is a TWAT
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Wow. Such a hainous article. Get a shrink !
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**heinous.
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yes heinous.bloody tiny keyboard.Thank you mr Fares
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Seriously horrible. What a bully!! He should be ashamed of himself
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Dear writer and all those who copassionate with Abdalla. I think we are all missing a point here. This guy is 63 years old. And this is lebanon we are talking about. With a sprinkle of magic from our politicians, this guy could end up “legally” with a pension for the rest of his life for a job he did not do. Maybe thats what Adel was pointing out, and maybe that is what we should notice after all the emotional crap.
Time to wake up guys. Our country’s fund is being raped in front of our eyes and we are cheering for them.
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I commend you for the article. You are absolutely right.
In a country whose politicians have robbed many people from their childhood and have single handedly ruined so much more, it was refreshing to find out about this man, until I found out about the comments that Mr. Karam made.
I understand the late night comedy show premise where you are supposed to deliver a monologue and I know that this would be something that comedians would comment on. But I also know that they would tell the story, congratulate the man for his courage and determination, describe him as admirable and a role model, then make one passing joke AND MOVE ON.
The difference is that Adel Karam fixated on the man and ridiculed him, and threw mean-hurtful joke after another. It seemed more the type of thing a bully would do rather than a comedian, and in a country like this, it is this kind of behavior that has kept us down.
On a related note, I’d like to share this link
http://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/2015/06/08/72-ans-bac-fatna_n_7533762.html?ncid=fcbklnkfrhpmg00000005
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stupid…3anjad chu hl habal…ma bada hl2d t3al2o 3a hek che8le…kabro rasskoun fi echya aham!!!
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I salute you Mr. Taleb for your courage and determination. . Admirable indeed ! The jokesters’ comments were in very bad taste and only cast a brighter light at what you have accomplished.
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i want to salute mr abdallah for his courage…w law bi le2e 3adel karam shi tene ynammir 3le…
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7abbeyt el TFEH bel ekher…is that in English as well lol
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mos ayre 3adel
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Jaljou2 Ajallak. Bayanet jale2to la 3adel karam 3ala “hayde 7ake”. Balid bel 7ake. jle2 mafik te7daro aktar men 10 D2eye2 maximum. Eza 7dorto aktar be sir ma3ak 2e7bat. Nekat wala momken ted7ak 3alaya. Jalegha, ghalaze, ta2elet dam. Law ma hayda el Gorilla yalle be de2 3al guitar wala momken ken yemche “Hayda 7ake” ken wa2af tene chaher.
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NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN.
Please respect anyone who works hard to achieve their ambitions. It is not something to make fun of. It is something to be proud of.
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Quelle decadence. He is such a low class.
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Mr. Karam, It’s “Better late than Never”
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First i would like to Show my Big Respect to Mr Abdullah . Second i would like to say that i am really Disgusted from This Article and the Writer of it . So Now you gonna follow each comedian and make an issue of his Jokes ???? This is a funny Program and suppose to be making fun of things not to be taken personal its a (JOKE) . the way you wrote this Article Sir makes it Clear that you or Jealous or Have a personal Issue with Adel Karam Be professional at least and don’t use words like ( tfoo etc.. ) . and as for Adel Karam do ur thing your a star and their will always be haters .
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please ask Adel Karam if he has got his brevet first ? he is useless , and has no major in school and didn’t see an university in his life . …. Ommehh yo 3am bi yinakkitt !!
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Mabrouk Mr. Abdullah! It really takes great courage for you to do your brevet exam. It is truly better late than never!! You are also never too late to learn. Mr. Adel: I would just like to say that your comment was really inappropriate and that maybe you should consider other people’s feelings before you broadcast anything on national television
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Everyone who’s taking Adel Karam joke about that guy to another level, are the same people that laughed and shared the photo of last year’s old man presenting his exams.
Anyway, it’s a comedy show, and people perhaps confused between mocking and joking.
And at the end, Adel clearly noted that the guy is doing something really important.
But it’s a joke, not a d*ck, don’t take it so hard!
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Ladies & Gentlemen it is okay, 2alabtuwa drama ka2anno Adel Karam ya3ne 2ati3 il kahraba 3an il byoot w bas b jeeba 4 se3aat, aw masalan ma 3am bye2bal ytalli3 ra2ees jumhuriyye aw ka2ano baladna b alf kher w ma 3anna 2ella hal khabariyye, Adel Karam w shu 7eke! If at least we exert all this energy on criticizing hal 3alam yalle 7awwaloolna baladna zbele w khallo kil wa7ad ydob ghrado w ysefir la barra, barke kenna wsolna la balad ahsan min Hek! akid bravo la Mr. Abdullah for all of his efforts and I hope he reaches a PHD too, as it is never late to get degrees, but the funny thing about our people, is that they all have degrees, and they are all educated but that never made our country better, we just made other countries better, I hope Mr Abdullah would be a special case.
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“Bring the sheer brilliance of your insane comedy skills.” What comedy skills? The guy is lousy as a talk show host. He laughs at his own “jokes” more than his audience.
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chill guys. It is not the end of the world. He joked and appreciated the guy. That is what the show is about ! no need for all these insults. If only us Lebanese get so offensive about what is being done to us by these monsters with ties sitting behind their desks. If we could use solidarity to much bigger matters and defend ourselves by ourselves. But no, when it comes to that, nobody holds another human’s hand. Now you are making a fuss about Abdallah! Chill dudes, it was only a joke.
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