Cairo: Egyptian pro-women groups are disappointed that several TV serials being shown on local and Arab TV feature polygamy as a recurrent theme.
“I have been working in the field of women’s welfare for more than 20 years and I have never seen so many polygamists in Egypt as portrayed in TV dramas,” said Eman Beibers, the chairperson of the Association for the Development and Enhancement of Women.
At least seven television serials with polygamists are on the air waves every night of Ramadan – when viewing rates in the Arab world peak.
“These shows by no means reflect real life in Egypt where many young people cannot afford the spiralling cost of marriage,” Beibers told Gulf News.
My TV isn’t working well so I haven’t had a chance to watch this year’s soaps. But Beibers does seem to have a point about TV’s obsession with polygamists…
[…] Galrahn wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt“I have been working in the field of women’s welfare for more than 20 years and I have never seen so many polygamists in Egypt as portrayed in TV dramas,â€� said Eman Beibers, the chairperson of the Association for the Development and … […]
Notice how many of the objections to depicting polygamous marriages in the article aren’t focused on why they’re degrading so much as why they’re unrealistic these days – with a bit of nostalgia about the good old days when polygamy was “affordable.”
Oops – I take that back – Mr. Nostalgic for Affordable Polygamy was actually the writer of one of those soaps.