A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Excess Meets Excess: Lady Gaga Arrives in Dubai on Mideast Tour

Lady Gaga has arrived in Dubai for her first concert. The world has not ended, and in fact she has reportedly said she will dress modestly out of respect for local sensibilities..

Confirming that celebrities are not in fact bound by the same rules as the rest of us, Israeli press reports say she will fly directly from Dubai to her next gig in Tel Aviv. I thought only John Kerry got to do that.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Lady Gaga’s dress worn during her Dubai press event, she proudly announced, was made by an Emirati designer, stating it was one way to express her respect for the local culture. She praised Dubai for its tolerance for differences and choice not to impose its culture on foreigners…..An earlier venture into the Arab lands resulted in her being forced to cancel her performances due to the costumes that the local government deemed inappropriate [or worse.] Many Hollywood celebrities, beyond the actual film people who participate in the annual film festival, such as Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton, have enjoyed their ventures there. Others, like the Beckams, have plopped down the multi-millions to buy one of their gaudy new homes on the man-made islands in the UAE. With professional golf tournaments, horseracing, and a never-ending calendar of special shopping events, Dubai and to a certain extent Abu Dhabi, have become “destinations.”