farmdoc's blog post number 568

How do you know when you’re really famous? Super famous? The answer, of course, is when people refer to you by your first name only. That’s how I know Beyonce (pictured) is really famous. Maybe it helps if your first name’s very unusual. I’ve never heard Beyonce sing, and I haven’t watched her on video. But I read here that as part of her 'I am...' world tour, she gave a concert in Egypt three days ago. And Islamic conservatives there called her show an ‘insolent sex party’ that threatens Egypt’s ‘social peace and stability’. They accused the Egyptian government of encouraging debauchery, and called for the concert’s cancellation. As it happens, these vocal fundamentalists belong to the opposition Muslim Brotherhood who, along with their hardline Muslim brothers, treat women as second – if not fifth – class citizens. So naturally they can’t tolerate let alone condone an independent, successful and thus wealthy woman – as I assume Beyonce is. If they want to live ascetic misogynistic lives, let them do so in Iran or Gaza or Saudi Arabia where women have almost no rights. If they choose to live in Egypt then they must abide by the standards of its government and thus most of its population. But they don’t, so it’s no wonder the Egyptian government’s been squeezing them with security crackdowns and administrative measures aimed at curbing their conservatism. I hope Beyonce’s Egyptian concert was successful beyond expectations. Show ‘em, Beyonce.