|
Waiting for "Mr.Goodbar."
By Layla Anwar
12/31/07 "ICH"
-- -- I vaguely remember the title of this film. It was
“Looking for Mr.Goodbar”, starring Diane Keaton, if I
recall correctly.
Another neurotic, desperate, dependent, insecure, American
“woman”, looking for love in all the wrong places... An
emotional survival story.
I've read a lot of your so-called emotional survival stories...
Your dog dies, and you seek emotional survival by either
sleeping with the first pretender or you are stuck in therapy
for another 5 years.
You lose your job and there you go, acting out, fucking around
as if there is no tomorrow...
You grandparent or parent dies and ditto, you recourse to the
same...
Your twin towers collapse and ditto again – you have been in
therapy ever since.
Your therapist is very understanding, after all you pay him/her
over 200 dollars an hour and she/he pats you on the back and
tells you it’s ok, it’s nothing but a phase of grief...don’t
punish yourself, you are just trying to heal...
How very touching indeed.
You the puritanical, hallelujah, people trying to heal through
anonymous sex, your mechanical, instant gratification sex.
Reminds me of some Italian friend of mine who said to me years
ago. He said “Layla, people fuck the way they eat." I
thought about that for a while and came to the conclusion that
your way is nothing but junk just like your junk food.
No wonder two cents worth, quacks and charlatan gurus, from
India visit you and promise you “opened chakras and
spiritual sex” and you pay hefty dollars, serving them and
waiting for the inspiration to finally fall on your little
putrid heads. You may also, eventually, join an ashram later on
and write a book about it. So noble !
Actually, I can say to you without sounding presumptuous that
you know absolutely nothing about sex.
I mean hell, look at your diet to start with, and the way you
eat. And that even includes, you-- little preppy vegetarians.
It’s the mentality. You have the mentality of a teenager when it
comes to love and sex...And you have the mentality of a blasé
but still hopeful consumer when it comes to “doing it.”
Well, I have news for you – your shitty, sick, neurotic,
mentality has pervaded us. But, with a slight difference. We
have no therapists, no gurus and no fad diet to fall back onto.
Quite the opposite in fact. But hey, we have also become
sexually liberated.
We have done what you cannot do for yourselves, despite years of
bra-burning, chakra mantra-singing and group sex therapy under
Guru supervision.
We are also looking for Mr. Goodbar. But we found him. A
question of survival.
UNCHR the very “respected“ agency that deals with refugees (and
I find myself spelling it out for you since you are so behind
and ignorant in everything) calls it “Survival Sex.”
I am sure this term turns you on – after all you have been
trying it for years since your sexual liberation and it has not
borne any fruits. Well maybe, just maybe, you think to yourself,
it will bear fruit in Iraq.
Well, it did. Pat yourselves on the back. “Democracy” and
“survival sex.”
What better combo can one wish for ?
Survival sex is rampant not only inside Iraq but also outside.
It happens in alley ways, around shrines, in dirty beds and in
bars...Bars in Syria and Jordan.
They are all waiting for Mr.Goodbar.
But contrary to your Hollywood star, they are not there to heal
from some relationship gone emotionally sour. Oh no.
They are there to make a bit of money to feed their hungry
sisters and brothers waiting for them in some damp, dirty,
cockroach ridden, room - where they are all amassed, one on top
of the other, hungry and waiting...
Hungry and exiled because of YOU and YOUR fucking democracy. And
this is exactly what it boils down to -- a fucking democracy.
Some of them are as old your teenagers - with one major
difference.
They are forced into it whilst your teenagers produce videos of
it on you tube, counting hits for the highest number of
viewers.
Your teenagers will seek therapy eventually. After several
miscarriages, unwanted pregnancies, failed marriages and a
string of boyfriends and probably end up in some rehab talking
about it in a "meaningful sharing way.”
Our teenagers, on the other hand, forced into it by YOU, will
remain stigmatized for the rest of their lives and they can
already kiss their future goodbye. They have no future.
So tell me, is that not criminal ?
So tell me, does that not make you a complicit criminal people?
Our teenagers prior to their “liberation” did not need
to seek survival sex.
They did not need to sit in bars in skimpy dresses waiting for
the Mr. who will alleviate the hunger pangs of a whole family.
Did not need to put make up and score the highest number of
hits.
Your teenagers do. You brought them up that way. They are your
product, from your society.
And you have made sure to export it all to us. Your junk food,
your deadly arms, your lousy English (and accent), your
neurosis, your perversions, your idioms, your ways and your
“survival sex.”
Survival sex in the era of exported democracy – Great title for
a smashing Hollywood film or a best seller book.
Survival sex, the Iraqi-American version.
Survival Sex and Mr.Goodbar.
Survival Sex and Mr.Good Democracy.
Good, very good - 10 $ a shot.
No make it 20$- I have a hungry family.
Ok, says Mr.Goodbar, take 20$.
A 20$ shot democracy.
That is what your democracy is worth on the market – but even
then, that is too inflated...
I say, you Americans, are not even worth that much.
I am not sure that will necessarily help you in your therapy,
but hell, seeing what you are really worth, at least you can
bargain your therapist’s fees – down...
While...Your hungry, sad, neurotic, despondent, dependent, women
and daughters, are desperately looking and waiting for their
Mr.Goodbars.
Layla Anwar, Who am I ?
The eternal Question . Have not figured it out fully yet . All
you need to know about me is that I am a Middle Easterner, an
Arab Woman - into my 40's and old enough to know better. I have
no homeland per se. I live in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan,
Syria and Egypt simultaneously ... All the rest is icing on the
cake.
http://arabwomanblues.blogspot.com
Copyrights reserved, 2006-2007
Click on "comments" below to read or post comments
Comment Guidelines
Be succinct, constructive and
relevant to the story.
We encourage engaging, diverse
and meaningful commentary. Do not include
personal information such as names, addresses,
phone numbers and emails. Comments falling
outside our guidelines – those including
personal attacks and profanity – are not
permitted.
See our complete
Comment Policy
and
use this link to notify us if you have concerns
about a comment.
We’ll promptly review and remove any
inappropriate postings.
Send Page To a Friend
In accordance
with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material
is distributed without profit to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational
purposes. Information Clearing House has no
affiliation whatsoever with the originator of
this article nor is Information ClearingHouse
endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
|
