Word Play

Offer me the chance to visit a remote island, a bustling world class city or even exotic Luton and you know what, the inner drive within to explore is ignited. Any place but Dubai. I’m probably mad in the eyes of those dazzled and schmoozed by the sheer opulence, luxury and perfectionist comfort. For me the prospect of flying out to the never-ending land of the skyscraper does not set me off on cartwheels and handstands and nor did it last week when the prospect became reality.

Whilst there, attempts to avoid the shopping malls were in vain. Like breathing, going to a mall became inevitable. With soaring dessert temperatures, there really is not much activity on offer for the Emiraties who are bound within limits set by family and religion. So I do have some sympathy. But once in a shopping mall, the Emiraty youth culture is a visible and prominent fixture and they certainly know how to have a good time as their apatite to consume is staggering.

From designer stores to food joints, you cannot escape young Emiraties. Whether it be young women donned in traditional black abayas and bling that could rival American hip hop acts or the young men in their signature dishdashas hoping to catch some blue tooth action - it is evident that fashion takes prominence. I feel somewhat out of place in comparison with no designer labels on display. I wonder if Primark will ever take off in the UAE?

Undoubtedly fashion is one of the main influences on the young. But recently, Dubai has gone from business to music mecca. Here, music has become a hotbed of marketing activity. Funnily there was a time when CD’s were confiscated by custom officers but thanks to the many local, regional and international satellite channels and, of course, the internet - it is now more available than ever before.

The visible force of the youth in public places is a reflection of the fact that half the UAE population is under 25. It is therefore no surprise that businesses are aggressively targeting the youth community. Mix this youthquake with a boom in music entertainment and you get MTV Arabia, which launched last year. Apart from the rush of advertising dollars, MTV tried to launch with a difference for the region viewing itself as something much more than music television but a platform for debate to discuss drugs and health issues. This reinforced by a statement in it’s business plan to be the “region's first and only youth lifestyle brand, offering a platform for self-expression, while truly representing Arab youth” indicates that MTV Arabia could be a possible beacon of hope for the consumer driven youth? Or have the team at MTV Arabia marketing realised that there are more mobile phone contracts than there are people, with subscription rates at 104% of the population thus making the viewing experience an interactive extension of the shopping mall?

Despite my vocal scepticism provoked by knowledge that money makes the World go round, I actually do believe there are forces at play that are trying to revolutionise social change. Media is no exception. The power of entertainment media can be a great vehicle to exchange cultures, music and ideas thus should not be overlooked. I know, because I have been part of it for the past few years. However, I do wonder whether the localized rehash of MTV reality shows can be part of that social change force?

With the Channel 4 documentary “How Television changed Britain” fresh in my mind, I wonder how television will change the mindsets of the Dubai youth in the next ten years. Glamour media will undoubtedly play a significant role in this, which we term in the UK as entertainment media. Glamour media generally refers to the use of model-like males and females or those with celebrity status to tackle social and political issues. The increasing shift towards glamour TV in the UAE is seen by analysts and practioners as economically and politically driven reasons. Is there a danger for such a “glamour” factor to be used to propel Social and Political agendas?

As the economy is being driven by these youngsters, does money bring ultimate happiness in this almost utopian land? I seriously question this especially when the front page of the daily English language newspaper “The Khaleej Times” publishes a haunting picture of an 18 year old girl attempting to jump from an 8th floor apartment. It concerns me that fashion seems to be the main fixture in the mindsets of the Emiraty youth. Bling and now the launch of MTV Arabia – is this it for the youth? If the current sheer levels of consumerism have been achieved in a very short space of time since Dubai was created, I worry for the next thirty years.

With Hilary Clinton formally out of the picture in the American Presidency race, I do wonder if I will ever see a woman become an American President albeit rule the world? Whilst numerous commentators speculate whether her defeat was linked to her gender, fuelling the feminist movement, I believe she ran a hard campaign and lost fair and square to a great candidate. Her defeat is really no loss to feminism.

Having worked on two programmes for radio and television all about women it may come as no surprise that I have formed a keen interest in monitoring cases of women trying to reach the highest realms in typically male dominated arenas. As a result, I feel a great sense of hopefulness and optimism which often gets challenged by my male friends who increasingly remind me that it’s a man’s world and the sooner women realise it the better. Why am I still friends with them you may ask? It’s quite simple really. Their audacity simply provides the initiation of a pulse racing debate which I absolutely thrive on. More importantly, how else are stereotypes expected to be demolished?

If Hilary was a man would she have clinched the nomination race? If this is to be believed, then women should attempt to literally fill the shoes of men and thus be more like men in order to create an equal playing field. Margaret Thatcher would therefore be the obvious choice for a role model, having reached the brass ring of being the first ever female British Prime Minister and possessing classic alpha female qualities. Is it imperative therefore to shed feminine tendencies in order to reach the brass ring?

Someone who categorically disagrees that masculine behavior is the only legitimate way in which leadership can be exercised is Dee Dee Myers, former White House press secretary and author of a new book fantastically entitled: “Why Women Should Rule The World.” The book is about what happens when women attempt to take on positions of leadership: The choices they make, the obstacles they face, the rewards and the disappointments — and how they differ from men. She highlights certain internal and external struggles which form the basis of men and women being hard wired differently. But in her view, they are no way intended to fuel the argument that the fairer sex should be exempt from playing a role in resolving the world’s problems. In fact she means quite the opposite.

It is the internal struggle that she mentions that has got my pulse racing recently. Myers is of the view that women do not take ownership of their successes the way that men do and, correspondingly, are less likely to reach for the brass ring. I could not resist thinking about how this applied to me, my female friends and not surprisingly my male friends. The conclusion matched Myers’ statement. The internal struggle cannot be better illustrated than at networking events which are traditionally renound for being the setting of extending contact links by taking ownership of your own success. Having recently been invited to a plethora of networking events, I took a back seat and became a keen observer of male and female engagement in networking. I quickly realized that effective networking is simply an applied strategy. What’s more, it almost pains me to acknowledge that such a strategy was mostly mastered by the men in the room. What men did and the women failed to do was fire a round of name dropping, title announcing and indicating their unique selling point. Although, the men managed to cover more ground I am not sure whether they actually formed meaningful relationships? As a woman that naturally matters. Women took there time. Small talk was often their saviour.

Without trying to sound like a sweeping generalist and too harsh on my sex, we women do not have a clue. Of course there are the exceptions. Pinky Lilani immediately comes to mind. Pinky’s contacts are truly amazing. They extend from royalty, corporate movers and shakers to A-list celebrities. I met her recently and had a lengthy conversation about the internal struggle that has been plaguing my mind. Pinky has spent the past decade tirelessly working to create a much needed space for women to be able to celebrate their successes through networks that rival the traditional all boy’s/man’s club. She places emphasis on the importance of somebody else selling you. This may actually form the basis of a cure for the internal struggle.

Although I may not see a woman ruling the world in my life time, I am certain that this world will no longer be a man’s world. Difference is key and it is what makes this world round. There is no reason why we shouldn’t stand side-by-side with men in resolving the world’s problems and leading the next generation. The only sad aspect to all of this will be no more pulse racing debates.