Iran's First Pop Revolutionaries

[Cowperson]

With their culture police and periodic banning of Western music, Iran isn't the place where you would expect to see a pop band - mixed with women and men - to be allowed but they're wildly popular and now officially sanctioned.

And what about this statement:

"Now, everything has changed. The belief of the people changed after the Iran-Iraq war, young people needed something else to be happy.

"That's why the government wanted to find a space for them and I think the best way was pop music."

At one point the band sold more than 54,000 tickets to one of their concerts in less than six hours.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4079581.stm

Cowperson

[arsenal]

Iranian Idol any one?

[Cowperson]

Originally posted by arsenal@Dec 13 2004, 03:39 PM
Iranian Idol any one?

A version of Big Brother is wildly popular and controversial in the Arab Muslim world already.

The controversial part is men and women in the same building 27/7 with cameras on them.

Cowperson

[arsenal]

Originally posted by Cowperson+Dec 13 2004, 08:47 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Cowperson @ Dec 13 2004, 08:47 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-arsenal@Dec 13 2004, 03:39 PM
Iranian Idol any one?

A version of Big Brother is wildly popular and controversial in the Arab Muslim world already.

The controversial part is men and women in the same building 27/7 with cameras on them.

Cowperson [/b][/quote]
Lemme guess, that was the popular part too?

[Cowperson]

Originally posted by arsenal+Dec 13 2004, 03:57 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (arsenal @ Dec 13 2004, 03:57 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

A version of Big Brother is wildly popular and controversial in the Arab Muslim world already.

The controversial part is men and women in the same building 27/7 with cameras on them.

Cowperson

Lemme guess, that was the popular part too? [/b][/quote]
Young people across different cultures aren't so different as you might imagine if choices are put in front of them and they're given the freedom to decide.

A story like this isn't that significant in the short haul but does point to a different Iran in the long term, a continuing wearing down of the crazy mullah scenario by the overwhelming majority.

Beirut is regaining its hard partying reputation as well.

Cowperson

[arsenal]

this is true.

[Looger]

Originally posted by fotze@Dec 13 2004, 03:46 PM
Apparently years ago Iran was one of the most cosmopolitan progressive countries when the persians were running the show. Then the zealots came into power.

it was... in the cities.

the rural masses still held to traditional values and wealth/power came to equal western corruption by the people, as the urban overlords were selling out oil rights to the western world.

thus modern equaled corrupt, actually quite truly.

the roots for the revolution were repressed for a long time but change was in the air.

the people at large weren't anywhere near as extreme as khomeini, this can be seen in the gradual liberalization of their society in the last 25 years.

it is happening, but it doesn't happen between commercial breaks so many in the west think it is slow or not happening at all.

shame.