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Discuss this article (14 Comments)Dubai has spent the past 20 years marketing itself as a luxury holiday destination for wealthy, westernised, European and Asian travellers - work that has paid off with the city becoming a household name in living rooms from Hong Kong to Huddersfield.
Americans, despite direct Emirates flights beginning several years ago to New York, and more recently to San Francisco, Houston and Los Angeles, still don’t entirely grasp the Dubai brand.
All that could change in the next few weeks as global party princess Paris Hilton is in town filming a series of Paris Hilton BFF for music television channel MTV.
Or will it?
So far, Ms Hilton has not worked too hard at breaking down the stereotypical image of a modern Arab state. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, a popular late night talk show host in the United States, she laughed off suggestions that only her eyes would be visible when dressed for Dubai, but went on to joke that she would be wearing a burkha.
More seriously, and I’m sure much to the annoyance to the generous Dubai people that are hosting her, she said that “they are very strict”, and “the rules are crazy out there”.
She eventually corrected Kimmel by saying that in Dubai “they are a little bit more lenient than anywhere else,” but undid the recovery by saying that she would not wear the perfectly charming little black dress she was wearing on the talk show.
In all, the interview could have been talking about Hilton going to Taliban-ruled Kabul, rather than the Las Vegas of the Middle East, Dubai.
See for yourself and let me know what you think.
The problem with Americans on these chat shows is they are always trying to be funny for the audience and people watching at home. I remember seeing George Clooney on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno when Clooney was promoting Syriana which was filmed in Dubai. He told Jay “You don’t realize how those people really don’t like us over there until you experience it” which was all said in “ha-ha” manner, but the average American does not know that Mr. Clooney was treated like royalty while he was in Dubai. Instead of educating Americans about Dubai celebrities are more concerned about being funny, even if what they say is far from the truth.
When you base a culture almost entirely on 15 second sound bites as in the US it is no surprise that the Paris Hiltons get so much play.
Whoever is foolish enough in Dubai to be spending their folding money on hosting this empty vessel should be ashamed that they themselves don’t understand Brand Dubai.
If they think bringing a woman who made her name from a deliberately leaked sex video to Dubai supports the brand, then they are much mistaken.
Americans don’t get the Gulf, because it contrasts with their preconceived idea of Iraq etc. and is also “somewhere near Israel”, which confuses them further.
Also, since Dubai has striven to offer virtually the same shallow glitz of Las Vegas with zero cultural sensitivity, what point would there be for Americans to visit in droves? You can shop in Dallas as well.
But it isn’t just Americans who don’t get Brand Dubai, it is Dubai itself that doesn’t know what it wants to be. You can’t mix Babylon and burkas.
Joe, I’m afriad you are spot on right…..
Many people and celebrities and businessmen and leaders come and go.
Why then the prestige of coverage as of a President is being conferred upon such an intellect which doesn’t contribute in none but glamour which at the end of the day is dependent on age.
Paris is not adding value to the economies, education, eradication of poverty; why then such a coverage to woo common people to admire which could be better off only on TVs to be heard once and no more..?
Part of the problem is commentators describing Dubai as ‘the Las Vegas of the Middle East’.
Why use Las Vegas as a point of reference?
Perhaps, in comparison to other states and cities in the Middle East, Dubai is the loudest, shiniest and most brash.
But when you use a description like that, people such as Paris Hilton will hear “it’s like Las Vegas”, and they won’t hear the second part of the sentence, “…of the Middle East”.
Ms Hilton is quite right to point out that she would not wear this dress in Dubai.
For example, Mall of the Emirates has clear signage at all entrances that alerts visitors to the fact that the dress code must be ‘respectful’, with knees upwards covered, and neck downwards.
So I think it is unfair to suggest she is misrepresenting Dubai as far as that goes. The rules on dress are quite conservative in this respect.
Why didn’t her “people” do a little research about Dubai before sending her out to this show to make a fool out of herself? A burkha? Come on! Why does anyone even care that she is coming? She’s a rich girl…big deal.
This interview should be very embarassing for her. I hope she recants when she sees what Dubai is like. Doof.
I agree with celebrities saying things about how ‘’strict” Dubai is for the sake of being funny.. but really - its not that funny (hardly anyone even laughed at paris’s jokes). If Brand Dubai wants to make a statement to the leeman of America they should get Oprah down here to do a segment on Dubai. Now that will have a entertaining and educational effect on the people
You guys have to remember that its Paris Hilton, she feels to good for any location that she is in.
I’m from the U.S. and I’m not an arrogant bitchy person because of it. I don’t believe that everyone hates Americans, but obviously there are some people in this forum that are just as prejudiced about Americans as they think Americans are about them. Not every individual is as people think they are, just because they are from a certain country. Discrimination goes both ways, and exist on many levels, even when people do not realize it, they might be judging on ethical, racial, national, etc. background.
[...] it up with in the largely conservative city. But don’t worry, she’s prepared. Hilton recently said Dubai is “very strict” and “the rules are crazy out [...]
of course she’s going to say Dubai is strict… and of course people will know what that mean since its coming from PARIS HILTON.
She live a life of madness.. she’s crazy, everyone knows that in the US, and when she say a place is strict that means there is no acting dumb and not no having fun. because acting dumb is the only thing she’s good at.
i’m not being a hater to Paris Hilton or anything.. i’m just stating something that should be known to the writer of this article.
dubai is las vegas of middle east?!!!! r u kiding me???
las vegas is a city thats never asleep, it means partying, casinos, top noch nightclubs, glamourous and trendy partying… i think this describtion is more fit to beirut…take a tour in dubai late at night and a tour in beirut…ull see what i mean….
dubai lacks the spirit or culture of such an ambience… its just nice high concrete with no spirit at all…
Paris Hilton’s comments on Dubai are totally ignorant, no westerner is ever expected to wear a Burka in Dubai, and they are treated like royalty. Dubai respects the tourist from wherever they hail, it is what Marbella was 20 years ago and we should say thank you! Sad to see that she has turned Dubai into the Islamic Republic of Iran, but what could she possibly know? She made a name being out of sorts in her own Country, so good luck understanding another.
i enjoyed reading all these responses, and agree joe,koko, jane, alla, george etc, . It is just so typical, the entire situation… and almost a shame it is being done in Dubai where it’s so westernised (barely anyone speaks arabic in the city) that she, her fans and followers, will glean very little about the arab culture. I bet you $100 there will be a part in the show, if it goes ahead, where she will hug a girl in a burka (a possible ‘bff’) after talking about friendship, then will offer her some lipstick in order to seal the bond, and this will be highlighted as her contribution to world peace. Puke.