Fiftyfiftylb - sisters are doin' it for themselves

So now that Lebanon has a new president and a new prime minister, and no I am not going to go through the hyperboles that everyone is suggesting simply because the road ahead is long and hard in front of them the time has come for the - usually incredibly difficult - task of choosing the ministers with everyone who is anyone in Lebanese political parties wanting to nominate this and that for this and that ministry which creates an equilibrium which is akin to walking on eggshells.

Now, truth be told, with a major political party having suffered a massive retreat (no names, but come on) perhaps, just perhaps, the equation might be a little easier, though no guarantee. Still Fiftyfifty - a feminist organization (here as a positive example, here as a so-so one) - is calling for many potential female candidates (which I assure you are no worse than men considering our current specimens since several decades) to be part of the government (sure some examples are questionable to be honest, I am not naming anyone but some of these females have been accused of police brutality and tainted in corruption folders in the past, so am not sure they merit their place on the list).

Still, it would be lovely to see female representatives in the government, for as I said, their work could be much better than their male counterparts.

Nike and that opportunistic pregnant women ad

Is the new Nike ad about pregnant athletes great?

Yes.

Does it feature pregnant and lactating athletes?

It does.

Is is opportunistic?

Like hell it is.

Why?

Hear me out.

Ever heard of Olympians Alysia Montano and Kara Gouche?

Well, their contract with Nike did not include protections as to their pregnancies and new mothers role.

You might enjoy this Op-Ed in the New York Times. In short - Nike is redeeming itself because people either do not know the story, or have short memories, or like their brands on the right side of history (here's looking at you Kaepernik, LGBT, Women, etc...).

And so here we are, the ad is good. But honestly, too ethically low following the initial backlash.

Annahar subverts women's stereotypes

 Annahar is subverting stereotypes about women. Boldly and smartly.

"Girls should not stay out late", "Women talk too much", "Women should know their place" - the respective images tell the other story. The long copy, which trust me is exceptionally hard to do, tells the fuller story. The ads are really good. The problem? What is their target audience? To whom are they addressed? Are they done for the awards season or do they have a real target in mind. If I ask, it is because Nayla Tueni (CEO of Annahar) went to Cyprus to have a civil marriage instead of fighting for civil marriages here in Lebanon (when she was a member of the parliament no less!), which prompted me to write the piece that made it to her Wikipedia entry "what's so civil about this marriage?" - so Mrs Tueni Maktabi cannot have it both ways. My verdict? These are ads made for awards, no more, no less.