Yes Lebanese viewer, the choice is yours.
As gun battles raged through the streets of Saida, some channels sent reporters into the conflict zone with helmets and bullet proof vests:
But on MTV, one of Lebanon’s biggest news broadcasters, the action was on the red carpet:
For the annul Murex TV awards.
Meanwhile the fighting began to spread to Tripoli with road blockages and machine gun fire. LBC finally broke away from this ridiculous variety show:
And brought us live images from the country’s second largest city:
MTV was also live, but they were more interested in this actress’s Elie Saab dress:
Meanwhile in Saida, the gun battles intensified into mortar battles. Smoke billowed over the city as an army tank was struck by RPGs with some four soldiers reported dead.
Al Jadeed’s reporter was hearing gunfire all around him:
But what about that Elie Saab dress? The hostesses were still in awe.
The discrepancy was perhaps best captured by MP Hadi Hobeish, who was present at Murex. He paid condolences to the fallen soldiers but also thanked MTV for continuing to broadcast the show despite the battles.
“This (event) shows the civilized Lebanon… the true Lebanon,” he said on the red carpet.
I’m not sure what is worse. That Lebanon’s “civilization” can be measured by a glitzy, silicon-infused awards gala or that a member of Parliament was actually encouraging us to ignore the ongoing crisis and enjoy the show.
35 comments
I am actually one of the boobs you refer to! I’m not Lebanese but my love and respect for this country are immeasurable. Sadly, there is always conflict in Lebanon and part of the reason I love this country so much is because people cope and deal with this in their stride and get on with their lives. I am an active humanitarian and find your comments highly insulting! We as presenters of COURSE feel sad for all that is happening BUT the burning question I have for you……do you want to watch morbid news all the time?! I have enough of sad reports….why can’t Lebanon enjoy an annual event such as Murex? Trust me, I think I speak for the majority of the country when I say, let’s show the world we are STILL living in harmony despite some conflict. We all have our opinions, I’m not going to bash yours. Just simply say……let’s see some happy images as opposed to misery all the time!
Tara, that is the most insulting comment I have ever heard in my life…You think if the army in the US is getting shot at by some muslim fanatics in NYC, they will continue the MUREX show on TV? The problem with society is that there are people like you that don’t care about anything else but material…So sad and thank god you are not Lebanese
She’s totally right! We had enough!!!
Felt she respects Lebanon more thn some Lebanese does :s Somthn that only educated people would understand…
Extremely proud of u Tara 🙂
I don’t get the article point
Tara , your post was excellent and you made some great points, I feel the need to apologize on behalf of the ignorant fools that agree with the article, even though it doesn’t concern me at all I was also extremely insulted by it. Continue being a great humanitarian, thank you:)
YOUR RIGHT
We want boobs, you want bombs.
Lol.. You Lebanese are fake as fuck!!!
WE want Life ! they want war ! SO FUCK OFF 🙂
if you want life, pay support for the leb army protecting you from terrorists. that’s how you live.
Oh no need! These people just escape to their other homes in Paris or Canada in case anything happens! Who needs the army when it’s more honorable to show other countries “who wore it best” than to honor fallen soldiers for one night and just postpone the event to next sunday!!
Tara, maybe experiencing death of close friends or relatives would put some emotions in your heart and some brains in your empty skull. MTV Lebanon is not the same as the other world wide well knows MTV which is about pure entertainment and diversion. MTV Lebanon is a current affairs and political channel above anything else. The entertainment section comes as an airtime filler. They would not have a news department of their own otherwise. This said, it falls upon MTV to cover all the serious life threatening news when it is happening rather than cover some entertaining insignificant event, in an attempt to keep making money by charging for ad time and so on. You want to see happy images as opposed to misery all the time, then tune in to an entertainment channel or get yourself invited to that event – you said you have the boobs, you can find your way to front row easily.
pathetic, lebanese guys are so ugly
This all comes down to bran versus doughnuts.
Not everyone wants to eat bran every day. And not everyone wants to eat doughnuts every day.
It is OK to escape and look at boobs/video games/funny movies/reality tv etc. It’s OK people, look at boobs! Life IS beautiful.
Mourning on the lives of dead soldiers who are battling extremists to keep Lebanon a free country (a country where you can continue to go out and show off your boobs and thighs) and empathizing with people under the bombs in Saida or Tripoli is called “respect” and “savoir être”, which you obviously don’t have Ms. Tara anc Co. MTV could have played some classical music if it were to change from the drama and violence and stressful news on TV.
And please, Oh please, do NOT classify yourself as humanitarian. You bring shame to my profession.
Habib, I was wondering the same thing about this idiot Hboeish, this country is going to shit with people like him and all 99.9% of these douche bags in parliament. We like the boobs, but MTV just ignored the news, they could’ve easily replayed it later. I just lost so much respect for their credibility as a news agency.
Roger , that was a rude comment to give Tara…. people are entitled to their opinions. She is sad and loves our country….you should respect that….Roger, I am one of the many people who lived during the 20 year Lebanese Civil war….I still carry scars from that war…. whenever the situation deteriorates these days, I have anxiety attacks and fear for my children who are growing up here…I am desperate to cling to something which is positive as Tara is doing….I love our army very much and it is the only group I support …. I mourn their losses….but do not crucify us if we try to continue living….
Well, the fact is, people were dying and they still are, there is no reason for celebration or for respectable news stations to show The Murex Awards at such a time. Their first role is to spread awareness of what’s going on in the country, not display these insignificant petty events!! Roger said it perfectly I believe.
أهمّ شي التغطية المباشرة 24 على 24 حتّى لو عم نحكي شو ما كان والمراسل عم بيعيد نفس الحكي، والصور هيّي ذاتها
MALAK. SEBTA 100%
Or the Fadl Shaker approach….boobs first, then bombs.
God people you act like fucking pregnant women who have hormon distabilizations, dear god! The murex d’or is an annual event that gets people from
Across the arab world! The events started happening 1-2 hours before the start of the LIVE COVERAGE, instead of nagging like pathetic crybabies you coulve simply just not watched the show its not like they can cancel it or record and broadcast it later thats not
How live tv works, there are different setups and a lot of rehearsels that should have been done! Being insulting to Tara and other anchors isnt gonna solve the problem! You couldve watched another channel
Instead of nagging!!!!! Ps: lara scandar (elie saab dress) isnt an actress, she’s a singer you flops:)
NAILED IT. LIKE
I like to live with happiness too, but I can’t be happy if other dear people suffers and are in danger. MTV could have replayed the event for later.
NO NO YOUR WRONG AGAIN.
All this article illustrates is the close-mindedness and silliness of the author. Fanatics decide to shoot on each other, while some people decide to live their lives. The author, being a jouranlist with a highly-inflated opinion of his craft, is deluded into thinking that watching the news of murder is an obligation that somehow makes you a better person. Nonsense. The entirety of the media is a bullshit industry and using it to obtain important information about the world is stupid. Using it for watching boobs, however, is perfectly sensible. The author needs to get off his high horse and find himself a useful job, rather than just sniping at others’ free choice to not consume his crappy product.
NAILED IT. JUST NAILED IT.
Are these comments by “anonymous” or “anonyMTVmous”?… Notice how those proud of their opinions never really give their name. Hang in there Habib.
Haha, thanks Tarek. Seems so! I wonder if I should even allow totally anonymous comments. Do you?
Ironically, the attackers have accused me of ‘insulting’ or ‘disrespecting’ MTV because I have republished what they have actually said and shown on the channel. So maybe the criticism is at some level self-directed.
OK. TO START, PEOPLE HAVE PAID MONEY AND OTHERS SPENT HOURS PREPARING THIS EVENT, BUT IN AN OTHER PART OF THE COUNTRY SOME FUCKS WANTED TO SHOOT OTHER FUCKS. I AND MANY OTHER WANTED TO WATCH THE SHOW NO MATTER WHAT SOME FUCKS DECIDE TO DO.
WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT AM I TRYING TO DO. HEY HABIB, JUST GO AND FUCK YOURSELF.
SINCERELY, A FUCKING ANONYMOUS.
You’ve sent about 10 comments today all contained profane and violent language. I will only publish this one. If there is a problem with the post, please try to describe it calmly and specifically without using such language and perhaps we can have a dialogue about what you found so offensive.
Also, try to refrain from using all caps. It’s easier to read and engage in normal font and tone.
My comments were totally unmoderated up until I got a deluge of hate mail (which was personally offensive and contained blasphemy – let’s say that you have MTV whereas I have a ad agency that does the same for me). Miraculously, when I tweaked my settings and obliged commenters to use a user an ID on blogger, hate mail stopped. It seems not a lot of people have the guts to call me things in the face….
Insulting Mr Battah in this disrespectful way shows how these “anonymous” people are brainless. Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion. Stop criticizing people in this immature way.
Thanks Nada, I’m considering banning anonymous comments if this continues. If people were forced to use their real names–as I do–perhaps they would think harder about what they say.