Monday 11 February 2008

Come On Eileen

You're everyone's favourite and most respected PR exec in Dubai, so why are you lowering yourself to the Ahlan! Shit 100?

It's a shame betting's forbidden in Dubai, or we could run a book here on what spectacularly crap nonentities will slime themselves into the list this year (along with a few token charidee people to show us that being Shit! Hot! is not just about being driven around in Neil Petch's wankmobile).

On a more serious note, if you're bored of London then you're probably bored of Dubai. Because Dubai is just London (but crapper) and ten years too late. The rise and decline of London as a pan-Arab media hub is the most prophetic synopsis of Dubai's media scene ever penned [our bold]:

In its heyday, London was home to scores of Arabic publications of diverse provenance, function and quality: From lavishly-subsidised journals with pretensions to a worldwide readership, political publications of every persuasion and cheaply-printed dissident tracts, to glossy lifestyle magazines, sophisticated cultural titles and mischievous (or merely mercenary) gossip-purveyors.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting to read Daniel Camara's entry:

"Arriving in Dubai as CEO of Moutamarat, Daniel headed the organisation."

Hmmm, it looks like Daniel's "forgotten" his time at super PR agency Asda'a... 2004 if I recall?

Anonymous said...

Aw, come on, at least the perennially lovely Eileen was called only to judge the Twat 100 rather than appear and scribble those dreadful testimonials about themselves like last year.

Does anyone know who chooses these sycophants in the first place, and what prompts the dimwits to accept?

Inquiring minds are interested?

anon_mediator said...

I'm guessing the editorial team at Ahlan / ITP have a say, as wellas the sales guys, since there's always a correlation between advertising and some of the people included. This year's 100 looks pretty different to previous years (a lot of the usual suspects are missing - bet they are devastated).

Anonymous said...

Gutted to see Neil Petch wasn't in it this year ....

Anonymous said...

to anon at 0922 - yep, she's lovely, but shouldn't support this kind of crap... hope some of her clients were in it, so at least she can count the clippings ....

nzm said...

Nothing new in this report, but an interesting comprehensive piece of journalism:

Darker side of UAE: Journalists work under constant threat of deportation

Anonymous said...

Regarding the above report: "Dubai as a place "where adventurers play the world’s most dangerous games: Gold, sex, oil... and war."

Ironically the book has been out of print for decades now.

Not at all ironic actually as the book was unbelievably shit and it sold nowhere, it's shitness is matched only by 2005's Dubai Creek.

secretdubai said...

Not at all ironic actually as the book was unbelievably shit and it sold nowhere, it's shitness is matched only by 2005's Dubai Creek.

Oh come now - are you seriously trying to suggest that Fitz Lodd savouring the delights of Laila Smith's "pubescence" (and I quote) wasn't worthy of a Nobel Prize for Literature?

Anonymous said...

I presume "Sunil Wannabe" of 14:15 is what is known as a "disgruntled former employee".
I'm starting a book on his/her identity, and will lay odds of 6-4 that the initials are NL.

Anonymous said...

Is Mary Serafin (date of birth 1939), wife of Robert and ITP director (date of birth 1955) on the list?

Anonymous said...

Wow, what an on the ball thread. You are all aware that Petch left ITP ages ago, right? Therefore I would assume that his influence was non-existent.

Anonymous said...

we know Neil left ITP (he's rumoured to have returned to Dubai in a blaze of glory) but it doesn't mean he and his posh cars and model fiancee couldn't have appeared in the top 100. In theory.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Kudos to whichever talented ITP designer did the photoshop job on that pic of Eileen. They've knocked about 20 years off her.

ps. This is not meant as a slight against EW. She is lovely. I just appreciate talent when I see it.

Anonymous said...

Probably the same designer who did such a sterling job photoshopping Petch's masculine jawline into place in the Hot 100 the other year.

Has anyone been contacted by Petch's new outfit, btw? They are on the scrounge for staffers.

What an opportunity

If only I could pitch for Petch, kneel to Neil.

Anonymous said...

What outfit is that?

Anonymous said...

apparently, petch is setting up shop with emirates neon, and is planning to publish a newspaper and a load of magazines.

Anonymous said...

a cowboy outfit?
oh sorry, that's motivate...

Anonymous said...

Petch run a newspaper? What a laugh! I still remember the STINK he got himself in when one of his former staff left and launched 7Days (the original weekly). He ran around Dubai slagging the guy off so much several advertisers actually bought ads in 7Days based on how paranoid Petch was.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
mediamonster said...

Previous comment edited for legal reasons:

Anonymous said...

Georgie McCourt (and others) left Harper's Bazaar Dubai to escape [removed].

Georgie transfered to Time Out magazine.

[removed] is now at the plastic surgery rag www.brandnewyoumagazine.com

mediamonster said...

Comment edited:

---------
Anonymous said...

Just out of curiosity, what's going on over at Harper's Bazaar? Is Georgie McCourt still there? Whatever happened with [removed]?
14 February, 2008 10:36