May 25, 2010, - 2:14 pm

Atlantic Quotes Schlussel on “Sex & the City 2” Movie

By Debbie Schlussel

Over a month ago, I posted the newest trailer for the “Sex and the City 2” movie, and complained that the trailer made it look like Abu Dhabi and the rest of the United Arab Emirates are some sort of decadent Western sexual playground, when just before that a couple was sentenced to 30 days in jail for kissing in public in Dubai.

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The Atlantic (formerly known as Atlantic Monthly) quoted me with approval, noting as I had that the movie wasn’t even allowed to be filmed in Abu Dhabi and seemed like pan-Islamic propaganda for Gulf State tourism:

Sarah Jessica Parker [DS: or as we call her here at DebbieSchlussel.com, Sarah Jess-Equine Parker] had a vision. The plot of her new film, Sex and the City 2, would be set in the emirate of Dubai. The sultry resort city would be the perfect getaway destination for the franchise’s Manhattan-dwelling characters. Unfortunately for Parker, who executive-produced and starred in the film, Dubai wasn’t as welcoming as she thought it would be.

According the films [sic] producers, they worked for half a year trying to gain shooting permits in Dubai but were denied because the film’s title had the word “sex” in it. One producer told ABC News, “Half the story was originally set around Dubai,” he said. “Ski Dubai was in, the Dubai Creek was in … it was all about Dubai. They wanted the girls to be in a rich, modern Arab city.”

So instead the producers moved the film to Abu Dhabi but Dubai officials “urged Abu Dhabi to decline,” said a filmmaker. They stuck out again. The film would eventually be shot in Morocco despite the plot’s claim that they’re in Abu Dhabi.

Should Parker have known the emirates were going to be such a headache? Debbie Schlussel a film and political commentator thinks so:

It’s ironic that just after two Westerners lost their appeal of a conviction for kissing in public in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)–and have been sentenced to 30 days in jail, the new “Sex and the City 2” trailer… promotes the Emirates as a Western sex paradise and playground…And I just love how the movie shows star Sarah Jess-equine Parker finding her past love in the middle of the Arab Muslim desert. Because, hey, that always happens, right? Can’t find your long lost love from Jefferson High School . . . try looking in the Arab souk (market) on the streets of Abu Dhabi and the sands of its deserts.

Last night, I screened the movie, but can’t say what I thought of it until later, this week, when the movie debuts.  It wasn’t necessarily completely as I had predicted.  I have a lot to say, so stay tuned for my review.




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24 Responses

Why can’t America do the same as Dubai, set up laws and then follow them?

Our motto is everything goes and if you are are foreigner, you can even break the law and we will protect you!

Angie on May 25, 2010 at 2:31 pm

Hey Debbie, I first saw you on the Howard Stern Show on E, i think your amazing keep up the god job.

Jay on May 25, 2010 at 3:05 pm

“Sarah Jess-Equine Parker?” LOL, that is hilarious!! Making fun of people’s looks is always funny, but comparing her face to that of a horse? Truly original stuff. Never, ever read that before. You must be so proud!

Oh, speaking of faces…don’t you think it’s time you changed your photo in the header? I mean, a straight-shooter like yourself would never misrepresent the way she looks…right?

Again…kudos on the zing. I sure hope people don’t get upset with you, making fun of a Jewish woman like that.

Zoot on May 25, 2010 at 3:07 pm

    zoot – dood, she DOES have a bit of a horse face… and uber veiny man-hands.

    howardroark on May 25, 2010 at 5:34 pm

I think they should tell it to Inspector Tamim. He will make sure all copies of “Sex And The City 2” are banned from being imported there.

Heh

NormanF on May 25, 2010 at 3:21 pm

You mean there are enough gays and bimbos to have a sequel?

Zoot, I’m sure the ole nag Parker appreciates your concern. Me, I’ve never understood how the media hypes her as some great beauty with that homely face.

Jeff_W on May 25, 2010 at 3:21 pm

I am still sick that Aiden would be exploited again by Parker. Aiden was the ONLY GOOD THING about that show.

I am afraid to find out how the story turned out.

goldenmike4393 on May 25, 2010 at 3:44 pm

You know… the Arabian Nights – the greatest fantasy epic of classical Arab civilization has scenes that would make a hardened sailor blush. Islamists want it banned for being “too visual.” Ironically enough, the greatest consumers of pornography and the largest buyers of women for sex is the Arab World. If you can’t allow human nature to be naturally expressed, it will manifest itself through perverted channels. And “Sex And City,” whatever one thinks of it, is tame compared to what really happens behind closed doors throughout the Arab World.

NormanF on May 25, 2010 at 3:46 pm

“And I just love how the movie shows star Sarah Jess-equine Parker finding her past love in the middle of the Arab Muslim desert. Because, hey, that always happens, right?”

hah! something similar happened to me: i had an expat assignment in cologne germany from ’98 – ’01. once a month, i would have to drive from cologne down to stuttgart to review my project with my stuttgart-based manager. on one of these trips south, i stopped in a small town (can’t remember the name) near wiesbaden to have lunch. so, i’m walking around looking for a place to eat, and i hear from behind me, in english, “howard? howard roark?!”. i turn around and immediately recognized roseanne pardo, a girl i’d had a crush on since kindergarten. i’d always liked her but she was sort of average looking until h.s. when she blossomed into a swan. at that point, we were good friends and always tried to pick classes together. but, her and i never ventured further than friends because we always seemed to have a bf and/or gf in the way. back to germany: we found an irish pub and had lunch together. my first question we had for each other was “what the hell are you doing here?!”. she was there with her husband who was a career-soldier based in germany. i too was married and told her that i worked for bosch and was there on assignment. because we were both married — unlike the movies — our lifelong attraction to each other remained unconsummated : (

but it DOES happen, schlussel!

howardroark on May 25, 2010 at 4:04 pm

    Well, Germany is not Dubai. You try going out in the hinterlands and hooking up, and you and your friend would be most unpleasantly surprised.

    Worr01 on May 25, 2010 at 6:36 pm

Here a bunch of hypocritical Arabs who have sex with many women other than their controlled wives and still mention they have some sort of morals. What morals? The reason is- they are afraid if they advertise what they themselves are really guilty of, it may not make them feel as holy. Self centered, selfish, controlling, pigs!

Amedeo Bianchi on May 25, 2010 at 4:35 pm

Debbie, I cant believe you called her equine in the ATLANTIC no less…jeeeeezzz!

…so horse walks into a bar one night, the bartender says, “…so why the long face?…”

hill billy on May 25, 2010 at 4:38 pm

The Elder Of Tziyon…. just revealed Jessica Sarah Parker is guilty of a terrible Zionist crime:

She of Jerusalem Jones fame… made the made the parody “Jerusalem Jones And The Lost Afikoman.” Does Inspector Tamim of the Dubai Police know what this means?

Jessica Sarah Parker is now and forevermore known as a Zionist stooge!

NormanF on May 25, 2010 at 4:45 pm

“but it DOES happen, schlussel!”

I think comparing your experience with that of some Western blond bimbo finding her love in an Arab desert is a stretch Howie.

Yes,chance encounters happen,but I think the point is that these women wouldn’t be allowed to cavort around in Dubai as portrayed in the movie.

Ebayer on May 25, 2010 at 4:53 pm

    If you believe in love at first sight… sure some people just know who the person they are smitten with is the one they will marry. I think its a Hollywood cliche. But what do I know about love!

    NormanF on May 25, 2010 at 5:20 pm

      Yes it happens Norm and 22 years later I can tell you we’re better than ever.

      mk750 on May 26, 2010 at 10:43 am

    a bit of a stretch perhaps…

    but it was pretty freaky: out of all the people i’ve ever known i run into the girl i’d had a crush on since i was 5 in some random german town that i just happened to stop in on a whim?!

    howardroark on May 25, 2010 at 5:31 pm

Zoot, you write with a kind of a hidden or opaque seething inner weasel that you hide im guessing with a fake decieving outer grin ending in a cute little chicken shit close…cant quite put my finger on it but i tried, think i just want to bitch slap you…one good cupped hand ping to the ear…yea thats it…

hill billy on May 25, 2010 at 4:55 pm

Debbie, just another day of Islamic love and compassion for all living things. They did this in Gaza:

Donkey Detonated On Gaza Border

The cart it carried had 200 kg of TNT. The animal was killed instantly. Just give them a state and they will stop slaughtering poor defenseless donkeys!

Islamic barbarism at its cruelest!

NormanF on May 25, 2010 at 9:05 pm

Debbie, what are your thoughts on the Jewish Task force? There is growing evidence that they have been collaberating with Neo-Nazis.

http://kahanistagainstjtf.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/dissgrace-to-kahanist-jtfs-ties-to-white-supremacist/

KahanistagainstJTF on May 26, 2010 at 1:26 am

Agreed on the farce of filming ‘Sex and the City’ in the UAE, and Parker didn’t know better and more to the point, those calling the shots on greenlighting all this ie the producers didn’t know better – because they are typical entertainment business airheads who don’t have a clue about the real world and the Islamic world in particular. Actors, producers, artistes, most all writers for that matter are clueless know-nothings.

However with that said, calling Parker Jess-equine is a cheap shot, not funny and in fact it makes it hard to take you seriously here Debbie. That is assuming you even want to be taken seriously.

Larry70 on May 26, 2010 at 5:37 am

Re the movie, on the other hand we may be getting ahead of ourselves and prejudging the movie, after all only Debbie has seen it here, so let’s not rush to judgment. We may be forced to backpeddle. Debbie in fact hints a little at this above, what if the movie is in fact a kind of Trojan Horse dig at puritanical Islam?

Larry70 on May 26, 2010 at 5:48 am

This is a story, About four whoreys, In their forties, Looking for morey, Or an orgy. On a good day she has a horse face, but most of the time she’s just an ass.

Lars on May 26, 2010 at 7:59 am

me too I meet my jewish wife in Germany we were both student at Jena Uni(Thurigen).she is a wonderful nice human being her not like debbie key( as her name means in german). family accepted me as thiere son.And by the way I am from Morroco whre the movie was filmed.

muzzie_married _to_a_jew on May 26, 2010 at 10:20 am

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