HOMOPHOBIA IN THE ARAB WORLD

I've been meaning to post something on this subject for a while now, but watching an episode of Glee on TV tonight gave me the push I needed. The local Fox affiliate station here recently started showing Glee, I assume because of its popularity in the States. One interesting thing about censorship in Jordan is that few if any swear words on TV are bleeped out, that is except the word gay. For the first few bleeps I couldn't figure out what was happening, but later in the show, just as the gay character was about to come out to his friend, the show awkwardly cut to the next scene. The Fox affiliate, based out of Dubai, is bleeping and cutting out any mention of the character's gayness, despite the fact that he is obviously gay. Homosexuality is not illegal in Jordan as it is in most other Arab countries, but it is not really accepted by society either. Many people here view being gay as an act against nature and a choice of the individual. But despite these massive obstacles, Arabs still manage to be gay in completely secret and underground alternative realities. One of the top Internet sites in Jordan is a gay networking site called Manjam. And in case you're still confused, Kurt from Glee is gay. That's why he wears tiaras. I can't wait to see how they edit Will and Grace.

Breaking News: On last night's episode they bleeped out the word Jewish.

MAMDOUH BISHARAT'S SHAVING RITUAL

Not everyone has a sacred ritual for shaving, but then again, not everyone has their own private hot spring in their backyard. Mamdouh Bisharat, also known as the Duke of Mukheibeh, used to hate shaving. It was an annoying daily chore until he decided to ritualize it. Now shaving is a spiritual endeavour for him. I took photos of him during this interesting process while I was visiting his house in the extreme northwestern corner of Jordan. Seeing the beautiful Golan Heights from his backyard gave me a much deeper appreciation of why the area is so deeply contested. The Israelis have occupied this amazing piece of land since they stole it from Syria in 1967.

MEET JALAL ARIQAT

This is a piece I did for Jo magazine about artist Jalal Ariqat. Jalal is one of the most friendly and accommodating people I've met here in Jordan. He was so patient with my assistant and I during the shoot. To get the look I wanted, we wreaked havok on his studio, including covering the entire floor with the recyled materials he uses in his art. Squint and read the article here, or folllow this link.

MEET HANI ALQAM

Hani Alqam is the kind of artist that can inspire you by just being around him. Hani grew up on the other side of the tracks in a refugee camp, and his artwork finds its inspiration from a profound admiration and respect for the people he grew up with. One of his greatest joys is wandering around downtown Amman and having bizarre conversations with people. He is a self-taught artist who is continually experimenting with form and technique. His style has influenced many in both the older and newer generations of Ammani painters.

As I don't like to be associated with complete crap journalism, I've included a tear-sheet from a magazine I used to work for that has disintegrated into total rubbish in the past year, after their fantastic editor Eddie Taylor left. I took the picture of Hani used in the article, but the writer/editor was too lazy to bother calling Hani to interview him for the story. There is even a made-up quote in the article. When I showed the piece to Hani he translated it for me and was almost as pissed about it as I was. Do yourself a favor and stick with magazines in Jordan with some journalistic integrity (look hard!). Post-script: The middle picture was an idea I had that nobody seemed to like where I Photoshopped Hani to look like one of his paintings. Check out Hani's website by clicking here, and collectors, do yourself a favor and buy one of his paintings.

TOO GROSS TO PUBLISH

I recently did a photo essay for Jo magazine highlighting some of the more unusual food choices in downtown Amman. A few of my favorite pictures were deemed "too gross to publish". Thank God for blogs! My favorite picture is the top one, which features a stew of lamb intestines. Something about it almost always turns my stomach. Now that's the sign of a good photograph.

MEET BADER MAHASNEH

Bader Mahasneh is one of the more interesting artists I've ever met. After graduating from college with a degree in law, he decided to become a full-time visual artist. He knew then that just dabbling in the arts was a slippery slope that few can negotiate with any success. His major original influence, Francis Bacon, created work so much like the art that he wanted to produce that in the beginning he considered quitting. Bader is completely self-taught, and moves through mediums whenever he finds himself heading toward a definitive style. His newest approach is photography, though at first glance you might think it was a canvas. I bought one of his painting after I interviewed him and I can't stop looking at it. Check out his website by clicking here.

MORE PHOTOS FROM LAOS

Thought I would post a few more pictures from our trip to Laos. I always love discovering small details in a photo that I didn't notice when I was taking it. A good example is the boy's shirt in the bottom photo. It reads US Army and has a picture of military planes dropping bombs on two teddy bears. From 1964-1973 the US dropped over 2 million tones of bombs on Laos. Since the bombing ended, over 5700 Laotians have been killed by unexploded bombs, and about as many have been seriously injured. Laos is still in the process of locating all of the bombs and disarming them. That shirt says it all.