Forgetfulness is a problem that affects the best of us; it could be old age, lack of mental training, fatigue, a busy schedule, or simply that our brain doesn't retain a lot of information.
In Egyptian singer Sherine Abdel-Wahab's case, no answer is found. She's been getting in trouble almost yearly for controversial statements and "jokes" that are apparently not that popular among everyone. That's another story, as no one can ever please "everyone" ... that's a lot of people with opposing mentalities and opinions.
Putting that aside, her comments while on stage are often received, in general, quite negatively. Yet, she doesn't seem to remember this fact.
On Saturday, she performed in the ongoing Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia for the second time in less than two weeks. During her performance, she made time to call out those who criticized her for asking women "to listen to men" in her previous appearance in Saudi Arabia, a country where women continue to fight for their rights. Instead of apologizing over her unacceptable sexist remarks, she said those upset by them were a "bunch of spinsters."
Before performing a song titled El Watar El Hassas - the same track after which she made her controversial comments last month - Abdel-Wahab said:
"Last time, they got upset and launched a hashtag because I told women they should listen to men. OK, men are sugar and honey. I don't know what upset them, I am sure they're just a bunch of spinsters."
The singer tried to appease women in the audience later on by saying they're strong and beautiful ... but that simply didn't work.
After the singer's latest remarks, people sent out tweets through the same hashtag launched in the wake of her previous concert: #ShutUpSherine.
Abdel-Wahab will probably get upset over the criticism again, but what does she expect? She goes on stage in a country where women have long been battling a system that treats them as second-class citizens and thinks they'll be fine with her belittling, offending, and insulting them?
She calls those upset by her remarks "spinsters" as if it's an insult. Arab women have been fighting against what this derogatory remark stands for yet she wants to simply laugh it off?
The singer thought she could belittle the women criticizing her by calling them "3awanes." Well, we're sorry to break it to her, but the remark backfired because labeling a woman a spinster doesn't take away from who she is. This should go without saying but there seems to be a need to reiterate seeing that an influential female Arab artist with millions of fans still doesn't get it.
Ask the women who've faced abuse if men are "honey and sugar"
As if the "spinsters" comment wasn't enough, the Egyptian artist also told women in the audience that men are "honey and sugar." Abdel-Wahab uttered these words in a country where millions of women continue to suffer with men abusing their rights under the kingdom's male guardianship system.
She made this specific comment when she knows it isn't true. Of course not all men are the same and many stand with women in their fight for equality but to generalize their goodness is just ridiculous.
Why? Go ask the women who fought abuse. Go ask women fighting for custody, batting for their rights, struggling to get divorces, and are terrified over reporting domestic violence. Go ask the women who were killed in the name of honor if men are "honey and sugar."
Abdel-Wahab thinks she has the right to insult women while dubbing her small on-stage talk as "light-hearted."
To that, we have one response: No, Sherine, you don't get to pass off your sexist remarks as jokes in a world where women are sacrificing everything to win their most basic of rights.