Thread: Why does Saad love his donkey?

It's a cute donkey, but is there any meaning here besides a silly song? Googling around, I learned that in Egypt as much of the rest of the world, donkeys symbolize being stupid and stubborn, but also that they are closely associated with the lower classes, who depend on them even today for transportation of stuff and labor. The anthropologist in me wants to launch into interpretive theories, but I thought I'd see if anyone with any, you know, actual knowledge had any insights

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcJpUL9Ch2Q"]YouTube - Dina in film, 2006 سعيد الصغير و دينا[/ame]

I also learned via google that a bride was divorced from her husband on her wedding day because she sang this song to him in front of the wedding guests. Either she really misread her man, or she knew exactly what she was doing...

The donkey sings and dresses in drag -- I'd hug him too! ;)

He MUST be integral to the story. Do you know the name of the film?

Originally Posted by nasila

The donkey sings and dresses in drag -- I'd hug him too! ;)

He MUST be integral to the story. Do you know the name of the film?

I haven't been able to find any context for the clip. I did find some reference to the song in an Al-Ahram article about donkey rights activists:

"Hey, donkey," sang Saad El-Soghayar -- urban folk singer- turned movie star, "I love you . " And the movie viewers were shocked to see the most open expressions of such a feeling on screen: the singer saluting the donkey, caressing and even kissing it while, in the course of the song itself, he enumerated its virtues and condemned the abuse to which it is routinely subjected. Perhaps this was a box-office trick, perhaps El-Soghayar had genuine feelings for the donkey. In either case it struck a truthful chord.

Maybe he just likes animals.

I just love this video!!!!

I just love Saad!!!

great question. i don't have an answer.
i hope it is an animal rights activism message as Badriya al Badi'a suggested.

i hope it is nothing like the ending of "good luck chuck"
[if you have seen the movie. eeeeeeww!]

thanks for this great clip. while I don't have an answer, I do have a smile on my face from watching it!..g.:

I would like to offer the donkey some constructive criticism:

You need more energy when you perform. Your energy should match that of the dancers around you. You might feel more comfortable and connect with your audience if you practice more.

With regard to costuming, the long fringe over your nose is not flattering to your figure and draws the audiences eyes away from your best feature, your ears.

While many dancers lipsync along with the singer, if you are actually going to sing, be sure you stay with the rhythm and in tune. Some of your braying was just a little off-key and behind the beat.

I liked your song choice a lot!

Originally Posted by mish_mish

I would like to offer the donkey some constructive criticism:

You need more energy when you perform. Your energy should match that of the dancers around you. You might feel more comfortable and connect with your audience if you practice more.

With regard to costuming, the long fringe over your nose is not flattering to your figure and draws the audiences eyes away from your best feature, your ears.

While many dancers lipsync along with the singer, if you are actually going to sing, be sure you stay with the rhythm and in tune. Some of your braying was just a little off-key and behind the beat.

I liked your song choice a lot!

..l;, ..l;, ..l;, ..l;, ..l;,

Originally Posted by mish_mish

I would like to offer the donkey some constructive criticism:
...
With regard to costuming, the long fringe over your nose is not flattering to your figure and draws the audiences eyes away from your best feature, your ears.
...

gives new meaning to "assel"

LOL!!!

Just reading the title of this thread, I thought, "What man doesn't have a fondness for ass?"

Here's an example of a donkey who has upped the energy level a bit:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h44VYryM4OM"]YouTube - Dancing Donkey 2[/ame]

Originally Posted by badriya_al_ahmar

... in Egypt as much of the rest of the world, donkeys symbolize being stupid and stubborn, but also that they are closely associated with the lower classes, who depend on them even today for transportation of stuff and labor.

...or maybe it means 'ass' there, too. hyuk hyuk ,r:;

Originally Posted by mish_mish

I would like to offer the donkey some constructive criticism:

You need more energy when you perform. Your energy should match that of the dancers around you. You might feel more comfortable and connect with your audience if you practice more.

With regard to costuming, the long fringe over your nose is not flattering to your figure and draws the audiences eyes away from your best feature, your ears.

While many dancers lipsync along with the singer, if you are actually going to sing, be sure you stay with the rhythm and in tune. Some of your braying was just a little off-key and behind the beat.

I liked your song choice a lot!

muahahaha - this was the funniest...l;,

also Badriya, will you please dance to this song soon? Unless you think it will cause a divorce. :-)

mish-mish, you rock! ..l;,..l;,..l;, I almost spit Hawaiian Punch all over my monitor!

If we allow donkeys to dance poorly, we are only hurting ourselves in the long run.

It may be an animal rights thing, I don't know. However, I do know that in Egypt calling someone a donkey is a real insult, implying someone is stooopid, stubborn, ignorant, offensive <- pick one or "all of the above". As for the man who divorced his bride at the wedding, I suspect she knew exactly what she was doing. EVERYone there knows that calling someone "humaar" (donkey) is an insult.

I heard the lyrics were a sort of metaphore......it's about Egypt's president.that's what my egyptian friends told me! Dunno if that's true

How do you spell metaphore anyways? is it right?

Originally Posted by LILI GAMAL

I heard the lyrics were a sort of metaphore......it's about Egypt's president.that's what my egyptian friends told me! Dunno if that's true

How do you spell metaphore anyways? is it right?

They *usually* call Mubarak "the Laughing Cow" because he kinda looks like the cow on the label... but Egyptians love naughty political humor, so this certainly sounds believable, Lili!

From an Arab speaker, the song is about a man who makes his living from the work of his donkey, so he loves his donkey because it provides him with his living. Dunno if it's political :-)

poor donkey. his picture is in the dictionary next to "please make it stop."

i think he sings this to a donkey because if you did this with a horse, it would freak out.

Originally Posted by mish_mish

I would like to offer the donkey some constructive criticism:
You need more energy when you perform. Your energy should match that of the dancers around you. You might feel more comfortable and connect with your audience if you practice more.

you're just mean. that's a baby dancer donkey - where do you get off ripping a new dancer down like that? you think you're such a big shot, let's see how confident you are when you're on the same stage as Dina.
and how do you know the poor thing wasn't forced to wear that cozzie, so as not to show up Dina's figure? huh? you're just living in a box and can't see outside your own feeble concepts of beauty. some people think nose tassels are cute!
you're just jealous because this new dancer got a great opportunity to appear with Dina.

eye M a jelus donkee h8tr.

Originally Posted by mish_mish

eye M a jelus donkee h8tr.

..l;, ..l;, ..l;,

Loved all the creative replies, they were each and every one of them helpful ,r:;

I did find a couple of clips on YouTube of slideshows of Mubarek and his advisors and family members set to this song, so I'd guess it is indeed political, sort of a "hey you ass, be good to the people, it's their hard work that keeps the country going." That is the anthropologist in me theorizing, it can't help it And hey, you never know: maybe some people will be nicer to their donkeys after hearing the song. At least get them more flattering costumes, and some voice lessons ..l;,

Seems to me it would be a very good song to have handy for when non-Arab audience members get out of line--it would give the Arab speakers in the crowd a good laugh!

OK, this little guy is seriously cute but I'm quite concerned about his virtue :Aohmy:

A lot of Sha'abi songs have double meanings or even triple meanings. The overt meaning is the simple, often silly one (and animals do seem to figure quite often) the other layers are sexual and political.

In a repressive regime such as in Egypt, it's a way for ordinary people to express their frustration with their lot and their anger with the ruling class.

So yes, you're right to try and read other meanings into it...

Maybe he's having a romantic relationship with his favorite donkey. .w.:

Originally Posted by Mark Balahadia

Maybe he's having a romantic relationship with his favorite donkey. .w.:

Naughty Mark!

..l;, ..l;,

Originally Posted by Mark Balahadia

Maybe he's having a romantic relationship with his favorite donkey. .w.:

..l;, ..l;, ..l;,
that's what i thought!

A few quick observations: I read Tom Robbins' "Skinny Legs and All" so I know that the ass is actually a representative of Pales, the ass god for whom Palestine is named. This is obviously a subconscious reference to the Pagan Wimmin time that is all around us.

The man in the bridle? I've seen pony boys (don't ask, my retinas are still scarred) but this "donkey-boy" speaks of a humiliation fetish that crosses the line.

The obviously Arabic man wearing a Brazil sweatshirt shocks me. Such self-loathing! Never mind the donkey love, he needs help accepting himself.

I grew up around horses. You want to know what kind of woman wears shoes like that in a barn? Not the kind you'd want to marry!

Thanks for a fun video!

Kitty