Page 152 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

IDEOLOGICAL APPROACH

people—doctors, intellectuals, musicians—and we have a singer. Ammar,
too, is a defender of the people.” 1
Super Star II became a major source of disagreement among Palestin-
ian political factions. The militant organization Hamas criticized the pro-
gram as a diversion from the Palestinian struggle. And the fundamentalist
Islamic Action Front issued a statement condemning the program: “We
urge official and popular parties to put an end to this sad comedy. [This
show] facilitates the culture of globalization led by America to change
the cultural identity of the people.” However, the Palestinian Author-
2
ity praised the program for calling attention to the political situation in
Palestine. In an advertisement, the Palestinian Ministry of Culture in
Gaza declared, “The creative art can participate in the life of the people
and its struggle for freedom and independence. Let’s shout with one
voice: Ammar Hassan is the Super Star.” Before the finals, Hassan’s
3
father even received a telephone call of support from Palestinian leader
Yasser Arafat.
As Hassan sang a song about Jerusalem, men and women gathered
around a huge screen set up in Unknown Soldier Square, weeping and
waving the Palestinian flag. When asked on the show why his tone is so
sorrowful, Hassan replied, “I can’t separate myself from the situation
of my people.” 4
In a subsequent interview, Hassan admitted that as a boy in Salfit,
he had thrown stones at Israeli soldiers. And he declared that he could
now use his sudden celebrity more effectively as a form of social
activism:

Do you think throwing stones will lead to victory? There is no victory
with ignorance. I want to reflect a human image of the Palestinian people,
that despite all the difficulties we face, we exist, that there are people like
me, and that creativity is our weapon. It’s good to remind people what is
going on in Palestine, but I want to say that through art and music. We
can serve the cause, not vice versa. 5

Significantly, the format of Superstar II reinforced a prodemocratic
ideology. Viewers were able to vote via email or text message from all
over the world, including Europe and the United States. On the final
show, Hassan was announced as the winner, defeating a Libyan singer
by a margin of victory of 52 percent to 48 percent. Rami Khouri, editor
of the Beirut Daily Star, announced that the program was a victory for
the democratic process:

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