Iraq gets an extra dose of reality — on TV

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So far, the show has avoided offending the religious establishment.

When the top-rated, Lebanese show “Star Academy” appeared in 2003, it drew sharp criticism on many Islamic Web sites. Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti denounced the show as an open invitation to sin and instructed Muslims not to watch it. The Dubai-based MBC television pulled the plug on an Arabic version of “Big Brother” two years ago after similar criticism.

The Iraqi producers of “Fame and Fortune” have avoided the problem by sending the participants home at night. Kadhem said sleeping over at the same house wouldn’t have conformed to Iraqi traditions, “plus there was simply no need for that — the tasks do not require it.”

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When a participant is voted off, there’s none of the passionate hugging and kissing common on “Star Academy.” Instead, women shake hands with male contestants who survive the cut, offering a simple “mabrouk,” or “congratulations.”

Nonetheless, slick Western production methods are evident in every aspect of the show — from the trademark IKEA interiors, more reminiscent of a New York studio than traditional Iraqi tastes, to commercials advertising the show with Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” in the background.

Pig tails and tight jeans
In his spoof newscast, Fadhel pretended to talk to Aseel Essam, “the correspondent on scene.” Her hair in pig tails, Essam sported tight Bermuda jeans and a baby blue, body-hugging top.

That may seem simple. But producers say it’s tough to produce a show like this in Iraq. Eighty percent of the shooting is indoors. The few outdoor scenes are shot in “working-class neighborhoods known to be safe,” Kadhem said. He refused to identify them for security reasons.

The soon-to-be-stars also take their own precautions.

Soha Sadeq, 24, said she doesn’t put on makeup until she arrives at the studio to avoid problems from Islamic zealots on the street. “It’s better that way, to keep a low profile and not attract attention,” she said.

Fadhel, whose wife is expecting their first child in a month, said he once encountered four explosions on his way to the network’s central Baghdad studio.

“I have to practice my art,” said Fadhel, whose idols are Stanley Kubrick, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Oliver Stone. “Two things could kill me — a terrorist on the street, or not practicing my art.”

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