Science fiction take on the future of Mid-East media

By Cory Doctorow at 8:25 am Saturday, May 13

Gonzo sf author Chris Nakashima-Brown has a lovely, snort-milk-out-your-nose-funny story in RevolutionSF called "Welcome Back, Qatar," about the shenanigans that media consultants and culture jammers find themselves getting up to in the battle for the media of the Middle-East:

"Right. Thank you, Mr. Vice President. It's like this. There's more to life than CNN and Al Jazeera. That narrative is way too heavy. People need an escape from the drudgery. They need a few laughs."

The Prince crossed his arms.

"The idea is to present the contemporary Arab experience through the vehicle of our best media product configurations. You'll be amazed how well people can be anesthetized from the pain of a bad day by twenty-two minutes of situational comedy."

One of the grand viziers produced a Siemens Weltmeister 9000 cell phone from beneath his robe and scrolled for a speed-dial.

"And if we can put together some sure-fire hits, there's serious revenue for the Kingdom on top of the cultural pacification. Example. The biggest thing these days is reality shows. You can do regular lives of famous people, a la The Osbournes – move a camera crew in with a colorful member of the royal family. Or regular people in extraordinary situations. Think Survivor: Guantanamo Bay."

Link (Thanks, Chris!)