Oprah, Come and See for Yourself

I have no idea what the incidence of spousal abuse is in Saudi vs. anywhere else, I think the writer makes a valid point about media stereotypes...

Oprah, Come and See for Yourself: "I received an e-mail entitled "Thank you Oprah, But We're Proud to be Saudi." The e-mail dealt with a petition from a group of Saudi girls who went online to register their disappointment with the negative presentation of Saudi women on Oprah's show.
Last week, MBC broadcast one of Oprah's programs about women around the world; it featured women from many countries, each talking about something in her country that was different from American culture. Most women talked about society, culture, fashion, food and friendships. When it came to Saudi women, however, it moved to the issues Saudi women face.
The issues were: Not being able to drive, having to have male legal guardian and having to cover their faces. So far, so good; these are all issues Saudi women face and we've had endless discussions in the Saudi press about them.
The program featured an interview with Rania Al-Baz, the Saudi TV presenter who was battered by her husband several months ago; the Saudi press presented her case to the world. Every Saudi who watched the program was dismayed that the image of the Saudi woman, in contrast to all the others, was negative, as if to say, "Hello Everybody. I am a Saudi woman and I come from a country where the national sport is wife-beating!"