In Dubai, ‘Freej’ Stars Superheroes Who Are Little Old Grannies (NYTimes) – Before long Mr. Harib was being praised as the Matt Groening and the Seth MacFarlane of the Middle East. These references to the creators of “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy” are not lost on Mr. Harib, who noted that he was named to a local business publication’s list of the world’s 100 most influential Arabs. But the show never attempts the risqué humor of American cartoon sitcoms. Instead it tackles hot topics like wedding traditions and bribery in a distinctly Arab way, sometimes merely hinting at issues.
Bruce Handy on Mad Men (Vanity Fair) – Inside its meticulous reconstruction of the precipice that was New York advertising circa 1960, where the men and women of Sterling Cooper smoke, drink, love, and lie, the author learns about the struggle of Mad Men creator (and former Sopranos writer) Matthew Weiner, the casting of Jon Hamm and January Jones as Don and Betty Draper, and the obsession that fuels each episode.
