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What's all this about "The Arab"?


Wallenda

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Yes. I wouldn't quite say that that argument proves anything.

 

I wonder was the term 'Boss Hogg' self imposed or imposed by people who wished to make fun of him. Making fun of fat people, because their fat, isn't so Jai Dee either.

 

Is he fat? I must admit if there is one area of my Jai Dee'ness that is a little thin it's making fun of fatties. The fatness on display in america today is obscene. There is quite a bit of fatness on display around the lower suk area.

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But just out of curiosity' date=' what would the difference be between say... an 'Americanized' strip club, and an 'Austrlia-ized' strip club?

[/quote']

 

WTF is an 'Austrlia-ized' strip club?

 

Since America is so frequently a target for underhanded jabs and potshots here (and I'm not talking about the 'world according to America' thread type stuff, I enjoy that -- more of the condescending offhand comments), I was trying to figure out what an Americanized one was, and needed a marker for comparison. They have strip clubs down under right? So what makes one Americanized and what would a strip club that isn't (Americanized) be like? Forgive the spelling.

 

I like Passingthru's answer, btw. 10 points.

 

And yeah, obesity is rampant in the states. One of the good things about America (and yeah, can you believe it, there are good things), it's culturally cool to be self-deprecating and poke fun at ourselves.

 

But when people who don't live here and really don't know what it's like up close start taking shots -- that's a little different.

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Interesting how threads stray from the original subjects (not complaining; just observing). A few questions and observations:

 

1. If he is Iranian or Persian, why is he called "the Arab"?

 

2. Has anyone ever actually seen this guy? I have seen Boss Hogg, so I know he isn't a collective figment of the board's imagination (He was direct, opinionated and a bit loud, but seemed honest and straightforward. I can see, however, how he might rub people the wrong way). Taking this a step forward, has anyone had any dealings (e.g., conversations with the Arab)?

 

3. The bars people claims he owns are flashy and more expensive than other bars, but even in Thailand I don't think you can get arrested for that. Does anyone really know if he was arrested and why?

 

4. Despite the prices, I enjoy all of the bars he is supposed to own, except Kiss. I had a weird and an unpleasant experience there. Nothing major, but very annoying and I still remember it and avoid the place, which leads to my next point.

 

5. The prices are high in all of these places, but they management style seems to vary. Never had a problem in Deja Vu and will return while I probably will never return to Kiss.

 

6. If the main gripe against this guy is the changing face of Soi Cowboy and higher drink prices, that is not much of a gripe. Soi Cowboy will go upscale because of its locale and the crackdown on Nana (which now appears to be over) only escalated matters.

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1. Believe it is due to lack of clarity of him and his origins and also as rchapstick says it is used as a pejorative term.

 

2. Yes, he is a real person. He used to be on the street sitting outside of normally Deju Vu I believe - but this was last year that I saw him and was introduced by a mutual friend - but I don't know him personally.

 

His background (as I was told) was in the electronics contract manufacturing so his involvement in ownership of GoGo Bars started just recently (anyone remember the first one - believe around 2005 but don't really remember).

 

Originally I heard the rumors that the ventures were a money laundering front (from what was never mentioned) - I think mainly because all the renovations didn't actually bring in more customers.

 

Cheers!

 

 

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Interesting how threads stray from the original subjects (not complaining; just observing). A few questions and observations:

 

1. If he is Iranian or Persian, why is he called "the Arab"?

 

 

I guess, because most people neither in the West nor in LOS don't know much about the Middle East. For them the people from this area are only "ragheads" and they have no understanding that the area is highly divided and that for example the Persians (Iranians) don't like Arabs at all and therefore often point out that they are not Arabs (that's what, Faranaz, a beautiful Persian flirt explained to me once). :content:

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Kamui,

 

You are probably right, but even though I don't know much about the middle east (other than it's a damn complicated place), even I knew that arabs and persians are very different ethnic groups.

 

On the subject of obesity, I was going to add, as point #7, it's rapidly becoming an issue in Thailand among Thais, particularly any Thai that is at least moderately affluent (this includes BGs, since many of them are moderately affluent, even by Western standards, particularly those (and these means many) with a sponsor or three). On Thai TV and Thai billboards there are all sorts of adverts for weight control, most of which, it appears, come down to taking amphetamines. I'd say the average Californian is in better shape than the average middle class and up Thai in terms of obesity.

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Ealier poster said Persian, which is how the majority of Iranians in America identify themselves. What I would guess is the largest Iranian expat community in the states is in Los Angeles centered around UCLA and Westwood blvd. When I first got here and so many people referred to themselves as Persian I used to press: isnt' that a pan-national term? Where are you from specifically? I would get kind of an annoyed response: Iran. Oh, so you're Iranian... NO, PERSIAN.

 

That's been my experience in SoCal as well. They identify as Persians, but not to the point of denying their nationality. There's another huge pocket of them in Irvine (a whole Iranian shopping center west of the 5 freeway at Culver) and I have a few I can call friends. They like to party.

 

I suppose you are too young to remember when the Shah or one of his family members bought a mansion along Sunset Blvd in Beverly Hills back in the 70s. It had nude statues in the front lawn right along the Blvd., and the guy painted pubic hair on the statues to make them look more 'realistic.' Caused quite a stir in the neighborhood as you might imagine - worse than the Clampetts moving in.

 

The statues were floodlit at night, and the place was a 'must see' attraction for out of town guests, right up there with Disneyland. :)

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I was trying to figure out what an Americanized one was, and needed a marker for comparison.

 

A marker might be Gullivers on Soi 5. Not a go-go, but highly Californicated. I always hated that place...felt very un-Thai (as if I was going to find the 'real Thailand' on lower Suk). :)

 

The Dollhouse (AFAIK) is named after a Florida strip club, but that's about as far as the Americanization goes, apart from the owner being American.

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