Desperate Housewives may seem the epitome of American decadence, but in Saudi Arabia, the show is turning youth away from jihad according to a secret May 2009 cable released by Wikileaks. The cable, titled "David Letterman: Agent of Influence," says the satellite broadcast of U.S. TV shows like Housewives and the Late Show With David Letterman has been more effective at quelling extremist zeal than the U.S.-funded TV news channel al-Hurra. The $500 million Al-Hurra, which features extended interviews with policians, can't compete with Eva Longoria and Jennifer Aniston, reported U.S. diplomats who met with Saudi media executives. The diplomats also said Saudi audiences were particularly attracted to certain themes like "heroic honesty in the face of corruption" as evinced by films such as the George Clooney vehicle Michael Clayton, reports the Guardian. "Saudis are now very interested in the outside world and everybody wants to study in the US if they can. They are fascinated by US culture in a way they never were before," the cable reads.
Read original story in The Guardian | Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010
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