June 5, 2003
Diving Miss Monica
Seems that in Iraq these days, the most popular vehicle is a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV, which the locals have nicknamed "Monicas," after Monica Lewinsky. [In Iraq, Its Moniker is Monica].
"They are a very tempting car," said Marwan Shaban, an auto dealer in the northern city of Mosul. "Just as Monica tempted Clinton, they will tempt you."
It is indeed tempting to say that this shows the reach of global mass culture. But where many Americans thought the Lewinsky affair was sleazy, Iraquis (or at least the men) see it differently. "We think Clinton was a very lucky man," said Hamid Mustafa, 55, a car trader in Irbil. Mustafa said he was baffled by the political crisis triggered by Bill Clinton's affair with the young intern.
Posted by glenn
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