Culture Bites: Are con artists cultural icons and are awards ceremonies still relevant?



This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Maan Jalal break down the appeal of Netflix’s new show, The Perfect Couple. The murder mystery follows the lives of the wealthy Winbury family on the day of their son’s wedding, when one of the guests is found dead on the beach.

The Perfect Couple has become Netflix's most popular show in the UAE since its release last week. The Culture Bites hosts dissect binge-worthy shows that centre around seemingly picture-perfect families that are not all they seem behind closed doors. They also discuss Nicole Kidman’s leading role and her more recent small-screen career choices.

With the Emmys around the corner, Enas and Maan share their thoughts on the titles with the most nominations and ask: are award ceremonies still as relevant as they were a decade ago?

The hosts look at how streaming has changed our viewing choices and how the focus on viral moments at awards shows may be pushing away younger viewers.

The infamous Anna Delvey, who posed as a fake heiress to scam people, is competing in Dancing with the Stars after her early release from prison. The news has started a conversation about how the entertainment industry glamourises con artists, making celebrities out of them.

Enas and Maan discuss the public's fascination with Delvey and other scammers turned cultural icons, who have used their notoriety to make even more money.

UAE and Russia in numbers

UAE-Russia ties stretch back 48 years

Trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5 bn in 2018

More than 3,000 Russian companies are registered in the UAE

Around 40,000 Russians live in the UAE

The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase to 12 percent to reach 1.6 million in 2023

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) 45
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9. Carlos Sainz (Torro Rosso) 29
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US tops drug cost charts

The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.

Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.

In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.

Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol. 

The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.

High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.

Updated: September 14, 2024, 3:32 AM