Over the past few weeks, you’ve most probably heard the viral TikTok sound: ‘I don’t do coffee dates, I don’t do walking dates, I don’t do last-minute dates. I have my standards.’ This line, which was said by Nour El Haj in the first season of Netflix’s reality television series, Love Is Blind, Habibi (2024), has taken on a life of its own, becoming an internet meme and an expression to describe and label the way Arab women act. This is not the first time, however, that a meme like this has went viral. A few months ago, the TikTok sound ‘I’m looking for a man in finance, 6’5″, blue eyes…’ took the internet by storm. This 20-second clip alone garnered over 38 million views, and even though it was only meant to be satirical, many women took it as an opportunity to complain about dating app fatigue. It might just seem like another viral TikTok trend, but there is also so much more to Nour’s line than what meets the eye. Her message struck a chord with a new generation of women who have voiced their frustrations with dating…
3 Lessons From ‘Love Is Blind Habibi’ on Tradition, Modern Love and Family
November 3, 2024
