Aal

"I Want to Get Married," both the TV show and Abdel-Aal's 2008 book, is a defiant defense of a woman's right to be picky.

In a TV comedy, Egyptian women gain a voice on marriage Hadeel Al-Shalchi 2010

"How is it that someone comes to meet you in the salon, and then by the third visit you have to be ready to talk about the dowry, wedding jewelry and date for a wedding?" said Ghada Abdel-Aal, the author who inspired the sitcom with a blog and book by the same name, based largely on her own experiences.

In a TV comedy, Egyptian women gain a voice on marriage Hadeel Al-Shalchi 2010

"I Want to Get Married," both the TV show and Abdel-Aal's 2008 book, is a defiant defense of a woman's right to be picky.

In a TV comedy, Egyptian women gain a voice on marriage Hadeel Al-Shalchi 2010

Abdel-Aal, who says she's still hoping to marry, said the show brought her criticism for being "crass" for showing women, expected to be modest and let their families handle the process of their engagement, making demands for their spouse.

In a TV comedy, Egyptian women gain a voice on marriage Hadeel Al-Shalchi 2010

"Many women came up to me after I wrote the book to say they saw themselves in the main character," Abdel-Aal said.

In a TV comedy, Egyptian women gain a voice on marriage Hadeel Al-Shalchi 2010

"How is it that someone comes to meet you in the salon, and then by the third visit you have to be ready to talk about the dowry, wedding jewelry and date for a wedding?" said Ghada Abdel-Aal, the author who inspired the sitcom with a blog and book by the same name, based largely on her own experiences.

In a TV comedy, Egyptian women gain a voice on marriage Hadeel Al-Shalchi 2010

Dana Sabah, an Egyptian academic whose thesis studied unmarried women in Jordan, said Abdel-Aal's book "gave a voice to the girls who were suffering a real, yet intangible pressure - something that was there and felt but couldn't really be spoken of."

In a TV comedy, Egyptian women gain a voice on marriage Hadeel Al-Shalchi 2010

Dana Sabah, an Egyptian academic whose thesis studied unmarried women in Jordan, said Abdel-Aal's book "gave a voice to the girls who were suffering a real, yet intangible pressure - something that was there and felt but couldn't really be spoken of."

In a TV comedy, Egyptian women gain a voice on marriage Hadeel Al-Shalchi 2010

"Many women came up to me after I wrote the book to say they saw themselves in the main character," Abdel-Aal said.

In a TV comedy, Egyptian women gain a voice on marriage Hadeel Al-Shalchi 2010

Abdel-Aal, who says she's still hoping to marry, said the show brought her criticism for being "crass" for showing women, expected to be modest and let their families handle the process of their engagement, making demands for their spouse.

In a TV comedy, Egyptian women gain a voice on marriage Hadeel Al-Shalchi 2010