Mohamed “el-Limby” Saad and the Popularization of a Masculine Code

Abstract

This paper investigates the representation of masculinity in contemporary popular Egyptian cinema as portrayed by Mohamed Saad and his immensely popular “el-Limby” character, as well as the variations to it. Mohamed Saad is a very famous Egyptian actor, who has become popular in a short period of time. The paper draws on several key concepts in the study of the identification with star personae in cinema as well as gender studies. Identification with the el-Limby character is essential for the popularity of the films. He portrays the image of what could be considered the opposite of masculine characteristics as they are generally defined in Egyptian society. Yet he is sympathetic to the audience and they do not mind identifying with his character(s). The question addressed is if and how the construction of a certain type of masculinity is related to both the popularity and decline of the characters. To address this question, the article analyzes and constructs the masculinity in the el-Limby movies and their variations. The paper then explores how these variations have worked to create a sense of estrangement in the audience, which is verified by the movies’ decline in popularity.