It's just a name – get over it

It's funny how people will often get all bent up over something as insignificant as the usage of a name. The daughter of former Egyptian president Sadat has filed a formal complaint against the Dreamworks film I Love You Man, for no other reason than one of the characters' dog is named after her late father. But of course in the strange minds of these folks, this is interpreted as a horrible and vicious insult – even if it's just a casual reference.

CAIRO (AP) —The daughter of Egypt's former president Anwar Sadat has filed a complaint against the makers of "I Love You Man," a 2009 Dreamworks film, for naming a dog after her father, her lawyer said Saturday.

Egypt's prosecutor will look into the complaint, but it is unclear what sort of action Egyptian courts could take against the Hollywood movie company.

In the movie, actor Jason Segel's character has a dog named Anwar Sadat. When asked if it's because he likes the former president's policies, the character replies it is due to the dog's resemblance to the Egyptian leader.

The name of the dog also appears in the credits as Anwar Sadat, playing himself, the dog.

Okay, so the guy made a joke by naming his dog after a man he thought held a certain resemblance to his pet. Not all that nice, perhaps, but certainly nothing worth lodging an actual complaint over.

You've really got to laugh at the typical overreaction to this sort of thing:

"This is a disaster, a serious affront," said Samir Sabri, the lawyer for Rokaya Sadat, daughter of the former president and peace Nobel prize winner.

The film, directed by John Hamburg, opened in Egypt last month, but the scene with the dog had earlier been excised by the distributor. Word of the scene only came to light in the last week when it was publicized by an Egyptian Web site.

"This has caused serious psychological and moral damages to the plaintiff, as President Sadat is a prominent figure in the Arab history in general and in Egyptian history in particular," the lawyer's brief said. "Everyone agrees that he is a unique leader who was politically savvy, and has worked hard to serve his country."

"Serious psychological and moral damages"!? Oh, gimme a fuckin' break. So a dog was named after your father; get over it already. I know that in Middle-Easter cultures, dogs are considered to be impure animals, and that to call someone a "dog" is about the worst insult you can launch at someone (as Bush will remember), but no-one's calling Sadat a dog, or insulting him in any way. This is, at the very worst, a joke. Why can't people ever just get over little gestures of jest?

And of course, no typical Arabian overreaction to Western humor or culture would be complete without the usual censorship:

Sabri said he has also filed a libel lawsuit against the Egypt's minister of information, demanding that copies of the movie be removed from the market, because it has "gravely tarnished the name and history of the leader...and symbol of the nation."

Rokaya, Sadat's daughter, was quoted in the independent daily al-Masry al-Youm on Wednesday saying the Egyptian censorship authorities should be held responsible for allowing the movie to run in Egyptian theaters.

Censorship of foreign films in Egypt is common, though usually it is nudity and love scenes that are targeted.

Right, mustn't let those poor kids – and adults – catch a glimpse of the naked human body. Eyes'll pop. Brains'll melt. Pearls will be clutched.

I do not know anything about this former president Sadat, but reading the article has taught me he was highly praised even by Western officials, he's earned a Nobel Peace prize, and signed a peace treaty to try and prevent a war. But that doesn't change anything – the guy may be the most honorable man in the world, but naming a dog after him? Not the most insulting thing one can do. Again, it was just a joke, and as I always say: anyone who gets offended like this over a mere bit of humor loses all credibility and dignity.