Old News: Zahi Disses Beyonce

(Via Objects-Buildings-Situations)

I'm late to this one, I admit. Back in November, Zahi Hawass and Beyoncé did a photo op at the Pyramids together. He gave her a personal tour and a book about Tutankhamun, but she was insufficiently excited about the honor. So he made some snide comments about her behind her back, as Bossip reports:

In a shocking display of poor diplomacy, Egypt’s chief Egyptologist Zahi Hawass allegedly called American pop-star Beyonce a “stupid person” during her brief tour of the Giza pyramids earlier this week. Writing in al-Shorouk newspaper, Summer al-Gamal said that Hawass became fed up with the pop star’s attitude after she did not show the interest Hawass felt was deserved of the pyramids.

A meeting of great entertainers, for sure, complete with celebrity ego flameouts. Can I get a reality show with Zahi Hawass teaching some pop singers to excavate? We could call it "celebrity archaeology camp." I would pay money to see that for reals.

Besides the amazingness of seeing a photo of these two together, the reception of the event on the blogs is fascinating: his insult to Beyoncé became a segue into discussions of his bad temper and insults toward archaeologists (see here, here, and here). As if Beyoncé was somehow the last straw!

(Bossip)

I wonder if Beyoncé is too busy with her occult rebirth to pay sufficient attention to archaeology?

Thanks to Kostis Kourelis' great blog for clueing me in to the story.