Once Persian-American reality meant escaping post revolutionary Iran. Now it also means being part of American reality TV culture. Ryan Seacrest has teamed up with Bravo to create Shahs of Sunset — a reality show about the affluent lifestyles of Persian Americans in Beverly Hills.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: For all the difficult relations the U.S. has with Iran, the two countries share many ties, including millions of Iranian-Americans. Ryan Seacrest and Bravo make them the focus of a new reality show, called the "Shahs of Sunset." It examines the lavish lifestyles of some in Southern California's Iranian-American community. NPR's Amy Walters reports.</s>AMY WALTERS, BYLINE: One of the privileges of being on reality TV means you get to dictate the image of your community, for better or often for worse - Italians-Americans partying in New Jersey; housewives from wherever; and now, Persian-Americans from Beverly Hills.</s>AMY WALTERS, BYLINE: UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: And I don't like ugly people.</s>UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: (Singing) We love L.A.</s>UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #2: Image is everything in our community. For example, I might spend more money on my handbag than I do on my rent because more people are going to see my purse than they will my crib.</s>REZA FARAHAN: Hello, we're Persian.</s>AMY WALTERS, BYLINE: The Bravo audience is going to love these characters, says president Frances Berwick.</s>FRANCES BERWICK: They lead aspirational lifestyles. They live in nice houses. And they're kind of the Bravo bull's-eye, in many respects.</s>UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: (Singing) Tehrangeles...</s>ASA SOLTAN RAHMATI: Persians call L.A. Tehrangeles because L.A. has the largest population of Persians outside of Iran. That's huge.</s>AMY WALTERS, BYLINE: In 1979, the Iranian revolution ended the Shah's reign. Many successful Iranians feared persecution by the new Islamic regime, and their once-tiny community in Southern California grew. The "Shahs of Sunset" tells the story of their children.</s>AVID BOUSTANI: What they show in the show is not representative of the majority of the Iranian-American populace, especially the next generation.</s>AMY WALTERS, BYLINE: Avid Boustani's in his 30s, with degrees from MIT and Berkeley. He joins many Iranian-Americans criticizing the show.</s>AVID BOUSTANI: I believe one of them said, we own all the land - or all the buildings.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We don't work in buildings; we own them.</s>AVID BOUSTANI: Who with the right intelligence says something like that?</s>AMY WALTERS, BYLINE: They say it on "Shahs of Sunset."</s>AMY WALTERS, BYLINE: Asa Soltan Rahmati is the artsy one on the show. She's heard the criticism, and responds with this Persian proverb.</s>ASA SOLTAN RAHMATI: If the mirror shows your true face, don't break the mirror, break yourself. It's a pretty good reflection of Iranians, especially in L.A., so I don't know why everyone's tripping.</s>REZA FARAHAN: If people watch the show and think I represent every Persian, they're going to think every Persian is super-fly and loves a lot of gold, but I don't.</s>AMY WALTERS, BYLINE: Reza Farahan is dressed in designer everything, finished off with a sizable mustache. He wants to show the world a Middle Eastern man who's gay and happy.</s>REZA FARAHAN: Someone said something to the effect of, why didn't they find a group of scholars or dentists or doctors? Because it would be boring.</s>AMY WALTERS, BYLINE: Boring, the poison pill of reality TV. But the reality? Are Persian-Americans more than just super-fly? Let's ask Younes Nazarian. He arrived in Beverly Hills in 1979. Now he builds businesses, big ones. Heard of Qualcomm?</s>YOUNES NAZARIAN: We had students, engineers and doctors; and factories and companies - the head of them or second person, third person is Iranian.</s>AMY WALTERS, BYLINE: It's a fact. Iranian-Americans make more money than the average American. They're also better educated. As for religion, the majority are divided between Islam - and not practicing any religion. Others are Jewish, Christian, Zoroastrian and Baha'ai. Cultural heritage is important to this community. Siamak Gharhemani created the first Iranian film festival, here in Los Angeles.</s>SIAMAK GHARHEMANI: At the end of the day, it's great that we're living in a country what - allows us to be whatever we want to be, even if it's something that majority of our community is not going to like. But at least I'm not afraid of being imprisoned, being killed or being punished.</s>AMY WALTERS, BYLINE: The "Shahs of Sunset" airs Sundays on Bravo.</s>AMY WALTERS, BYLINE: Amy Walters, NPR News.