Retrieved from http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/jc50.2008/reelBadArabs/JCArabPix/17-Ali_BabaMad_Dog.jpgFor my research paper, I do some research on Muslim stereotyping in the US media. There is a documentary, which is called "Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People". This documentary is very impressive and it helped me much with my research paper.
As we all know, Hollywood has a great effect on the media all around the world. Only its produced movies are watched by a vast of people on Earth. Its effect on the media is undeniable.
There is much information about this kind of stereotyping in the documentary.
First of all, our Muslim stereotypes are familiar to us. Arabs(or let's say: Muslims, the east peoples)=a desert, a primitive people, brutal-extreme,violent actions. Nevertheless, as we all discussed it, every stereotype denies the truth, the real side.
I want to mention one point: Hollywood. Almost in every Hollywood production, we can see stereotypes and prejudices against Muslims.
In the documentary, a shocking statement is given to the viewers: "Washington and Hollywood spring from the same DNA". Who has said it? Jack Valenti, former President and CEO of the Motion Picture Assn. of America (an important person for the Hollywood world) So, here we clearly see that Hollywood works with some political intentions and aims.
I have once met a Turkish director. He also said to me that the movies awarded with Oscar prizes are awarded due to their political context (not always but often). I resisted: What about the movie "Slumdog Millionaire? It got a prize and it indeed shows the Indian people in a positive way."
He answered: "No, the main idea of the film was that: 'India, you don't need to make much effort for your lives. You all could have lives like Jamal's, you all could win something in life suddenly. It is not necessary to think about the bad conditions/circumstances under which you live. Luck might absolutely turn up for you'. It wants people to think that they shouldn't think over what to do to have better standards of living in their country. They might have a sudden luck which could change their lives entirely."
Ah, Hollywood.. You have a great effect.. You have the power to show something the way you want to show it.
By the way, what does Sonja think about Hollywood? All in all, she is more familiar with American culture and Hollywood than we are.
Oh my god!
ReplyDeleteI never thought like this about Slumdog Millionaire's award and i was always proud of it. :(((
I love the title of this post and the image.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right that Hollywood just continues to crank out stereotypes that shape our perceptions of different cultures - they also stereotype Americans, which shapes the way other cultures view us. How many times have I heard students say Americans are like this or like that, and when I probe their response, inevitably their analysis is based on TV or film!
I'm not sure I agree with your director friend's take on Slumdog, though it seems pretty evident that Oscars *can* be political. That doesn't mean they always are. The Nobel Prize can also be political (look at Obama).
I am ambiguous towards Hollywood, as I am towards most things American. On the one hand, it produces a great glut of shit and maintains American cultural homogeneity (disguising real American life), which I hate. On the other hand, occasionally it does produce true works of art.