The documentary Edward Said on Orientalism discusses his research on the representations of people from the Orient in popular media and literature. The Orient refers to the east and encompasses multiple countries and cultures, yet we only receive one similar image based on abstractions rather than direct experience. Said is from Palestine and he began his research because he didn’t relate to the representations and discourse about the Orient.
Said claims that people understand the east through a lens he calls Orientalism. An interesting point he made was the difference between Americans’ perception of Orientalism compared to Britain and France. While Britain and France had a direct relationship with the Middle East during the years of imperialism and colonization the United States lacked authentic exposure. Thus, Americans’ impression of the Orient relies more on fabrications than actual facts. We are left with a picture of the Orient painted by commercial media industries looking to profit first and foremost. For some reason the discourse of the Orient never develops, creating an eternal timeless quality that doesn’t grow, but stays stagnant. So we get a repetitive (and monotonous) story that continues to circulate through our society. Commercial media follows the code that all Arabs and Muslims are dangerous extreme terrorists and villains. This is a powerful discourse that persists throughout our culture and is easily tolerated. In the film Sut Jhally notes that racial slurs about Arabs and Muslims are widely accepted and rarely given a second notice.
The most notable part of the film was Said’s concluding statements that referenced the work of Antonio Gramsci. “History has left us in an infinity of traces,” and it is up to us to compile a collective history. We must look at each discourse from multiple points of view if we want to gain a true knowledge. Trading places with someone sheds a new light on the situation that allows a person to sympathize with the Other, that the media seldom portrays. Coexistence can be accomplished when each person makes it a mission to include the Other without suppressing differences, and instead embracing them.
The unfortunate truth that although we have barely any real experience with the middle east, our discourse about them doesn't grow because our media isn't developing the stories. We are all responsible for our individual judgements, opinions, and actions but it is hard to deny that these are all shaped by how media portrayals. Our media doesn't challenge the stereotypes of arabs and muslims which is harmful to the way that generations to come will view these groups as well. What we are condoning now as far as racism towards the middle east will only continue on until we do something about it. The problem is it is unlikely a big change will be made to this orientalism because America uses it to blanket our problems and keep Americans under control and not asking questions that our government isn't prepared to answer.
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