everyone has a touch of evil
http://ca.entertainment.yahoo.com/s/25012007/6/entertainment-muslims-complain-hollywood-bad-guy-image.html
Muslims complain of Hollywood "bad guy" image
Thu Jan 25, 11:51 AM EST
By Paul Majendie
LONDON (Reuters) - Western movies from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" to "Aladdin" promote negative stereotypes of Muslims by casting them all too often as villains, a British Muslim pressure group said on Thursday.
"There is no such thing as a Muslim good guy," said Arzu Merali, co-author of a report by the Islamic Human Rights Commission that argued that movies played a crucial role in fostering a crude and exaggerated image.
The commission's study, based on soundings taken from almost 1,250 British Muslims, also found that 62 percent felt the media was "Islamophobic" and 14 percent called it racist.
"Cinema, both in Hollywood and Britain, has helped to demonize Muslims. They are portrayed as violent and backward. That reinforces prejudices," Merali told Reuters.
"This stretches back before the 9/11 attacks in the United States," said Merali, head of research at the campaigning body.
Prime Minister Tony Blair's government has commissioned studies into attitudes toward racial and religious minorities following bombings in London in 2005 when four British Islamists killed 52 people in suicide attacks on the transport network.
The government has cracked down on radical extremist preachers who, it says, inspire suicide bombers.
But critics say the government's focus on Islam could backfire if Britain's 1.8 million Muslims feel under attack.
The report pointed the finger of blame as far back as the 1981 blockbuster "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in which "the cultural stereotypes and scenarios are patently obvious" as veiled women hurry through the bazaar to snake-charming music.
The 1998 film "The Siege" starring Bruce Willis and Denzel Washington was accused of reinforcing "the monolithic stereotype of the Arab/Palestinian/Muslim being violent and ready to be martyred for their cause."
Disney's cartoon was criticized for describing Aladdin's homeland as "barbaric."
The report called for British film censors to be given greater power to cut out "objectionable material" and said media watchdogs in Britain should be more effective in ensuring "responsible coverage" of Muslims.
****
When I came across this article and read it, the first thing that caught my eye was the reference to Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Of course they have to portray the city scenes as snake charming music and veiled women, it is called 'continuity of the script'. Have you seen the list of goofs that were made during the making of this film? Planes that were being used either didnt exist, or the planes were not put into service until after WWII. One soldier is even supposedly reading a TIMES magazine in one shot that wasnt published til after Hitler commited suicide. There had to be some sort of realism in the whole film, dont you think? As well, I was in Egypt back in 1992, saw the pyramids, walked the bazaar and the whole thing. What I saw there was pretty much close to what I saw in the movies, minus the snake charming music. Veiled women walked around escorted by men, and while there were some men in jeans and tshirts, the majority wore robes and flowing outfits. Now, if the majority were like that in 1992, what would they have been like in the 1940's when the film was set in? Please dont tell me that guys were walking around in tshirts and jeans, women had on flowing sun dresses and stylish Paris fashions. I mean, looking at the strict code of Muslim life of scarf wearing and female subserviance, I doubt that in the 40's they were really relaxed and up with the times.
As for portraying the Muslim folk as barbaric and evil. Every cinema needs a villian. When WWII was on, german folk were portrayed in films as monsters and evil humans. Why? cause one man (Hitler) ruled a country that put the world at war and was doing unspeakable acts against an entire religious group of people. In the eyes of the world over seas, he was the inbodiment of evil because of his acts and those dribbled down to the people because the people knew what was going on, and even though a few in in North America might have said "he is bad, we must stop him", Germany didnt really rally against him but instead let him run his course. So what happens now with the Muslim population? A cartoon is drawn by Danish individuals and what do the easy going Muslim people of the world do? we find embassies torched, guns fired, riots broken out, death bounties put on the heads of the cartoonists by priests themselves. So of course when it comes down to creating a villian in Hollywood cinema, Muslims are the main target. How do we stop this from happening? I would say the Muslim extremists should stop strapping bombs to their backs and walking into the 'evil infidel cities' and blowing up people, or better yet, stop blowing up people in their own country. I mean, kind of hard to say "Muslim people are such nice, caring, understanding folk" when we turn on the news and hear about another bomb blast here, suicide bomber there, attacks here and there.
Now, granted, this could be North American media trying to create hatred of the whole religion. Perhaps they are just falsehoods. A car drives down the street, hits another car and because of poor workmanship (or perhaps it was a Pinto), the car explodes, the papers over there report the truth but the North American press gets a hold of it and falsly says a suicide bomber driving a car loaded with explosives drove into another car to kill american tourists (who just happened to be having tea on their vacation in a cafe across the street).
If you take the approach that the stereotypes are taken too far and that Muslims are not like that. Look at other films, it is not just looks and dress but other things as well. Romantic men are never just your average, everyday nice guys that listen, care and pamper women but with a life of their own that they want to lead. A romantic man is always cook, suave, sharp dresser and will dedicate his entire life to the happiness and welfare of the woman that he loves. You could say that his portrays an unfair stereotype of men and creates a barrier that normal men of the world can not get over in the minds of women everywhere. Also, when it comes to stereotypes, if you want to get it across to the people that a person is a certain nationality, you have to make the stereotypes known. Want to get it across that the guy is an American? easy, slap a cowboy hat on him, reduce his speech and intelligence to a 10 year old pre-pubescent boy spouting words like 'we will free the world from the oppression that exists' and you know he is an American. How do you let them know someone is Greek? huge nose, loads of hair on their body and give him a thick Greek accent. Chinese? besides the typical dress and garb, have them speak in poor english and walk around. Canadian? well they say all you have to do is show a hippy smoking a joint, drinking a beer and sueing every corporation in sight for stupid stuff that they should have known better. But, I think that stereotype is false...just, hold on a second, gotta get a fresh beer this one is warm and flat. So, in movies, it is common to put stereotypes to the extreme to get the point across as to what the character is about.
If we were to get rid of all the stereotypes in films and make them what the people really are, then why bother going to the movies at all? it would be just like life, no immediate villians, no immediate heros, no immediate anything.
Muslims complain of Hollywood "bad guy" image
Thu Jan 25, 11:51 AM EST
By Paul Majendie
LONDON (Reuters) - Western movies from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" to "Aladdin" promote negative stereotypes of Muslims by casting them all too often as villains, a British Muslim pressure group said on Thursday.
"There is no such thing as a Muslim good guy," said Arzu Merali, co-author of a report by the Islamic Human Rights Commission that argued that movies played a crucial role in fostering a crude and exaggerated image.
The commission's study, based on soundings taken from almost 1,250 British Muslims, also found that 62 percent felt the media was "Islamophobic" and 14 percent called it racist.
"Cinema, both in Hollywood and Britain, has helped to demonize Muslims. They are portrayed as violent and backward. That reinforces prejudices," Merali told Reuters.
"This stretches back before the 9/11 attacks in the United States," said Merali, head of research at the campaigning body.
Prime Minister Tony Blair's government has commissioned studies into attitudes toward racial and religious minorities following bombings in London in 2005 when four British Islamists killed 52 people in suicide attacks on the transport network.
The government has cracked down on radical extremist preachers who, it says, inspire suicide bombers.
But critics say the government's focus on Islam could backfire if Britain's 1.8 million Muslims feel under attack.
The report pointed the finger of blame as far back as the 1981 blockbuster "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in which "the cultural stereotypes and scenarios are patently obvious" as veiled women hurry through the bazaar to snake-charming music.
The 1998 film "The Siege" starring Bruce Willis and Denzel Washington was accused of reinforcing "the monolithic stereotype of the Arab/Palestinian/Muslim being violent and ready to be martyred for their cause."
Disney's cartoon was criticized for describing Aladdin's homeland as "barbaric."
The report called for British film censors to be given greater power to cut out "objectionable material" and said media watchdogs in Britain should be more effective in ensuring "responsible coverage" of Muslims.
****
When I came across this article and read it, the first thing that caught my eye was the reference to Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Of course they have to portray the city scenes as snake charming music and veiled women, it is called 'continuity of the script'. Have you seen the list of goofs that were made during the making of this film? Planes that were being used either didnt exist, or the planes were not put into service until after WWII. One soldier is even supposedly reading a TIMES magazine in one shot that wasnt published til after Hitler commited suicide. There had to be some sort of realism in the whole film, dont you think? As well, I was in Egypt back in 1992, saw the pyramids, walked the bazaar and the whole thing. What I saw there was pretty much close to what I saw in the movies, minus the snake charming music. Veiled women walked around escorted by men, and while there were some men in jeans and tshirts, the majority wore robes and flowing outfits. Now, if the majority were like that in 1992, what would they have been like in the 1940's when the film was set in? Please dont tell me that guys were walking around in tshirts and jeans, women had on flowing sun dresses and stylish Paris fashions. I mean, looking at the strict code of Muslim life of scarf wearing and female subserviance, I doubt that in the 40's they were really relaxed and up with the times.
As for portraying the Muslim folk as barbaric and evil. Every cinema needs a villian. When WWII was on, german folk were portrayed in films as monsters and evil humans. Why? cause one man (Hitler) ruled a country that put the world at war and was doing unspeakable acts against an entire religious group of people. In the eyes of the world over seas, he was the inbodiment of evil because of his acts and those dribbled down to the people because the people knew what was going on, and even though a few in in North America might have said "he is bad, we must stop him", Germany didnt really rally against him but instead let him run his course. So what happens now with the Muslim population? A cartoon is drawn by Danish individuals and what do the easy going Muslim people of the world do? we find embassies torched, guns fired, riots broken out, death bounties put on the heads of the cartoonists by priests themselves. So of course when it comes down to creating a villian in Hollywood cinema, Muslims are the main target. How do we stop this from happening? I would say the Muslim extremists should stop strapping bombs to their backs and walking into the 'evil infidel cities' and blowing up people, or better yet, stop blowing up people in their own country. I mean, kind of hard to say "Muslim people are such nice, caring, understanding folk" when we turn on the news and hear about another bomb blast here, suicide bomber there, attacks here and there.
Now, granted, this could be North American media trying to create hatred of the whole religion. Perhaps they are just falsehoods. A car drives down the street, hits another car and because of poor workmanship (or perhaps it was a Pinto), the car explodes, the papers over there report the truth but the North American press gets a hold of it and falsly says a suicide bomber driving a car loaded with explosives drove into another car to kill american tourists (who just happened to be having tea on their vacation in a cafe across the street).
If you take the approach that the stereotypes are taken too far and that Muslims are not like that. Look at other films, it is not just looks and dress but other things as well. Romantic men are never just your average, everyday nice guys that listen, care and pamper women but with a life of their own that they want to lead. A romantic man is always cook, suave, sharp dresser and will dedicate his entire life to the happiness and welfare of the woman that he loves. You could say that his portrays an unfair stereotype of men and creates a barrier that normal men of the world can not get over in the minds of women everywhere. Also, when it comes to stereotypes, if you want to get it across to the people that a person is a certain nationality, you have to make the stereotypes known. Want to get it across that the guy is an American? easy, slap a cowboy hat on him, reduce his speech and intelligence to a 10 year old pre-pubescent boy spouting words like 'we will free the world from the oppression that exists' and you know he is an American. How do you let them know someone is Greek? huge nose, loads of hair on their body and give him a thick Greek accent. Chinese? besides the typical dress and garb, have them speak in poor english and walk around. Canadian? well they say all you have to do is show a hippy smoking a joint, drinking a beer and sueing every corporation in sight for stupid stuff that they should have known better. But, I think that stereotype is false...just, hold on a second, gotta get a fresh beer this one is warm and flat. So, in movies, it is common to put stereotypes to the extreme to get the point across as to what the character is about.
If we were to get rid of all the stereotypes in films and make them what the people really are, then why bother going to the movies at all? it would be just like life, no immediate villians, no immediate heros, no immediate anything.
posted by Capt_Canuck at 8:08 AM
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