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Media Discipline Seminar Presentation 11 August 2011

Media Discipline Seminar Presentation 11 August 2011. “Orientalising Terror: Representations of onscreen Arab terrorists pre- and post-September 11, 2001” Presented by: Jay Reid, MPhil Candidate. THE FIRST TWELVE MONTHS. 0-6 months. 6-12 months.

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Media Discipline Seminar Presentation 11 August 2011

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  1. Media Discipline Seminar Presentation11 August 2011 “Orientalising Terror: Representations of onscreen Arab terrorists pre- and post-September 11, 2001” Presented by: Jay Reid, MPhil Candidate

  2. THE FIRST TWELVE MONTHS... 0-6 months 6-12 months CCSP redrafted into ‘Chapter One: Introduction’ First draft of ‘Chapter Two: Orientalist reading of Cinematic Terrorism’ Presented ‘Chapter Five: Effects of 9/11 on Film Series’ at ANZCA 2011 conference in New Zealand Elected to ANZCA executive committee as Postgraduate Representative • Literature review & theoretical framework developed • Journal article published (Reid & Cover, 2010) • Submission of CCSP

  3. CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION • Why study terrorism? • Why study Hollywood depictions of terrorism? • Brief history of terrorism • History of cinematic terrorism • Literature review • Significance of this study • Theoretical framework & methodology • Thesis structure • (Adapted from CCSP)

  4. CHAPTER TWO: ORIENTALIST READING • Introduction • Oriental discourse • Arab media images • Theoretical framework • Analysis • Villains • Sheikhs • Maidens • Cameos • Conclusions

  5. ORIENTAL DISCOURSE • Edward W. Said and Orientalism • One of the most influential figures in Eastern studies (Gardaz, 2004: 93-5; Khawaja, 2007: 690-704) • Middle East as a single region or geographical unit, it’s inhabitants violent, backwards, obsessed with religion and undemocratic (Said, 2003: 36-347) • Imagery dates back to Homer, Dante and Shakespear(Said, 2003: 31-69) • Is human construct, not scientific fact (Said, 2003: xii-331)

  6. ARAB MEDIA IMAGES • Jack G. Shaheen, Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People and Guilt: Hollywood’s Verdict on Arabs after 9/11 • Covers over 900 films released over the past century (Shaheen: 2001: 14; 36, 2003a: 176, 2003b: 77) • Identifies a number of common themes and character archetypes • “...the first comprehensive review of Arab screen images ever produced,” (Shaheen, 2001: 1) • Majority of portrayals are negative, some neutral, very few positive (~12) • Arabs have been labelled enemies of the West since cinema’s inception • Images well rooted within Hollywood (Dodds, 2008: 1633)

  7. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK • Shaheen identifies seven character archetypes, this study has reduced this to four • Closely linked with Orientalist notions as described by Said • These character troupes change over time, some disappear and reappear, others are re-imagined

  8. VILLAINS • Hollywood stars have battled Arabs for over a century (Shaheen, 2003a: 17-71; 2003b: 80; 2008: xi) • 1st Movement: Palestinians (1991-2000) • Bumbling fanatics attack the US and are undone by own stupidity • 2nd Movement: Egyptians (2001-2007) • Innocent Arabs seduced by ‘evil’ Islam to carry out attacks in the Middle East • 3rd Movement: Generic (2008-2011) • Terrorists depicted as knowing and willing participants and linked to real world organisations

  9. SHEIKHS • Imagery has shifted over time (Hall, 1997) • Re-imagined: Hook-nosed oil barons on top of thrones replaced with militant clerics (Shaheen: 1987, 148-51; 2003a: 19; 180-2; 2003b: 76; 2008: 30-2) • Manipulate religion and linked to monetary excess • Important to plot post-9/11, but can be observed in pre-9/11 films as minor element • Changes in imagery can be linked to Osama bin Laden

  10. MAIDENS • Post-9/11 phenomena • Belly dancers and silent veiled women replaced with fanatic bombers (Shaheen, 1987: 150; 2001: 22-3; 2003a: 182-4; 2008: 30) • Seen as manipulative liars who are violent, obsessed with religion and exploit their own sexuality • Framed as being more dangerous than male counter-parts (Pickering & Third, 2003)

  11. CAMEOS • Inserted into 120 films released between 1980 and 2001 (Shaheen, 2001: 27; 2008: 32-4) • Appear even when the film has nothing to do with their region of the world • Always first suspects when terrorist plots are uncovered • Shown as backward due to upbringing

  12. RESULTS • Images have appeared, disappeared and been re-imagined over the past two decades • Why? External factors and real world acts of terrorism • Still, long standing Orientalist notions exist to this day

  13. EFFECTS OF 9/11 ON FILM SERIES (1) • Presented at ANZCA 2011 in New Zealand (link: http://bit.ly/nPuahu) • Argued that by using the Die Hard franchise as an example and merging ‘terrorist’ wave theory’ (Rapoport) with film studies techniques one could examine the effects of 9/11 on a Hollywood film series • Forms basis of Chapter 5

  14. EFFECTS OF 9/11 ON FILM SERIES (2) • (Rasler & Thompson, 2009: 31)

  15. EFFECTS OF 9/11 ON FILM SERIES (3) • Changes to the onscreen mediation of the following elements were observed: • Terrorists • Motives, organisational structure & composition • Attacks • Methods, escalation & timing • Heroes • John McClane & media/law enforcement agencies

  16. THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS • Publish ANZCA article • Chapter Two: Terrorists as ‘the Other’ • Chapter Three: Masculinity and the Hero • Upgrade to PhD

  17. TIMELINE

  18. REFENCES & WORKS CITED Dodds, Klaus (2008). "Hollywood and the popular geopolitics of the War on Terror". Third World Quarterly 29.8: 1621-1637. Gardaz, Michel (2004). "Twenty-fifth anniversary of Edward Said’s Orientalism". Religion 34: 93-7. Hall, Stuart (1997). Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London: SAGE Publications. Khawaja, Irfan (2007) "Essentialism, Consistency and Islam: A Critique of Edward Said’s Orientalism". Israel Affairs 13.4: 689-713. Pickering, Sharon & Third, Amanda (2003). "Castrating Conflict: Gender(ed) terrorists and terrorism domesticated". Social Alternatives 22.2: 8-15. Rasler, Karen & Thompson, William R. (2009). "Looking for Waves of Terrorism". Terrorism and Political Violence 21: 28-41. Reid, Jay & Cover, Rob (2010). "The Art of War Reporting: Theorising Contemporary Embedded Journalism as Public Discourse". Reconstructions: Studies in Contemporary Culture 10.4. Said, Edward W. (2005) “Orientalism”. England: Penguin Group Shaheen, Jack G. (1987) "The Hollywood Arab: 1984-1986". Journal of Popular Film and Television 14.1: 148-57. Shaheen, Jack G. (2001) “Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilified a People”. New York: Olive Branch Press. Shaheen, Jack G. (2003a). "Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People". Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 588: 171-93. Shaheen, Jack G. (2003b). "Unkindest Cuts" Index on Censorship 32.3: 76-81. Shaheen, Jack G. (2008) “Guilty: Hollywood’s Verdict on Arabs after 9/11”. Massachusetts: Olive Branch Press.

  19. QUESTIONS & FEEDBACK

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