Collective Identity - Team America

1. Collective Identity - Team America

2. Team America • Team America: World Police is a 2004 comedy film, written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady and directed by Parker. • The film is a parody of big-budget action films and their associated clichés and stereotypes, the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the resulting war, with particular humorous emphasis on the global implications of American politics. • The title of the film itself is derived from domestic and international political criticisms that the U.S. frequently try to "police the world”. It suggests dominance over the world. • The big title and credits represent the big nature of America. • The non-diegetic sound of the drum role in the opening represents military. Victorious music is used throughout.

3. Team America • The first location used is Paris, France. This may have been used as it is an easy country to represent stereotypically for example, there is the little boy dressed up in traditional French clothing singing a ‘French’ song. • Traditional/ stereotypical clothing is used for each person e.g.. French and Muslims. • In France the Eiffel Tower is used as a focal bomb point. The music differs when the little French boy runs into the Muslim – dark and disturbing. • A change in atmosphere from the American helicopter coming down (winning victorious music) to the terrorists and bombing – terrorists proposal = death (shows the reality for soldiers dying). • When the American helicopter comes down it changes to ‘winning victorious music’. • Reference to 9/11 but they make it comical and playing with numbers. • They make it seem as if terrorism is easy to solve, just get someone to act as spy, however in reality it isn’t like this.

4. History 2004 • Once very small, the Muslim population of the US increased greatly in the twentieth century, with much of the growth driven by rising immigration and widespread conversion. • Recent immigrant Muslims make up the majority of the total Muslim population. Native-born American Muslims are mainly African Americans who make up a quarter of the total Muslim population. • According to a 2004 telephone survey of a sample of 1846 Muslims conducted by the polling organization Zogby, the respondents were more educated and affluent than the national average, with 59% of them holding at least an undergraduate college degree.

5. Character representation • America – • Represented as controlling • Landmarks stand tall • Try to be the focal point of the world • Try to attempt to be heroes however cause destruction due to the lack of care • Muslim – • Want to see America dead – America Vs. Muslims • Mise-en-scene – turbans, beards and weapons • Music represented as stereotypical but also cultural

6. Character representation • Celebrity representation – • Like a joint society with one another – alienated from the reality • Self-absorbed • United – there own class • Asia/Korea • Dominant accent • Mise-en-scene – suit = power/dominance • Believe they are efficient and smart • Tries to dominate the world

7. Political events USA- 2004 • February 1 – A hajj stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills 251 pilgrims. • February 3 – The CIA admits that there was no imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion of Iraq • . March 19 – The United Nations launches a political corruption investigation due to the scandal over its Iraqi Oil for Food program. • March 28 – In France, the government of prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin suffers a stunning and unprecedented defeat in regional elections. • March 31 – Four American private military contractors working for Blackwater USA are killed, and their bodies mutilated, after being ambushed in Fallujah, Iraq. • May 23 – Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi visits North Korea, to secure the release of the families of the 9 abducted Japanese citizens returned earlier. • May 24 – North Korea bans mobile phones • October 4 – Two car bombs kill at least 16 people and injure dozens more in Baghdad. • November 2 – United States presidential election, 2004: U.S. President George W. • Bush defeats Senator John Kerry. Republicans make gains in the House and Senate.

8. Political events Saudi Arabia- 2004 • February 1 - Hajj stampede: 244 pilgrims dead • April 21 - Suicide bomb kills 9 • May 29 - 50 foreigners held hostage • May 29 - Hostage standoff ends • May 30 - Saudi blames al Qaeda for attack • May 31 - Oil price surge after siege • June 10 - Gadhafi plot to 'kill Saudi leader • June 15 - Kidnapped American threatened in video • June 18 - U.S. hostage beheaded • June 18 - Militants killed after beheading • July13 - Bin Laden associate surrenders • July 15 - 2nd Saudi militant surrenders • July 21 - Saudis find U.S. hostage's head • September 10 - WTC agency sues Saudis over 9/11 • December 6 -9 Killed in Attack on U.S. Mission • December 29 - Blasts rock Saudi capital

9. Political events Korea- 2004 • January 9 -  US team visits key site • February 12 -  Scientists cloned human embryo • April 22 - Many casualties in train crash  2 trains carrying flammable materials have exploded in a station and leaves up to 3,000 people dead or injured • April 23 - Rare appeal for help from N. Korea • May 21 - Japan PM starts landmark summit • June 22 - S.Korea resolute on Iraq troops • September 11 - Big blast reported

10. Theories British Muslim frustration with the media is well researched and documented; their main concern is how news discourses on Islam influence opinions of majority audiences. This article argues that production-based audience research methods give insight into how minority audiences see themselves in relation to the majority and how groups negotiate a sense of belonging through media discourses. The study used a technique whereby Muslim teenagers in London and New York were asked to produce a two-minute news story on the 'War on Terror' that combined images from a digital archive with an accompanying voiceover. The article analyses how the participants position themselves as representatives of a global Muslim community-in-suffering to imagined mainstream audiences in the UK and US. Habiba Noor

11. Monism • Monism is any philosophical view which holds that there is unity of reality, despite the appearance of diversity in the world. Therefore some philosophers may hold that the universe is really just one thing, despite its many appearances and diversities. • This happens in Team America as all the different ethnic groups are diverse but however they all believe what they are doing is in fact right and is helping society whether for good or bad. • Team America is diverse and shows the audience the by the way in which the characters status’ are different and the way in which each country is represented differently by the use of mise-en-scene etc.

12. Muslims • Team America treat the Muslims as if they are harmful and all they are ever trying to do is think of new ways for terrorist attacks and to destroy cities. • Team America is represented to be the best and by far more powerful than the Muslims, however through the use of the celebrity characters we can see that the Americans are just trying to be the best. The celebs notice that all they are actually doing is helping to destroy the world by their actions. • The audience see the Muslims as a typical archetype of what they may have seen and heard before, they do not really get an overall true picture of what the Muslims are really like, instead the get a bias view which then portrays all Muslims to be terrorists. • This impacts on society as people do not see the true picture and their views can be persuaded to be somewhat different. Not all Muslims are terrorists. The film only shows one side of the Muslim culture only a small amount of the beliefs that they believe in, but the film does not explain why they believe the way in which they do.