Media Discipline Seminar Presentation 11 August 2011

Life Impact The University of Adelaide Slide 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

Life Impact The University of Adelaide

0-6 months• Literature review &

theoretical framework developed

• Journal article published (Reid & Cover, 2010)

• Submission of CCSP

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

Slide 2

THE FIRST TWELVE MONTHS...


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)

Slide 3


CHAPTER TWO: ORIENTALIST READING

• Introduction– Oriental discourse– Arab media images– Theoretical framework

• Analysis– Villains– Sheikhs– Maidens– Cameos

• Conclusions

Slide 4


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)

Slide 5


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)

Slide 6


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

Slide 7


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

Slide 8


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

Slide 9


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)

Slide 10


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

Slide 11


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

Slide 12


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

Slide 13

1st Wave: Anarchists

2nd Wave: Nationalists

3rd Wave: Leftist/Marxist

4th Wave: Religious

5th Wave: ???

http://bit.ly/nPuahu



• (Rasler & Thompson, 2009: 31)

Slide 14

Wave Primary strategy Target identity Precipitant Special

characteristics

Anarchists1870-1910s

Elite assassinations, bank robberies

Primarily European states

Failure/slowness of political reform

Developed basic terror strategies

Nationalists1920-1960s

Guerrilla attacks on police & military targets

European empirePost-1919 delegtimization of empire

Increased international support

Leftist/Marxist1960-1980s

Hijackings, kidnappings & assassinations

Governments; increases US focus

Viet Cong successIncreased international training & funding

Religious1970-2020s

Suicide bombings & attacks

U.S., Israel & secular Muslim populations

Iranian Revolution, USSR withdrawal form Afghanistan

Casualty escalation, decline in number of groups



• 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

Slide 15

Life Impact The University of Adelaide Slide 16


THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS

• Publish ANZCA article

• Chapter Two: Terrorists as ‘the Other’

• Chapter Three: Masculinity and the Hero

• Upgrade to PhD

Slide 17


TIMELINE

Slide 18


REFENCES & WORKS CITEDDodds, 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.

Slide 19


QUESTIONS & FEEDBACK

Slide 20

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Media Discipline Seminar Presentation 11 August 2011

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