Gender Inequality in The Media: Remaining a Significant Global Issue

Today women constitute approximately half of the world’s population (Narayana 2015, p. 65). So why is it that women all over the world are still suffering at the hands of male dominated governance, policy, economy, technology and media. Unfortunately, the media has not yet recognised the voice of women to its full potential and therefore it must be addressed.

As you cans see in the below findings by Naraya (2015, p. 65), globally, women occupy just over one third of full-time media and ICT positions. In addition to this, according to (Bruce, 2016), an average of roughly only 10% of stories in the news worldwide focus on women and approximately 80% of experts interviewed on television are men. Recent analysis by Bunker (2016, p. 52) shows that men outnumber women on television with a ration of 2:1 and that radio has fewer women than men in presenting roles than that of television.

Global Gender Profile in News Media (in percentage)	Men	Women
Total workforce of media professionals	64.9	35.1
Governing boards	74.1	25.9
Top management	72.7	27.3
Director of news/Bureau chiefs/managing editors	61.3	38.7
Senior editors/chief correspondents	71.3	28.7
Reporter, sub-editor, correspondent, producer	63.9	36.1
Technical posts	73.2	26.8

(Narayana 2015, p. 65)

The women’s Media Centre is a non-for profit organisation that aims to make women visible and powerful in the media ensure that women’s stories are told and women’s voices are heard.

Women’s Media Centre (2017) conducted an extensive investigation on the 20 top news outlets in America. Results presented that women journalists continue to report much less on television as oppose to men journalists. According to Women’s Media Centre (2017), men produce 62.3% of reports on the news while women are only producing 37.7%. Further studies by WMC, demonstrate that these disparities also exist in newspapers, online news, and wire services, although it remains much more significant on television.

On the other hand, studies have proven a slow and steady increase in the overall presence of women in the news. According to Macharia (2016, p. 31) the gender gap has been narrowing by approximately 3% every five years. Women’s presence in the media has increased mostly in newspapers, however the change is still the smallest in television news (Macharia 2016, p. 33).

These results could be promising. According to Narayana (2015, p. 69) more and more organizations are adopting the SEWA – Self Employed Womens Association media model developed by social activist Illa Bhat. This model is changing the production and broadcasting of media content by mainstreaming news of marginalized women, highlighting their grievances and achievements. This model is hoping to empower women through strengthening their knowledge on information about the media. The model has in fact communicated media production skills to these women who have successfully learnt the art of making news bulletins, how to use video equipment and how to broadcast their own programs (Narayana 2015, p. 69).

According to Narayana (2015, p. 66), the spread of literacy under this new model has also aspired many more women to become journalists and serve their communities by mainstreaming news. Perhaps these rural women with their small initiatives are a clear demonstration of how breaking media stereotype is slowly but surely succeeding.

References

Bruce, D 2016, Information inequality is a global issue, Internews, viewed 6 August 2017, https://medium.com/local-voices-global-change/information-inequality-is-a-global-issue-d7df3a65934d

Bunker, D 2016, ‘Gender and the Media’, Investigating audiences opinions on TV, radio and the Internet’, vol. 58, no. 2, pp. 42-73.

Macharia, S 2015, ‘Who Makes the News?: Global Media Monitoring Project 2015, Newspaper, Television and Radio News, pp.31-36.

Narayana, Ur 2015, ‘Mainstreaming Women in News- Myth or Reality’, Global Media Journal: Pakistan Edition, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 64-70.

Women’s Media Centre 2017, WMC Divided 2017: The Media Gender Gap, Women’s Media Centre, viewed 9 August 2017, http://www.womensmediacenter.com/pages/wmc-divided-2017-the-media-gender-gap

 

 

 

Reflecting on Transnational Media and Cultural Studies

BCM288 or Transnational Media and Cultural Studies has definitely helped me to further think about and expand my knowledge on media studies. It has taught me plenty about media industries, culture and film and especially Australian media and its industries. This semester has taught me about concepts such as cosmopolitanism, diasporic media, co-productions and many more.

Throughout this subject I was mostly interested in learning about culture and the media and especially the comparisons to different cultures through television. We firstly learned about the commodification of culture, which refers to “the ways culture and cultural experiences – local practices, festival, arts, rituals, and even groups are produced and consumed for the market (Khorana, 2016). The same week we learned about culture and capitalism, and the discourse of authenticity, which is linked to cultural commodification. In week four we looked into intercultural television audiences. This was a topic majority of us can relate to. I grew up in Mexico and remember watching plenty of English speaking television shows and watching quite a few things that are shown in Australia or are similar to shows shown in Australia. The study of Masterchef especially was very interesting. Masterchef is known in many places in the world with some countries adapting a Masterchef of their own. What was interesting about this topic was learning about how popular Masterchef Australia is in India, even though they have a Masterchef of their own. This was a great example of intercultural audiences and how the world is becoming more and more interconnected through media practices such a television and radio.

Furthermore, Cosmopolitanism was the concept I could least get my head around at first. Although it was very interesting I still found it fairly challenging to understand, however when I did, I enjoyed learning about it. According to Waldron (2000) “Cosmopolitanism is a western notion that epitomizes the need social agents have to conceive of a political and cultural entity, larger than their own homeland, that would encompass all human beings on a global scale”; in other words, if someone is a cosmopolitan or believes they are part of a cosmopolitan society, they believe that everyone is part of the same community based on shared morality and that they are accepting of different ways of living for others. I have learnt that cosmopolitanism in television is apparent in the way it brings out the same emotion to its audience or majority of its audience. For example, Waldron (2000) says that suffering is presented in compelling images in the mass media and this produces cosmopolitan pity which forces us to act’.

In total, BCM288 has helped me to gain a further understanding in media and culture. I am now, more than ever aware of the impact the media has on culture and how it has assisted in creating this forever-interconnected world.

 

References 

Khorana, S 2016, ‘Commodification of Culture’ PowerPoint slides, BCM288, The University of Wollongong, viewed 2 November 2016

Waldron, J 2000, ‘What is Cosmopolitan?’ The Journal of Political Philosophy, Vol. 8, No 2, pp. 227- 243.

 

 

 

 

 

Cultural differences in co-productions of feature film and television

Film and television co-productions have been on the increase since the early 1990s. In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult for national markets to support the cost of feature film and television drama production. Producers worldwide have increasingly turned to co-productions in order to compete effectively (Baltruschat, 2002). Feature films and Television programs are cultural products and although there are many benefits to co-production, producing products characterized by embedded cultural values in an international co-production environment may cause lack of cultural distinctiveness (McFadyen et al. 1998).

So far, Australia has built co-production treaties with the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Ireland, Israel, Germany, Korea, South Africa, Singapore and China, and Memoranda of Understanding with France and New Zealand (Screen Australia, 2016). There is considerable evidence that cultural distance affects the importance attached to some of the benefit/drawback items associated with choice of international co-production mode. Cultural differences are more significant with certain countries than others, which assist to explain why certain co-production assignments may cause this lack of cultural distinctiveness (McFadyen et al. 1998). As Innis (1964) put the matter, “The meaning of culture is something which we have that others have not”.

There are certainly significant benefits for media co-production such as pooling of financial resources, cultural goals and learning from your partner. Producers occasionally are unable to raise the necessary funds needed for their production. Co-production may assist in being able to fund through financial contribution from a foreign partner (Baltruschat, 2002). Furthermore, television and Film are cultural products; if a producer is attempting a cross cultural production or a project relatable to another country then it may be difficult for them to have enough initial understanding of that particular culture to be able to produce what they wish and for it to be culturally accurate. Thus, where cultural distance is great, the more important the likely cultural benefit from choosing the international co-production mode through selection of a partner in the other country will be. Learning opportunities may be anticipated if the partner has greater experience or expertise, in the specific nature of the project, in program development and marketing or in the program or film production process (McFadyen et al. 1998).

Possible drawbacks for co-productions are certainly evident. Co-producing a film or television show with another country may cause loss of control and cultural specificity and, in some cases, may cause increases in cost due to government related issues (McFayden et al. 1998). International co-production inevitably involves compromises concerning the character of the program and the creative talent employed (Baltruschat, 2002). There is a great risk in undermining or losing cultural integrity with the finished product, which is of deep concern for most producers. The compromised product may in turn be far from appealing to viewers in both markets. Cultural distance could also make negotiations more difficult. Furthermore, working with foreign partners may increase any involvement with the government. Costs mat be increase under an international co-production treaty in order to ensure eligibility for government funding (McFayden et al. 1998).

Thus, there is definite evidence for how cultural distance affects co-production. As I have mentioned above co-production can lead to both a number of benefits and/or drawbacks for the finished product.

 

References

Baltruschat, D 2002, ‘Globalisation and International TV and Film Co-productions: In Search of New Narratives’, in Media in Transition 2: Globalisation and Convergence, MIT, Massachusetts, May 10-12, viewed October 13 2016, http://cmsw.mit.edu/mit2/Abstracts/DorisBaltruschat.pdf

McFadyen, S, Hoskins, C, Finn, A 1998, ‘The Effect of Cultural Differences on the International Co-production of Television Programs and Feature Films’, Canadian Journal of Communication, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 76-92.

Screen Australia 2016, Co-production Program: Statistics, viewed October 13 2016, http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/funding-and-support/co-production-program/statistics

Same show, different country: Dissimilarities in cross-cultured television programs.

Its not uncommon, these days to flip on the television in a foreign country and see a local remake of a television show you watch back home. Today, the most trade-able format in global television is realty television such as talent or competition shows (The Conversation, 2014). Despite being a result if the increasing internationalization and even globalization of world media, the formats demonstrate trans-national differences; the same format is often produced very differently from country to country according to sociocultural conditions of specific local markets. In fact, even when the same format is produced similarly in different national markets, the local adaptations more often than not contain even subtle variations. Often the explanation for such variations has been sought in general sociocultural variations between countries (Moran, 2009).

By comparatively analyzing the Australian and Danish versions of the television show, The Block (known in Denmark as Huset), sociocultural or media systemic dissimilarities are put forward. With Australia’s predominantly Anglophone cultural heritage and liberal media system, and Denmark’s Northern European heritage and historically more public service-oriented media system, they display important differences (Moran, 2009). The Block and Huset are radically different and this has a lot to do with how the two versions choose to combine the two genres and ultimately shows the great elasticity of the lifestyle genre (Jensen, 2008). Both the Australian and Danish first episodes take the viewers through the first day on The Block and Huset. Nonetheless, the first day progresses very differently in the two versions. On the Block, the first day largely emphasizes on conflict, scandal, emotional drama, and competitiveness, and little emphasis on the lifestyle elements. The Danish version on the other hand, is less melodramatic and seems to play down any conflicts or competitiveness. Instead, Huset builds on the fun of renovating, team-building and interpersonal bonding (Jensen, 2008). These distinct differences between the two center very much on Australian extraordinariness versus the Danish ordinariness when it comes to the apartments, the competitive elements and the different use of reality and lifestyle elements in the two adaptations (Moran, 2009).

In terms of television broadcasting, these differences are evident in the fact that television is more commercialised and liberalised in the Anglophone countries, whereas commercialisation and liberalisation are less dominant in Northern Europe. In addition it is important to note that the specific broadcasters both between and within these countries exhibit large dissimilarities. Some broadcasters for example, operate under a public service remit and are as such, much more regulated compared to commercial and privately owned broadcasters, and in certain countries com (Jensen, 2008).

Yet, viewers, not only in different cultures and societies but also in the same society, interpret the programs in dissimilar ways. When audiences view programs, they give their own meanings to them by culturally interpreting the product communication through active participation. The sense of viewer identity is also associated with a process of “learning about and accepting the traditions, heritage, language, religion, ancestry, aesthetics, thinking patterns, and social structures of a culture” and of the TV of that culture (Marino, 2014).

 

References

Jensen, P.M 2008, ‘The international extent and elasticity of lifestyle television’, MedieKultur: Journal of media and communication research, October 24, pp. 37- 50.
Marino, S 2014, ‘Reality Television: Merging The Global And The Local’, Participation: Journal of Audience and Reception Studies, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 340- 342.

Moran, A 2009, ‘How National Media Systems Shape the Localization of Formats:
A Transnational Case Study of The Block and Nerds FC in Australia
and Denmark’ TV Formats Worldwide: Localizing Global Programs, pp. 163- 186

The Conversation 2014, ‘Same Show, New Country: How Australia Led the TV Format Trade’ The Conversation, January 9, viewed 12 October, http://theconversation.com/same-show-new-country-how-australia-led-the-tv-format-trade-19431

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expansion of International Broadcasting of Australian Television Programs

We live in a world of the global market. Even if you have never set foot in a foreign country or spoken a word of a different language, the impact of the global market is evident; you watch your Japanese television while sitting on your Swedish furniture eating your German chocolate and talking on your Malaysian phone (Heitzman, 2015). Similarly, more and more Australian-made products are being exported overseas and vise versa.

There is an evident expansion of international broadcasting of Australian television (Davis et al, 2014). For example: Channel Nine’s The Block is screened in New Zealand, Finland, Canada, Sweden, the Philippines, Latin America, Denmark, across the Middle East, Hungary, Norway, Israel, Iceland, South Africa and Papua New Guinea.  Seven‘s big local dramas Home and Away, A Place to Call Home, Packed to the Rafters, All Saints, Always Greener and City Homicide have been sold to multiple markets, and screen in more than 150 countries. Similarly, My Kitchen Rules, House Rules, Border Security, The Force, Million Dollar Minute, My Restaurant Rules, Animal Rescue, Medical Emergency, Anh Does and My France with Manu all sell around the world, with various formats being produced.  My Kitchen Rules has spawned versions in Russia, Britain and the US and over the course of Channel Ten’s Neighbors’ lifetime; the series has been sold into nearly 100 territories (Hornery, 2015).

The popular series Masterchef originated in the UK in July 1990. The format was revived and updated and soon re developed in Australian where it was transformed into the current iteration of the program (D’Mello, 2013). Masterchef is a television competitive cooking show franchise. The format was revived and updated for the BBC in February 2005 by executive producers Franc Roddam, John Silver and series producer Karenoss. But when TV production firm Shine Australia remade Masterchef for Australia’s Channel Ten, something antici

The Growth of ‘Bollywoodization’

The West may be in the lead, in the race for success and popularity when it comes to the film industry, but today the growth of Bollywood has resulted in the ‘Indochinese’ film industry to be not too far behind.

The growth of Bollywood has evidently grown throughout the past few years to become a popular global industry. This has been successful through the help of foreign companies funding these films and its musicians.

“There is a craze for ‘Bollywood’ masala that quite exceeds anything we’ve ever seen before; from Tokyo to Timbuktu people are dancing to Indi pop, names such as Shah Rukh Khan are circulating in places where people may never have heard of Indira Gandhi, and there seems to be an opportunity, there is apparently money to be made.”

It seems as though everyone wants a taste of this newly found “international phenomena”. Bollywood websites are growingly emerging, distributors and intermediaries keep rising with fresh ideas on how to keep pushing this development forward and new television channels have been developed for it. Even if it is not always the films themselves that are increasingly hitting our screens worldwide, its influence is certainly distinct. Examples of this include the 2010 winter Olympics and the subway commercial that ran during, which were both identified by Shaefer and Karan. In the 2010 Olympics which were held in Canada, there were Indian influenced costuming and dancing to songs from Hindi films. The dances incorporated a variety of Bollywood choreography, costumes and even a “Krishna-Radha-like” pose. During the commercial break for this, there was an advertisement for the popular American food chain Subway where they inserted female dancers wearing Hindi attire while dancing to Hindi influenced music.

According to Shaefer and Karan similarly to globalization, bollywoodization is associated with glocalization, where “human agents self-consciously and creatively combine local with global cultural formations in a bid to subvert potentially homogenizing forces associated with cultural imperialism”. So why is this industry growing so quickly now, they ask?..

Well it could be the fact that the development of Hindi cinema has actually transformed and increased dramatically, post India’s economic liberalization during the early nineties. But what I think is a more likely factor is the increase in these so-called Bollywood movies that have been produced or co produced by the West but have been labeled as Bollywood films. I am sure I can speak for many when I say that films such as bride and prejudice and slum dog millionaire introduced me to this fascinating industry. However although these films have a Bollywood influence, they are not Bollywood films. Slumdog millionaire was for instance labeled as a Bollywood film even though it was co produced by the UK’s. Bride and Prejudice, although it was not labeled to be a Bollywood film, you can clearly identify the major influence Bollywood had on the film with firstly taking the Jane Austin novel pride and prejudice and giving it a Bollywood twist to make it a Bollywood-like film.

References:

Karan, K and Schaefer, DJ (2010) ‘Problematizing Chindia: Hybridity and Bollywoodization of popular Indian cinema in global film flows’, Global Media and Communication, 6: 3, pp. 309-316.

Rajadhyaksha, A (2003) ‘The Bollywoodization of the Indian cinema: cultural nationalism in a global arena’, Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 4: 1

Life as an International Student

I was only 8 when I moved from Mexico to Australia. I remember how terrified I was to enter a new school so I refused to speak English, I use to tell my mum I wanted to be a mute. For the first few weeks I would cry almost every morning before school, although the teachers were very supportive and some students would welcome me with open arms, there were still a number of children who looked at me as if I was an alien who did not speak their language. In Mexico, learning English is compulsory from the moment you start school so I knew a bit of English, I just spoke it differently to what the others did due to my accent. When I look at foreign students, especially since I have started university, I think of my 8-year-old self and how I use to feel coming into an unfamiliar world. I have now lived in Australia for 12 years; culturally speaking, I would say I’m very distant from who I was back then. I have adopted the English accent and sadly lost majority of my Spanish, so visiting home for me is very difficult. I am now the foreigner over there and I know how it feels to be deficient in a language, for people to misunderstand me and to laugh at my accent. This is how majority of foreign students feel everyday whilst studying in a different country to their own.

According to Margison, studies have shown that a number of international students cross borders to become different; when they move they are very far from family and are forced to become independent. However As Kell and Vogl point out, language is one of the core reasons for any exclusion from local students, which is what majority of international students suffer from due to these lingual barriers. They also tend to suffer from “homesickness, financial difficulties, language difficulties, problems dealing with university staff and other authorities, loneliness, isolation from other classmates and anxiousness about speaking in the classroom in front of classmates and lecturers.” It is true that there must be an improvement to the experience of an international student as it could create an educational, social, lingual and welfare benefit.

Majority of international students do hope for closer interaction with locals but find it difficult. The Australian accent for example is a huge barrier for foreigners. As I discussed before living in Mexico I learnt English with the American accent, so coming to Australia, English here felt like a whole other language, I could barely make out what people where saying mainly because they would put together a sentence and form one massive word out of it but also because of the speed and colloquialism used. These factors usually cause speaking in front of a large group, which is usually done in university to be very daunting. But furthermore Kell and Dogl mention that Australians often seem as though they are not interested in forming a relationship with them due to their own “temporariness”. This evidently is a terrible issue.

We as a ‘multicultural’ country should definitely become a lot more accepting of international students and instead of treating them as though they do not belong, we should encourage their differences and help them through their struggles in their new world.

References:

Kell, P and Vogl, G (2007) ‘International Students: Negotiating life and study in Australia through Australian Englishes’,  Everyday Multiculturalism Conference Proceedings, Macquarie University, 28-29 September 2006.

Marginson, S (2012) ‘International education as self-formation: Morphing a profit-making business into an intercultural experience’, Lecture delivered at the University of Wollongong, 21 February

Globalisation – Our Ever Shrinking World

To think that there was a time, where communication between nations was only possible through the use of ships; or that there was a time where people knew close to nothing about any nation other than their own. Yes I know that feels like two or three life times ago. These days communication across cultures is as easy as turning on your computer or dialling a few numbers on your telephone. And yes, this is all due to the rise of Globalization.

“Globalisation refers to an international community influenced by technological development and economic, political and military interests. It is characterised by a worldwide increase in interdependence, interactivity, interconnectedness, and the virtually instantaneous exchange of information.“

As O’Shaughnessy and Stadler state, people can now feel a sense of interconnectedness without physically being together. The media in particular has assisted in the growth of knowledge of other communities and cultures. You can now turn on your TV and view something that was not only filmed in another country but is airing all over the world. This along with communication across cultures through the use of email and social media are examples of McLuhans “global village” which suggests people of the world can be brought together by the globalisation of communities, no matter how big of a distance is between us.

Furthermore, it is the cultural influence that has been one of the most evident factors of globalisation. Through these medias, we have been introduced to a variety of cultural groups other than our own. It is close to impossible to walk out the door and not be faced with different culturally influenced things such as restaurants, movies etc. It is typical as an Australian to have a night in, order some Chinese food and watch an American filmed movie probably written by a French man.

The downfall of Globalisation however has also been recognised. O’shaughnessy and Stadler describe cultures to have been “commodified, commercialised, decontextuaised and stripped of traditional and cultural meaning as they are popularised and circulated by global media and reduced to trivial, trendy fashion statements” which can be furthermore debated through Geroge Rizers Mcdonaldization theory.

This idea of cultural interconnectedness and influence has also opened up a window to what George Ritzer refers to as Mcdonaldization. He uses Mcdonaldization as a metaphor for over-rationalization and defines it as the process by which principles of fast food restaurants have come to dominate virtually every aspect of society. Evidently, the restaurant has become so popular that when travelling, you can almost be close to certain that after landing at your destination you will find a McDonalds close by. And according to George Ritzer, this is a perfect example of rationalising as home cooked meals all around the world have been replaced with these meals of practically and convenience. Below are a few images of different McDonalds’ around the world.

Globalisation is a definite factor contributing to the ever expanding multiculturalism and thus this ‘shrinking world’.

References:

O’Shaughnessy M & Stadler J, 2012, ‘Globalisation’, Media and Society, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 458 – 471.  

 
Ritzer G, 2006, ‘Mcdonaldization’, The Reader, Thousand Oaks, Calif Pine Forge Press, pp 371-379.

Parallels Between the Telegraph and the Internet

Although it is not commonly used today, the telegraph lives on within the communications technologies that have subsequently built upon its foundations such as the telephone, the fax machine, and, more significantly, the Internet. And, ironically, it is the Internet that has the most in common with its telegraphic ancestor.

According to Norman (2005, p. 41) the development of the internets functions paralleled that of the development of the telegraph. For example, every time two computers exchange an eight digit binary number, they are going through the same motions as an eight panel shutter telegraph would have done two hundred years ago (Standage 2014). Additionally, todays computers use an agreed upon protocol scheme to transmit individual letters called the ascii. The telegraph on the other hand, specifically Claude Chappe’s system had specific codes to increase or reduce the rate of transmission, which is a feature of modems today (Standage 2014).

The telegraph, like the internet was used for a variety of purposes by a variety of people (Surratt 2001, p. 23). The telegraph was used for long distance communication by passing the messages from one telegraph apparatus to another. Similarly, the internet with the use of email, mirrors this passage as the message hops from mail server to mail server towards its destination (Standgae 2014). More striking still are the parallels between the social impact of the telegraph and that of the Internet. Public reaction to the new technologies was, in both cases, a confused mixture of hype and skepticism (Standage 2014). Initial thoughts of the telegraph were those of “social amelioration”(Surratt 2001, p. 23). It was believed that the “reordering of space and time would herald world peace”. Comparably, an avalanche of media coverage acclaimed the internet as powerful enough to transform and improve our lives (Dertouzos 1997, p. 279). Furthermore, romantic possibilities grew with both technologies: online weddings have taken place over both the telegraph and the internet as well as the growth of long distance relationships (Standage 2014).

The electric telegraph, similarly to the internet, produced revolutionary change in the speed of information exchange as well as the way business was translated (Norman 2005, p. 41). The telegraph opened up new business possibilities, facilitating the rise of great companies. Today, the one on one interaction communications medium on the internet has provided opportunities for these companies to develop online services such as online auctions. Lastly, like the internet has done with modern globalisation, the telegraph led to the internationalisation of economic activities which resulted in many developments such as global markets (Kurbalija 2013).

References 

Surratt, C 2001, ‘The Internet and Social Change’, Mc Farland Publishing, North Carolina, p. 23

Norman, J 2005, ‘From Gutenberg to the internet: The Sourcebook on the History of Information Technology’, Norman Publishing, Novato California, pp. 37-42

Kurbalija, J 2013, ‘Ten Parallels Between the Telegraph and the Internet in International Politics’, Diplo, viewed 14 April 2015 <http://www.diplomacy.edu/blog/ten-parallels-between-telegraph-and-internet-international-politics&gt;

Dertouzos, M 1997, ‘What Will Be: How The New World of Information Will Change Our lives’, Harvard Journal of Law and Technology, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 277-285

Standage, T 2014, ‘The Victorian Internet’, Southeastern, viewed 14 April 2015 <http://www2.southeastern.edu/Academics/Faculty/scraig/standage.html&gt;

Iron Man and Orientalism

Said (1978, p. 3) argued that Orientalism is “a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient”. Western powers create their own ideas and image of Eastern nations. In today’s society, anti-Arab sentiment is rampant in many Western cultures (Bryant 2012). American drama and action movies in particular are guilty of the negative propaganda portrayals of Arabs. (Shaheen 2001). The action blockbuster, iron man features a wealthy businessman who has been kidnapped by Afghan terrorists. He later develops a weapon suit used to bring justice to those terrorized by the Afghans. Shaheen (1994, p. 127) analyzed this film portraying Arabs in specific roles and was unable to find a single heroic Arab figure.

So what are some examples of why Iron Man is accused of orientalism?

Firstly, the setting at the beginning and throughout the movie takes place in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan, which is presented in the film as a mountainous region in the desert. According to Bryant (2012), the Kuner Province of Afghanistan is in fact quite green which causes the conclusion that this has been done on purpose in order to emphasize the danger of this place by making it look uninhabitable. This furthermore assists in emphasizing the “brutal and barbaric nature of the Afghan villains”(Bryant 2012). Furthermore these Arab characters are ostensibly Afghan. Their physical attributes seem to be consistent with stereotypical Western images and therefore depicting them as “Hollywood Arabs” (Shaheen 1994, p. 130). In contrast to the Arab villain however, the character Yinsen, is an Afghan native who is refined, educated and dresses in Western fashion (Bryant 2012). He defies the Arab stereotype by being westernised,

But are these accusations plausible?

The original comic version of Iron Man was first released during the Vietnam War. In the original, the villains who captured Tony Stark’s were Vietnamese communists. Evidently, It can be argued that, in this movie, the villains are “Oriental” and therefore subjects of orientalism. However it is also plausible to argue that the villan is Vietnamese due to historical relevance and social necessity (Bryant 2012). Furthermore, during the 1990s, Tony Stark was however involved with the Gulf War, and the most current iteration is the Iraq War. According to Vespe (2007), director Jon Favreau stated that he “wanted to stay true to the comic but at the same time did not want to make it a period piece”; this initially could be why it was set in Afghanistan instead of Vietnam. And it is due to this consistency of connecting Iron Man to the predominant struggle of the decade that leads me to wonder whether the villains of Iron Man were chosen due to timeliness and political relevance instead of the more apparent assumption of orientalism.

In conclusion, the implementation of an “Eastern villain” is however still propagandizing Arab stereotyping, and orientalism is still heavily present in this movie. What is most harmful, however, is the emphasize on the “American way” at the disparagement of other cultures. According to (Bryant 2012), “American media still find a way to “other” them and assert complete and unquestionable dominance in the global setting”.

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References

Bryant, A 2012, Iron Man: A Study in Orientalism and Hegemony, Academia.com, viewed 7 April 2015 <http://www.academia.edu/1805602/Iron_Man_A_Study_in_Orientalism_and_Hegemony>

Said, EW 1978, Orientalism, Pantheon Books, New York

Shaheen, J 1994, ‘Arab images in American Comic Books’, Journal of People Culture, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 123 – 133

Shaheen, J 2001, Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies People, Olive Branch Press, New York

Vespe, E 2001, Quint Visits the Iron Man Production Offices! Art! Faverau Speaks About Sequels (?!?) Casting and More!!!, Aint it Cool News, viewed 10 April 2015 <http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31525&gt;