Blog Post #2 - Polly Changala

Polly Changala          

FEM 80 – Blog Assignment #2

           

Juxtaposition of Americanization and Islamic Pop Culture

In the past several decades, the prevalence of homosexuality in Western Pop Culture has become a remarkably robust infiltrating factor of the increased prevalence of the ‘Americanization’ of the world. Prime time shows like “Modern Family” and “Glee” feature homosexual couples as part of the diverse norm of American culture. Yet while mainstream American television appears to be promoting diversity, its mass and ensuing culture has created backlash by more conservative communities. ‘Americanization’ has infiltrated all sectors of the world with a malignant force and traditional communities have fought to maintain their own cultures. A current trend in the emerging politically correct cultural is viewing such cultures that are seemingly intolerant of Americanization, in particular homosexuality, as “backwards.” This creates a black and white paradigm concerning Islamic views of homosexuality and Western Pop Culture, which Marwan Kraidy reveals to be an unfair assessment (Kraidy 2006). Using the articles by Jasbir Puar and Amit Rai as well as the notions put forth by Barbara Smith, (and the internet articles by Kraidy and Stop Radical Islam) this discourse hopes to provide a more multi-faceted look at Islamic cultural ideals and how First World backlash may be inhibiting the diverse realities of the subject.

Marwan Kraidy is an author and the director of the Arab Media Public Life or AMPLE at the American University in Washington, D.C. Kraidy claims that while a struggle for cultural retention exists and is prominently noted in the Middle East, emerging Islamic versions of Western trends are becoming more common (Kraidy 2006). Kraidy states that a new trend emerging called “Islamic Pop” is beginning to promote more mainstream Islamic ideals throughout the world (Kraidy 2006). Kraidy also stated that regions of the Middle East have begun to adopt Western-based game shows and essentially “Islam-ified” them (Kraidy 2006). Yet the detection of a more globalized culture is still not at hand in the Western world. Sentiments of Islam being associated with “terrorism,” “perverse sexuality” and “backwardsness” are promoted discourses in the western world according to Puar and Rai (Puar, Rai 2002). Western depictions of Islam and the Middle East are largely presented in vastly stereotypical ways as Puar and Rai indicated on the particular episode of the West Wing and Chloe Diamond-Lenow stated in her lecture describing an episode of South Park as epitomizing the distorted views of Islamic civility and sexuality (Puar, Rai 2002), (Diamond-Lenow, lecture 2/15/12).

Smith’s article helps to promote the ideals that numerous underlying discourses often surrounded and make issues of sexuality intricately disputed amongst various cultures and world regions (Smith). The many aspects of Islamic-ly-Westernized Pop Culture remain unknown to those who are only familiar with the one-sidedness of their cultures depictions of ‘other.’ In many ways, the globalization of Islam is largely ignored in the same way Smith asserts the homosexuality is the last issue on people’s minds  (Smith). This is partially due to America’s modern use of using the Arab or Muslim as a scapegoat. Just as Smith describes people’s ultimate fear of confronting (in that particular case) sexuality, so modern Western inhabitants fear the acceptance of the Arab/Muslim other on accounts of American’s misconstrued account of foreign customs (Smith).

America’s countering of the Islamic “backlash” at Americanization has become an unequal and marginalizing affair as well. The website radicalislam.org promotes American disquiet, mistrust and overall hate towards the Islamic other (Stop Radical Islam 2009).  The site states definitely that radical Islam is a “death sentence” to all homosexuals and its global presence should be enough for many to guard themselves against and it and vigilantly eradicate its presence (Stop Radical Islam 2009). The site reflects the intentions of the ‘docile patriots’ described by Puar and Rai, particularly in its link called ‘Western Values’ (Puar, Rai 2002). The site belittles the issues regarding the ultimate use of terrorism just as Rai and Puar state that the westernized view of terrorism has deduced it to a Freudian malfunction instead of a call for greater political action (Stop Radical Feminism 2009), (Puar, Rai 2002).

Clearly the eradication of either side is illogical and not prominent in our futures and therefore futile. The juxtaposition of two great modes of thought and regional empires, America Christianity and the Middle Eastern Islam appear to be battling the hopeful progress of some for the betterment and establishment of their own cultures and their cultures alone.

Bibliography

**Kraidy, Marwan M. "Islamic Popular Culture." Common Ground News Service. CGNews. Web. 18 Feb. 2006. <http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=3099>.

http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=3099&lan=en&sp=0

**"LGBT | Fighting Radical Islam." Stop Radical Islam. Clarion Fund Inc., 2010. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://www.radicalislam.org/threat/personal-threat/lgbt>.

http://www.radicalislam.org/threat/personal-threat/lgbt

**Diamond-Lenow, Chloe. "Orientalism." Fem 80 Lecture: Week 6, Lecture 2. Girvetz Hall. 15 Feb. 2012. Lecture.

 **Smith, Barbara. "Homophobia: Why Bring It Up?" FEM80: LGBTQ Reader. Ed. Henry Ablelove. New York & London: Routledge, 1993. Print.

**Rai, Amit S and Jasbir K. Puar. "Monster, Terrorist, Fag: The War on Terrorism and the Production of Docile Patriots." FEM 80: LGBTQ Reader. 131-62. Print.