Saturday, 4 February 2017

Post-colonialism: final blog tasks

Summarise the three theorists we have looked at: Alvarado, Fanon and Said.

Alvarado - 4 representations of the black community

Fanon - "putting on the white mask"

Said - Orientalism: the clash between East and West

Watch the opening of Yasmin (2004) again. Does it offer a positive or negative view of British Muslims? To what extent does it reinforce or challenge Edward Said's theory of Orientalism - that the west is superior to the exotic or uncivilised east?
It reveals positive representations of British Muslims through the traditional and devout family orientated values. The male character, the father, washes the 'Paki go home' graffiti off the wall without retaliating against the response of the West. Similarly, when Yasmin gets stopped by police officers she does not retaliate or cause an unnecessary issue, instead just acts calm and civilised which shows that they are used to the treatment and are no longer affected by it. The negative representation however is how Yasmin herself tries to fit in with western culture and therefore changes the way she dresses in order to be 'one of them' subverting Said's idea of 'them and us,' revealing unity within the situation. Therefore this subverts Said's theory of Orientalism as she almost appropriates to become civilised. The character of the man in poverty appears to be rather decivilised through his behaviour, therefore perfectly reinforces Said's theory.

Alvarado:

Kevin Hart Stand Up; Humorous, entertainers

Gone Too Far; Exotic, traditions
Top Boy; Dangerous, crime, gangster culture and violence 

Fanon: 
Water Aid; Infantilize, poverty revealed, pity for Africans

8 Mile; White male 'puts on a black mask' to fit into the black culture - culture appropriation subverts the idea of Fanon

Boyz N the Hood; Decivilized, gangster life and culture 

Said: 
East is East; Representations of the East as humorous and stereotypical 

Bend it like Beckham; Western culture embodied by the East

Die Hard; the Russian 'terrorist,' undeniably terrorises Western society

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