Monday, March 20, 2006
The Bad Guys are Us
Accustomed to seeing Bond movies and Russians with bad accents as arch villains, or Arab terrorists on Fox's 24 as the updated version of evil, it's alarming to note how pop culture in other countries increasingly portrays Americans as the bad guys.
During clashes between countries and cultures, each side often sees reality through their nationalistic rose-colored glasses; and so true to form, the Washington Post writes this morning about the new unfavorable light our government is depicted in Muslim plays, movies and television.
In "The Night Baghdad Fell," a new popular film in Egypt, the United States comes across as the Ugly American. In the plot, loomings of imminent US invasion prompt a teacher to recruit his former student to save Egypt by building a weapon to stop the intrusion; but alas, the weapon fails as the hash smoking would-be soldier dreams about wild sex with Condoleezza Rice on his wedding night.
Can you think of anything so gross?!? Even Egyptians feel the sentiment goes too far; but the point is, America is not very well liked.
It seems during the last couple of years, Americans have started to be depicted as "bullies, rapists and mindless killers." And that's on the light side. In story after story thread, "yanks emerge as [the] bad guys," with one play using ushers dressed as "wild-eyed" Marines, and another one blowing up the Statue of Liberty.
Yes, "We're the heavies," the Post admonishes.
Guess we shouldn't complain too loudly in light of Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, CIA secret renditions, and Lord only knows what else. In the meantime, Americans continue to churn out evildoers to comport with our national sensitivities. The Middle East is just catching up to our nationalistic creation of others.
Accustomed to seeing Bond movies and Russians with bad accents as arch villains, or Arab terrorists on Fox's 24 as the updated version of evil, it's alarming to note how pop culture in other countries increasingly portrays Americans as the bad guys.
During clashes between countries and cultures, each side often sees reality through their nationalistic rose-colored glasses; and so true to form, the Washington Post writes this morning about the new unfavorable light our government is depicted in Muslim plays, movies and television.
In "The Night Baghdad Fell," a new popular film in Egypt, the United States comes across as the Ugly American. In the plot, loomings of imminent US invasion prompt a teacher to recruit his former student to save Egypt by building a weapon to stop the intrusion; but alas, the weapon fails as the hash smoking would-be soldier dreams about wild sex with Condoleezza Rice on his wedding night.
Can you think of anything so gross?!? Even Egyptians feel the sentiment goes too far; but the point is, America is not very well liked.
It seems during the last couple of years, Americans have started to be depicted as "bullies, rapists and mindless killers." And that's on the light side. In story after story thread, "yanks emerge as [the] bad guys," with one play using ushers dressed as "wild-eyed" Marines, and another one blowing up the Statue of Liberty.
Yes, "We're the heavies," the Post admonishes.
Guess we shouldn't complain too loudly in light of Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, CIA secret renditions, and Lord only knows what else. In the meantime, Americans continue to churn out evildoers to comport with our national sensitivities. The Middle East is just catching up to our nationalistic creation of others.
// posted by Howling Latina @ 4:27 PM 
Comments:
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When you fail to lead the world by example, you lose your moral leadership position in the world.
This is the fault of a Might makes Right ideology of neocons and bushists.
I believe these Bush years will go down in American history as a cautionary bedtime story showing future generations how close we can come to losing our future when we lose our way.
Never Again.
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This is the fault of a Might makes Right ideology of neocons and bushists.
I believe these Bush years will go down in American history as a cautionary bedtime story showing future generations how close we can come to losing our future when we lose our way.
Never Again.
# posted by 
: 6:49 PM
: 6:49 PM << Home
