Act Four | Opinion

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By Alyssa Rosenberg February 4 at 2:08 PM

WhenPresidentObamavisitedtheIslamicSocietyofBaltimoreonWednesdayinhisfirstvisittoamosqueduringhis

presidency,heissuedasharprebuketotheentertainmentindustry.

PartofwhatwehavetodoistoliftupthecontributionsoftheMuslimAmericancommunitynotwhentheresaproblem,but

allthetime,Obamasaid.OurtelevisionshowsshouldhavesomeMuslimcharactersthatareunrelatedtonationalsecurity.

Itsnotthathardtodo.Therewasatimewhentherewerenoblackpeopleontelevisionandyoucantellgoodstorieswhilestill

representingtherealitiesofourcommunities.

ImwithObamainbelievingthatitslongpasttimethatHollywoodmovedbeyonditstiredMuslimterroristplotsandintoa

broaderrepresentationofpeoplewhopracticeIslambothathomeandabroad.ButIthinkhesmakingatacticalmistakein

comparingtherepresentationofMuslimstothatofAfricanAmericans,andnotjustbecauseMuslimsarepeopleofmanyraces

andethnicities.Islamophobiacertainlyplaysaroleinthepersistenceofthesestorylines.ButifHollywoodhastroubletelling

storiesaboutMuslimsinothercontexts,thatsinpartbecausetheentertainmentindustryisntverygoodattalkingaboutthe

dailypracticeofreligion,nomatterwhatacharactersfaithis.

Hollywoodtendstousereligionintwoways:thefirstistoactuallydrivetheplotofashowormovie.

Spotlight,TomMcCarthysOscarnominatedmovieabouttheBostonGlobesreportingontheCatholicchurchscoverupof

widespreadsexualabusebyastartlingnumberofpriests,isterrificnotleastbecauseitexaminesthepowerofthechurchinthe

regioninawaythatgoesbeyondethniccolor.Thefilmpaintsaportraitofthelawyers,schooladministrators,policeofficers

andordinarycivilianswhodeferredtoCardinalBernardLaw(LenCariou)orcarriedouthiswishes,andtalliesthecostthat

dissenterspaidforspeakingoutagainstthechurch,eventoexposeseriouscrimes.

TheAmericans,FXsdramaaboutdeepcoverKGBspiesraisingafamilyintheWashingtonsuburbs,hascarvedoutspace

toexaminePaigeJenningss(HollyTaylor)conversiontoChristianitybecauseitsamajordriveroftheactionontheseries.

Paigesattractiontoreligionasaframeworkthatteachesherhowtobegoodthreatensherparents,Elizabeth(KeriRussell)and

Philip(MatthewRhys),whohopethatPaigecaneventuallybeasecondgenerationspyfortheatheistregimetowhichtheyve

pledgedtheirlives.AndafterElizabethandPhiliptellPaigewhoshereallyis,herfaithandconscienceultimatelyleadherto

confesstoherpastor(KellyAuCoin)inthefinalepisodeofthethirdseason.

Similarly,intheCWsdarlingtelenovelaJanetheVirgin,Janes(GinaRodriguez)Catholicfaithisthekeytoexplainingher

responsetoapatentlyabsurdsituation.Inthepilotfortheshow,Jane,whodoesnotplantohavesexuntilshegetsmarried,is

accidentallyinseminatedandbecomespregnant.Ifshewasntdevout,Janemightsimplyhaveterminatedthepregnancyand

extricatedherselffromthewholemess,andtherewouldbenoshowasaresult.

ThatmasscultureoftendepictsMuslismsasterroristsabsolutelygrowsoutoftheprejudicesthatbloomedlikeuglyflowers

afterSept.11andhavecontinuedtogrowlikeweedsintheyearssince.Butthesestorylinesarealsoaresultofthe

entertainmentindustrysbiastowardusingreligiontodrivetheactioninstorytelling,ratherthantofleshoutcharacterdetails

ortodrivesmallerboreplots.

Now,itstruethatpopcultureoftenusesreligiontosupplytheaforementionedethniccolor.Butthere,religionoftenservesas

asortofshortcutratherthananopportunitytoreallyexploretheexperienceandpracticeoffaith.

ThereisnoquickershorthandforthecontradictionsofanIrishorItaliangangsterthantoestablishhisCatholicfaith(followed

quicklybythedepthofhisaffectionforhismother).Only2.2percentofAmericansareJewish,butYiddishisms,aswellas

tropeslikeneuroses,overinvolvedmothersandsmokedfish,aresodeeplyestablishedthatitseasytosketchinthesamesort

ofdetailwithjustafewreferences.Andblackchurchchoirsarebothasignalingmechanismandalovelyvisualandsonic

devicetodropintoamovieorepisode.

Thesesignallingmechanismsworkinpartbecausetheyrealreadyfamiliartoviewers.Andwhiletheymaybestereotypesit

willtakeyearsforJewishcharactersinpopculturetoescapetheshadowofWoodyAllenthesetropesatleastguarantee

somegenerallygenialrepresentation.

SuchmasscultureshorthandjustdoesntexistforMuslimsandforIslam.PollsconsistentlysuggestthatAmericansdont

knowverymuchaboutIslam,andthenumberofsurveyrespondentswhosaythatIslamisincompatiblewithAmericanvalues

hasgrowninrecentyears.Actionmoviesmightthrowinanearlymorningcalltoprayer,butinthisenvironmentofmistrust

andsuspicion,thatsoundmightaseasilysignaltroubleaspiousnessandcommunityfeeling.

IfHollywoodisgoingtofindnewwaystodepictbothMuslimsandthepracticeofIslam,theindustrywillhavetoswim

againstpublicsentimentandteachaudiencestoregardMuslimcharactersinnewways.Ratherthanrelyingondeveloping

existingtropes,moviesandtelevisionwillhavetocreatetheirown.Iwouldlovetobelievethattherearemoviestudiosand

televisionnetworksthatstandreadytotakeupObamascallforchange.ButtodorightbyMuslimAmericans,the

entertainmentindustrywillhavetoexhibitgreatercourageandcreativitythanithasgenerallyhadtooffer.

Alyssa Rosenberg blogs about pop culture for The Washington Post's Opinions section.