Representations of Christianity in the Media

You don’t often see Christian characters portrayed in film and television, for one reason: it’s considered boring. The media isn’t out to get the Christian population, or trying to ignore them, the fact is that people don’t want to watch a Christian person just trying to do good everyday, understandably. The same goes for a regular person, why watch a regular persons life, where is the entertainment? Although, there are examples of Christian’s who have lead incredible lives and changed the world, for example, Martin Luther King Jr. He stood up for the rights of African-Americans, and was assassinated for what he believed in. Stereotyping is not the way to represent a group of people, especially if it’s just so they are included.

Although Christians aren’t in many movies or shows, their stereotypes are well-known by most people in the west. These stereotypes mostly include strict parents, people who never have fun, and people who are ignorant and judgemental. These representations are inaccurate and offensive, they have been created by society and the media. The media continues to reinforce these stereotypes by choosing to portray Christian characters with these characteristics. What it presents to the population of the western world is full of Christian stereotypes.

When Christian’s characters are in films, they are judgmental and rude, hated by viewers and other characters, either that or they are usually a side character who leads a boring life, spending a lot of time in church and praying, they never have fun and don’t seem to have any worries. For example, Ned Flanders out of the popular television show, The Simpsons.​

Ned Flanders is the cliché Christian dad, who attends church, is strict on his children, uses appropriate language, and is considered annoying by other characters in the show, such as his neighbours – the Simpson family. The way he uses his language is amusing to viewers, he replaces curse words with made up words such as “dang-flabbit” or “gosh-diddly-darn”. Ned is against anything to do with the supernatural, as stereotypical Christians do, this is clearly represented here. He brings up his two sons by protecting them from anything from the outside world that is against their beliefs as Christians, or could be considered inappropriate by Ned. As a result, these two boys are naïve and completely oblivious to anything outside of church, home and school, and they don’t have any friends.

Most would argue that they have never met a Christian who has these traits, and Christians are genuine people. Although considered humorous by some, it can also be seen as insulting and incorrect to show stereotypes like these in the media and shouldn’t be there at all.

Source list:
http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Todd_Flanders

http://m.www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFTR2JJcKUg

http://brettshoemaker.me/2014/08/25/10-christian-stereotypes-i-hate/

Representations of Judaism in the Media

The media’s representations of Judaism include extremely harsh generalisations and stereotypes, which should not at all be allowed. Judaism is one of the major religions of the world, with 13.5 million people. All of these people are being subjected to a label or tag, and these tags are further promotes by the media.

Jews are commonly depicted as powerful and greedy, especially with money. They have been historically known as money-lenders. Physically represented as having large noses, beady eyes, payot – sidecurls, dark hair and wearing kippahs. These negative portrayals are used by the media, commonly in cartoons. Another stereotype is the Jewish mother or wife. She doesn’t work, is overprotective, bossy, loud and takes great pride in her food, always telling people to keep eating. She is always defensive about her children, but smothers them half to death long after they have started their own lives.

In the movie, Madagascar, the stereotype of the Jew who is uncomfortable in nature, away from the luxury of the city is clearly shown in the characters Alex, the lion, and Melman Mankiewicz III, the hypochondriac giraffe. The movie is about four animals, one of which is Marty the zebra. Marty wants to escape to the wild and the other animals, especially Melman and Alex, are completely shocked by the idea – Click here for clip. They end up all being sent to Africa after they escaped the zoo and caused a lot of damage to Grand Central Station. Alex is a proud lion, who is not very tough, and Melman is a giraffe who is obsessed with his health always concerned with medications and doctors. They struggle with functioning in the wild, as they have lead pampered lives before being transferred. Both are voiced by known Jewish actors, who are often cast as nebbish characters who seem to have both accepted these stereotypes and are happy to portray their religion this way.

This storyline is representing Jewish stereotypes quite obviously. Even though the actors have approved this generalisation of the religion, this doesn’t mean that the rest of the Jewish population would. The media as well as these actors who support and promote these ideals are offending many Jewish people and shouldn’t be used for any purposes, let alone entertainment.

Source list:
http://movies.film-cine.com/madagascar-m788

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F-JQJeYaNYA

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-features/oy-vey-how-animated-films-draw-on-jewish-stereotypes.premium-1.519565

Representations of Islam in the Media

Islam is a religion which makes up 24% of the world population, 1.6 billion people. These people are generalised in the media, and because of this when people here words like ‘terrorist’, ‘bombings’ or ‘attack’, they immediately relate them with Muslims. In many countries, Muslims are seen as barbaric, evil and even a security threat, just their presence brings fear to the public, and the media is entirely responsible.

An example of the media stereotyping Muslims is Aladdin, the popular Disney children’s movie about a young Arab thief. The opening number of the movie is a song in which Aladdin has stolen bread and is being chased by Muslim guards – Click here for clip. These guards are presented as big and clumsy. They are humiliated when they fall in a pile of manure at the end of the song, which goes along with media representations of the barbaric, evil Muslim. Aladdin ends up in a room of stereotypical Arab belly-dancers during the song, they are presented as exotic, wearing pretty colours and dancing around Aladdin.

Aladdin, the ‘street-rat’ is a Muslim Arab who has light skin, an American accent, straight teeth and his face is structured and heroic, which contradicts his background. The supports the ideal that the “good guy” must be physically attractive, despite his heritage and background. They guards however, who would be fairly secure financially, have missing teeth and scraggly beards. Yes, in a children’s move the hero does need to look heroic for entertainment purposes, but this has gone a bit far considering it doesn’t fit with the setting. Disney has misrepresented Muslim Arab’s offensively. The guards are barbaric and Aladdin is white, both are false portrayals of Islam adherents.

The west being predominantly Christian or Catholic, are shocked by the violent solutions written in the Koran (Recitation – Muslim teachings). Yet, Christians are instructed in the Bible to act in a way just as evil towards large sub-groups of society. In both religions, there is a tiny percentage who choose to kill and do bad. It is extremely bias and unfair of the media to only speak about wrong doings by Muslims. These unfair representations can reinforce or even create stereotypes, and cause much more conflict and tension between the west and Islam.

Source List:
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/jan/25/broadcasting.race

http://wakingsnowwhite.blogspot.com.au/2011_03_01_archive.html?m=1