Act Four | Opinion

Hollywoods problems portraying religion go way beyond

Islam and Muslims
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.