habitual and casual exoticism in media: a thread
will try to delve into why casually bastardizing cultural elements to their aesthetics is not only offensive but also extremely harmful in the long run as it creates a dehumanized image of foreign cultures

i’m mostly referring to multiple instances of appropriation of south asian and middle eastern culture that we have witnessed lately, which is why i thought it was important to acknowledge how far-reaching the impact is when it comes to media personalities

historically popular culture is hinged on the idea of western superiority - you may argue that we’re witnessing the rise of a non-white platform in east asia but if we actually look deeper into the local issues (colorism and racism) they are centered around white supremacy too

it so happens that most of the problems that arise even in and between non-white communities are linked to cultural inferiority imposed by western imperialism - the form has changed but the impact remains

it is usually western media that crafts the image of cultures and communities all over the world, and this is where we talk about dehumanization tactics and what role they play in how people with easiest access to political leverage perceive conflicts in different regions

by easiest access i mean being a canonically white native english speaker with full access to media platforms and with no chance of disenfranchisement in any respect . those are the people that generate content both for media outlets and to be spread on SNS

dehumanization is what we have clearly witnessed with MENA - people from outside MENA are clearly desensitised to local conflicts that would be considered appalling in the US/Europe/AUS and this is the result of decades-long brainwashing aimed at alienating MENA cultures

this kind of brainwashing isn’t always about deliberate efforts of illuminаti or some other scapegoat-esque greater evil that ppl use to shift responsibility onto. it’s also about popular culture that is crafted by people who are painfully ignorant and insensitive

exoticism in media is about artists and media personalities in general using cultural elements as a way to create a ~foreign~ feeling, thus reducing the said culture to uncommon-looking features, often exaggerated and oversaturated for shock factor or aesthetics

this reflects the ignorance of the creator which results in people viewing different cultures as faraway, exotic, alien-like, bastardized, foreign and barbarous. false representation prevents people from relating to representatives of those cultures and that is the key problem

human empathy is nothing but the ability of someone to project themselves onto another person and relate to their experiences by proxy but exoticism (and orientalism as witnessed) prevents people from doing so

this is why holding people accountable for what kind of message they put out is incredibly important - their platform is disproportionately big in comparison to their ability to generate culturally sensitive content which is why their mistakes craft public consciousness

unknowingly or deliberately, popular media has played a huge role in how the world perceived the experiences of MENA ppl - i’m not saying “white people perceived” bc, as i’ve mentioned, media all over the world is affected by the ideas of western cultural dominance

people aren’t able to relate to the happenings there because all they know about the regions in question is nothing but a bastardized, vilified and “barbaric” image pushed by media in all its forms, which painted locals as ppl with a DRASTICALLY different culture

so different and foreign that it could be used as props, something out of a fantasy book or a disney movie and definitelt not sth you’d picture yourself genuinely participating in.
this is the main reason why creating a real image of all non-western cultures is VITAL

it’s extremely important to respect different communities and make sure that what you create and spread is culturally sensitive, and even if you wish to incorporate other cultural elements into your craft - make sure that the image you create is familiar and not dehumanized

an apology or a silent cover-up doesn’t make up for the damage caused and the only way one can actually make sure that how they use their platform doesn’t make their audience tone-deaf and desensitized to foreign cultures is publicly SHOW their respect and make an effort