Iron Man: a Case Study in Orientalism and Hegemony Aidan Bryant SUNY Geneseo
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Proceedings of GREAT Day Volume 2010 Article 1 2011 Iron Man: A Case Study in Orientalism and Hegemony Aidan Bryant SUNY Geneseo Follow this and additional works at: https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/proceedings-of-great-day Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Recommended Citation Bryant, Aidan (2011) "Iron Man: A Case Study in Orientalism and Hegemony," Proceedings of GREAT Day: Vol. 2010 , Article 1. Available at: https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/proceedings-of-great-day/vol2010/iss1/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the GREAT Day at KnightScholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Proceedings of GREAT Day by an authorized editor of KnightScholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Bryant: Iron Man Iron Man: A Case Study in Orientalism and Hegemony Submitted by: Aidan Bryant Abstract and Jeff Bridges, all prolific and respected This paper examines media-propagated performers. It was met with critical praise and orientalism and Western hegemony in relation won several awards for Best Action Movie, Best to the Middle East. There are countless films Science Fiction movie, etc (Internet Move that portray Arabs as monodimensionally evil Database, n.d.) and was the first film of 2008 to villains. One such film is the 2008 blockbuster pass the $300 million mark in domestic box Iron Man. This paper analyzes orientalism and offices. There is also an extensive line of Iron hegemonic constructs in Iron Man and some of Man merchandise, several television shows, the effects and messages that Iron Man video games, and, of course, the original comic promotes. series, which was first published in 1963 (Couture and Huber, n.d.). Clearly Iron Man is a Keywords: orientalism, hegemony, Arabs, popular and profitable figure in pop culture media, comics history, and as such, is worth scrutinizing as to its contribution to reinforcing or defying Arab Introduction stereotypes. In today’s society, anti-Arab sentiment is My research questions encompass the rampant in many Western cultures. During the following: How are aspects of orientalism and Cold War up until the late 1980s, Western hegemonic constructs manifested in Iron Man? media used the Soviets and communist powers What are possible reasons for these media as the “default villain”. Today, Arab terrorists portrayals? And what criticisms or media effects and Muslim extremists have taken their place. might stem from Iron Man? Although this phenomenon has historical roots in the United States’ dominant conflict shifting Literature Review from the Cold War to the Gulf War, War on Terror, and other Middle Eastern conflicts, it is Orientalism and Arab Stereotyping undeniable that Western media are doing the The concept of orientalism was first Arab people no favors in terms of image. proposed by Edward Said in his 1978 work Drama and action movies are Orientalism. Said argued that orientalism is “a particularly guilty of propagating negative Western style for dominating, restructuring, and portrayals of Arabs. The 2008 action having authority over the Orient” (p. 3). blockbuster Iron Man, based on the Marvel Western powers create their own construct and comic, features a wealthy businessman who is image of Eastern nations (“the Orient”), usually kidnapped by Afghan terrorists and develops a employing willful ignorance or intentional superweapon suit that he uses to bring justice to misinformation of actual Eastern traditions, those terrorized by the evil Afghans. Iron Man phenotypes, and temperament. The purpose of holds a prestigious place in film archives. It this construct is to allow Europeans (and now starred Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Americans) to emphasize the strength and 9 Published by KnightScholar, 2011 1 Proceedings of GREAT Day, Vol. 2010 [2011], Art. 1 identity of their own cultures by setting it Orientalism has roots in hegemony. The against a strange and oft-inferior “other.” idea of a powerful West creating a barbaric East is hegemonic, as the West is deliberately Cultures that are often blanketed by creating an inferior “other” in order to promote orientalism include most of the east Asian and declare their own dominance and world, most notably China, Japan, the Arabian superiority. Peninsula, Indochina, the Middle East, and India. However, the caricature of most relevance Finally, the concept of American and interest now, in the 21st century, is the Arab Exceptionalism, as proposed by Nayak and and/or Muslim. Derrida (as cited in Hall, 1997) Malone (2009), is a modern rethinking of argued that with polarized dialectics comes an Western hegemony and orientalism. Nayak and inherent dominance of one side or the other. For Malone claim that, according to the theory of example, in the male/female dialectic, the male American Exceptionalism, “the United States is the societally favored side. In the case of has a unique place in history, differing orientalism, the West is the dominant figure in fundamentally and qualitatively from all other the polarization of the East/West dialectic. countries; it also emphasizes a “God-given destiny” to guide the rest of the world according Hegemony and American Media Dominance to the mainstream US political, social, and economic worldview” (p. 254). Exceptionalism The concept of hegemony, credited to goes beyond orientalism and “others” every Antonio Gramsci, was a broader interpretation nation that is not the United States, creating of Karl Marx’s theories on economic and social what is tantamount to the social classes of “us” inequality (Lull, 2003). Marx argued that and “them.” As Gramsci predicted, the United economic status was the greatest factor in States has based its hegemonic blanket on much predicting social differences. However, in more than economics, including political today’s society there are far more factors than ideology, religion, and cultural norms. Most of money complicating the issue of social these are now disseminated through the media. domination. Gramsci introduced the concept of hegemony, a construct in which one group Social Function of Superhero Comics exerts power over another by “force, consent, or a combination of the two” (Croteau & Hoynes, Stan Lee, the creator of Iron Man and 2002, p. 165). many other Marvel superheroes, said, “Whenever I want to communicate to others, I Hegemony is often used to describe how always try to do it in a lighter-hearted way and media companies propagate certain images. For make it as entertaining as possible” (2005, para. example, Fox News broadcasts feature 3). As Lee discovered, comic books are an conservative framing. This is an example of effective and popular method of conveying hegemony because in Western society, the important issues. The entertaining nature media tell audiences what to think about and efficiently carries the message without being too often present very selective, tailored heavy or somber for audiences. Umphlett (1983) information. The audience consents to this points out that the rise and popularity of comic consumption but is still subject to the media book superheroes was symptomatic of the decisions of Fox News. Lull argues that media instability and insecurity that Americans felt. “It companies have the power to take grounded was all very comforting to know that there were institutions, such as religion, and convert them champion crusaders like Captain into pop culture. Every religion can be Marvel…taking on whatever the Axis powers considered a unique culture, so it is not so far had to throw our way” (p. 102). Many removed to say that the media can also convert, superheroes developed during times of political for example, a national culture into pop fodder. uncertainty. For example, Superman rose to This is precisely what Western media has done popularity during the Great Depression and to Islam and the Arab people. World Wars. Captain America, with national 10 https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/proceedings-of-great-day/vol2010/iss1/1 2 Bryant: Iron Man pride in his name, was “a symptom of the fears to say that the comic writers are intentionally of our time…when we needed positive heroes” and maliciously portraying Arabs in such (p. 102). Today, superheroes are much more narrow roles, but Shaheen’s identification of than a symbol of our cultural, political, and such a narrow array of archetypes in a sample of economic struggles. Some, like Spiderman, well over 200 Arab figures is a strong indication address the fears of the average individual; of very definite stereotyping. Whether this is out others, such as Iron Man, speak to more of malice, fear, or ignorance is in question. domestic problems such as substance abuse. Analysis Umphlett also speaks of the indefatigability of superheroes. It can be said The plot of Iron Man revolves around that superheroes are an advocate of, and billionaire and genius inventor Tony Stark, therefore a symbol of, America. They may be whose company, Stark Industries, primarily defeated, they may even be killed, but they manufactures weapons. During a demonstration always come back for another fight. Superman, of his newest weapon for the US Army in the quintessential champion of America, has Afghanistan, Stark is kidnapped by Afghan died at least twice by fans’ estimates (2007). terrorists who want him to manufacture a This is a representation of “the innate American powerful missile for them. He escapes by attitude that would never admit defeat” building his supersuit, becoming Iron Man, and (Umphlett, 1983, p. 102). Comics therefore then setting out to reverse and prevent the served to bolster morale through this expression effects of his company’s weapons falling into of America’s survivalist nature, as well as corrupt hands. He eventually discovers that the through providing a fantasy diversion for plot to kidnap him was masterminded by his readers. longtime mentor and primary stockholder in Stark Industries, Obadiah Stane.