- Entertainment continues to subtly shape viewers’ perceptions of reality, framing heroes, villains, and moral narratives.
- Studies and historical analyses, including Edward Said’s Orientalism, demonstrate that these portrayals contrast sharply with reality.
This article explores how real-world developments intersect with the production of film and entertainment to influence the way the consumer perceives reality.
An important caveat before we kick start this discussion: As Muslims, we must vigilantly guard what enters our eyes and ears, for it inevitably influences our hearts and minds. We should exercise caution with the content we absorb, recognising how, over time, it can subtly reshape our perceptions, erode our spirituality, and transform who we are. Allah protect us all…Ameen. Furthermore, time is our most valuable asset; wasting hours upon hours on streaming platforms such as Netflix is not the wisest use of our time.
Now, consider how a colleague, unwinding after a long day by habitually consuming shows and films on streaming platforms such as Netflix, may have their worldview quietly and imperceptibly shaped by what they watch. Awareness of this influence is essential if we are to remain thoughtful, discerning, and critical thinkers.
The Netflix top ten is meant to reflect what viewers enjoy most. But who’s to say this is accurate? A quick glance at Rotten Tomatoes reveals that many of these titles are rated alarmingly low, often below 50% by viewers. It would therefore be scarcely unexpected if the top ten exists less to showcase quality and more to steer viewership. To draw audiences toward specific content, subtly shaping what they think, feel, and accept as reality: cultural conditioning dictated by the powers that be.
Let’s dissect this further. It cannot be a mere coincidence that House of Dynamite occupies a place in Netflix UK’s top ten films this week.
In the film, The United States is depicted as the innocent victim of an unprovoked attack. The film emphasises the heroism and diligence (or at least the frantic determination ) of American leaders and military officials as they attempt to avert “catastrophe.” The perspectives of other nations or actors receive minimal attention, reinforcing a grossly distorted narrative that casts America exclusively as the defender and never the aggressor. Reality, of course, suggests otherwise. The notion that Muslims have initiated the most wars throughout history and have been involved in the most acts of terror is counteracted in its entirety by Naveed Shaikh’s study, ‘Body count: A quantitative review of political violence across world civilisations.’
The film concludes abruptly, focusing on President (Idris Elba) as he deliberates a retaliatory strike, while only fleeting glimpses are shown of various characters, familiar and unknown, heading to nuclear bunkers. This narrative choice cements the portrayal of America as a besieged nation, merely safeguarding itself. One is invited to overlook the copious wars initiated by America or destruction wrought globally in reality but after all, this is merely harmless story-telling. Or is it? A plethora of studies demonstrates how films are not mere entertainment; they are instruments that shape perception, mold opinion, and guide collective imagination. Through visual storytelling, narratives embed themselves into the cultural consciousness, defining heroes and villains, framing moral choices, and normalising particular worldviews. Audiences often absorb these portrayals subconsciously, allowing cinema to influence attitudes toward politics, society, and even history.
Among the top ten programs on Netflix this week is Nobody Wants This, which explores the unexpected relationship between Noah, an unconventional American rabbi, and Joanne (Kristen Bell), an irascible agnostic woman who co-hosts a relationship podcast with her sister, Morgan. In the opening episode, a synagogue prayer in Hebrew for Israel sets the scene when the rabbi’s love interest shows up unannounced. How interesting, especially since Israel has all but lost global support.
The creator, Erin Foster is a staunch Zionist and has publicly supported Israel on numerous occasion.
The rabbi is presented as a relatable, modern romantic lead: trendy, irreverent, endearing and embodying the archetype of a romcom hero.
Interestingly, the depiction by mainstream media and Hollywood of the Muslim man is that of an angry and scary villain who requires taming. The Muslim woman is in need of rescue from the Muslim man. This of course is fallacious. Gaza has revealed the truth on the ground.
Nontheless, the impact of perception conditioning is seen through several studies. In a YouGov 2016 poll, 33% thought that terrorist acts that are carried out by Muslims “do tell us something about the nature of Islam.” However, the reality of what Muslims adhere to and believe in can be seen in a 2011 Gallup World Poll: North Americans and Brits were most likely to justify military attacks on civilians. However, Muslim majority countries were more likely to oppose them. When asked about whether it is justifiable for the military to target and kill civilians. In the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, 85% said it is never justifiable. 50% in the USA and Canada said it is never justifiable. In another 2011 Gallup poll, in sharp contrast with Americans who identify themselves with other faith groups, Muslim Americans are more likely to say military attacks on civilians are never justified (78%).
In his seminal work, Orientalism, Edward Said scrutinised the systematic demonisation of the “Muslim world” by European and American powers. Though not always overt, his analysis unveiled the profoundly gendered narratives that depicted Arab and Muslim men as the primary agents of fundamentalism, violence, and warmongering.
"The Oriental is depicted as something one judges (as in a court of law), something one studies and depicts (as in a curriculum), something one disciplines (as in a school or prison), something one illustrates (as in a zoological manual). The point is that in each of these cases the Oriental is contained and represented by dominating frameworks. In the depths of this representation, however, are two of the most important features of the imperialist vision of the non-Western world: The individual Oriental is always subordinated to the collective image, and this image is articulated to be experienced in part in his foreignness, in part in his enigmatic peculiarities, and in part in his overall insubordination. Such a collective image is a result of, and a part of, the process by which the mass of the Oriental lands and peoples is governed" (Said, Orientalism, p. 40).
