Where, exactly, is this supposed to be?

When people think of the Universal Studios theme park, post-Orientalism is probably not what comes to mind first. When I entered the park last November, I wasn't expecting to find what I did: an entire section of the park devoted to an "Arabian" theme. Looking around the "Arabian market" with blankets hanging from the ceiling and rugs adorning the floor, it became clear that Disney's Agrabah was not the only Oriental stereotype in Orlando. There were advertisements plastered on the walls for a performance of Sindbad's Eighth Voyage (despite there only being seven original stories) complete with colorful new characters added to the legend, like Sindbad's sidekick, "Kabob". The photographs of the characters were complete with turbans, small vests, baggy pants, and pointed shoes. Shoppers could purchase food from the "kebab hut", souvenirs from "mythical metals" or a psychic reading. Tired park-goers could take a rest by the "Mystic Fountain", an attraction that told offensive jokes in a racist Chinese accent for children. English signs were written in a font that seemed to imitate Sanskrit, jungle-like plants surrounded the paths, and stereotypical flute music with plenty of harmonic scales played throughout. Overall, the layout gave me the impression the planners just tried to cram every Orientalist stereotype possible into one section of the park.

Walking through the park gave me a bit of culture shock, especially because the park isn't leftover from a long time ago: it opened in 1999. Reading Edward Said's Orientalism gave me a lot of insight into how stereotypes manifested in this form. The stereotypical appearance of the park paired with its constant references to magic crossed my mind several times while I was reading through Said's paper. The park completely cashes in on the commercial aspects of Orientalism: how it's often used to sell exciting books or movies. Westerners, especially Americans, love to be cultural tourists in whatever way is most convenient. By having the "best" of Oriental culture at our fingertips without even leaving the states is the pinnacle of Orientalism: all the wild magic and mystery with none of the actual expansion of your horizons.