Firstly, as a white person living in America, I possess Orientalist attitudes and beliefs. I have to say that right off the bat because as much as I wish it weren't true, and as unconscious as it is, it is a fact (see my "All White People are Racist" post back from the Citizen time). I also wish I wasn't so quick to defend aspects of my childhood from racist scrutiny.
At lunch a couple weeks ago, my friend mentioned that their teacher had said The Lion King was racist and enforcing white supremacy. I immediately jumped to its defense, finding any loophole possible to that theory. In that moment, I would have gone to the ends of the Earth to prove that The Lion King is not in any way racist. The same goes for the classic childhood movies that serve as prime examples for Orientalism. Aladdin is Orientalist? Never! I'm sure there are others in the same boat, but it points to an even greater Orientalist mindset that my instant reaction is to prioritize nostalgic, childhood relics over analyzing racism and stereotypes.
We hold these iconic pieces of pop culture so closely that we are hesitant to acknowledge how they are problematic, another example being the glaring yellow-face present in Breakfast at Tiffany's. A film that has been so beloved and iconic for a significant amount of time has an army of loyal supporters behind it, and it is in these pieces of pop culture that we must hold to the same, or perhaps higher, anti-oppressive standards.
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