Citation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkVQoe2fEEA (YouTube) A clip from Zoolander.
In this instance, the stereotype is Hansel, played by Owen Wilson. Not only is he a stereotypical model (handsome, stupid, a bit conceited), this clip also insinuates he is a Buddhist. I wasn't sure at first, but I was thinking of the part where he's by the ocean doing mystical hand movements saying when he was a kid he was more interested in what bark is made out of on a tree and basically his character throughout the whole movie. I decided I could use this clip when Hansel mentions Richard Gere as one of his heroes. Richard Gere is in fact a Buddhist, although he comes from a Methodist upbringing. Firstly, I want to address Hansel. I hate to say it, but I believe Americans stereotype a lot of eastern religions as being naïve, kind of living in some fantasy world. Hansel represents this ignorance. He doesn't mention any world issues, any interests in activism, but he likes Richard Gere. Obviously that's not the case with Gere who has been active in the Buddhist community and other world issues. I just think that Americans do think of Buddhists as being “blissed out” (I know Rasnic used this, but I liked it), kind of like Hansel. Unaware of how they appear to the rest of the world, and absorbed in trivial issues such as what bark is made out of.
My first impression of what Brad Warner thinks about Buddhism and the West is that we basically have no idea. He talks of the first “zen master”, Fred, he researched in Los Angeles, pointing out how Fred taught a class called “Tantric Zen”. Warner follows up with the statement “folks, there ain't no such thing as Tantric Zen” (13). Tantric buddhism is a Tibetan tradition, and zen is a Japanese tradition. I can relate this to my video because obviously Hansel has no idea what he's talking about...concerning anything. Warner talks about the “obvious rip-offs I couldn't believe anyone could fall for” (26), such as “the growing movement to bring back the idea that psychedelic drugs could give you in a single dose the insight that dedicated Buddhist practitioners spent decades working on” (26). I remember a specific scene in Zoolander (I couldn't find a video), where Hansel gives everyone “special” tea to find themselves or something. Hansel doesn't know what he's doing, idolizes Richard Gere and all, when it comes to Buddhism, and I believe that's a stereotype we often have of Buddhist practitioners here in the U.S.
I didn't think of this as one of the possible stereotypes because perhaps I/we are more educated than a lot of Americans, but it's absolutely true. I worked with a woman a few years ago who was extra Christian, I mentioned that I was interested in the psychological aspects of meditation. Man, I wish I hadn't said anything, she went on a horrible rant that yoga and meditation were the worship of the devil and won't stop talking about it. Eh, good post and good point!
ReplyDeleteWow I had no idea Richard Gere was a Buddhist! Very interesting! Great clip by the way. I think you are completely correct that Hansel is a great example of the American ignorance. Most American's do not take the time to educate themselves about other religions and other things that break away from what they have grown up with practicing or learning. This is unfortunate because ignorance leads to harsh judgment. Because people are unaware of the true meaning of something or a religion, they begin to place judgment on it because it is much different from what they know.
ReplyDeleteZoolander is awesome. I think that one reason Americans might see eastern traditions as naive or fantasy is because that view on the divine is radically different from the views of the Judeo-christian society most Americans were raised in. sadly people's ignorance of other religions can really hurt because of the judgement that Alexandra^ mentioned. Out of curiosity i looked at Glenn Beck's facebook page a few days ago and there are a huge number of people there who write terrible things about Islam and Muslims in general, and now that i think about it, its probably not because they have a deep seated hatred for muslims...its because they haven't educated themselves about the subject at all.
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