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==The use of the Orient as an exotic backdrop continued in the movies, for instance, those featuring Rudolph Valentino. The rich Arab in robes returned to become a more popular theme, especially during the oil crisis of the 1970s. In the 1990s, Arabs portrayed as terrorists became common villain figures in Western movies;[citation needed] portrayals of Jews as a mysterious, deceptive, conniving menace with supernatural powers were prevalent in Western and European cultures up until the middle of the 20th century.[citation needed]==

Orientalism is still present in today's society, but in a different form. Said argues that the continuity of Orientalism into the present can be found in influential images, particularly through Hollywood, as the West has now grown to include the United States of America. Many blockbuster movies, such as the Indiana Jones series, The Mummy films, and even the Disney Aladdin movies demonstrate the imagined geographies of the East. The movies all portray the lead heroic characters as being from the Western world, while the villains are come from the East.

Said compares these imagined geographies of the figures of the East to characters in a play, and this can be seen in film even today. The representation of the Orient has continued in movies although this representation does not necessarily have any truth to it. The overly sexualized character of Jasmine in Aladdin is simply a continuation of the paintings from the 19th century where women were represented as erotic, sexualized male fantasies.