In many cultures, women are seen as sexualized objects and are under the patriarchal system that conform to gender roles. In today’s society even with some advances in becoming independent in women’s rights; voting, and being able to work in professional settings. Although, with such advances for women, men still have to upper hand of having more power and respect in the world that dominates the world that has put forth gender roles in society. In return women are still looked as for sexual pleasures and that have to present oneself in a way to be socially accepted as a woman should act and look such as being dainty and in the background. In the "Food for Our Grandmothers:The Arab Women in U.S. Popular Culture" by Marsha J. Hamilton it shows the link between the patriarchal views of Middle Eastern women of gender roles and sexuality, which affects the psychological and social aspects of Middle Eastern women.
In the essay, "The Arab Woman in U.S. Popular Culture," it addresses the stereotypes and sexualization of Middle Eastern women. It speaks about how the western people depicts Middle Eastern woman as people that are submissive, docile, and overly sexual women, According to Hamilton, “ frequent representation of Middle Eastern women in the U.S. popular culture in forms of the characters of the belly dancers… bewitching kohl-circled eyes” and “Another image is of the veiled… silent female.” These two prominent stereotypes that are most likely seen in the media and in the minds of western people of Middle East women. This kind of representation in the media has been used to depict what Middle Eastern women look like as seen in books like "1001 Arabian nights," brought images to the west that Middle Eastern women of being submissive to their “masters” and the western men believed that since Middle Eastern men had so many wives that the women are more malleable and easily controlled. Even with the stereotype of Middle Eastern women of being belly dancers came about in the nineteenth century from a performer called “Little Egypt”. “Little Egypt”, had performed a provocative dance that branded the women of the Middle East women as sensual and also being mocked by the performance, “the repeated representation … Middle East belly dancers and harem girls.” Even at times are Middle Eastern women are portrayed by actors, models, actresses, and musicians of cultural appropriation. For example, Iggy Azalea's "Bounce" music video.
Food for Our Grandmothers: The Arab Woman in U.S Popular Culture share a psychological and social damage of the western and patriarchal views that are reflected on Middle Eastern women. Psychologically, "The Arab Woman in U.S. Popular Culture" shows how Middle Eastern women are seen socially and culturally by the stereotypes the media presents of themselves, and mostly in a sexual and submissive light “She must be sexually active and trained in Ancient Eastern sexual secrets … and her children.” The essay gives us a glimpse of how Middle Eastern women are referred to and socially can be awkward to converse with others of people of the West that view them only as women that let men rule their lives and an erotic people.
While people suspect that what are seen on television and books are true to what Middle Eastern women are seen. In the it text shows the deeper meaning of aspects of how different regions of the world depict the way women are looked upon and because of not understanding one’s culture and way of life it brings stereotypes of what they imagine, which comes to overcoming such patriarchal ways and stereotypes of women around the globe. It is as just important to show that other women of color are being stereotyped and cultural being taken as a fashion sense like other women of color. It is as important to change the mindset of Middle Eastern women as it is for Black women and other women of color. As we all face being over sexualized in the eyes that are dominated by men. In knowing this, we can see that Middle Eastern women are more than what we see and hear.
