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In this article, Garrison Gove will describe how certain parts of the world are associated with music
Stereotyping through music
Stereotyping through music
By Garrison Gove
By Garrison Gove
When we think in a stereotype mindset, we often think of visual images: the obnoxious, overweight, gun-toting American. The reserved, tea-drinking British gentleman with crooked teeth. The arrogant Frenchmen, who will drop his baguette and surrender to the slightest breeze. The large, intimidating, vodka-chugging Russian. But there are other ways of stereotyping certain nationalities, including through the art form of sound.
A map depicting several stereotypes throughout the world. Source: TV Tropes
A stereotypical depiction of East Asians from the comic book American Born Chinese..The Scroll does not endorse racial caricatures of ethnic groups.
The “Oriental Riff”, also known as the “East Asian Riff” or the “Chinaman Lick”, is a musical riff often used in Western media to represent an East Asian theme. Ironically, it did not originate in the Far East, but in the Western world. The notes of the riff are taken from a pentatonic scale and harmonized with parallel open fourths, sometimes accompanied by a gong, resembling East Asian music to the casual Westerner. The riff has been featured in various songs, including “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas, “Turning Japanese” by the Vapors, and “A Passage to Bangkok” by Rush. The riff has also been used in several non-musical works, such as Super Mario Land and the rather racist Siamese cat scene from The Aristocats, according to NPR.
The “Arabian Riff”, also known as “The Streets of Cairo”, “The Poor Little Country Maid”, and “the snake charmer song”, is another stereotypical riff, used to represent the Middle East, North Africa, India, or a generic desert setting. Similar to the Oriental Riff, it originated in the Western world rather than the setting it represents. The riff shares its melody with rather vulgar children's songs known as “The Girls in France” or “The Southern Part of France”. Like the Oriental Riff, the Arabian Riff has been featured in numerous songs, including “Little Egypt” by Oasis, “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” by Four Lads, (made famous by They Might Be Giants), and “Cleopatra, Queen of Denial” by Pam Tillis. It has also been featured in other media, including the film The Great Ziegfeld and the video game Oh Mummy, according to Middle Eastern Dancer Shira's Blog All About Middle Eastern Dance.
A stereotypical Arabian setting from the collection of fairy tales Arabian Nights
Italians, particularly Italian-Americans are often stereotyped as being members of the Mafia, such as this scene from the 1932 film Scarface.
Rounding off our list of regional riffs is the “Tarantella Napoletana”, commonly associated with Naples, Italy. In North America, the riff has come to represent the entire country of Italy. Although it is not as well-known as the previous two examples, the riff is featured in Gioachino Rossini’s “La Danza” and “Lucky, Lucky, Lucky Me” by Evelyn Knight and the Ray Charles Band.
In certain cases, specific songs, rather than generic riffs, have come to represent countries, often more so than the country’s own national anthem. Examples include “Jarabe Tapatío” for Mexico, “Song of the Volga Boatmen” for Russia, “Rule Britannia” for the United Kingdom, and “Erika” for Germany. Some of these even originate from other media. For example, the show tune “Edelweiss” from the film The Sound of Music is often mistaken for an Austrian folk song, or even its national anthem.
A humorous diagram depicting various stereotypes throughout European nations. Source: TV Tropes
Stereotyping as a whole is generally assumed to be largely detrimental to society. Being aware that it exists, as has been done in this article, lays the foundation for the power of more accurately representing cultures. Going forward, try to question how certain groups are represented in media.
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