중요한 건 '조롱'이나 '희화화'뿐이 아니라
그것을 가능하게 한 빽그라운드 이미지다
시대 속에 화석이 되어야 하는 '아랍'의 고정된 이미지는
마르코폴로의 동방견문록과 다를 바가 없다
그러니 실제로 화석이 되어 있는 것은
아랍 세계가 아니라 그들을 바라보는 서양의 대뇌피질인 것이다
인종의 용광로라, 문화의 혼합이라 말하지만
그 역시도 익숙한 것들 사이에서 뿐이다
그 많은 인종과 종교와 문화의 만남에서 배운 게 뭔지는 모르겠지만
아랍과의 조우에서 어색함을 참을 수 없었던 서양은,
베일너머로 보이는 야릇한 에로티시즘과
지글지글 태양아래 수염을 달고 깊은 눈매로 노려보는 전사들의 야만성, 이란 이미지들을
'창조해냈다'
많은 미국인들을 웃겼던 국민가수 레이 스티븐스의 뮤직비디오인데
그들에게 이건 희화화라기 보다는
할리우드 영화에서 액션찍다 죽어가는 엑스트라조차 툭툭 던질 수 있는
그런 전형적인 미국의 여유이자 조크 정도이다
그리고 마지막엔 이렇게들 말한다
'그래, 웃어보자구. 이게 진정한 아랍의 모습이라니까. 하.하.하.'
현실적이지도 않고 여유있어보이지도 않는
더도 아니고 덜도 아닌 싸구려 감수성인데,
문제는 그거 주류라는 거다
Ahab the Arab by Ray Stevens
Let me tell you about Ahab the Arab
The sheik of the burning sand
He had emeralds and rubies just drippin' off 'a him
And a ring on every finger of his hand
He wore a big ol' turban wrapped around his head
And a scimitar by his side
And, every evenin', about midnight
He'd jump on his camel named Clyde, and ride
[Spoken] Silently through the night to the sultan's tent where he
would secretly meet up with Fatima of the Seven Veils,
swingingest grade "A" number one US choice dancer in
the sultan's whole harem, 'cause, heh, him and her had
a thing goin', you know, and they'd been carryin' on
for some time now behind the sultan's back and you
could hear him talk to his camel as he rode out across the
dunes, his voice would cut through the still night desert
air and he'd say (imitate Arabic speech and finish with "Sold! American)
which is Arabic for, "Stop, Clyde!"
and Clyde'd say, (imitate camel sound), which is camel for, "What the heck did he say anyway?"
Well, he brought that camel to a screechin' halt (verbal screeching sound)
In the rear of Fatima's tent
Jumped off Clyde, snuck around the corner
And into the tent he went.
There he saw Fatima layin' on a zebra skin rug
With
[Spoken in falsetto and possibly with female backups] "Rings on her fingers and
bells on her toes and a bone in her nose ho, ho."
[Spoken] There she was, friends, lyin' there in all her radiant
beauty, eating on a raisin, grape, apricot, pomegranate,
bowl of chittlin's, two bananas, three Hershey bars,
sipping on a RC co-cola listenin' to her transistor,
watchin' the Grand Ole Opry on the tube, readin' a Mad
while she sung, "Does your chewing gum lose
it's flavor?" Yeah, Ahab walked up to her and he say,
(imitate Arabic speech), which is Arabic for "Let's twist
again like we did last summer, baby.!!" Ha, ha, ha!!
You know what I mean! Whew! She looked up at him from off the rug,
give him one of the sly looks,
She said (suggestive giggles, then outright laughter) "Crazy, crazy, crazy baby!"
('round and around and around and around, and around and around and around)
Yeah, and that's the story 'bout Ahab the Arab
The sheik of the burnin' sand
Ahab the Arab, the swingin' sheik of the burnin' sand
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