'Trigger Warning' (2024): Epistemic Violence, Gatekeeping, and the Case of Authentic Arab and Muslim Representation in Anglophone Cultural Production

Abstract

This paper critically examines the persistent stereotyping of Arabs and Muslims in Hollywood cinema, situating these portrayals within the broader historical, political, and cultural frameworks. Drawing on key concepts such as epistemic violence, Orientalism, and the politics of representation, the study traces how film narratives have long served to construct reductive and dehumanizing images of Arab and Muslim communities. While recent years have witnessed isolated attempts to present more nuanced representations, mainstream media largely continues to reinforce harmful tropes that sustain Islamophobic ideologies and justify foreign interventions. Through an interdisciplinary lens, incorporating media studies and postcolonial analysis, this paper argues that authentic representation requires systemic change within the structures of authorship and narrative authority. Without a deliberate shift toward decolonial storytelling practices and greater inclusion of marginalized voices in the creative process, Hollywood's portrayals may continue to perpetuate real-world social injustices. The findings underscore the urgent need for a media landscape that embraces complexity, resists cultural essentialism, and fosters critical media literacy among audiences.