The Exoticization and Orientalist Representation of Hinduism in Popular Culture: Analyzing the inclusion of Hindu Deities in the Video Game ‘SMITE’
By: Haris Javed. (All images found on google)
Hinduism has over 1 Billion active followers around the world (Friedman, 2011) However, despite it being practiced by more than 15% of the world’s population, it is a religion often regarded by popular western culture and media in a farce like manner in comparison to Abrahamic religions. Hindu deities, traditions and religion processions are often simplified and used as tropes in video games, TV shows or film, suggesting that Hinduism is more similar to Greek or Egyptian mythology than to more celebrated Abrahamic religions. Historically, literature on religion has largely come about from the work of European scholars and anthropologists (Smith, 1998). Since the majority of scholarly work pursued to understanding religion has been done by Christian Europeans, our understanding of world religion has been tainted by a Christocentric lens (Smith, 1998). Every other belief system around the world has been studied and understood in relation to Christianity, which is problematic because this puts the power of storytelling in the hands of European Christians, therefore contributing to the exoticization and misunderstanding of polytheistic religions. This has led to a very undiscerning orientalist attitude about religions other than Christianity. An example of this sort of historical academic and social perversion can be seen in the representation of Hinduism in popular media.
A recent example of this is the video game SMITE by Hi Rez studios. An online multiplayer game where players assume control of deities from different pantheons and take part in team based combat.Controversially, one of the pantheons included in the game was that of Hindu deities, which was surprising since unlike ancient Greek, Roman and Norse faith traditions, Hinduism is still a widely followed religion around the world. Unsurprisingly, the game was boycotted and denounced by many Hindu leaders and followers who argued that having religious figures being controlled by players was denigrating (Hafer, 2012). Hindu deities such as the Goddess Kali were over-sexualized and presented in conjunction with other “violent” religions described as having “awesome battles”.
Early academic inquiry in the study of world religions was carried out by anthropologists (Smith, 1998). A prevalent categorization system of religion stems from the Anthropological study of religion known as the evolutionary stage theory or the cognitive approach theory, which was popularized by James Frazer. This theory suggests that human societies have evolved and progressed from savagery to barbarism to civilization. According to Frazer, what makes people primitive is their view of world as magical and enchanted, while modernity corresponds to human beings thinking of the world in more rational terms. This correlates historically to the shift in belief systems from animism to polytheism and lastly to monotheism. Each belief system represents an evolutionary stage in the development of our species, with Animism being the post primitive and monotheism being the most advanced, with Polytheism being an intermediary stage between the two.(Klassen, 2012). The implication here was that belief in a polytheistic faith meant a less evolved intellectual thought process whereas monotheism
The anthropologists and scholars who contributed towards the evolutionary stage development taxonomy of religion often begun their inquiry with Christianity as a reference point. Motivated by the belief of Europeans superiority, their characterization of other belief systems vis-à-vis Christianity were highly prejudiced (Klassen, 2014). Christianity, along with other Abrahamic faiths (Judaism and Islam) were classified as ‘high’ religions that were marked by civility, spirituality and morality and ethics. Other belief systems, particularly polytheistic faiths, were classified as ‘natural religions’ and were characterized by barbarism, savagery and amorality. (Smith, 1998). Hinduism, of course, was categorized with the second group
In recent times Darwinism as an approach in the social sciences has become obsolete, therefore the evolutionary stage development theory of religion has largely fallen out of favor. Unfortunately, however, some of the attitudes associated with the evolutionary stage development theory about other belief systems, especially Hinduism, remain prevalent and manifest and popular culture depictions of this religion.
When the video game SMITE came under fire last year for its representation of Hindu deities and the exclusion of Abrahamic figures,Todd Haris the creator of the game had this to say
He further added:
Harris’ statements here are very problematic since they reinforce very prejudiced attitudes about Hinduism vis-à-vis the Abrahamic faiths, by stating that the Abrahamic figures are peaceful and implying that the inclusion of Hindu deities is because of their propensity to fight, Harris is reinforcing attitudes propagated by the Evolutionary stage development theory. By insinuating that Hindu deities are included because there are stories of them fighting each other, makes fighting and violence a primary characteristic of Hindu deities and reinforces the association of Hinduism with Barbarism, Savagery and War. Then by claiming Abrahamic figures are excluded because they are peaceful compared to the conflictive Hindu deities reinforces that Abrahamic religions are characterized by Civility and Morality and a non-conflictive(peaceful) streak. This shows that unfortunately, Darwinist attitudes may have become obsolete in academic conversations, they are still very much a part of our public discourse, especially in popular media.
The classification of Hinduism as a “violent” religion implies the existence of a dichotomy, one at the core of Orientalism: the existence of an Us, the dominant, Western, christocentric lens; and the Other, the exoticized culture and belief system being viewed. A critique of the religion of the Other as “violent” versus non-violent exhibits the power of the Christocentric lens and its ability to dominate the telling of history and culture of the East by the West.
In addition to a Orientalist retelling of the Hindu tradition through painting it as a “violent” religion, Harris has based his entire project on a point of departure that commits the greatest Orientalist sin of them all: his very inclusion of a “foreign” and “exotic” culture, Hinduism, with such ease and normalcy for the sole purpose of augmenting a video game’s fictitious narrative to increase its allure in the media and culture — one that already swims in centuries of Orientalist rhetoric, history, and power.
Citations:
Friedman, H. “5 Religions With The Most Followers | Huffington Post.” Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.
Hafer, TJ. “Hindu Leader Requests Removal of Deities from Smite, Hi-Rez Declines.” PC Gamer. Accessed October 20, 2016. http://www.pcgamer.com/hindu-leader-requests-removal-of-dieties-from-smite-hi-rez-declines/.
“Hindus Upset At Online Video Game Using Kali And Other …” Eurasia Review. Accessed October 20, 2016. https://groups.google.com/d/topic/alt.religion.hindu/7H4mMDUtK8o.
Klassen, Chris. “Religion and Popular Culture.” In Religion and Popular Culture: A Cultural Studies Appproach, 7–28. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2014.
Smith, Jonathan Z. “Religion, Religions, Religious.” In Critical Terms for Religious Studies. Ed. Mark C. Taylor, 269–284. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998.
Sheridan, Connor. “Deity-based MOBA SMITE Will Not Use Jewish, Christian …” Gamespot. Accessed October 23, 2016. http://www.gamespot.com/articles/deity-based-moba-smite-will-not-use-jewish-christian-islamic-figures/1100-6384974/.
