why has there recently been a shift in perception on cleopatra's physical appearance in various types of media, given that the historical record is so uncontroversial? is this an example of neo-burkean foucaldianism gone amok? is it critical race theory gone haywire?
i actually think it's the opposite, and better described by what edward said labeled as the phenomenon of western orientalism - a tendency to other the middle east as exotic and foreign. instead of being a crafty white woman of unusual complexion, which the history is clear is what she actually was, she becomes a busty, booty-shaking jasmine of arabic background - despite the reality that there has never been a queen of that sort in the history of islam, for obvious reasons. in the (post-greek, post-roman) arabic context, the woman is being presented as a consort, not a realistic presentation of a reigning monarch. women like that just do not exist under arab rule, anywhere, except in the minds of arabic men - and, apparently, in the minds of western men, as well.
what's happened since is reflective of the orwellian turn that foucaldianism has taken, as enforcement of the norms it pretends to criticize. while our contemporary presentation of cleopatra as an arabic prostitute is both fundamentally sexist and fundamentally racist, it has been embraced by westernized arab women as an intersectional example of female & arab power. alas, the whole thing is bullshit, through and through.
you could expand on this as a deeper case study, if you'd like, but these are points i've been drawing attention to for quite a while and i'm content to leave it in point form.
so, to summarize:
- the historical cleopatra was of greco-persian descent and very, very white.
- the appropriation of the historical cleopatra into the archetype of an arabic prostitute is properly described as an example of orientalism - and is both sexist and racist to the core.
- the contemporary embrace of foucaldianism on the fake left has led to an orwellian reality around both sexism and racism, and this is actually a great example of it.
- fake leftist twitter users are horribly ignorant, in general, and this is also a great example of that.