The word “gatekeep” has grown in popularity over the last few years, most famously in the phrase “gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss.” Gatekeep: the act of gatekeeping — to control access to something in an attempt to exclude others. One of the most common uses refers to cultural gatekeeping. It refuses access to a community, cuisine, language, and many other aspects of the culture. Now, I will explain why it’s stupid and should be done away with.
Growing up in a post-9/11 world was quite the time. It’s gotten much better, but middle school was brutal. Sasha Baron Cohen really paved the way for that with The Dictator. While the main character alludes to Al-Qaddafi, every aspect of the film is a play on stereotypical “Arab” culture. Cohen might have thought he’d reveal people’s inner hypocrisy. All he did was teach a bunch of bullies how to be more effective bullies. By the way, I can’t believe how much they got away with in that film. Borat was amateur compared to The Dictator. I first saw it in 2022 and was stunned (more so by the fact that my roommate thought I would enjoy it).
But now, everyone wants to eat hummus, smoke hookah, ride a camel by the pyramids, and go to Dubai. And I’m totally here for it. There is an undeniable aesthetic to Arab life that I think everyone should experience. Whether in North Africa, the Levant, or the Arabian Peninsula, you will find remarkable diversity, cuisine, fashion, architecture, and hospitality. We love to see foreigners immersing themselves in the culture; they understand it from their own experience, not Hollywood’s interpretation. And above all, I hope everyone gets the opportunity to eat shawarma after partying for twelve hours in Beirut. There is nothing quite like it.
I have such a difficult time understanding why anyone would want to gatekeep their culture. What better way is there for people to understand you? I could sit here for days explaining my culture and why you should respect it, but it’ll go in one ear and out the other. There is no better way to learn about people than to be with them. All of this discourse about cultural appreciation vs. appropriation makes it all more scary to learn about others. Most people have good intentions when learning about new cultures; you can’t cancel them if they’re confused. When you come at people’s necks for not doing things your way, it puts a bad taste in their mouths that they won’t forget it. Also, who said your way is the right way of experiencing culture? Who are you, an NPC on TikTok, to tell people that they can’t eat this, wear that, or go there?
The growing admiration for Arab culture and lifestyle has been the most effective way to eradicate stereotypes against us. One of my favorite Youtubers, Drew Binksy, has displayed this incredibly when traveling to Yemen, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. He even had his honeymoon in Saudi Arabia, so he’s an honorary Arab to us. Amid language barriers, cultural and religious differences, he’s had such wonderful experiences in the Middle East. Everyone deserves to have that positive experience there, especially if you’ve been fed negative stereotypes your whole life. So no, no gatekeeping Arab culture.
