As part of my research on the portrayal of Africans in Hollywood and the general western culture, I came across a similar documentary titled Reel Bad Arabs which explains the prejudice and stereotypical traits that the Arabs have been given in Hollywood and western cinema.
The same way that African-Americans living in America have been portrayed in films as fools or maids in the past, the Arabs have been given more violent traits.
Dr Jack Sheen talks about the films that he thinks aid the way western people perceive Arabs to be and their judgemental ideas about these people.
The image of the Arab was created by Europeans, he states, and the people have adopted this myth instead of looking at the reality today.
In the past, films have started with the image of a desert to instantly signify that the place the story is situated in is in the Middle East, then follows an oasis which features villainous Arab kings or in great power being surrounded by servants and seductive women.
The villain trait is also seen in the Disney film, Aladdin, where Jafar is the evil character that creates obstacles for Aladdin. He describes in the opening song of the film that the place he lives in where they cut off your ear, if they don't like your face, it's barbaric, but hey, it's home , these lyrics create this myth of Arabs being inhumane and devilish.
Arabs have also been portrayed as buffoons and incapable of understanding the value of money because they are portrayed as being wealthily rich, Dr Jack Sheen explains that this is visible in True Lies.
When it comes to the physical appearance of the Arab, this is also a cliche. Though in reality most Arabs do have beards and wear head dresses but there are also those that do not have long beards and wear the common outfit that is perceived.
There are two extremes shown in films of the Arab man, that is they are Islam terrorists or over- sexualised men that cannot control themselves when it comes to seeing blue-eyed, blonde American women. There is also a large number of Christians that live in harmony with the Muslims, but this is not made light of in the movies.
In the political category, the film Rules of Engagement, this movie subtly justifies the murder of the inhabitants of Yemen, a country in Western Asia because the people fired first at the military army that was sent over to rescue American hostages. Samuel L Jackson gives the order to his colleagues to fire at the people. The idea that life can be taken away if they are Arabs because initially, they are already seen as terrorists is a way for the American government to convince his people that this race of people are inferior and deserve what they get.
I decided to write about this because it definitely highlights similar stereotypes given to a Black man or race so I felt that though it is not part of my dissertation question, it stills serves as research.
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