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5/20 2021 Reel Bad Arabs

        We watched the first part of "Reel Bad Arabs," a film documentary about how Hollywood vilifies a people, more specifically Arabs. Many of the movie characters would have Arabian people as the bad guys, usually the terrorists. These characters often have dangerous manners and weapons, creating a stereotype that all Arabs are villains. Even Disney movies targeted at children disparage their image by adding lyrics to songs such as "I come from a faraway place where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face". It was terrifying to find out that these lyrics and images were intentionally put into movies to manipulate young children. After Mr.Paterson asked us how we would feel if the discrimination was about Japanese people, I recalled the Anti-Asian racism in Hollywood movies. Actors would modify their appearance as slanted eyes and speak with poor English skills. These stereotypes were included in movies for comedic effect on how culturally foreign Asian people were to Western society. Despite the abominable stereotypes in the 1950s and 1960s, more Asian actors are thriving with their acting careers and appearing in Hollywood movies. Although there is still discrimination towards Asians, a great number of Japanese actors set their goal as appearing in Hollywood movies. 

      The pentagon is the headquarter building of the United States Department of Defense. The US military provides military aircraft, weapons, and more as props for Hollywood movies. Only with the exception that the Military would be seen as heroes in the movie. After some research, I found out that the US military offices usually ask to see the entire script, not just the military-related parts. After checking the portrayal of the troops, they move it forward in the approval process. Both the military and moviemakers benefit from this arrangement, which causes them to completely ignore its influence on the audience. This system is to create a good PR and recruitment for young people to get in the military, and has worked for decades. I am overwhelmed by all the connections within society and not sure which source to trust. 


Notes:

Israeli & Palestinian deaths/injuries documented by the UN

huge disparate in numbers of death comparing Israeli & Palestinian - obvious that Palestine needs more defense.

Palestine has no weapon to harm Israel. 

a movie called reel bad Arabs- movies portrayed Arabs in bad lights. 

MGM warner brothers, all Jewish names 

How Hollywood vilifies a people

  • portrayed assumptions
  • many of them have Arabs as the bag guys
  • dangerous manners of Arabs
  • stereotypes projecting the Arabs as villains
  • fictional setting "Arab land" dessert, an oasis with a torture chamber 
  • Disney movie Aladdin  song lyric "I come from a faraway place where they cut of your ear if they don't like your face" 
  • In the movie about terrorism, the actor playing an Arab terrorist is not even Arabic and Indian. 
  • a lot of the movies are from the 20th century. 
  • making characters obsessed with European women, harassing women, and painting a 
  • nearly 25% of Hollywood movies portray Arabs negatively. 
  • even if the character is rich, they make the character issue money to control others.
  • offensive characters 
  • 1990s Arab countries have the oil, Israel is their friendly country of the region and degrades Arabs
  • even in Hollywood movies, Asian women are shown negatively
  • Back to the future, are terrorists
  • Arab women are also being projected as terrorists in the year 2000s
  • giving out a strong message to do something about the Arabs

Washington and Hollywood 
The Pentagon, US military allow Hollywood to use airplanes and submarines only with the exception that they are looking powerful and heroes. Creating a good PR and recruitment for young people to get in the military, ( Arabs being the enemies in movies and real-life)

Iranian Hostage

the way nazis portray jews was almost the same as how the Americans showed Arabs

the first real example of a bomb in civil areas was actually Jews. killed loads of civilian people, British governmental people, and other British related people 

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