Case Study- How Hollywood Portrays Arabs - 1259 Words

Case Study- How Hollywood portrays Arabs An Overview of the portrayal Introduction Hollywood has for several decades, set an agenda as well played a propagandist role in showcasing the Arab world and the Middle East in general. This depiction has been greatly impacted by several major political events from the last few decades to a century. Political events such as the creation of the State of Israel, the revolution of the Islamic State of Iran, and the tragic events of September 11, 2001 in the United States have gone a long way to influence Hollywood’s portrayal of Arabs, very often in stereotypical and negative facets. Issues concerning the Middle East have been omnipresent in American society for several decades. There is†¦show more content†¦Rules of engagement (2000) A movie that justifies US Marines killing Arab women and children in Yemen. Executive Decision (1996) Showcasing Arab terrorists hijacking an American plane and US special forces saving the day. Gladiator (2000) Showcasing barbaric Arab slave traders in a movie with no Middle East connection. True Lies (1994) Showcasing inept, dangerous, and incompetent Arab terrorist and suicide bombers in Washington DC. The Kingdom (2005) Showcasing a small unit of FBI agents who track down and kill Arab terrorists in Saudi Arabia. These movies represent just a handful from the past 3 decades alone which depict and stereotype Arabs. Hollywood images are closely related to matters in politics and do operate side by side. It is an image, which has been shaped in large part by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict raging for the past several decades, in which the United States has overwhelmingly supported Israel. Other events which influenced the portrayal include, the Islamic Revolution of Iran, which incensed Arab-American relations when radical Iranian students took American diplomats hostage for over a year. Washington’s connection to Hollywood if further intensified by the fact that several movies featuring US Armed Forces, were made in cooperation with the Defense Department; with movies such as Iron Eagle, The Delta Force, and Rules of Engagement, whichShow MoreRelatedImmigration Laws And The United States1251 Words   |  6 Pageswith violence and hate towards them. In the late 19th century, the Arab world was under the Ottoman Empire. The United States chose to classify this certain group as Arab immigrants along with others that were under this empire including Turks, Greeks, and Armenians. Despite that the ruling Ottoman authority was Islamic, they were seen as Turks and the vast majority were Christians. At the turn of the twentieth century, Arabs became more associated with being Muslim and Syrians were labeled asRead More The Active Role of the Media in Influencing Our Opinion on Global Politics in Regards to the Arab Spring1923 Words   |  8 Pagesand accessible than ever before. 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