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Arabs in the Media. Arabs and Muslims in the media. Terrorists, barbarians and thieves; violent, and religious fanatics- these terms sum up how Muslims and Arabs are portrayed in the media
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Arabs and Muslims in the media • Terrorists, barbarians and thieves; violent, and religious fanatics- these terms sum up how Muslims and Arabs are portrayed in the media • In our media, there is no such thing as a “regular” Muslim/Arab character. When one is shown, it is either them plotting to blow up the world, or them disguising themselves as if they are the good guy, when really they are evil.
The Blame Game • For a long time now Arabs and Muslims have continually been blamed for acts of terrorism. • Many Americans views on Arab people were confirmed when the Twin Towers were hit on September 11th. It is natural for one to hate terrorism, however when Timothy McVeigh bombed the federal building, our hatred was only towards him, not his community or his religion.
WHY ARE WE SO QUICK TO HATE ARABS AND MUSLIMS? WHY ARE THEY SO EASY TO FEAR AND TO BLAME?
Media’s influence • Media affects people’s emotions, which may ultimately shape their behaviors. • Pop culture helps to formulate peoples opinions and stereotypes groups whether they are aware of it or not.
Islam in contemporary film Examples of movies: • Not Without My Daughter • East is East • The distortion of Islam and misconceptions that people may have, lead people to assume that the Islamic religion is a religion that is prone to violence, terrorism and religious fanaticism. These themes are shown in both television and films. Some recent examples are the films Not Without My Daughter, and East is East. These films both present stereotypes of Arabs to be violent, barbaric and fanatic.
Portrayed as the Sidekick to White Men Many films that involve Arab characters, introduce a sidekick character for the white male lead. Generally, the Arab sidekick is very loyal, simple, stupid, and is easily scared. Films with Arab sidekicks… • Lawrence of Arabia • Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark • Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
The influence of television on children • Television has the power to make a difference of lives of the people it touches. However, it also is capable of creating and reinforcing stereotypes. • Studies have shown that children watch the most hours of television in a day. These results are very important, since children are still in the process of forming their own perceptions of the world.
Arabs in Cartoon • Many Arab depictions are seen in children's cartoon series which air repeatedly and help to reinforce the negative stereotypes of Arabs in the media. • Such cartoon shows include… • Richie Rich ("Richie outsmarts an outlandish sheik”) • Scooby-Doo ("outwits Uncle Abdullah and his slippery genie”) • Porky Pig ("Ali-Baba bound, dumps a black-hearted Arab into a barrel of syrup”) • Bugs Bunny ("escapes from being boiled in oil by satisfying the whims of a sheik with an unnamed goat”)
Arabs in Cartoon A good example of a cartoon that depicts Arabs in a negative manner is the Disney film, Aladdin. What is often overlooked is the obvious negative depiction of Arabs seen in the illustrations of the characters, the statues into which they are placed and the lyrics of the opening song . • With the movie coming across as if it was a wholesome and innocent film, children are exposed to these stereotypes at a young age. The stereotypes include… • the evil villain of the film, Jafar, was the only character with exaggerated Arab features. -This portrayal of the evil, and wicked Jafar, is an example of the Western view toward Arabs. • Princess Jasmine's clothing was not that of a Princess, but the clothing of a belly dancer -A belly dancer is viewed to be someone who is of lower class. This gave Jasmine a vibe of sexuality rather then of royalty.
Aladdin • The lyrics in the opening song of “Arabian Nights” contained offensive speech. • The lyrics were…. • 1.“Oh, I come from a land 2.From a faraway place 3.Where the caravan camels roam. 4.Where they cut off your ear 5.If they don’t like your face 6.It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home.” • These lyrics were protested by The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. After many months Disney agreed to alter several lines. • They changed lines 4 and 5 to… 4.“Where it’s flat and immense 5.And the heat is intense” However the sixth line remained as “It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home.”
