Cultural Anthropology: Analyzing Hollywood's Negative Arab Images

This essay examines the documentary "Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People," directed by Sut Jhally and based on Jack G. Shaheen's book, which critiques the consistently negative portrayal of Arab people in Western films. The essay highlights how Hollywood often depicts Arabs as villains or comic relief, perpetuating harmful stereotypes that influence societal perceptions. It contrasts this with the success of Disney's Aladdin, which offered a more positive representation and was well-received, suggesting audiences are open to non-stereotypical portrayals. The analysis underscores the impact of media on shaping public opinion and the responsibility of filmmakers to avoid perpetuating xenophobic narratives. It further discusses how these negative portrayals have historically been used to justify US interventionism and cultural dominance, emphasizing the need for a more nuanced and accurate representation of Arab culture and its contributions.

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Cultural Anthropology
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“Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood vilifies people" is a film by Sut Jhally. The film
focuses on an interesting issue that is prevalent in the media. The film is based on the book
by the narrator of the film Jack G. Shaheen. The image that the western film industry has
created about the Arab people and the entire race is extremely negative. The film showcases
certain films and the focus is constantly given in the way Hollywood represents the Arab
people and the entire community. The Arab people are villains or comic relief in the films
and this is a wrong practice that has kept taking place in the entire film industry for the past
few decades. The Aladdin cartoon was one instance when the Hollywood came out of their
mental stereotyping attitude of the Arabs and made something that was different and unique.
The audience lapped up the content and it went on to become a huge success. This shows that
the people do not necessarily take the Arab people as negative people and the Hollywood’s
changed portrayal was hence widely accepted by the people. The film focuses on the
emotions that the Arabs feel when they see themselves to be reflected in such light in the
films. The makers need to rethink such stereotyping and try to understand that the any media
has a considerable impact on the perspective that is created in the society and such portrayals
do lead to the creation of a negative image of the Arabs in the world (Alsultany).
The documentary showcases the influence of Victorian oriental’s thinking and
perception of the Arabs as people who are violent and villainous in their characteristics. The
film rightly shows that such portrayal often makes up as justification that the US uses in
involving into imperialism. The US and their domination over the cultures and their
hegemonic approach in the world and their intention of dominating cultures are shown
perfectly in this documentary. The narrative describes the xenophobic tendency of the US in
making the Arabs a scapegoat and making them look villainous to the rest of the world.
Media stereotyping has been an issue that is well reflected in the film and shows that the
negative portrayal has been a practice that has been in use for more than decades and was

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actually started from the time when paintings were the main medium of communication in the
world (Bar-Tal et al.). The maker has rightly pointed out the stereotyping of Arab men who
are always shown as people who fantasize for the western females and are lecherous in their
character. The film rightly points out that throughout the ages the Hollywood has kept
portraying the negative side of the Arabs and has never actually showed the positive side and
the greater accomplishments that they have achieved throughout history. The stereotyping of
the Egyptian culture has been constant by the Hollywood and they have been shown always
in terms of kings and pharaohs rather than the modern scenario of the culture in Egypt. The
film is a must watch to get an understanding of the wrong portrayal of the Arabs in the
Hollywood and the impacts of this practice.

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Reference
Alsultany, Evelyn. "Arabs and Muslims in the media after 9/11: Representational strategies
for a" postrace" era." American Quarterly 65.1 (2013): 161-169.
Bar-Tal, Daniel, et al., eds. Stereotyping and prejudice: Changing conceptions. Springer
Science & Business Media, 2013. Pg- 4-20