Reel Bad Arabs

[Cabdullahi]

Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewaox9UA6NE[/media]


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[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbjzvuDQmUE[/media]

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[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J71kNlZiDc[/media]

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[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpDt828kXgA[/media]


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[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMbMR4RJbj8[/media]

 

[Ummu Sufyaan]

jazakallahu khair...ive only seen the first part, and its too true, the way arabs are portrayed is simply exaggerated!

they always make the sheikhs look bad oh and have you realized how its always the western women who stands up to to the arab/muslim man...to make it look as if "hey a women can stand up to a man"...its so predictable and pathetic :rollseyes...

 

[themuffinman]

lol i envy arabs. what a great honor to be of the same race as the prophet. plus they have the best looking women to get married to LOL

 

[Cabdullahi]

bump

 

[Whatsthepoint]

Arabs aren't the only people to be stereotyped in movies, it's also Germans, Frenchmen, gays, Italians.
And there's also movies with good Arabs, movies with both good ones and bad ones etc.
I only watched the first part, but here's something I found interesting. The scene with a princess stealing an apple and the merchant informing her of the punishment for theft prescribed in the Quran. What's wrong with that?

 

[Danah]

I am trying to view the youtube video but seems that there is a problem in ISP here

I am so insist to see this video

what is it about?

 

[Ummu Sufyaan]

lol i envy arabs. what a great honor to be of the same race as the prophet.

but dont think that just because Arabs are of the same race as the prophet, sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam that they are more humble/practicing than non-arabs...thats what sometimes people assume, and its just a misconception

sorry, back on topic..i just had to clarify :-[

 

[Danah]

lol i envy arabs. what a great honor to be of the same race as the prophet. plus they have the best looking women to get married to LOL

but dont think that just because Arabs are of the same race as the prophet, sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam that they are more humble/practicing than non-arabs...thats what sometimes people assume, and its just a misconception

sorry, back on topic..i just had to clarify :-[

it has nothing to do with being arab to be humble or something.....

Arabs are one of many races in the world that have their language, their own traditions....nothing else.
the only special thing they have is they speak the same language as the prophet PBUH. I dont know why many non-arab people think that Arab are the most people who practice Islam.....practicing has nothing to do at all with the race, its all depend on our hearts and faiths nothing else


again, someone told me please what those videos are about? I cant view them

 

[Cabdullahi]

it has nothing to do with being arab to be humble or something.....

Arabs are one of many races in the world that have their language, their own traditions....nothing else.
the only special thing they have is they speak the same language as the prophet PBUH. I dont know why many non-arab people think that Arab are the most people who practice Islam.....practicing has nothing to do at all with the race, its all depend on our hearts and faiths nothing else


again, someone told me please what those videos are about? I cant view them

sister why cant you view them?? shall i post the URL's

 

[Danah]

sister why cant you view them?? shall i post the URL's

There is a problem in the ISP today. I will wait until they fix it, but at least I want to know what are those videos talk about.

 

[Cabdullahi]

There is a problem in the ISP today. I will wait until they fix it, but at least I want to know what are those videos talk about.

sister saya the videos are about how hollywood has vilified the arabs using misconceptions that stemmed from europe

 

[Danah]

Oh okay thanks brother.....so its about their lifestyle

 

[crayon]

Arabs aren't the only people to be stereotyped in movies, it's also Germans, Frenchmen, gays, Italians.

Yup, exactly.
America's current "enemies" are always portrayed as the bad guys in movies, whether it be the Arabs (terrorism!), Germans (WWII!), or Russians (cold war!), Vitenamese (vietnam war!), etc.
And of course, in most cases, the Americans are the heros.
What better a way for a government to spread its propaganda?
Ultimately though, it's not surprising, I'm pretty sure other countries do the same, it's just that their movies aren't usually watched by the entire world.

 

[Cabdullahi]

bump

 

[themuffinman]

lol i never sed that i think arabs are mor practicing or humble, alot of arabs in my school are christian but iv always been facinated by arab culture and its people. they have alot to be thankful for like the fact the quran was revealed in their language and the prophet was of their race.

 

[wth1257]

lol i envy arabs. what a great honor to be of the same race as the prophet. plus they have the best looking women to get married to LOL

I'm not an ethnic studies major by any means, but from what I understand most people of arab descent are not "pure" arabs because of all the intermarying during the Imperial years. Kind of like my family is "German" and "English" although realistically while my German members maay have hailed from German I doubt they were "pure" Germans.

So I don't know what anyone is truely the exact race of Muhammad. Beyond that I think Muhammad would have discouraged such ideas, that it was an honor to be one race (I think you were kidding though)

 

[crayon]

So I don't know what anyone is truely the exact race of Muhammad. Beyond that I think Muhammad would have discouraged such ideas, that it was an honor to be one race (I think you were kidding though)

You're right on the mark.

"All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood."

Taken from the last sermon of the prophet, which is beautiful, a must read if you haven't already.
http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/lastserm.HTM

 

[wth1257]

Yup, exactly.
America's current "enemies" are always portrayed as the bad guys in movies, whether it be the Arabs (terrorism!), Germans (WWII!), or Russians (cold war!), Vitenamese (vietnam war!), etc.
And of course, in most cases, the Americans are the heros.
What better a way for a government to spread its propaganda?
Ultimately though, it's not surprising, I'm pretty sure other countries do the same, it's just that their movies aren't usually watched by the entire world.

True. But also it is not just propaganda. The movie industry tends to exaggerate the stereotypes of any "group" that deviates from the norm of a "hero". Many people instinctively assume that the norm is "a white Christian male" but this is not entirely true. The norm is a non distinct white male of not overt religious affiliation. So while the Irish may be "white" if a character has a strong affiliation with his "Irish" identity he will be married to Irish stereotypes. And while the individual may be vaguely “Christian” if he has a strong affiliation to this religious identity he will likely be portrayed in some stereotyped role. There are some exceptions. I have a distinctly “British” name, but because Anglo culture is so pervasive it wouldn’t really be deviant if a movie character had my name.

That having been said the case of Arabs is particularly bad.

 

[wth1257]

You're right on the mark.

"All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood."

Taken from the last sermon of the prophet, which is beautiful, a must read if you haven't already.
http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/lastserm.HTM

I have, but thank you: )

 

[wth1257]

Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewaox9UA6NE


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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbjzvuDQmUE

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J71kNlZiDc

4


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpDt828kXgA


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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMbMR4RJbj8

It is funny you have posted this. I used Sheehan's paper for a paper I did for a public policy and the media class. It actually focused on the portrayal of Muslims in the media (I choose it around the time the insinuations of Obama's "Muslim" ties were so big). I think I still have it on my computer, so if you are interested I can send it to you (not for the paper's sake, it is nothing brilliant ((Although I did make a high A on it :statisfie ), but it gives an good general overview of the research, which could help you if you wish to follow up on this subject)