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"Planet of the Arabs is a powerful 9 minute collage of racist stereotyping of Arabs in movies.Out of 1000 films that have Arab & Muslim characters (from the year 1896 to 2000) 12 were positive depictions, 52 were even handed and the rest of the 900 and so were negative. A montage of Hollywood's relentless dehumanization of Arabs and Muslims." From http://digg.com/movies/Planet_of_the_Arabs_How_Hollywood_Sees_the_Middle_East_2 ...
By no means do I advocate ethnocentrism. If anything, the one value that human societies are sorely lacking is tolerance towards one another. But this is not correct way to teach it; you don't focus on the negative, the "boohoo, look how we've been treated..." You focus on the positive aspects that each culture brings to the table and build on that.
> Propaganda.
nowadays, what isn't?
> By no means do I advocate ethnocentrism.
i don't doubt it. and i don't find many at this site, or even in general really, who do advocate it.
> ... human societies are sorely lacking is tolerance towards one another.
right. and i'll be the first to want to accentuate de positive. even got some playlists for just that.
if you're aware of that need for tolerance already, then you're not who 'needs' to watch this, to know it's a problem, for everyone.
so, instead, you can check out a really funny (ahem) Perrrrsian standup comic, named Maz Jobrani.
http://www.videosift.com/video/Maz-Jobrani-on-The-Late-Late-Show
sure! i'm writing the prequel as we speak. after all, deloreans are already pretty well-armored vehicles.
remember those guys at the mall parking lot? they're the bad guys, and they're still pissed about the pinball machine parts. oh, and we're getting steven seagal to play marty this time.
http://www.videosift.com/video/Reel-Bad-Arabs-How-Hollywood-Vilifies-a-People
There always has to be an enemy in such movies. I mean, just look at the movies that has the big bad company as bad guy. Does that mean every company out there abuses their employees?
These movies are entertainment and fiction, not real life.
I dont want to know how many movies with americans as bad guys there would be if the arab nations had something similar like hollywood. But I actually know a few of such movies.
Seriously, if you dont like how Hollywood makes movies, then dont watch em and instead watch and idolize movies like Loose Change... lol
Anyway, there will always be movies which generalize and use stereotypes, for whatever reason. In many cases thats actually funny. And just because I find it funny how some Arabian in Team America says "derka derka" doesnt mean I dislike Arabs or see em all as funny speaking idiots.
Secondly, some of the clips include "terrorists" in the cases shown in this clip, always arabs, and always "For Allah"... well, should Hollywood completely avoid depicting islamic terrorism? doesnt it exist?
And to be perfectly honest, I think precisely because movies are really scared of being identified as racist, theres always some rich german fellow, or maybe an ex-KGB russian working in the background using those arabs as their puppet for some evil master-plan, isnt there?
Also, some of the clips depict character flaws, films about racism or racists, that doesnt mean the movie itself has a racist message.
I'd like to see a similar piece on the glorification of Christianity, God and Faith in movies, how the bad scientist and skeptics always fuck it up, or ruin the fun for the faithful, god-loving believers who puts it all straight in the end, and even converts a soul or two.
Upvote for Slayer.
You could make an argument for their not being enough positive roles etc etc, but mostly this video and the point its trying to make is just silly.
oh and this statement???
"A montage of Hollywood's relentless dehumanization of Arabs and Muslims." horseshit.....that's a statement borne of low personal esteem and a vindictive personality....get back on yer anti-D's...
it's them Cossacks you gotta watch out for....and poles on motorcycles...
That also includes everything from a beared steely eyed arab being a Islamic terrorist, hip hop playing brothers with their tricked out bouncing rides on the street signifying gang bangers, disenchanted ex-soviet soldiers talking about how their leaders prosttitute their nation's wealth to the west.
However I think the problem lies inherently when we let those stereotypes define how we related to people from other cultures.
I dont see the point in this video. There always has to be an enemy in such movies.
I would agree if not for that little brief beneath the video that some seem to miss entirely:
Out of 1000 films that have Arab & Muslim characters (from the year 1986 to 2000) 12 were positive depictions, 52 were even handed and the rest of the 900 and so were negative.
90% of all Arab/muslim characters in movies are depicted negatively. Try to imagine the outrage this would cause if this would happen to Hispanic or Black people. Or Jews.
Of course this clip has a few weaknesses, not the least of which is that said brief should be in the goddamn movie, not next to it. It should also back its statement with a few sources. And as Farhad pointed out, the main problem is the overuse of stereotypes by Hollywood. Russians are probably not too far from the 90% mark either.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,1121218,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypes_of_Arabs_and_Muslims
Stereotypes of Arab and Arab-Americans Presented in Hollywood Movies Released During 1994 to 2000:
http://etd-submit.etsu.edu/etd/theses/available/etd-0401105-124702/unrestricted/ElayanY050305f.pdf
Muslims: a different version of the Christian, Jewish and Catholic religions, main difference is that God is called "Allah" which means "God" in Arabic, in they're religion, Jesus was a prophet, not the son of god, it's all the same.
Jewish: A different version of Christianity and the Catholic religion, with different customs
Catholic: A different version of the Jewish religion, and Christian religion.
there is no difference, except customs and language, i think the only bad thing is the bad eyesight of America, people from the Middle East are good people, it's just the presidents and politicians that are trying to get votes, and think war is fun.
Look to the United Arab Emirates for a field guide to what a culture does when they win the lotto....would the lowliest of sheiks tend a herd? and would the beduoin suddenly wealthy, leave the sanctuary of the desert, for a solid gold toilet filled palace????
The reason there is not a Jewish version of this video is because Jews in movies can also be sympathetic genocide victims, or intelligent problem solving types, or funny scene-stealers, or that cute guy the cute girls falls for in the latest 3 hankie chick flick sobfest... and yes, Germans in films are for the most part perpetually stuck in 1939-45 invading other countries and shouting 'Mein Furor' but they can also be punk rockers, composers, happy beer-swilling tourists, new wave musicians or esoteric art film directors... its not to say that these groups are not stereotyped in film, but their stereotypes have more variety, and fill many more roles than always being terrorists.
I think Farhad is right in that the Russians are the only group that can begin to compare in the treatment the Arabs have received from Hollywood, they are always baddies perpetually dubbed as 'those sneaky-fucking Russians'. Unless they are played by Sean Connery, then they get to be noble, but they still speak with a Scottish burr.
Hollywood is so trashy, it's sad. We should come up with a movie/TV "curriculum" akin to "reading lists" that children should follow instead of watching whatever comes on. An endorsement list of sorts.
Adding video to channels (Actionpack) - requested by Krupo.