Stereotypes In The Middle East

I have noticed that Middle Easterns are almost always depicted offensively in the media for example in movies, televisions shows, news, cartoons, advertisements and even in video games. However, because the ‘The Middle East and the media’ are already very broad topics in themselves I will narrow it down and in my essay I will discuss more specifically how Hollywood has and still is portraying Arabs and their culture and promoting stereotypical depictions about them.

Since 1920s, Hollywood has continued to have an important place in the world of cinema. Hollywood movie productions reaches people of all ages, sexes, races and ethnicities and it is therefore crucial to portray those different races and ethnicities in a correct way as it is available
This movie contains stereotypical Arab personalities. The movie starts with an opening song that goes as follows “oh i come from a land, from a faraway place, where the caravan camels roam, where they cut of your ear if they don’t like your face. It’s barbaric but hey it’s home”. Disney had to change these lyrics after the American Arab discrimination committee voided their opinions. However, they should have changed more than just the lyrics of the song. There is one particular scene where Jasmine takes an apple to feed a starving boy. When stealing the apple she gets caught by an average Arab looking character wearing traditional Arab clothing. He threatens to cut off her hand just because she is trying to help a starving boy. This man isn't even the main villain in the movie just an average Arab. This scene shows false stereotypical beliefs about Arabs. Children watching this movie will see this man pulling out a knife and they will start to think that all grown men with beards and who wear traditional Arab clothing are aggressive, short tempered and violent. Especially for those younger children who absolutely know nothing about the Middle East will start to think that the whole area is filled with cruel people but in reality it is a place with beautiful culture and amazing people. Arab people are misrepresented and at the same time underrepresented. In addition, Villains in the movie are notable darker than princess Jasmine and the main character Aladdin and other characters that audiences were supposed to resonate with. The ‘good’ characters were set apart with American and British accents and white physical features including lighter skin. Aladdin is one of those movies everyone grew up watching. Already at a young age, we are exposed to these images and we have no choice about accepting or rejecting these conceptions since they are acquired well before our own cognitive abilities