The Image of the Arabs in American Movies and Novels

The Image of the Arabs in American Movies and Novels
This paper primarily discusses the various stereotypes and negative images of Arabs as presented in American movies & novels. Hollywood films often portray negative stereotypes and mistaken representations of almost every minority group in the world, among them, blacks, Asians, and Arabs. In this paper, it is argued that the Arab and Islamic cultures have been the most misunderstood and incorporate the nastiest stereotypes and distorted images. American movies & novels often stereotype Arabs in one of the famous 3 'B' categories: billionaires, bombers, or belly dancers. Many movies feature Arabs as wealthy men, driving limousines and using money to seduce women, or as terrorist villains threatening to blow things up. Arab women are portrayed in movies and fiction as exotic harem belly dancers who are characterless: mute, marginalized, and repressed.
However, in literature, the picture is even bleaker as there exists a much greater degree of racism than that found in movies. In fiction, the Arab world is most often portrayed as a place swarming with Islamic fanatics, terrorists, sex maniacs and desert nomads, all with no cultural background. The paper will deal with some movies and novels selected on the basis of their being representative of the topic. The paper raises some questions about who is responsible for this distorted image, and it tries to find some answers around what the Arab world can do to promulgate its true values and culture around the world.