Interesting question to ponder.

moe.ron · #1 04-23-2002, 01:07 PM

Is Hollywood racist? A friend of mine from Algeria recently complained that he rarely see an American movie that potray Arabs or Muslims in a good light. He then went on in wondering what is the obsession with Hollywood with hating them so much. I couldn't answer his question, but I tried anyway by saying that Hollywood need a new bad guy since the end of communism. And that new guy is a race and a religion. What do you guys think? Is it time for Hollywood to be "friendlier?"

LeslieAGD · #2 04-23-2002, 01:18 PM

Maybe it's just the movies I see, but I have not witnessed racism towards Arabs or Muslims. If anything, IMO Hollywood could be accused of being exclusive towards these groups, but not racist. If you want to talk about racist views, look at how Hollywood portrays Latino and Asian people...(drug pushers/gang members and asian mafia/bag guy martial arts experts).

Dionysus · #3 04-23-2002, 01:19 PM

Yay another race debate!

moe.ron · #4 04-23-2002, 01:31 PM

Decided to do some research, here are a few links that argued in favor of Hollywood being racist toward Arabs and Muslims. I will try to find counter-argument to the thesis.

http://www.pacificnews.org/content/p...hollywood.html

Optimist Prime · #5 04-23-2002, 02:18 PM

CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, etc. are NOT Hollywood. They are television media. Some terrorists consider themselves to be Islamic, but that doesn't mean that Muslim=Terrorist. These networks have entertainment, but they are not based in southern california, in the county of los angelas, north of the city of the same name.

James · #6 04-23-2002, 06:43 PM

You see what you look for. I am not sure hat many of hollywood's movies would be
considered racist per se, but maybe they do take advantage of cultural stereotypes . . but
do they ?

Or do they merely decribe situations that exist?

Is it racist to portray the the Germans killing people during the holocaust? Or is it just
something that happened?

Is Blackhawk Down, a movie that described real events in the Somalia, racist because our
enemy in that movie were primarily black muslims that did drugs?

And should we look at that movie as being symbolic of Hollywood's attitude towards that
region versus "Lawrence of Arabia" or "Lion of the Desert" or numerous other movies
that portray events in those regions of the world, or with those cultures, in a way that
viewers walk away with a better feeling?

Its your choice. And Their choice Arya.

Kevin · #7 04-23-2002, 11:55 PM

I think Hollywood portrays stereotypes... that's what it does. Not just Arabs, but whites, blacks, asians, blondes, everyone.

Hollywood ain't in business to make you happy or me happy, it wants us to buy movies, tickets, popcorn and action figures.

Take something that you think is completely and totally harmless like Friends... Sit down and analyze that show for 30 minutes and you'll be amazed at how many stereotypes they portray.

Sometimes it's positive though.. for Arabs one thing came to mind, that Ah-Zeem character in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves... Made the Englishmen look like total asses.. a very untraditional portrayal.