An Exploration On The Demonization Of Arab Images In Hollywood Movies Before 9/11

Hollywood movies have long been playing the role of spreading American values throughout the world.By depicting one group of people as positive or negative images,Hollywood films successfully construct various stereotypes which match American values and interests.However,Hollywood movies almost always portray Arabs as negative images.Influenced by the change of American interests in the Middle East,as well as by the Orientalism,Hollywood movies tend to demonize Arabs.This paper will focus on Hollywood movies released from the earliest days to pre-9/11,in which Arab images were demonized.Meanwhile,cultural and political factors behind the demonization of Arabs will be explored.The author finds that Hollywood’s demonization of Arab images is influenced deeply by political events,such as the creation of Israel,the Iran Islamic revolution,the demise of the Soviet Union and other major political events.At the same time,Orientalism,which can be perceived as the West’s imagination about the Orient from the perspective of western culture,also has great influence on the demonization of Arab images.The main body of this paper is divided into three chapters.Chapter one is: Arabs as exotic and barbaric aliens--the beginning of demonization.Chapter two is: Arabs as villains--the strengthening of demonization.The third chapter is: Arabs as terrorists--the end of demonization.In the conclusion,the author finds that the extent of Hollywood demonization towards Arabs has been becoming worse.From the early image of “barbaric aliens”,to “villains”,and to “terrorists”,Arab images in Hollywood movies evolve from the “human” to the “devil”.The demonization of Arabs in Hollywood movies results in the widespread acceptance of Arabs as terrorists.That is one of the important reasons of why Arabs and Arab-Americans were widely viewed as terrorists when the real terrorist attack,9/11 attack,happened in the United States.