Hmmmm

I want you to write down the VERY first thing that comes into your mind when I say the following word.

Ready?

"Arab."

Without thinking, write down the very first thing that came into your mind.

Was it a word? A phrase? A picture of some sort?

I thought of the Arab-Israeli conflict as a first reaction (to the word "Arab").

Now, can you figure out WHERE that "very first thing" came from? Was it a media source? A real-life experience? Be specific.

As a Jew, and as a citizen of the world, the Arab-Israeli conflict is something that I think about and investigate daily-- it is a matter of extreme importance to all people, regardless of religious ties or "siding;" it is a conflict of humanity. My response came from personal experience and from media sources, as I have made it a priority to stay updated on what's going on with the Arab-Israeli conflict. Media sources help me do so.




1. THE THREE-PART BRAIN - In what ways do YOU think REEL BAD ARABS attracted your REPTILIAN (instinctual), FEELING (limbic) and THINKING (neo-cortex) brains?

The loud booms, explosions, and shooting sounds attracted my reptilian brain as I sat up in my seat, startled, every time the film shot changed from the main speaker (Dr. Shaheen) to a movie clip involving violent actions. The "Arab" music appealed to my limbic brain, along with the images from familiar films like "Aladdin." When I saw the clip from Aladdin, it was a kind of comforting image, as it was one of my first childhood films. It reminded me of a time of innocence and comfort. But then, of course, my neo-cortex brain was engaged as these "innocent" familiar images, were exposed as promoting absolutely unacceptable Arab stereotypes. My limbic brain was re-engaged as I felt emotions of anger and utter disgust at the prejudices that Hollywood has promoted for years about an entire people.

2.PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES - List and describe one specific production technique - lighting, music, camera effects, editing - used by REEL BAD ARABS.

I think that the editing of REEL BAD ARABS makes the film a success. The fact that every subjective statement and statistic is backed up with numerous movie clips evidences really ties me onto what Dr. Shaheen is saying about how Hollywood villafies the Arab people.

3. PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES - Looking at our list of 24 plus persuasive techniques, list and describe a specific moment from the film as an example of THREE different specific persuasive techniques used by our filmmakers.

Repetition: Clips depicting negative images of violence, greed, etc were played over and over again throughout the film; not just one clip was shown of Arabs being portrayed as "terrorists," many clips were incorporated in montages dispersed throughout the film.

Timing: Clips were put into the film at the right time after Dr. Shaheen made a statement about some topic, such as the idea that Arabs are portrayed as "oversexed" in Hollywood. Right after he makes that statement, the film goes right into a clip supporting this claim form an actual Hollywood film. it gives the statement meanin and makes what Dr. Shaheen is saying powerful. Timing is very important in the film world.

This may go under "emotional appeal," but I had to mention that the tone of Dr. Shaheen's voice when he speaks is one that draws in the attention of the audience evokes sympathy from those viewing-- it is slow, but not dull, and sounds very compassionate, which I think is the best way to speak in a film like this; really got my attention and concern on the topic being discussed.


4. SUGGESTIONS - Offer one specific suggestion for the REEL BAD ARABS filmmakers that might make their film even more powerful.

I think surveying a randomly assigned group of individuals on their first impressions at the world "Arab," like what you did with us DOTCOMers at the beginning of this blog activity would expose, even more so, how widespread Hollywood stereotypes have affected our society. The interview clips would be placed before Dr. Shaheen even begins to speak (probably right after the credits rolled)-- that would definitely add to the impact of the film, and the message that is trying to be conveyed.

5. Would you recommend this film for viewing with friends or colleagues? Why or why not?

YES. I actually sent the Youtube link to some of my friends, and during a run last week I brought up this film, and asked my friends how wrong they think it is that Hollywood encourages negative stereotypes about Arabs-- such as the image of the oversexed, greedy, grubby, violent, hateful people they are portrayed to be in movies. I was amazed at how unaware my friends were of the stereotypes being promoted. Just from seeing the reactions of shock and surprise my own friends had in my mentioning of how Hollywood portrays Arabs in a negative light (I got a lot of "really?"s), shows how ignorant our society is around culture-generated stereotyping.
A lot of my friends did not even realize there were any negative Arab images in Aladdin! Makes me worried, you know... Films like this spread awareness and open the eyes of the public to issues that may otherwise go unseen. Stereotyping people can be dangerous, and the example around Hollywood's depictions of Arabs is a significant case of this. I think this is a great conversation-starting, mind-engaging film. It opens the ground up for discussion on flaws in our culture, and how widespread subjective media sources such as films affect the populations' way of thinking about humanity and the way we see our world. I'm not saying I agree with everything in REEL BAD ARABS, but it is an important film to view as it inspires personal reflection and action through discussion and sharing with others.