Stereotyping In Movies

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Many different groups of people have been stereotyped. The movie The Siege has brought up much controversy in the United States on whether or not it poorly stereotypes Muslims. The filmmakers believe that the movie was intended to inform the public of stereotyping, not to worsen anti-Arab sentiment. Many people, especially Muslims, believe that The Siege poorly stereotypes Arabs. The Muslim population especially believes that this stereotype will lead to anti-Arab sentiment.
In a Washington Post editorial Jack Shaheen says, “In the movie Arabs blow up the city’s FBI building, murdering scores of government agents; they blast theatergoers, and detonate a bomb in a crowded bus” (Shaheen C3). This is a stereotypical portrayal of Arabs. Arabs are shown here as terrorists, capable of killing innocent people. The Arabs who blow up government agents, theatergoers, and a crowded bus must be insane. Such acts of terrorism are not seen on a normal basis; therefore people ...

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of the Arab males in a certain age frame and locked them up in holding areas. This scene really got to me; it made me feel like the FBI didn’t trust any Arab males so why should we the viewers trust them. In the movie they show an aerial view of the Arabs waiting in the cell. While watching carefully all I saw were each and individual face of the hostages. Many of them confused, upset, and some in total shock. The looks of their faces made my body shiver, all I wanted to do was open the gates and set them all free. When they do this, the message I received was that all Arab males are capable of terrorism, so that is why they needed to keep them in holding cells. If the FBI had ...

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