After watching and discussing the film "Reel Bad Arabs" I was actually surprised by how many movies I had recently seen had villains that looked like Arab people. It very nearly disgusted me how I had fallen victim to such awful propaganda in 'The Land of the Free". Clearly, 8 years after 9/11, Americans are falling into the trap that, if it looks like an Arab, if it talks like an Arab, fear it. Surely I could rationalize with myself that all Arabs are not awful, horrible terrorists trying to destroy my life, no, this would be falling prey to one of the easiest fallacies ever created (slippery slope).
But, after I started to think about it, that’s exactly how I was when 9/11 happened. I was in fifth grade, sitting in my classroom with the same 30 people I had in my grade every year (small private school) when our teacher was called out of the room. She returned, and told us to go to recess (I remember thinking it was too early, but hey, I was a kid). When we returned from outside, she was sitting at the front of the room. I remember her exact words, "I hope that you are mature enough to handle the news I am about to give you...I have been told and saw on T.V. that two planes crashed into some very important buildings in New York City, and they collapsed. It has been realized that this is a very serious and devastating..," she paused searching for simple terms to put it in, "terrorist attack." After that our parents were called, and I was picked up etc. etc...
Any who, I remember that after seeing the pictures on the news and in magazines for much after that, I was terrified of people that looked to be Arab. I would get uneasy, and look down at my feet for years to come after. Only recently have I been able to not have any problems with people of other nationalities, skin color, looks, etc, simply because I grew up. I realized not everyone is out to get me.
To put it simply, media in general, not just fictitious movies with super-villains who look like Arabs has a massive impact on how the American people view their enemies. In my case, especially being so young, I was lucky to have grown out of it. I know many people, my age and much older, have prejudices that may never subside. But my certain hope is that they do.
But, after I started to think about it, that’s exactly how I was when 9/11 happened. I was in fifth grade, sitting in my classroom with the same 30 people I had in my grade every year (small private school) when our teacher was called out of the room. She returned, and told us to go to recess (I remember thinking it was too early, but hey, I was a kid). When we returned from outside, she was sitting at the front of the room. I remember her exact words, "I hope that you are mature enough to handle the news I am about to give you...I have been told and saw on T.V. that two planes crashed into some very important buildings in New York City, and they collapsed. It has been realized that this is a very serious and devastating..," she paused searching for simple terms to put it in, "terrorist attack." After that our parents were called, and I was picked up etc. etc...
Any who, I remember that after seeing the pictures on the news and in magazines for much after that, I was terrified of people that looked to be Arab. I would get uneasy, and look down at my feet for years to come after. Only recently have I been able to not have any problems with people of other nationalities, skin color, looks, etc, simply because I grew up. I realized not everyone is out to get me.
To put it simply, media in general, not just fictitious movies with super-villains who look like Arabs has a massive impact on how the American people view their enemies. In my case, especially being so young, I was lucky to have grown out of it. I know many people, my age and much older, have prejudices that may never subside. But my certain hope is that they do.
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