Greetings IFS'ers:
Great job today. I always enjoy watching and talking about today's documentary, Reel Bad Arabs. There are so many important themes and issues that are exposed within this very simple documentary. In response to our viewing, and subsequent discussion, for today's blog post I'm asking you to construct a review essay that engages the central themes of the movie as they relate to your personal experiences.
It is important for you to identify several provocative, interesting, or controversial moments in the film, describe these moments, and explain why they were memorable to you. Based on your analysis, I would like you to consider why it is that the American film industry has been so cavalier with its portrayals of Arabs and Arab culture. And further, what are the larger consequences for such action?
Tying this into your own personal experiences, I want you to discuss several of the movies depicted in this film. What was your reaction to these films when you first saw them?
Finally I would like you to consider the significance of all of this. What themes or lessons can we draw from this documentary about the power of popular culture to shape conceptions of self and other?
There is no reading assignment for tonight (you're welcome). Instead, I would like you to spend a good amount of time constructing a well thought out review essay. Post it to your blog, and be ready to discuss it tomorrow during class. Moving from this initial discussion of representations of Arabs in the American film industry, we are going to move forward with discussing issues of globalization in the Arab world. Specifically, we are going to be discussing the development of hip-hop in Morocco, with regards to the ways in which politics, gender, and religion are each negotiated in an era of globalization and accelerated contact between cultural groups.
I look forward to getting your opinions about this tomorrow in class. Be well.
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