Hollywood movies have a profound effect on how we see the world and, more specifically, the people in it. The negative potential of these effects was the focus Thursday when writer and filmmaker Dr. Jack Shaheen spoke at the showing of “Reel Bad Arabs” about Hollywood’s vilification of the Arab people.

In order to better understand the existing Arab stereotypes, Shaheen spent 20 years looking at more than 1000 films. “Reel Bad Arabs” focused on films produced prior to Sept. 11, dating back to the late 1950s. The genres and production dates varied, but the majority shared one common thread: They portrayed Arabs as devious, violent and untrustworthy individuals.

Shaheen pointed out that even Disney movies like “Aladdin” participate in the vilifying of Arabs. One line from the original lyrics of the song “Arabian Nights” reads “…where they’ll cut of your ears if they don’t like your face. It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home.”

“I had no idea of it,” said Nursing sophomore Allison Hinderman. “I can’t believe I watched that when I was a kid.”

Shaheen also pointed out how Hollywood and the government tend to work together to convey an image to the American public. Washington sentiment affects the types of movies produced.

“Policy enforces mythical images, and images enforce policy,” Shaheen said.

Movies like “Death Before Dishonor” and “True Lies” made during the 80s and 90s show a strong anti-Arab sentiment. During this time the U.S. politicians were facing a handful of political crises, including the Iranian Revolution where students held diplomats hostage, the United States’ support of Israel and resentment from the oil embargo of 1973. As a result, there was an influx of movies portraying Arabs as a gun-crazed and deviant people.

At the end of documentary, Shaheen addressed how the number of stereotypes have skyrocketed following Sept. 11. He pointed out that television shows like Showtime’s “Sleeper Cell” also heighten misconceptions about Arab culture. “Sleeper Cell,” which debuted in 2005, is about FBI agents trying to infiltrate a terrorist sleeper cell organization in Los Angeles. The tagline of the first season of the show was “Friends. Neighbors. Husbands. Terrorists.” For the second season, it was “Cities. Suburbs. Airports. Targets.” Such stereotypes show up in real life as well, as hate crimes and racial profiling at airport security have risen. Shaheen said that the whole Arab race is being connected to a radical extremist terrorist organization rather than being seen as individuals.

“The KKK is Christian,” Shaheen said, “but we know that not all Christians belong to the KKK.”