Jack Shaheen analyzes a long series of "demeaning" images of Arabs through his presentation of various scenes from different American movies which he has studied. He argues that this image is characterized by showing Arabs either as bandits or as a savage, nomadic race, or shows Arab women as shallow belly dancers serving evil, naïve, and greedy Arab sheiks.
Through his examination of American movies, Jack Shaheen reveals a recurring pattern of portraying Arabs in a dehumanizing and stereotypical manner, often associating them with criminality, primitiveness, or subservience to wealthy Arab leaders.