Answer: Alladin has stereotypes of minorities that were considered acceptable by most people when it is made, but society has progressed and no longer view that as acceptable (for good reason). In Richard Burton's telling, the "hero" is shallow, lazy, greedy, and easily. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Proponents of the film also encourage focusing on the great strides the 2019 film made in being more diverse and inclusive. Guess Disney isnt that offended after all. Disney did not respond toTHRs request for comment. The rest of us can FF through that crap, chuckle at it and enjoy the show. Cookie Notice The film is an adaptation of a folktale from the 18th-century, Arabic-language collection, . It protects the filmmaker from feedback. The sultan's palace in Aladdin, left, and the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. The original movie contains a scene of Goofy smoking a cigarette that was previously edited on Disney+. This is pretty much the progressive movement in a nutshell. Samuel Gelman started at CBR as a news writer in August 2019 before becoming a news editor in November 2019. After the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee complained about song lyrics describing the setting in the film, Where they cut off your ear if they dont like your face, alternate lyrics were dubbed into the video and soundtrack releases. While the majority of films and series that are added to Disney+ continue to be available, some titles, unfortunately, have been removed from Disney+. Is it inaccurate? The movie itself never explicitly states where in the real world the story is taking place, so all fans can do is speculate. While he has always loved superhero, sci-fi and fantasy films and TV series, it is only recently that he began reading comic books themselves. But out of all those movies, there are only a handful that have managed to truly capture the hearts of audiences. . 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Answer: A lot of older movies (god I hate calling movies from the 90's "older") include often passive stereotypes or themes about minority groups that while may not have been intentionally harmful, still perpetuate potentially harmful or offensive ideas about a culture or location. on exploring stereotypes with American film and television, which offers guided activities for your students. Save America from this foolishness before its too late. Disney is the only media outlet who can show Aladdin. Become a home entertainment expert with our handpicked tips, reviews and deals. Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe. Rather, the story was often presented as a hybrid tale of the exoticized Orient meeting modern English-language styles and fashions, according to one critic. Was it possible to accurately depict cultural nuances using a fairy tale? A lot of it is, honestly, hard to tell or point out when you're not part of the group involved. did apparently meet with Galland at some point, but it remains unclear how much, if any, of the story came from him. On Oct. 15, Disney Plus introduced a new disclaimer that appears before older films like Dumbo (1941) and Aladdin (1992), warning viewers that the films include harmful stereotypes. But, a completely white cast voiced the film, and the association of Arabs with violence, greed and other negative traits suggested that Hollywood was insensitive at best and xenophobic at worst. The new . The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a press release earlier this week asking reviewers and critics to acknowledge that the "Aladdin myth is rooted by racism, Orientalism and. Did watching it ever make you uncomfortable? And welcomed. While the 1992 film is widely perceived as problematic, many point to the fact that the worst parts (including racist lyrics and caricatures) have been removed and replaced with accurate Arabic script and culturally-appropriate dress. Disney is now issuing tougher warnings against racial stereotypes in some of its classic films on its Disney+ streaming service. After the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee complained about song lyrics describing the setting in the film, Where they cut off your ear if they dont like your face,. All Rights Reserved. As mentioned above, the original, one of many films released as part of the, Here, TeachMideast provides you with in-depth background and context so you can decide for yourself whether society is succeeding in its demand that Hollywood do a better job portraying minorities. Of any of the big, more modern movies Pocahontas should be the first one with a disclaimer. Makes me think Disney is putting warnings out there so people buy their movies before they go back to retiring movies for a year or two to create demand curves for their products. Aladdin earned $604.9 million worldwide after a little over two weeks in release, with $232.4 million domestic and $372.5 million international for the musical remake. The disclaimer appears with some animated Disney classics such as 1967's The Jungle Book and 1953's Peter Pan , offering caution to viewers of racist and culturally insensitive depictions and. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Now only days after his death, the live-action Aladdin remake has been questioned over its casting woes. We can therefore assume that Genie only focused on making Aladdin a prince so that he could have a shot with Jasmine. Mar 1, 2023. Answer: A lot of older movies (god I hate calling movies from the 90's "older") include often passive stereotypes or themes about minority groups that while may not have been intentionally harmful, still perpetuate potentially harmful or offensive ideas about a culture or location. Heres a version of that warning, which is notably more in-depth than the one-sentence warning that Disney has implemented. Since Disney Plus launched last November, experts have criticized the soft language used in its disclaimer on older titles like 1941's Dumbo, that warned films "may contain outdated cultural depictions.". Prior to all their films, and outside all their theme parks, Disney should display this disclaimer: Disney once made programming for children which, while entertaining millions of viewers of all ages, also brought diverse cultures and races together. ', Skyhawk notes that even with disclaimers, the damage created by outdated depictions will be difficult to erase: That having been said, Im just glad that were now entering a new phase of sensitivity towards minorities and including the native people of America that is long overdue.. For many, Disneys 1992 film Aladdin conjures up images of innocence: star-crossed lovers on a magic carpet, a benevolent pet tiger and a comedic genie who would grant every hearts desire. But they will not stop playing Aladdin. Rather, the story was often presented as a hybrid tale of the exoticized Orient meeting modern English-language styles and fashions,. ALADDIN: Genie, I wish for you to make me a prince! Disney also came under fire for allegedly darkening the skin of white actors and crew members. Potato Head survived by a thread and liberal white men working at Disneyland saved black women from the horrors of Splash Mountain-now Aladdin is racist. No. Itwould be great if Disney did it across the board for all of their older cartoons that may be a little insensitive., Guy Aoki, co-founder of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA), sayshe has never seen 1992sAladdinhimself, but he was friends with Don Bustany, president of the Los Angeles chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and late deejay Casey Kasem, who were a part of a successful campaign to change problematic lyrics inAladdins introductory song Arabian Nights., They had meetings to talk about their concerns about how it was stereotyping Arab culture and how they wanted to get one line of the song changed, recalls Aoki. The film is an adaptation of a folktale from the 18th-century, Arabic-language collection, A Thousand and One Nights. Disney's policy here is also sketchy considering the sheer amount of content still edited on Disney+. It actually proves how desperate the Neo-Marxists movement is becoming; they cannot win an open, honest debate; they must invoke feelings of collective anger and mistrust to win short term victories. Aladdin is not an entertaining Arabian Nights fantasy as film critics would have us believe, wrote Jack Shaheen in 1992, then a professor of mass communications at Southern Illinois University, but rather a painful reminder to 3 million Americans of Arab heritage, as well as 300 million Arabs and others, that the abhorrent Arab stereotype is as ubiquitous as Aladdins lamp.. A content advisory notice for racism in classic Disney films, in place since last year, has been updated with a strengthened message. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Which iirc got changed to "With winds in the east and the sun from the west, where the sand and the glass is bright". ", The movies that will now start with the disclaimer include "Aristocats," which features racist caricatures of East Asian peoples; "Dumbo," in which the crow characters perform a musical number in the style of racist minstrel shows; "Peter Pan," for its stereotypical portrayal of Native peoples; and "Swiss Family Robinson," in which pirates are portrayed as a stereotypical foreign menace, many in "yellow face" or "brown face.". How is your familys culture represented in film, television or literature? The page includes a section explaining in greater detail the negative depictions in certain titles. The sultans palace in Aladdin, left, and the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. 1. The Stories Matter page on Disney's site notes the characters' connection to racist minstrel shows. Abby Monteil. 13 Comments. In addition to those older films, it's also included at the start of "Aladdin," the animated blockbuster from 1992. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together. That, and the story is loosely rooted in One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, a collection of Middle Easter folk tales. But its good that Disney is protecting the world from what they have deemed racist Middle Eastern tropes invented by none other than people from the Middle East. Don't stand until the rug has come to a complete stop. Many have referenced the WB. Mena Massoud, who plays Aladdin, was born in Cairo, Naomi Scott (Jasmine) is of Anglo-Indian descent, Numan Acar (Hakim) is Turkish, and Nasim Pedrad (Dalia) and Navid Negahban (The Sultan) are Iranian. The film remains controversial to this day. Other companies and brands, likeAunt Jemimaand Uncle Ben's, have also recently taken steps to recognize and distance themselves from racist stereotypes by changing their branding in the wake of widespread protests for racial justice in the U.S. Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. So much so that Disney+ added a warning label before the film starts. It just reminds me of apu from the simpsons, where they got such a backlash that the voice actor now quit doing his voice. While Agrabah is apparently described as this melting pot of ethnicities, that concept comes from the deeply-problematic 1992 animated film. Credit: Outnow/Alamy. We've received your submission. Background characters. The movie follows a street urchin named Aladdin, who finds a magic lamp and genie and helps to save his city from the evil Grand Vizier. a port city that rests on the cusp of Eastern and Western nations, making it a thriving trade town and bringing together a melting pot of cultures and influences. The production designer used Turkish, Persian, and Islamic influences for the set design. Yes, Skorodin says. "These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. If anything it highlighted overcoming a class struggle but I guess Marxism has mutated to race and gender now. Top row shows the 1992 animated cast while below are the actors used in the 2019 live-action version of Aladdin. Wouldnt it be reasonable that if all the characters in this movie come from the same genetic stock, they should resemble one another? In its history, Disney has produced 56 animated movies. Potato Head survived by a thread and liberal white men working at Disneyland saved black women from the horrors of Splash Mountainnow Aladdin is racist. Ron Clements and John Musker, the directors of the 1992 film, that the movie was originally intended to be set in Baghdad, Iraq. Twenty-seven years ago, Disneys animated version of Aladdin was the highest-grossing film of 1992, earning over $346 million in worldwide box office revenue. It shows them speaking in an unintelligible language and repeatedly refers to them as "redskins," an offensive term. "This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures," the statement reads. Bias/Anecdote: While I can't remember too much about Aladdin specifically that might call for this (the changed line about cutting off your hand during the opening theme comes to mind, but that's already been removed), the overall tone plays on a great deal of stereotype tropes for Middle-Eastern cultures that aren't really that accurate or true, or are at least heavily exaggerated. We talked to people at Disney about that depiction I said there are probably a hundred [Native] people of that caliber that can do that and yet youre going to try and force Johnny Depp down our throat, says Skyhawk. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. 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If you are a younger person and youre watching something and that youre not aware that theres potential violence or now, cultural insensitivity, I think [the disclaimer] is kind of protecting [filmmakers] the same way that it does those other catchphrases., Still, she says that Disneys decision to include a disclaimer is appreciated, noting it is the first step to correcting things that might not have been thought about 10, 20, 30 years ago when these [films] were being made., Aoki echoes that sentiment, saying he finds Disney today to be a totally different company from the one that existed even 20, 25 years ago. He adds: I spoke to a Disney executive a few years ago who told me that, I think it was every Friday, [CEO] Bob Iger has a meeting with all the company heads, including Marvel and Pixar and everybody that is under their corporate umbrella, and he says, OK, report to me what you have done to further diversity at this company. So its not lip service as far as, Oh, yes, we believe in diversity and we try to have open casting. Agrabah is a made up place thats a combo of a few different cultures. While the 1992 movie had all the fairy-tale elements to attract viewers adventure and intrigue, an evil villain, a plucky underdog, a forlorn princess trapped by tradition, and an array of supporting characters. As the film-makers of the new live-action remake of Aladdin struggle to cast their hero, Sophia Smith Galer looks at the troubled history of the Disney classic. CBS News has reached out to the Walt Disney Company for more information. It was even broader than that because we talked about the history of stereotypes and the lack of roles for Asian Americans. While the movie is set in a city based on Baghdad, Iraq, Aladdin contains aspects of multiple Middle Eastern and Asian cultures. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Aladdin was criticised for perpetuating Orientalist stereotypes of the Middle East and Asia (Credit: Alamy), Daniel Newman, professor of Arabic at Durham University, acknowledges that Western portrayals have come a long way from the lotus-eating, Orientalist fantasies of yesteryear, but barring a few exceptions, what has happened is that one clich has been replaced by another; from the scimitar-wielding lascivious Arab, we have gone to the bomb-wielding terrorist Arab. While some moderate characters have been introduced in shows such as Homeland, he says, the pervading feeling is one of threat, based primarily if not exclusively on religion., Id ask the animators to add benevolent market-vendors and heroic guards who befriend Aladdin, Shaheen said of the 1992 Aladdin, conscious of the image of Middle-Eastern people that might be made on the films young viewers. The film was criticised for perpetuating Orientalist stereotypes of the Middle East and Asia. To learn more about how stories have impacted society visit: www.Disney.com/StoriesMatter.". film within a month of its release at the box office. Aladdin does trick the Genie into freeing him from the Cave of Wonders without using a wish. After Mr. It would be helpful if they were more specific as to whats the problem because I think people can learn from this, he says. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? 2. Aladdin now has a warning on Disney + pic.twitter.com/ZzrX6qHqct Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) March 16, 2021 By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Aladdin is one of the greatest animated movies of all time and one of the main reasons behind that is the Genie character. Privacy Policy. RELATED:Amazon Prime Video Is Catching up to Netflix While HBO Max Outpaces Disney+ Growth. We coulda sworn we went to Disneyland and waited in line for two hours to be entertainednot for an education.. And yet, some scholars say the central character could be partly . Why does Aladdin have a warning before it? Something like this is surely the reason they put it afront of the video, just to be safe. (a conflict involving Iraqs invasion of neighboring Kuwait) in the early 1990s prompted the directors to set the story in the fictional city of Agrabah, an adaptation of Baghdad. First published on October 19, 2020 / 11:46 AM. Lets be clear, Disney did harm. Disney+ has a huge library of hundreds of movies and series from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. The 2019 film also removed several instance of the most egregious racism from the animated film. However, when Aladdin points this out, the Genie insists Aladdin cannot have any more free wishes: GENIE: (Still as stewardess) Thank you for choosing Magic Carpet for all your travel needs. Of all Disney films, Song of the South has been perhaps criticized the most thanks to its depiction of African slaves. And overdue., 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Boycott threatened over transgender inclusion in Hersheys Womans Day promo, Twitch star zaps herself with shock collar live for 1 million fans, gets banned, JK Rowling showing outstanding moral courage as she stands up to vile woke mob, Artist behind Obamas Hope poster, Shepard Fairey, slams cancel culture. to be set somewhere in the Middle East. InPeter Pan, offensive Native Americans caricatures appear throughout the story, along with the problematic song, What Makes the Red Man Red. Lady and the Trampand another Disney animated animal film,Aristocats, both feature cats that mock Asian Americans with illustration and voice acting. Warner Brothers has included these on a number of older cartoons, rather than erase the cartoons or remove them from circulation or the like, and Disney now appears to be following suit with some of their older work. Nobody in their right mind can state that it is impossible to find a young male South Asian or Middle-Eastern actor who can dance, sing and act, says Academy Award nominated director Lexi Alexander, who is half German, half Palestinian. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. "Nobody's canceling these movies," he said. Aladdin's racism feels lazy. 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