4. Who should tell stories of other places? The original lyric in the first verse of the song Arabian Nights described Arabia as Where they cut off your ear if they dont like your face. A similar decision was recently made by HBO Max for the classic, yet problematic, film Gone With the Wind. 7. 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Orientalist fantasies of yesteryear, but barring a few exceptions, what has happened is that one clich has been replaced by another; from the scimitar-wielding lascivious Arab, we have gone to the bomb-wielding terrorist Arab.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. Disney also removed the "This program is presented as originally created" description from Saludos Amigos, which is funny because now the movie is actually presented as originally created. Background characters wear clothing from a wide array of cultures, including Afghan payraans, Indian saris, Omani daggers, and turbans from multiple cultures. . , which tells the story of an affable street-urchin who accepts the services of a trickster genie to win over the sultans daughter, Jasmine. So much so that Disney+ added a warning label before the film starts. What? Supporters of the movie point to the fact that Agrabah, despite being supposedly based on an actual city. Peter and the Lost Boys engage in dancing, wearing headdresses and other exaggerated tropes, a form of mockery and appropriation of Native peoples' culture and imagery. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Friendly reminder that all top level comments must: start with "answer:" (or "question:" if you have an on-topic follow up question to ask). 3. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. Some other Disney films, like Fantasia, Aladdin, and Peter Pan, have been criticized as well, but notably, Disneys Song of the South remains absent from the service. I do not want to shy away from that. This thread is archived 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. However, the outbreak of the first Gulf War (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. A content advisory notice for racism in classic Disney films, in place since last year, has been updated with a strengthened message. ThePeter Panentry reads: The film portrays Native people in a stereotypical manner that reflects neither the diversity of Native peoples nor their authentic cultural traditions. The new-and-improved, feminist Jasmine even performs an original song. Whether he is giving out comedic moments or being incredibly sincere, he is a perfect character. And if you liked this story,sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called If You Only Read 6 Things This Week. While the true origins of the tale of Aladdin cannot be completely verified, the story is often attributed to French writer Antoine Galland, who claimed a Syrian told him about a boy and a genie in China. 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.". But they will not stop playing Aladdin. / CBS News, Disney is adding a disclaimer to some of its old movies that include racist stereotypes, the media giant announced this month. The only question is how to best address this. To learn more about how stories have impacted society, please visit. In the examples below, the, With the advent of the Hollywood film industry, the story returned to its fabled Middle Eastern origins, replete with exotic and exaggerated stereotypes note the poster for a. Proponents of the film also encourage focusing on the great strides the 2019 film made in being more diverse and inclusive. 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, Aladdin didnt fare well with critics. Agrabah is a made up place thats a combo of a few different cultures. Is it okay to watch a movie if it includes offensive parts? Aladdin never had a content warning until now, but the edited version has always been on Disney+. pic.twitter.com/X9aGjXv97o. 'Aladdin and the Magic Lamp' is the most famous story from the Arabian Nights collection of stories, also known as the 1,001 Nights.However, the story's origins are surprising, and in fact for many centuries it wasn't part of the Arabian Nights at all.But before we come to the question of textual analysis or the story's complex history, let's summarise the plot of the story of Aladdin. To learn more about how stories have impacted society visit: www.Disney.com/StoriesMatter.". This isnt the first time that Disney has been criticised in relation to Aladdin. Disney+ updated its offensive content disclaimer for films such as Aladdin, Peter Pan and Dumbo. How is your familys culture represented in film, television or literature? The company said that while. Disney+ updated its policy toward its films containing offensive material, postinga new disclaimer and adding new movies to its list of programs that feature"negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.". 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. Several representatives of minority advocacy groups spoke withThe Hollywood Reporterabout their reactions to the Disney+ disclaimer and what, if any, extra measures can be enacted by Disney to caution viewers of culturally insensitive material. Source. The disclaimer reads: This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. Thats basically what they did and its the arrogance of Hollywood and the arrogance of Disney to say its our idea, its our money and were going to do it, whether you like it or not.. We coulda sworn we went to Disneyland and waited in line for two hours to be entertainednot for an education.. Jungle Bookreceived a disclaimer, yet its 2003 animated sequel did not. members. Samuel Gelman started at CBR as a news writer in August 2019 before becoming a news editor in November 2019. The new content warning, appearing on screen before the movie starts. This is pretty much the progressive movement in a nutshell. It's barbaric, but hey, it's home". It reads: This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. 13 Comments. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. "This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures," the statement reads. Jennifer Bisset is a Senior Editor for CNET. "Rather than removing this content, we see an opportunity to spark conversation and open dialogue on history that affects us all." New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. The names Jasmine and Aladdin are both of Middle-Eastern origin, with Aladdin being derived from Arabic while Jasmine has its roots in Persian. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Yes. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. 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. Furthermore, these advisors helped ensure that any Arabic-language text was correctly displayed and that the setting and dress were more culturally realistic. Those disclaimers are now gone in favor of the new message. In May 2019, Disney released a live-action version of Aladdin, which tells the story of an affable street-urchin who accepts the services of a trickster genie to win over the sultans daughter, Jasmine. Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe. 2. Following the Maypolice killing of George Floyd, a Black man, media companies like Sky and HBO Max have pulled content or attached warnings to prejudiced or racist material in their back catalogs, such as Gone With the Wind. Aladdin (1992) Critics have expressed concerns over the story's use of Orientalist stereotypes, while casting decisions also came under scrutiny, with Aladdin, Princess Jasmine and the genie . Weve had some very raw conversations on those Zooms, African American Film Critics Association President Gil Robertson told the Hollywood Reporter. Thedisclaimerappears with some animated Disney classics such as 1967sThe Jungle Bookand 1953sPeter Pan,offering caution to viewers of racist and culturally insensitive depictions and references in the plots and characters of those movies. Fury of the Gods Special: Shazamily Matters, The Flash Still Shows Best Look Yet at Supergirl's Costume, 25 Years Ago, Michelle Yeoh Starred in James Bond's Most Underrated Movie, 10 Actors Who Have What It Takes To Play Superman In The New DCU. Aladdin (/ l d n / -LAD-in; Arabic: , Al ud-Dn/ Al ad-Dn, IPA: [ala addin], ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale.It is one of the best-known tales associated with The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (The Arabian Nights), despite not being part of the original text; it was added by the Frenchman Antoine Galland, based . , earning over $346 million in worldwide box office revenue. 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. It may contain outdated cultural depictions.. Wouldnt it be reasonable that if all the characters in this movie come from the same genetic stock, they should resemble one another? Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. It feels sincere, and its also good business., In November 2019, when Disney launched its Disney+ streaming service, the company added content warnings ahead of its animated classics Dumbo (1941), The Jungle Book (1967) and Aladdin (1992) to warn audiences that the movies may contain outdated cultural depictions.. Fans questioned the need to include this new character whose appearance was ultimately inconsequential and wondered why a white character had to be added to a refreshingly-multicultural film. A subreddit to help you keep up to date with what's going on with reddit and other stuff. Theyre suddenly switching lanes (without putting on their signal, I should add) and trying to educate when they should just be creating a fun environment. Is it inaccurate? Could he overcome the perception that the story was inherently bigoted? On a different note, Disney has actually restored Saludos Amigos on Disney+. 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Reviews have been mixed but the film has been popular, nonetheless: the. It can also be argued that outrage about Naomi Scott is invalid, given the. Some were alarmed by the films stereotypes and generalizations about Arabs and the Middle East. Growing up, I loved watching Aladdin, just like any other child that enjoyed Disney movies. Jasmine's mother is barely a thought in the 1992 animated movie. Is it stereotypical? We just let them know that it is a piece of media from another time, Skorodin says. Looking further back, 1940sFantasiahas been criticized for the depiction of a black centaurette called Sunflower polishing the hooves of a white centaurette, as well as another named Otika who briefly appears in the Pastoral Symphonysegment. The level of authenticity Netflix is trying to achieve with this show is definitely what attracted me the most to be part of this project.. How do you see this issue changing in the future?