Brenton
Aladdin Hates Arabs
September 13th 2007 12:06
Remember Aladdin? That awesome mid nineties Disney Cartoon? If not (KAPOW! Shame on you!) here’s a reminder:
What’s incredible is when you begin to break down the symbolic messages of the film. For example – who looks the most like an Arab, and who looks the least? Least Araby Arab award goes to our friend and humble narrator, Aladdin himself. The hero of the film. And who looks the MOST like an Arab? The evil and plotting Jafar.
Even if physical appearance is a bit of a long shot, the voices certainly aren’t. Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie? Yanks.
Who sounds like an Arab? The guy at the start of the movie (shifty). The Guards (cruel or stupid and incompetent). Finally Jafar – pure evil.
Was this likely to be intentional? I don’t think so, in a malicious way anyhow. However, I don’t doubt that it was noticed, and accepted, well before the point of no return.
Aladdin has fought of numerous battles against accusations of racism. For example, if you listened to the opening track on the video when it came out, you’d have heard these lyrics.
Oh I come from a land, from a faraway place
Where the caravan camels roam
Where it's flat and immense
And the heat is intense
It's barbaric, but hey, it's home.
However, originally the third and fourth line were different. These originally went;
After much “RAH” and anger, Disney agreed to change the lyrics in the Video version. Today, I think, Aladdin DVDs on sale contain the original song.
There was another element to the whole Alladingate controversy. The timing of the film’s release. The film was released in 1992, only a year after the end of the Gulf War. While there is no suggestion that the creators of Aladdin based their racial discourse of characters on an Us vs. Them Wartime mentality, the timing of the film, with it’s particular portrayal, was close enough to touch certain sensitivities.
For me though, as interesting as all this is, I love Aladdin. It was fun, vibrant and brilliant, and is today a tribute to Disney’s creative golden days. I just think that it’s interesting what lies just beneath the surface. Don’t you?
What’s incredible is when you begin to break down the symbolic messages of the film. For example – who looks the most like an Arab, and who looks the least? Least Araby Arab award goes to our friend and humble narrator, Aladdin himself. The hero of the film. And who looks the MOST like an Arab? The evil and plotting Jafar.
Even if physical appearance is a bit of a long shot, the voices certainly aren’t. Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie? Yanks.
Who sounds like an Arab? The guy at the start of the movie (shifty). The Guards (cruel or stupid and incompetent). Finally Jafar – pure evil.
Was this likely to be intentional? I don’t think so, in a malicious way anyhow. However, I don’t doubt that it was noticed, and accepted, well before the point of no return.
Aladdin has fought of numerous battles against accusations of racism. For example, if you listened to the opening track on the video when it came out, you’d have heard these lyrics.
Oh I come from a land, from a faraway place
Where the caravan camels roam
Where it's flat and immense
And the heat is intense
It's barbaric, but hey, it's home.
However, originally the third and fourth line were different. These originally went;
Where they cut off your ear
If they don’t like your face.
After much “RAH” and anger, Disney agreed to change the lyrics in the Video version. Today, I think, Aladdin DVDs on sale contain the original song.
There was another element to the whole Alladingate controversy. The timing of the film’s release. The film was released in 1992, only a year after the end of the Gulf War. While there is no suggestion that the creators of Aladdin based their racial discourse of characters on an Us vs. Them Wartime mentality, the timing of the film, with it’s particular portrayal, was close enough to touch certain sensitivities.
For me though, as interesting as all this is, I love Aladdin. It was fun, vibrant and brilliant, and is today a tribute to Disney’s creative golden days. I just think that it’s interesting what lies just beneath the surface. Don’t you?
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Comment by Ahmed
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Were told to believe this or that either through great cartoons or shoddy propoganda pieces. At the end of the day its the samething, mental conditioning for the masses to make them more pliable.
Comment by D. Armenta
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Anyone mushbrained enough to form their opinions based upon Disney cartoons wouldn't pose much of a threat to those with some semblance of intelligence anyway...
Comment by Damo
Disney does have a few issues with being over observed.
The PC movements were have a great time picking holes when none existed and finding meaning where there is none.
J K Rolling laughed when an article suggested that Harry Pottery was actually a story about repressed homosexuality. Living in his closet and playing with his wand etc.
Thomas the Tank Engine was accused of being sexist because all the tanks were male and arogantly puffer out steam whilst the female carrages were dragged around. This accusation fell to bits when a story containing female tank engines was put on display.
Ever tried studying English under a proud communist teacher, like I have? Every book has a hidden meaning. We were even told to go over Brects writings to find the hidden marxist messages. (Boring ZZZZ...)
So though there may interpretation of bias, I think mostly they would be unintended and innocent.
Comment by Ahmed
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Comment by Brenton
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ceratin ideas are pushed in movies - intentionally or not.
Have we ever seem a female president in movies, without it being a statement?
What we say in film refelcts to an extent our feelings as a society? There has been alot written, for example, on what qualifies a movie character and an acceptable 'deserve to die' victim, or a tradgety.