Why or why not? These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. 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Orientalist fantasies of yesteryear, but barring a few exceptions, what has happened is that one clich has been replaced by another; from the scimitar-wielding lascivious Arab, we have gone to the bomb-wielding terrorist Arab.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. Nobodys canceling these movies, he said. Disney Adds Warnings for Racist Stereotypes to Some Older Films The sultans palace in Aladdin, left, and the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. 8. Since Disney is so horrified of its own movie, perhaps they should return the hundreds of millions of dollars they made off it. 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. I understand Peter Pan and Dumbo but why Aladdin? Otherwise they wouldnt seek to continue to make money off of their offensive, racist creation. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. members. ", 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.". Furthermore, these advisors helped ensure that any Arabic-language text was correctly displayed and that the setting and dress were more culturally realistic. "Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe.". A lot. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. to be set somewhere in the Middle East. No one thats who. did apparently meet with Galland at some point, but it remains unclear how much, if any, of the story came from him. 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. This isnt the first time that Disney has been criticised in relation to Aladdin. 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. Its a complete waste of time for our children who will eventually become whining Disney adults. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Its been revealed that theyre struggling to wrap up their months-long search because of a difficulty in finding a singing, dancing actor who is Middle Eastern or Indian to play the title role. , in which she sings about not allowing men to silence her. 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. Nothing else. Disney Plus Offers Warnings Over 'Outdated Cultural Depictions - IGN Here is that wording. Those disclaimers are now gone in favor of the new message. I cant wait until Disney finally puts a warning label on their films portraying marriage like the fantasy that its never been. CBS News has reached out to the Walt Disney Company for more information. has been questioned over its casting woes, theyre struggling to wrap up their months-long search, The American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee saw. Disney's Aladdin Is Racist - Affinity Magazine Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 5 Things to Know About Aladdin - TeachMideast Twenty-seven years ago, Disneys animated version of. 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. 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. Providing warning labels to minorities like myself does nothing to protect or encourage us in society. Aladdin wasn't asking for a kingdom or riches. 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. That is even more important in an era of mass media, all-you-can-watch online streaming. 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. The live-action reveal is a bit of a surprise. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Disney's policy here is also sketchy considering the sheer amount of content still edited on Disney+. 4. Who should tell stories of other places? Ron Clements and John Musker, the directors of the 1992 film, that the movie was originally intended to be set in Baghdad, Iraq. Disney Plus disclaimer now acknowledges 'harmful impact' of - CNET As of October 15th, Disney Plus has updated its disclaimer to include a warning that older films may contain harmful stereotypes. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Heck if the salesman is racist, The whole cartoon is. Jasmine can be seen wearing one of her mother's bracelets in the live-action movie. 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. Additionally, 1992s animatedAladdin, criticized for its racist depictions of West Asian culture, does not feature the warning in its synopsis. We take a look at the origins of the folktale, the previous dramatic portrayals of the story, the 1992 animated film, and how the filmmakers tried to overcome past controversy in the latest rendition of, At the end of the overview, you can also find. "Rather than removing this content, we see an opportunity to spark conversation and open dialogue on history that affects us all." Lets be clear, Disney did harm. The song Arabian Nights, which initially referred to Agrabah as a place where they cut off your ear if they dont like your face/its barbaric, but hey, its home, has altered lyrics. Privacy Policy. 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. The film remains controversial to this day. After Mr. 17 moments in Disney movies that haven't aged well. Back in 1992, Shaheen cited cable television and videocassettes as making it easy for stereotypes to travel far and wide. Critics say the movie producers have used this melting pot description as an excuse to be lazier in casting. Credit: Others say that accusations of racism are overwrought. Yunioshi., We had several people from MANAA talking about the concerns of yellowface and what was wrong with Mickey Rooneys portrayal, he adds. 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. 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. , including Afghan payraans, Indian saris, Omani daggers, and turbans from multiple cultures. Does the Genie trick Aladdin with the third wish? Aspects of the story also have Indian influences, including Jasmines Indian tiger Rajah, and the sultans palace in the animated film looking remarkably similar to the Taj Mahal. We take a look at the origins of the folktale, the previous dramatic portrayals of the story, the 1992 animated film, and how the filmmakers tried to overcome past controversy in the latest rendition of Aladdin. 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.". October 19, 2020 / 11:46 AM Rather than removing the offensive content, the company said it hopes to "spark conversation and open dialogue on history that affects us all. The Middle East has a robust entertainment industry and creative voices in the region regularly share their stories through film, television, music and other media forms. The new statement is more strongly worded than one Disneytacked onto some films when Disney+ first rolled out last year. 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In the scene where Jasmine gives the beggar an apple from a cart, the merchant grabs her wrist, draws a sword saying, "Don't you know what the penalty is for stealing? "These shouldn't be watched by children by themselves," Daryl Sparkes, senior lecturer of media studies and production at the University of Southern Queensland, told CNET, "because children are like little sponges and they soak up attitudes and feelings and opinions.". Could he overcome the perception that the story was inherently bigoted? 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. Yes. 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.". Why is it important to have culturally-accurate depictions in film and television? On a different note, Disney has actually restored Saludos Amigos on Disney+. Best New Journalist 2019 Australian IT Journalism Awards, experts have criticized the soft language used in its disclaimer, disclaimer acknowledging the "harmful impact" of racist stereotypes, a page titled Stories Matter on the Disney website, racist material in their back catalogs, such as Gone With the Wind, The best movies to watch on Disney Plus for Thanksgiving, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The decision to introduce the disclaimer came after a consultation with a group of independent experts, who review how media portrays underrepresented groups and advocate for more thoughtful solutions. are plenty other streamers out there. We've received your submission. Whether the new film-makers choose to stand in the old guard or vanguard remains to be seen. In the examples below, the illustration of Aladdin on the left, circa 1930 by an unknown artist, (Credit: Getty Images/Hulton Archive), and the illustration on the right from the early 20th century (Credit: Alamy), both clearly depict Asian clothing and settings. 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. 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. Disney have not commented on the search, and although it has been suggested that the lengthy casting process is due to the studio's commitment to finding the right actors, some are critical of the studios struggle. The iconic films Aristocats (1970), Peter Pan (1953) and Swiss Family Robinson (1960) also feature the warning ahead of the film. Many have referenced the WB. There wasnt so much a backlash for Apu, Rather a shitty Asian comic realised he would get some media attention by claiming it to be racist.Now Asians are out of a character that was a representation of their culture at the start of the simpsons show. Today, Disneys new content, as well as all its properties, now pushes a radical, left-wing agenda harmful to children and the nuclear family. The well-loved soundtrack for the 1992 animation - A Whole New World notably won Disney an Academy Award, along with another Oscar for the entire score - is actually an edited version of the one that was heard in cinemas. If anything it highlighted overcoming a class struggle but I guess Marxism has mutated to race and gender now. The controversy over Disney's new Aladdin remake, explained - Vox The film remains controversial to this day. By casting actors of different nationalities and ethnic groups, the movie was able to showcase a wide range of cultures, giving a platform to voices traditionally omitted in Hollywood. 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. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. A content advisory notice for racism in classic Disney films, in place since last year, has been updated with a strengthened message. No plug forthcoming. Most people consider Aladdin to be set somewhere in the Middle East. The company said that while it can't change he past, "we can acknowledge it, learn from it and move forward together.". 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. 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. Extra commentary could be added to films requiring a disclaimer, he explains, such as the 2009 DVD rerelease ofBreakfast at Tiffanys that includes a featurette Aoki participated in, discussing Mickey Rooneys problematic character Mr. 3. Less well known is the fact that the film sparked a racial controversy, one that is still reverberating today. These animated films teach us so much, and especially young kids, Ghanizada says. What's going on with the disclaimer on Disney+ before Aladdin? Archived post. The 1992 Disney animated film placed the story in the Middle East but the change in scenery was not necessarily based on historic or contemporary accuracy. 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. Wouldnt it be reasonable that if all the characters in this movie come from the same genetic stock, they should resemble one another? This week saw the death of Dr Jack Shaheen, one of the most respected and loudest critics of the vilification of Arabs in Hollywood, who successfully campaigned for offensive lyrics to be changed in the original Aladdin soundtrack.
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