The new-and-improved, feminist Jasmine even performs an original song. While he is technically only a sidekick character, he has a huge part to play in the film. Of any of the big, more modern movies Pocahontas should be the first one with a disclaimer. Does the Genie trick Aladdin with the third wish? 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. In Disney's telling of the story, Aladdin is clever, resourceful, and loyal, but underestimated because he is poor. Background characters wear clothing from a wide array of cultures, including Afghan payraans, Indian saris, Omani daggers, and turbans from multiple cultures. 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 controversy over Disney's new Aladdin remake, explained - Vox For instance, there are racist caricatures in "Dumbo" and . This thread is archived Aladdin's racism feels lazy. Warner Bros. featured a similar warning regarding some of its older cartoons, such as Tom & Jerry, which appeared on Amazon, according to CinemaBlend. 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. 1. Disney+ updated its offensive content disclaimer for films such as Aladdin, Peter Pan and Dumbo. TheStories Matter website that is referenced in the disclaimer features more information about Disney's efforts to increase "cultural competency." 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says, "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins big at SAG Awards, HBO's "Succession" will end with season 4, creator says, Richard Belzer, comedian and "Law & Order: SVU" actor, dies at 78, "The Last of Us" creator Neil Druckmann on the series' success, Ryan Seacrest leaving "Live"; Kelly Ripa's husband, Mark Consuelos, to step in. 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 . Supporters of the movie point to the fact that Agrabah, despite being supposedly based on an actual city. 3. (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. I understand Peter Pan and Dumbo but why Aladdin? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. How do you see this issue changing in the future? Disney Plus adds content warning to animated movies criticized as In its history, Disney has produced 56 animated movies. A subreddit to help you keep up to date with what's going on with reddit and other stuff. Disney+ has a huge library of hundreds of movies and series from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. , Aladdin sport[ed] a Manchurian queue and Chinese slippers, and the architecture feature[ed] distinctly Chinese pagodas. The emphasis on the Chinese aspects of, during this time period through the use of , (the imitation of Chinese motifs and techniques in Western art) was especially popular. For more information, please see our UPDATE: Disney has updated their content warning on Disney+ to an unskippable, 12-second message in front of controversial movies or shorts. Privacy Policy. Read about our approach to external linking. Jasmine's mother is barely a thought in the 1992 animated movie. A content advisory notice for racism in classic Disney films, in place since last year, has been updated with a strengthened message. did apparently meet with Galland at some point, but it remains unclear how much, if any, of the story came from him. Since Disney is so horrified of its own movie, perhaps they should return the hundreds of millions of dollars they made off it. 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. When the Genie turned Aladdin into "Prince Ali", what exactly did that Get the Daily OutKick and get smarter every day. The meetings are held virtually and are very raw according to one attendee. Disney adding disclaimer about racist stereotypes to some old movies He's a young Middle Eastern man and a homeless orphan that . A lot of it is, honestly, hard to tell or point out when you're not part of the group involved. 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. 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. ", 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.". Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. New foreign series, such as Jinn, available now on Netflix, may also rely on fantasy or folk culture, but they provide authentic place settings and use local talent and perspectives. But, he adds, with Native American actress Irene Bedard as the voice of Pocahontas in the film, some in his community might both enjoy and accept it as presented. Not only does Aladdin have a chance to lift a generation of actors from being type-cast as terrorists to the ranks of famous actors, but it also awakens a curiosity among audiences toward the. Given that is fictional, whos to say it cant include many different races and ethnic backgrounds? Pocahontas was staight full of lies and racial slurs. If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. The names Jasmine and Aladdin are both of Middle-Eastern origin, with Aladdin being derived from Arabic while Jasmine has its roots in Persian. As part of Disneys Stories Matter initiatives advisory council, Robertson and his colleagues watch films believed to possibly be problematic and then tell Disney their reaction. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. 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. Although Disney posted this message in front of the original Aladdin, the version on Disney+ has still removed the "cut off your ear" line from the opening song and Aladdin's mumbling on the. Most of the Arab characters have exaggerated facial characteristics hooked noses, glowering brows, thick lips but Aladdin and the princess look like white American teenagers. 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. Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe. ', As 10 million Disney+ subscribers browse through the new streaming platforms hefty film and TV library, a line at the end of select content summaries might catch their attention: This program is presented as originally created. "Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe.". I am cynical by nature. Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe. No plug forthcoming. The live-action reveal is a bit of a surprise. 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. Previously, Disney had the line "This program is presented as originally created. ALADDIN: Genie, I wish for you to make me a prince! As of October 15th, Disney Plus has updated its disclaimer to include a warning that older films may contain harmful stereotypes. 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. He says that while working with young filmmakers, he has never insisted they dont watch it or they dont appreciate it or that its wrong. 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. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. A Syrian named Hanna Diyab did apparently meet with Galland at some point, but it remains unclear how much, if any, of the story came from him. I know that they would be very disappointed that there is not even a disclaimer to acknowledge that there are some questionable things in that film.. The new content warning, appearing on screen before the movie starts. After Mr. Guiver makes points to show that Aladdin is the only character next to his Disney contemporaries who doesn't have this particular anatomy, but actually, Disney has somewhat of a reputation when . Top ten things you didn't know about Aladdin - Culture 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. 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.. Delivered Wednesdays. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. A lot. Why is there so little Middle Eastern, Arab or Muslim (or other minority group) representation in film and television? Weve had some very raw conversations on those Zooms, African American Film Critics Association President Gil Robertson told the Hollywood Reporter. Jennifer Bisset is a Senior Editor for CNET. 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,. Original cartoon versions of movies such as Dumbo, The Jungle Book . No one thats who. "Nobody's canceling these movies," he said. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. "Rather than removing this content, we see an opportunity to spark conversation and open dialogue on history that affects us all." Pocahontas was staight full of lies and racial slurs. Reviews have been mixed but the film has been popular, nonetheless: the. 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. Alladin quotes? - Memes Feel 2023 CNET, a Red Ventures company. To learn more about how stories have impacted society visit: www.Disney.com/StoriesMatter.". 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. 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. While the majority of films and series that are added to Disney+ continue to be available, some titles, unfortunately, have been removed from Disney+. Gary-I have to say I really look forward to your posts; you have extremely interesting, independent and logically defensible takes on a variety of subjects. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, White supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes kicked out of CPAC, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Biden team readies new advisory panel ahead of expected reelection bid, At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, House Democrats unhappy with White House handling of D.C.'s new criminal code. Edit: forgot to write "answer", so i copypasted my original vomment. 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. 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.. 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. I think of Aladdin as the Robin Williams show. To learn more about how stories have impacted society, please visitwww.disney.com/StoriesMatter. Disney updates content warning for racism in classic films - BBC Jungle Bookreceived a disclaimer, yet its 2003 animated sequel did not. And yet, some scholars say the central character could be partly . Is it stereotypical? BBC did an article discussing it a few years ago when the remake was being talked about that might point to some examples where it's coming from. After Shaheen protested against the film alongside the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Disney agreed to alter the lyrics in Arabian Nights for Aladdin's video release in 1993, and defended it, as it was a rare film to feature an Arab hero and heroine. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. notions of Oriental interchangeability, pointing to the fact that name Jasmine has Persian roots, not Indian. The films with the updated disclaimer includePeter Pan, Dumbo, Lady andthe Tramp, Fantasia,The Jungle BookandSwiss Family Robinson, among others. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Top row shows the 1992 animated cast while below are the actors used in the 2019 live-action version of Aladdin. That Disney talent agents are pedophiles/child molesters? First noticed by Twitter user @324_B21, and reported by Mashable, films like the original 1941 Dumbo, The Aristocats, Jungle Book, the 1955 animated Lady and the Tramp all feature the same outdated culturual depictions warning. We just let them know that it is a piece of media from another time, Skorodin says. , earning over $346 million in worldwide box office revenue. This applies to classics such as Dumbo and Aladdin, which may not be suitable for younger audiences. Others defended Scott, noting that the story includes Indian aspects, Agrabah is meant to be a melting pot of cultures, and Jasmines mother is said to be from another land, making it entirely plausible that Jasmine could be an Indian woman. Why Does 'Fixer to Fabulous' Star Jenny Marrs Hate This One Feature So 17 moments in Disney movies that haven't aged well. alternate lyrics were dubbed into the video and soundtrack releases. KEEP READING:Disney+ Rebrands Non-MCU Marvel Films as Marvel Legacy. Iconic film critic, Roger Ebert, wrote in his 1992 review: One distraction during the film was its odd use of ethnic stereotypes. After Mr. 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. Im pretty sure during the 60s all the way up to the 90s cutting off the hands of thieves was an actual punishment in sharia law.So its not racist to point out a system of law - dictated by a book - in the part of the world it directly influenced and thus gave inspiration for a fictional versionagrabah.
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