Rooney Disney's Aladdin

I was anticipating that Aladdin would, shall we say, not be the most politically correct of all the movies
I’ve ever seen… but good lord, Disney, you lasted a whole minute of the movie before calling the
“land far away” barbaric. That has to be some kind of record- on several accounts.

This is, however, an improvement from the original lyrics: “Oh, I come from a land From a faraway place
Where the caravan camels roam. Where they cut off your ear If they don't like your face It's barbaric, but
hey, it's home.” At least now we are discussing the heat and the city as being barbaric, not the people
themselves. Oof.

It would be depressing and tedious to detail all of the racial profiling in the first 20 minutes of the film,
like the accentuated noses, intense accents, and aggressive nature of all of the men; not to mention the
brief portrayal of the snake charmer and fire walker, as no vague Middle Eastern town would be complete
without them, so let’s move on to one specific one. Where are the intellectuals?? If we are in a
medieval/renaissance era ~Arabia~ , which, as there are not colonizers present and the Sultan is in
power, we are, the Middle East is a bustling hub of incredible cultural and intellectual development. It
isn’t called the Islamic Golden Age for no reason! I feel like I should spend this blog post discussing
incredible Islamic philosophers and poets like Abu Nuwas or Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali to counteract all
of the negative stereotypes present in Aladdin.

Instead, Agrabah is depicted as a mystical town of the very poor, the peddlers, and the Sultan and
company- this is how we know, from the very beginning, that this movie is nothing but a manifestation
of Western fetisization of the ~Orient~ while making sure it remains inferior.

However… I’m not gonna lie and say that I didn’t enjoy some parts of the movie. I absolutely found
myself singing a long and giggling at the genie’s many impersonations. I have always adored Robin
Williams and there’s something incredibly comforting about every role he plays; the genie is warm,
protective of Aladdin, hilarious, and feels like a safe character. You know that he is genuine and he
wouldn’t choose to turn on Aladdin (if he can help it).

And lastly, Jasmine's awesome. Any princess that has a tiger as a pet and is the only one who can tame
him is pretty dope in my book. She doesn’t want to be married off, she knows she can take care of herself
without a husband, she didn’t automatically forgive Aladdin for lying and fall into his arms, and her
best quote: “How dare you — all of you! Standing around deciding my future. I am not a prize to be
won!” Though many of the men in the film, primarily Jafar, try to treat her like an object or something
to use to improve their social status, Jasmine doesn’t take any of it. She will not stand to be treated as
anything less than equal, she makes her own decisions, and she speaks up. I love her for it.

Disney's Aladdin - Rylee Bowen

This really surprised me. I was expecting this movie to be almost as bad as the story, but Disney really attempted to make Aladdin a good character. For starters, he could only enter the cave because his insides were made of diamonds. Not literally of course... From the beginning of the story, he gave what little he had to those who were more needy. He also followed directions to not steal from the cave, even though he could have really used anything from in it. Until he was given a taste of power that is... As soon as he met the genie, he began to get selfish and lose sense of his values to "cheat" the system. In order to give himself a shot with the princess, he had to be something he wasn't. When confronted about his identity, he lied because he was so ashamed of his true identity. He also went back on his word to the genie. He promised to free him with his last wish, but when it came down to the genie's happiness or his own, he couldn't resist telling the genie that he had to use the wish on himself. It took him losing everything and getting thrown into his old reality to realise what a prick he was being. Once this was taken care of, he was able to grow and go back to the kind man from the beginning of the story.

Something this story did keep was Aladdin falling in love with Jasmine after seeing her face. This kind of hurt to see, but at least they got to know each other for an hour or two...? This is still a big step for Disney. Their relationship was also a lot more dynamic then other Disney princesses. They were given a beautiful duet to express how the world spun in a different way when they were together. Cute, right? The music added a lot to the story. My favorite song was Prince Ali. I though his entrance was so extra and I loved it. He really got everything with his wish to be a prince.

Jafar is totally a rad villain. He even calls himself evil. He takes every step to ensure that he becomes the most powerful person in the world, and he did it with only a bird believing in him. His downfall was greed. He had everything he could have wanted and gave it up after being taunted by Aladdin.
But he also called Jasmine "Pussycat" so I was slightly uncomfortable...

I think Disney tried to work on expanding their standard gender roles, but there was still a lot of room for improvement. I'm excited to see what role they give Jasmine in the new version coming out this year. Hopefully, she contributes to more action and fights the stereotypes that surround the women of Disney.

Charlotte Hagerty Aladdin Film

Whereas the original source material for Aladdin was dry and challenging to get through, the Disney movie was nothing short of a delight. It was my favorite film we have watched thus far and I found myself disappointed when it was over. I appreciated the direct address at the beginning, marked by ‘hitting’ the narrator with the camera. It seems reminiscent to me of a Shakespearean introduction. The Disney easter-eggs scattered throughout, such as Dumbo and Sebastian, were a pleasant surprise. Additionally, I loved all of the animal sidekicks. I was happy that I had forgotten most of the film, as it was a gift to watch it anew. Overall, I found myself watching the film like… 

Like the film, the character of Aladdin also evolved for the better. Right from the beginning he proved that he was selfless, giving his only meal to homeless children that needed it more. Although he was certainly tested, he proved himself again when he used his last wish to set the Genie free. Although he was stealing, I found myself agreeing with his lyric, “Gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat”. He was doing no harm to any of these vendors by stealing a loaf of bread or a piece of fruit. Thus, I found myself rooting for him and was happy when he found success and companionship. In the beginning, I found myself wishing I could just give him a hug, I feel like he could have used one. 

Jasmine also evolved as a character. Although her portrayal is still problematic, it is a vast improvement from her being a nameless, meek princess in the text. When she had her triumphant moment of...

I wanted to cheer her on! Often Frozen is regarded as the first feminist Disney film, however Jasmine and her side eye would beg to differ. She knew what she wanted and was not afraid to stand up for it. Her portrayal was still problematic, as it puts forth an unrealistic body image to young children. Additionally, she is wearing basically lingerie, which is most likely not historically accurate. However her character was very inspirational and teaches young girls to fight for what they want.

In dissecting the main characters of the film, I would be remiss to not discuss the Genie. I was blown away by the complexity of the animation and his character. He was simply pure joy. Robin Williams was an incredible talent and that shone through in this film. He was a much needed comic relief and the quickness and creativity of his transformation transfixed me. Also, I want one of these signs to follow me. I think it would do wonders for my self confidence.  

However, every rose is not without a thorn. The portrayal of Middle Eastern culture was problematic in the film: perhaps because it was Disney’s first film starring people of color, or perhaps because the directors simply did not care to be accurate. Many of the supporting characters felt like caricatures, with large noses and larger than life personalities. I am interested to see how Disney rectifies this in the 2019 version, as I know there has been controversy already surrounding the casting. In conclusion this film was a delight, and now I really want to go on a magic carpet ride. 

Disney's Aladdin Response, Alex Rose

Disney Aladdin Blog Post, Alex Rose

Aside from some glaring plot differences surrounding Lago and the evil magician in Disney’s version, the first major difference I noticed was the characterization of Aladdin. As I mentioned in my first blog post about the written version of Aladdin, in the original version of the story Aladdin is described as “idle” repeatedly. Aladdin refuses to do any work and lives off his parents’ earnings, while being greedy. In the Disney film Aladdin is an orphan who struggles to find food, but is in a good mood all of the time. Furthermore, even when he has no food, he is willing to help others by giving them part of the little bit he has, like in the scene pictured above and his willingness to free the genie. In addition to not being “idle”, Aladdin is much smarter in the Dinsey film. He is able to trick the genie into an extra wish and capture Lago.

The initial characterization of Jasmine is as a woman who is incapable of being independent, but wants independence. Jasmine refuses to marry in an arranged marriage because she wants to marry for love. She sneaks out of the castle to live independently, but in doing so shows her lack of ability to be on her own. When she is walking through the streets she takes an apple and does not know that she has to pay for it. She relies on Aladdin to save her. Disney enforces the negative stereotype that women are helpless and need to be rescued by men: https://ctlsites.uga.edu/engl3820w-fall2016/continuing-disney-gender-roles-in-aladdin/

In addition to her characterization, Princess Jasmine’s clothing is somewhat shocking. The princess is always wearing something revealing and in two pieces. It seems a little bit inappropriate to promote that style to young girls. Her body shape is also concerning because of the messages that it passes to young girls. Body image is a prevalent issue in today’s culture and films like this are part of the reason why. Princess Jasmine has a body that is unrealistic, but is supposed to be the body type that girls have.

The relationship between Jasmine and Aladdin was also interesting. In the original version of the story, Aladdin essentially kidnaps the princess for two nights before they actually meet, while being a pervert and stalking her. In the Disney version the audience can tell that the relationship is consensual and from the beginning that the two are in love. In the end true love conquers the law that forbids a princess from marrying anyone other than a prince, which is very Disney-like.

The largest plotline difference in my opinion is the fact that the genie only grants Aladdin three wishes as opposed to unlimited. The aspect of having a wish limit prevents Aladdin from being too selfish. In the written story it is very easy to view Aladdin as greedy, and while at parts of the movie he certainly is, in the end he does the right thing and sets the genie free proving that he is not greedy at all.

Disney's Aladdin Response - Samuel Joseph

After watching Disney’s Aladdin (1992), I'm still upset that Aladdin didn't wish the genie free the first opportunity he had. I was always taught growing up that in order to be “a man” you must always be a man of your word, no matter the circumstance. I was also taught to never make a promise you can’t keep. Unfortunately, we were able to see greed and self-interest kick in for Aladdin, and he broke those two rules, at first at least. Nonetheless, I felt pretty upset for the genie in that moment.

I really enjoyed the beginning scene; I appreciated the fact that Disney chose to acknowledge the audience at the beginning of the film, breaking the fourth wall, so to speak. In fact, the peddler was probably my favorite human character in the film, just a pretty funny guy. After that scene, I was left questioning why he chose to mention that the coffee machine was also a hookah… and I’m like c’mon man this is a kids film!! I also recognized that voice, and it turns out that the peddler was voiced by the legend that also voiced the genie in the film, Robin Williams. Another interesting mention here, thepeddler at the beginning is the genie himself in the movie… Disney was supposed to hint to this towards the end of the film but didn’t include that part after final edits.

I also appreciated the role of the animal companions, and I felt like they were equal to human characters most of the time, if not even more important. Lago, Abu, and Rajah were all extremely important characters and in most cases were a sense of comic relief (aside from the genie). Rajah was an extremely loyal companion to Jasmine and probably took care of her more than any guy ever could. Abu was a quality companion to Aladdin, and I think it’s safe to say we can call him Aladdin Jr. He’s there to save Aladdin when he needs help, and gives Aladdin company wherever he goes. Lago is just Lago. Funny. Smart. Slightly evil.

Anyways, lets talk about Jasmine. The story is set in Agrabah, which I assume to be somewhere in Saudi Arabia. It’s weird to think that she dresses the way she does when women in Saudi Arabia have historically been some of the most restricted women. Also, her outfit, her father’s outfit, the tiger, and the palace all remind me of India. Her clothing and her father’s clothing remind me a lot of classic Indian clothing, tigers are extremely present in India, and the palace seems to resemble the Taj Mahal. They probably should’ve just set the scene somewhere in India to be honest. Aside from that, Jasmine seems to have common sense, and a lot of it. This is a significant change from Snow White, who was extremely innocent and gullible. Jasmine is able to stand up for herself, her person, and her rights while Snow White easily fell into the trap of the Queen. She has that courage, that boldness about her, the same boldness almost that we see in Mulan. Disney has created a smart, individualized princess here who can stand up for herself, and I applaud that. What I’m upset about is that she is the only significant female character in the movie, which is absolutely abysmal, and there’s no apology that could make up for that. Hopefully they do a better job with this in the live action remake that is coming out very soon.