Edit: forgot to write "answer", so i copypasted my original vomment. The new statement is more strongly worded than one Disneytacked onto some films when Disney+ first rolled out last year. Aladdin wasn't asking for a kingdom or riches. It is also important to think about all the improvements the 2019 movie made over the 1992 adaptation (see #3 on this list above!). October 19, 2020 / 11:46 AM / CBS News Disney is adding a disclaimer to some of its old movies that include racist stereotypes, the media giant announced this month. 6. Reviews have been mixed but the film has been popular, nonetheless: the. How do you feel about Aladdin? 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. It may contain outdated cultural depictions.. Ian Skorodin, director of strategy and outreach for the Barcid Foundation (a Native American non-profit organization), adds that it is unfortunate thatPocahontas did not receive a disclaimer. 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. Reviews have been mixed but the film has been popular, nonetheless: the 2019 film surpassed the original film within a month of its release at the box office. 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. Please disregard such warningsand better yet, dont give Disney another dime of your money. The rest of us can FF through that crap, chuckle at it and enjoy the show. Ghanizada notes a2015 Public Policy Pollin which one-third of Republican primary voters supported bombing the fictional kingdom of Agrabah, the setting ofAladdin. Aladdin does trick the Genie into freeing him from the Cave of Wonders without using a wish. Why does Aladdin have a warning before it? Press J to jump to the feed. Take a look at both sides of the argument: Watch the trailer for Aladdin, or see the movie in theaters now, and make your own conclusions. Rather, the story was often presented as a hybrid tale of the exoticized Orient meeting modern English-language styles and fashions,. You can follow him at GarySheffieldJr. members. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. In June, Disney said it would retheme Disneyland's Splash Mountain, basing it on the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog, instead of the 1946 southern plantation movie Song of the South. Nothing else. Source. 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. But I've realized how problematic Aladdin's character is. The film remains controversial to this day. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Ron Clements and John Musker, the directors of the 1992 film, that the movie was originally intended to be set in Baghdad, Iraq. Instead of simply being upset with her father for restricting who she can marry as in the 1992 version Jasmine aspires to be the first female sultan and is frustrated by her fathers refusal to consider her because of her gender. Fantasy worlds are not meant to perfectly align with real-life racial boundaries. That, and the story is loosely rooted in One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, a collection of Middle Easter folk tales. On Oct. 15, Disney Plus introduced a new disclaimer that appears before older films like Dumbo (1941) and Aladdin (1992), warning viewers that the films include harmful stereotypes. Credit: Outnow/Alamy. Nearly a year later, on Thursday, Disney said that after consulting with a council of organizations representing minorities, it's added a newdisclaimer acknowledging the "harmful impact" of racist stereotypes in some of its older films. Don Owens. In Disney's telling of the story, Aladdin is clever, resourceful, and loyal, but underestimated because he is poor. 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. that Disney should stop trying to improve stories that are problematic and should leave them in the past, instead focusing on new stories that wont be tainted by previously offensive versions. Pray tell who is offended by Aladdin? "Rather than removing this content, we see an opportunity to spark conversation and open dialogue on history that affects us all." Its either that or the children are rebelling against authority. Heck if the salesman is racist, The whole cartoon is. Disney also came under fire for allegedly darkening the skin of white actors and crew members. Warner Bros. featured a similar warning regarding some of its older cartoons, such as Tom & Jerry, which appeared on Amazon, according to CinemaBlend. There are now more opportunities for people in the United States, and elsewhere, to access regionally-produced entertainment from the Middle East. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Credit: Others say that accusations of racism are overwrought. This applies to classics such as Dumbo and Aladdin, which may not be suitable for younger audiences. Answer: Alladin has stereotypes of minorities that were considered acceptable by most people when it is made, but society has progressed and no longer view that as acceptable (for good reason). Why does Aladdin have a warning now? It reads: This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. pic.twitter.com/X9aGjXv97o. The Stories Matter page on Disney's site notes the characters' connection to racist minstrel shows. In addition to those older films, it's also included at the start of "Aladdin," the animated blockbuster from 1992. 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. She covers film and TV news and reviews. are plenty other streamers out there. Our job is not to get up and say, Heres a movie that you should feel guilty about for liking. But to pretend that the racism in it is not painful and acute? 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. "These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. The names Jasmine and Aladdin are both of Middle-Eastern origin, with Aladdin being derived from Arabic while Jasmine has its roots in Persian. So going forward, several such films on the Disney+ streaming service will include the following advisory: "This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. Just so were clear, Disney made Aladdin. Thus, when Disney reported in 2016 that a live-action adaptation was in the works, director Guy Ritchie had to contend with the original films controversial legacy. But maybe thats the issue that Disney and other major corporations cant seem to understand. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. 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. This is pretty much the progressive movement in a nutshell. '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. It protects the filmmaker from feedback. 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. Jennifer Bisset is a Senior Editor for CNET. 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 movie itself never explicitly states where in the real world the story is taking place, so all fans can do is speculate. 4. Who should tell stories of other places? a port city that rests on the cusp of Eastern and Western nations, making it a thriving trade town and bringing together a melting pot of cultures and influences. The production designer used Turkish, Persian, and Islamic influences for the set design. Potato Head survived by a thread and liberal white men working at Disneyland saved black women from the horrors of Splash Mountainnow Aladdin is racist. While the majority of films and series that are added to Disney+ continue to be available, some titles, unfortunately, have been removed from Disney+. The casting of Naomi Scott, who is of English and Indian descent, upset some fans and critics who believed the role should have been played by a Middle Eastern actress. 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. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. Now only days after his death, the live-action Aladdin remake has been questioned over its casting woes. 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. The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a press release earlier this week asking reviewers and critics to acknowledge that the "Aladdin myth is rooted by racism, Orientalism and. 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 balcony. Aladdin is one of the greatest animated movies of all time and one of the main reasons behind that is the Genie character. March 16, 2021, 12:54 pmupdated March 16, 2021, 1:46 pm It also includes specific examples from several films of scenes and charactersthat the company now deems inappropriate. The sultan's palace in Aladdin, left, and the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. 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. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? Aoki, who has worked with Disney-owned ABC in the past as a part of the Asian Pacific American Media Colation, says he has concerns that the language in the disclaimer would not be understandable to a younger audience, likely the biggest demographic for the massive Disney+ library that dates back over eight decades. Samuel Gelman started at CBR as a news writer in August 2019 before becoming a news editor in November 2019. Jinns Lebanese director Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya has said, this is a great opportunity to portray Arab youth in a very unique way. I assume it also has to do with being more sensitive towards muslim culture nowadays, as the last twenty years there was quite the bashing for the group as a whole. While he is technically only a sidekick character, he has a huge part to play in the film. "Disney could have used stronger language, which would more proactively invite a conversation around the context of these caricatures," Swinburne University of Technology film and TV lecturer Jessica Balanzategui told CNET in June. Please review Rule 4 and this post before making a top level comment: I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Something like this is surely the reason they put it afront of the video, just to be safe. They want to make up for any offensive messaging they may have been a part of, Robertson told the publication. 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. 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. Agrabah is a made up place thats a combo of a few different cultures. ", Disney said the decision is part of its "ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion." New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. in the new adaptation. Ron Clements and John Musker, the directors of the 1992 film, said in 2015 that the movie was originally intended to be set in Baghdad, Iraq. Other companies and brands, likeAunt Jemimaand Uncle Ben's, have also recently taken steps to recognize and distance themselves from racist stereotypes by changing their branding in the wake of widespread protests for racial justice in the U.S. Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. While he has always loved superhero, sci-fi and fantasy films and TV series, it is only recently that he began reading comic books themselves. The line you're thinking of is "Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face. It reads: "This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. 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. 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. Outrage flared again when Disney announced that they had cast white actor Billy Magnussen in a newly-created role of a Scandinavian prince vying for Jasmines attention. Gary Sheffield, Jr 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. "Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe.". To learn more about how stories have impacted society visit Disney.com/storiesmatter, First off, when did Disney suddenly become a Civil Rights movement? And yet, some scholars say the central character could be partly . It's a bunch of small things here or there that most people wouldn't think much about, but it's a good step forward to at least acknowledge the potential for harm or offense even where none was meant. 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. The film-makers including director Guy Ritchie are on the hunt for leads who can live up to the animated films loveable street urchin Aladdin and Princess Jasmine. And welcomed. The disclaimers are not a signal that the films have been canceled, Ben Mankiewicz, a host on classic TV network TCM, told the Reporter. 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. We can therefore assume that Genie only focused on making Aladdin a prince so that he could have a shot with Jasmine. 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. 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. Aladdin now has a warning on Disney + pic.twitter.com/ZzrX6qHqct Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) March 16, 2021 It shows them speaking in an unintelligible language and repeatedly refers to them as "redskins," an offensive term. . Could he overcome the perception that the story was inherently bigoted? 3. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. However, the outbreak of the first. Think thatll ever happen with divorce rates higher than ever? 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. 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Here are 5: Dumbo (1941): Contains a scene of a group of cigar-smoking crows, with their leader named Jim Crow, referring to the racist segregation laws of the South, and voiced by a white actor . That Disney talent agents are pedophiles/child molesters? Screen capture from, In May 2019, Disney released a live-action version of. It can also be argued that outrage about Naomi Scott is invalid, given the. The names Jasmine and Aladdin are both of Middle-Eastern origin, with Aladdin being derived from Arabic while Jasmine has its roots in Persian. 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. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim advocacy group. Since Disney is so horrified of its own movie, perhaps they should return the hundreds of millions of dollars they made off it. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. First published on October 19, 2020 / 11:46 AM. 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. did apparently meet with Galland at some point, but it remains unclear how much, if any, of the story came from him. 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. This was inevitable. RELATED:Disney: COVID Forces Restructure, Puts Greater Focus on Streaming Content. Did watching it ever make you uncomfortable? The highly controversial Song of the South (1946) is not available on the streaming service. , including Afghan payraans, Indian saris, Omani daggers, and turbans from multiple cultures. If anything it highlighted overcoming a class struggle but I guess Marxism has mutated to race and gender now. Santa's Workshop, Three Little Pigs, Clock Cleaners, Fantasia, The Rescuers, Toy Story 2, and a lot more programs are still edited for controversial content. Abby Monteil. No one thats who. No plug forthcoming. It might be worth asking ourselves when the new film is released: what would Jack Shaheen think? for Aladdin, or see the movie in theaters now, and make your own conclusions. Mar 1, 2023. After Mr. Was it possible to accurately depict cultural nuances using a fairy tale? 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? For The Lone Ranger specifically,Skyhawk explained Johnny Depp taking on the role of Tonto, described as a spirit warrior from the Comanche tribe, was offensive casting resulting in an offensive character. In updating the film and its content, Disney sought advice from the Muslim Public Affairs Council, an LA advocacy group, as well as groups comprised of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Muslim scholars, activists, and creatives. Due to the advisory groups input, the film avoided the crude portrayals found in the 1992 movie. 17 moments in Disney movies that haven't aged well. After Mr. See some of the major differences between the films in this chart designed by our summer interns. There are a number of reasons why these titles are removed. (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. Become a home entertainment expert with our handpicked tips, reviews and deals. As a matter of fact, it only makes us feel like we should start becoming filmmakers and replace those who have anointed themselves as our leaders. , earning over $346 million in worldwide box office revenue. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. Furthermore, these advisors helped ensure that any Arabic-language text was correctly displayed and that the setting and dress were more culturally realistic. Back in 1992, Shaheen cited cable television and videocassettes as making it easy for stereotypes to travel far and wide. A subreddit to help you keep up to date with what's going on with reddit and other stuff. If the consensus from those directly harmed is that we need stronger wording you will receive no argument from me. "Our job is. Ultimately, crap like this needs to earn a place for my time and effort based on the marketplace, but until the culture gets steered back toward truth and Capitalism, I can tolerate this silliness. The Disney drama kicked into higher gear after we saw Dr. Seuss books go from being $5 to $500. Disney holds monthly meetings to determine what content in its archive needs to have a warning added.
