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. 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. It was even broader than that because we talked about the history of stereotypes and the lack of roles for Asian Americans. All rights reserved. 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. It just reminds me of apu from the simpsons, where they got such a backlash that the voice actor now quit doing his voice. No one thats who. The Aristocats, Dumbo, Peter Pan, Swiss Family Robinson and more now have stronger content warnings. Aladdin film poster comparison. New Movie News, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews, Disney+ Updates Offensive Content Disclaimer for Aladdin, Peter Pan and More, Amazon Prime Video Is Catching up to Netflix While HBO Max Outpaces Disney+ Growth, Disney: COVID Forces Restructure, Puts Greater Focus on Streaming Content, Disney+ Rebrands Non-MCU Marvel Films as Marvel Legacy, REVIEW: Frank Miller Presents Ancient Enemies: The Djinni #1 Crafts a Compelling Origin Story, REVIEW: DC's Shazam! 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. It worked. Rather than removing the offensive content, the company said it hopes to "spark conversation and open dialogue on history that affects us all. But now Disney is offended by its own creation, so it slaps a warning on Aladdin. Some accused Disney of reinforcing notions of Oriental interchangeability, pointing to the fact that name Jasmine has Persian roots, not Indian. 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. 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. It is also important to think about all the improvements the 2019 movie made over the 1992 adaptation (see #3 on this list above!). Jennifer Bisset is a Senior Editor for CNET. Here is that wording. Why is there so little Middle Eastern, Arab or Muslim (or other minority group) representation in film and television? 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. ', Skyhawk notes that even with disclaimers, the damage created by outdated depictions will be difficult to erase: That having been said, Im just glad that were now entering a new phase of sensitivity towards minorities and including the native people of America that is long overdue.. Press J to jump to the feed. The film is an adaptation of a folktale from the 18th-century, Arabic-language collection, A Thousand and One Nights. has been questioned over its casting woes, theyre struggling to wrap up their months-long search, The American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee saw. The level of authenticity Netflix is trying to achieve with this show is definitely what attracted me the most to be part of this project.. (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. Credit: Others say that accusations of racism are overwrought. 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. Fantasy worlds are not meant to perfectly align with real-life racial boundaries. 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. 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. Disney claimed they included white extras only in a handful of instances when it was a matter of specialty skills, safety and control, but many still criticized the company for not taking the opportunity to hire more actors and crew members of Middle Eastern and South Asian heritage. In "Sleeping Beauty," Prince Phillip kisses Aurora while she's unconscious. Become a home entertainment expert with our handpicked tips, reviews and deals. There are a number of reasons why these titles are removed. 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. To learn more about how stories have impacted society visit Disney.com/storiesmatter, First off, when did Disney suddenly become a Civil Rights movement? The new-and-improved, feminist Jasmine even performs an original song, Speechless, in which she sings about not allowing men to silence her. On a different note, Disney has actually restored Saludos Amigos on Disney+. 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. A similar decision was recently made by HBO Max for the classic, yet problematic, film Gone With the Wind. Disney+ wants to say theyre focused on inspirational themes while half the children in Disney films have dead parents. I am cynical by nature. Agrabah is a made up place thats a combo of a few different cultures. 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. Wouldnt it be reasonable that if all the characters in this movie come from the same genetic stock, they should resemble one another? 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. So much so that Disney+ added a warning label before the film starts. 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. on exploring stereotypes with American film and television, which offers guided activities for your students. Several representatives of minority advocacy groups spoke withThe Hollywood Reporterabout their reactions to the Disney+ disclaimer and what, if any, extra measures can be enacted by Disney to caution viewers of culturally insensitive material. As mentioned above, the original, one of many films released as part of the Disney Renaissance, made $504 million worldwide over its entire box office lifetime. I think of Aladdin as the Robin Williams show. Walt Disney Studios. How do you see this issue changing in the future? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. After Mr. It reads: "This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. KEEP READING:Disney+ Rebrands Non-MCU Marvel Films as Marvel Legacy. 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. While the true origins of the tale of Aladdin cannot be completely verified, the story is often attributed to French writer Antoine Galland, who claimed a Syrian told him about a boy and a genie in China. 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.". 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. Most people consider Aladdin to be set somewhere in the Middle East. Screen capture from, In May 2019, Disney released a live-action version of. Non-Christian religions, the countries and . 4. Who should tell stories of other places? Disney did not respond toTHRs request for comment. 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. Additionally, 1992s animatedAladdin, criticized for its racist depictions of West Asian culture, does not feature the warning in its synopsis. You know, I actually dont mind this in one respect for now; it gives the reactionary, mob something to point at as evidence they are doing something to educate. At the end of the overview, you can also find resources section for further exploration in the classroom. Fans questioned the need to include this new character whose appearance was ultimately inconsequential and wondered why a white character had to be added to a refreshingly-multicultural film. He covers basketball and baseball for OutKick.com, chats with the Purple and Gold faithful on LakersNation, and shitposts on Twitter. 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. Don Owens. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Gary Sheffield, Jr Disney+ updated its offensive content disclaimer for films such as Aladdin, Peter Pan and Dumbo. 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.. Disney+ has a huge library of hundreds of movies and series from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. Proponents of the film also encourage focusing on the great strides the 2019 film made in being more diverse and inclusive. Authenticity was not a major consideration. Nobody in their right mind can state that it is impossible to find a young male South Asian or Middle-Eastern actor who can dance, sing and act, says Academy Award nominated director Lexi Alexander, who is half German, half Palestinian.