', 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. Why is it important to have culturally-accurate depictions in film and television? That Disney talent agents are pedophiles/child molesters? 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. Most people consider Aladdin to be set somewhere in the Middle East. This is pretty much the progressive movement in a nutshell. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? At that time, it simply noted, "This program is presented as originally created. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Fantasy worlds are not meant to perfectly align with real-life racial boundaries. March 16, 2021, 12:54 pmupdated March 16, 2021, 1:46 pm Top row shows the 1992 animated cast while below are the actors used in the 2019 live-action version of Aladdin. Credit: Outnow/Alamy. 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. Walt Disney Studios. She covers film and TV news and reviews. The Stories Matter page on Disney's site notes the characters' connection to racist minstrel shows. Press J to jump to the feed. While the majority of films and series that are added to Disney+ continue to be available, some titles, unfortunately, have been removed from Disney+. , 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. How do you feel about Aladdin? That was really fantastic of [Paramount] to do that., Ghanizada says the language feels similar to the warning that this program contains nudity or violence, adding that it is a broad catchall. However, the outbreak of the first Gulf War (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. He also asked the producers to respect Islam and to add a humane character, Aladdins mother, an Arab woman willing to sacrifice everything for her sons happiness.. Please disregard such warningsand better yet, dont give Disney another dime of your money. Please review Rule 4 and this post before making a top level comment: I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. For more, Xbox Game Pass Is Having its Best Stretch Ever, Attack on Titan Fans Are Desperately Searching for The Final Season Part 3's First Episode Online, The Flash: The Arrowverse's Red Death Isn't Who We Thought, $30 Million Worth of Funko Products are Being Sent to a Landfill, Atomic Heart Faces Backlash on Multiple Fronts, all the movies and shows on or coming soon to Disney Plus, The Simpsons Hit and Run Designer Wants to See a Remake - IGN Daily Fix. 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. To learn more about how stories have impacted society visit: www.Disney.com/StoriesMatter.". Weve had some very raw conversations on those Zooms, African American Film Critics Association President Gil Robertson told the Hollywood Reporter. The American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee saw light-skinned, Anglicised features in the heroes Aladdin and Jasmine that contrasted sharply with the swarthy, greedy street merchants who had Arabic accents and grotesque facial features. We just let them know that it is a piece of media from another time, Skorodin says. If you are a younger person and youre watching something and that youre not aware that theres potential violence or now, cultural insensitivity, I think [the disclaimer] is kind of protecting [filmmakers] the same way that it does those other catchphrases., Still, she says that Disneys decision to include a disclaimer is appreciated, noting it is the first step to correcting things that might not have been thought about 10, 20, 30 years ago when these [films] were being made., Aoki echoes that sentiment, saying he finds Disney today to be a totally different company from the one that existed even 20, 25 years ago. He adds: I spoke to a Disney executive a few years ago who told me that, I think it was every Friday, [CEO] Bob Iger has a meeting with all the company heads, including Marvel and Pixar and everybody that is under their corporate umbrella, and he says, OK, report to me what you have done to further diversity at this company. So its not lip service as far as, Oh, yes, we believe in diversity and we try to have open casting. Something like this is surely the reason they put it afront of the video, just to be safe. I think you might be right. did apparently meet with Galland at some point, but it remains unclear how much, if any, of the story came from him. 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. It is also important to think about all the improvements the 2019 movie made over the 1992 adaptation (see #3 on this list above!). 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. 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. notions of Oriental interchangeability, pointing to the fact that name Jasmine has Persian roots, not Indian. Why does 'Aladdin' continue to fascinate after all these years? 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. 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. In the 2019 film, Agrabah is 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. Aoki believes it should specifically note what the issue of each film is, rather than offering up an ambiguous line. 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. It might also have to do with some version of whitewashing, as most of the voice actors are white people? Lets be clear, Disney did harm. 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.". The new-and-improved, feminist Jasmine even performs an original song. Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe. 4. Who should tell stories of other places? 1. The highly controversial Song of the South (1946) is not available on the streaming service. Less well known is the fact that the film sparked a racial controversy, one that is still reverberating today. Aladdin is one of the greatest animated movies of all time and one of the main reasons behind that is the Genie character. The new content warning, appearing on screen before the movie starts. 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. 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. Did watching it ever make you uncomfortable? 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. What is the hidden message in Aladdin? - Sage-Advices Aladdin now has a warning on Disney + pic.twitter.com/ZzrX6qHqct Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) March 16, 2021 Edit: forgot to write "answer", so i copypasted my original vomment. How do you feel about Aladdin? 13 Comments. KEEP READING:Disney+ Rebrands Non-MCU Marvel Films as Marvel Legacy. While Agrabah is apparently described as this melting pot of ethnicities, that concept comes from the deeply-problematic 1992 animated film. 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. No one thats who. It shows them speaking in an unintelligible language and repeatedly refers to them as "redskins," an offensive term. , earning over $346 million in worldwide box office revenue. Given that is fictional, whos to say it cant include many different races and ethnic backgrounds? Is it okay to watch a movie if it includes offensive parts? 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.. An adamant defender of The Last Jedi and the series finale of Lost, he can be reached at sam.g@cbr.com or through his Twitter, @SamMgelman. and our 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. Nearly a year later, on Thursday, Disney said that after consulting with a council of organizations representing minorities, it's added a new disclaimer acknowledging the "harmful impact" of. Disney is acknowledging that their past depictions of minorities/cultures in Alladin was not okay, but not take it down because removing it may as well be pretending it didn't happen. 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. In Disneys animatedPocahontas, the most striking inaccuracies are her age (she was a child when she met Captain John Smith, according to Encyclopedia Britannica) and there was no real romantic relationship between the two. 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. That, and the story is loosely rooted in One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, a collection of Middle Easter folk tales. Supporters of the movie point to the fact that Agrabah, despite being supposedly based on an actual city. Yeah, probably not because that message doesnt help them pander. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. There are now more opportunities for people in the United States, and elsewhere, to access regionally-produced entertainment from the Middle East. Twenty-seven years ago, Disneys animated version of Aladdin was the highest-grossing film of 1992, earning over $346 million in worldwide box office revenue. One distraction during the film was its odd use of ethnic stereotypes. Wouldnt it be reasonable that if all the characters in this movie come from the same genetic stock, they should resemble one another? Disney is the only media outlet who can show Aladdin. There are a number of reasons why these titles are removed. 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. To learn more about how stories have impacted society, please visitwww.disney.com/StoriesMatter. 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. Disney holds monthly meetings to determine what content in its archive needs to have a warning added. Friendly reminder that all top level comments must: start with "answer:" (or "question:" if you have an on-topic follow up question to ask). Overall, group representatives say they appreciate efforts made by Disney to recognize outdated cultural depictions while advocating for films likeAladdinor 1995sPocahontasto also receive the disclaimer. 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. 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. Nobodys canceling these movies, he said. In Richard Burton's telling, the "hero" is shallow, lazy, greedy, and easily. 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. "Nobody's canceling these movies," he said. The problems in Alladin specifically, I believe, are that an Arabic accent was used only for the villain, songs had racist lyrics, and there were very inaccurate and stereotyped portrayals of the entire setting/region. Previously, Disney had the line "This program is presented as originally created. 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 . ', 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.. Answer: Well I don't know which version they are showing, but in the origubal the salesman in the beginning sings that in the east they cut off your tongue and ears or something in that fashion when they catch you stealing, which is considered stereotyping. 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? Background characters. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Aladdin(1992), which previously did not have a warning, has been added to the list. If the consensus from those directly harmed is that we need stronger wording you will receive no argument from me. Aladdin wasn't asking for a kingdom or riches. Ghanizada notes a2015 Public Policy Pollin which one-third of Republican primary voters supported bombing the fictional kingdom of Agrabah, the setting ofAladdin. Aladdin now has a warning on Disney + pic.twitter.com/ZzrX6qHqct, This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. 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. 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. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. We coulda sworn we went to Disneyland and waited in line for two hours to be entertainednot for an education.. 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. Furthermore, these advisors helped ensure that any Arabic-language text was correctly displayed and that the setting and dress were more culturally realistic. Wouldnt it be reasonable that if all the characters in this movie come from the same genetic stock, they should resemble one another? It's barbaric, but hey, it's home". Whether he is giving out comedic moments or being incredibly sincere, he is a perfect character. The meetings are held virtually and are very raw according to one attendee. Disney Plus Offers Warnings Over 'Outdated Cultural Depictions - IGN 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 film remains controversial to this day. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Background characters wear clothing from a wide array of cultures, including Afghan payraans, Indian saris, Omani daggers, and turbans from multiple cultures. CBS News has reached out to the Walt Disney Company for more information. Its a complete waste of time for our children who will eventually become whining Disney adults. RELATED:Disney: COVID Forces Restructure, Puts Greater Focus on Streaming Content. Theyre unqualified, and its time for minorities in this country to start ignoring these major corporations that stunt double as our parents. "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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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 sultan's palace in Aladdin, left, and the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. The company said that while. Yunioshi., We had several people from MANAA talking about the concerns of yellowface and what was wrong with Mickey Rooneys portrayal, he adds. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. 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.
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