Aladdin Central Messageboard

Meesh · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 2:59 pm Post subject: Stereotypical

Many people complain that Aladdin is stereotypical for obvious reasons like:

1. The name jasmine.
2. How they portray Arabs and the marketplace
3. "Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face."

and more. What are your thoughts?
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AladdinsGenie · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 3:12 pm Post subject:

Oh, don't even get me started on this. I wrote a whole essay on it for a Freshman comp. paper last semester. If I can find it, I'll post it.

But to do a mini rant:

Jasmine is an Arabic name, it's just spelled differently. 'Yazmin' is how it's supposed to be. They can get over it. My name is Arabic and it's spelled differently. I've heard no one of Arab decent fuss at me. They were just looking for something to rant on about Jasmine. Not that they didn't find a bunch of stuff as it is Rolling Eyes

Instead of them getting out of that scene how mean life can be sometimes, and to show how oblivious Jasmine was to the harshness of the world outside the palace, everyone took it and played it up as this big personal insult to Arabs.
I'm sure the same thing would have happened if they would have placed Jasmine on the streets of some rough neighborhood in New Orleans and said it was an insult to blacks. Rolling Eyes

And the cut lyric-oh come on. I think people forget this is about Agrabah and not present or past Arabia. The people in Agrabah could have been like that. People just have a problem swallowing reality when it's told through the eyes of someone else.

Meesh · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 3:16 pm Post subject:

Nicely posted.

Yeah I'm Arabic and am i no way offended by the movie.
Disney needed to pick a good name that was Arabic and yet easy to pronounce while still being pretty. Jasmine was perfect. Plus, it's good to be a bit stereotypical. I can't name one recent DIsney movie where they didn't really use stereotypes.

I second everything you just posted. And please find that paper! I would love to read it!!
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Hourglass · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 3:27 pm Post subject:

I personally don't like how much the Arabs complained about the movie. I mean, yes, it was a little bit stereo-typical... but c'mon... what do they expect? That's the way they portray themselves to us... and when are little kids going to know that Agrabah is in Arabia? It never says it anywhere in the movie.

And the adults who do figure it's in Arabia... why are they going to care all that much? I mean, they have their opinions, why would a child's movie change them?

The name Jasmine is a cool name... it's not feminine, but not butch. It's unique... I don't see that as being an insult/stereo-type to any Arab.

**takes breath**

All in all, it's a child's movie that people took way to seriously. The Arabs were looking for something to complain about, and they found it in a kid's movie. It's not the movie that makes the Arabs look pathetic, it's the way they complained about it.
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MysticMeg's Stories on THE LIBRARY OF AGRABAH!!!

MEESH AND MYSTICMEG'S COMBINED STORY!!!

Just another weird lil' fanfiction obsession of mine...

Meesh · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 3:32 pm Post subject:

Woah Nelly! HG! Very agressive and having good points, but let's not try to insult the Arabs now.
I'm an Arab and I am also angry about all the complaining we've been doing. But I don't feel insulted in any way. In fact, probably part of the reason why I love it so much is because that it is Arabian, and I am too!!
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AladdinsGenie · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 3:43 pm Post subject:

Yeah, but it wasn't just Arabs who were criticizing the movie. Media itself played up a lot of it as it always does.

And I totally prefer saying Jasmine to Lady Bedr al-Budur. Wink

Meesh · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 3:46 pm Post subject:

Jas · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 3:47 pm Post subject:

Meesh · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 3:49 pm Post subject:

Definitely. Urgh that annoys me. Like how people are complaining that Spongebob promotes homos... Gimme a break people.
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Jas · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 3:50 pm Post subject:

Meesh · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 3:53 pm Post subject:

The teletubbies.... ugh...don't get me started PLEASE. Razz

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AladdinsGenie · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 3:53 pm Post subject:

I've seen so many different versions for the princesses name it's insane. Some go as far as making her name Chinese considering that's where it takes place.

Speaking of which, you'd think the Chinese would be mad that the ethnicities of the characters in the story were changed. It takes place in China, Aladdin was the son of a poor Chinese taylor, etc.

But yeah, I don't think I've ever heard a Disney movie come out and some one didn't have something negative to say about it that dealt with a protrayal or race issue.

Meesh · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 3:56 pm Post subject:

In Cinderella, it was complained that the wrong message was sent to girls because Cinderella wasn't happy until she got a man.
In Snow White, they complained about how Snow White lived with seven men.
In the Little Mermaid, people complained about the shape of the castle.
In Hercules, religious people complained about how it taught kids Greek mythology. I am very religious, but it didn't bother me at all.

Good gravy people. Get rolemodels.
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Iago · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 3:57 pm Post subject:

Meesh · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 3:59 pm Post subject:

I think people just got too bored. I mean, it's been out for five years and they're just starting to complain.
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