The Aladdin controversy Disney can't escape - BBC Culture

The film-makers – including director Guy Ritchie – are on the hunt for leads who can live up to the animated film's loveable street urchin ... MenuLoadingFilm | FilmindustryTheAladdincontroversyDisneycan’tescapeShareusingEmailShareonTwitterShareonFacebookShareonLinkedin(Imagecredit:Alamy)BySophiaSmithGaler14thJuly2017Asthefilm-makersofthenewlive-actionremakeofAladdinstruggletocasttheirhero,SophiaSmithGalerlooksatthetroubledhistoryoftheDisneyclassic.FFormany,Disney’s1992filmAladdinconjuresupimagesofinnocence:star-crossedloversonamagiccarpet,abenevolentpettigerandacomedicgeniewhowouldgranteveryheart’sdesire. Lesswellknownisthefactthatthefilmsparkedaracialcontroversy,onethatisstillreverberatingtoday.ThisweeksawthedeathofDrJackShaheen,oneofthemostrespectedandloudestcriticsofthevilificationofArabsinHollywood,whosuccessfullycampaignedforoffensivelyricstobechangedintheoriginalAladdinsoundtrack.Nowonlydaysafterhisdeath,thelive-actionAladdinremakehasbeenquestionedoveritscastingwoes.Thefilm-makers–includingdirectorGuyRitchie–areonthehuntforleadswhocanliveuptotheanimatedfilm’sloveablestreeturchinAladdinandPrincessJasmine.It’sbeenrevealedthatthey’restrugglingtowrapuptheirmonths-longsearchbecauseofadifficultyinfindingasinging,dancingactorwhoisMiddleEasternorIndiantoplaythetitlerole.Disneyhavenotcommentedonthesearch,andalthoughithasbeensuggestedthatthelengthycastingprocessisduetothestudio'scommitmenttofindingtherightactors,somearecriticalofthestudio’sstruggle.TheabhorrentArabstereotypeisasubiquitousasAladdin’slamp–DrJackShaheen“NobodyintheirrightmindcanstatethatitisimpossibletofindayoungmaleSouthAsianorMiddle-Easternactorwhocandance,singandact,”saysAcademyAwardnominateddirectorLexiAlexander,whoishalfGerman,halfPalestinian.“BollywoodisanentireindustrymadeupoftalentslikethisandtheMiddleEasthasequallyasmuchtalent.It’saconvenientsystemthatinsistsactors-of-colourneedtobehouseholdnamestobecast,whilenobodywantstogivethemabreak.”AlexanderpostedalistofpotentialactorsonTwitter,askingGuyto“givemeacall.”Thewell-lovedsoundtrackforthe1992animationisactuallyaneditedversionoftheonethatwasheardincinemas(Credit:Alamy)Thisisn’tthefirsttimethatDisneyhasbeencriticisedinrelationtoAladdin.Thewell-lovedsoundtrackforthe1992animation-AWholeNewWorldnotablywonDisneyanAcademyAward,alongwithanotherOscarfortheentirescore-isactuallyaneditedversionoftheonethatwasheardincinemas.TheoriginallyricinthefirstverseofthesongArabianNightsdescribedArabiaas“Wheretheycutoffyoureariftheydon’tlikeyourface”.“AladdinisnotanentertainingArabianNightsfantasyasfilmcriticswouldhaveusbelieve,”wroteJackShaheenin1992,thenaprofessorofmasscommunicationsatSouthernIllinoisUniversity,“butratherapainfulreminderto3millionAmericansofArabheritage,aswellas300millionArabsandothers,thattheabhorrentArabstereotypeisasubiquitousasAladdin’slamp.”ThefilmwascriticisedforperpetuatingOrientaliststereotypesoftheMiddleEastandAsia.TheAmerican-ArabAntiDiscriminationCommitteesawlight-skinned,AnglicisedfeaturesintheheroesAladdinandJasminethatcontrastedsharplywiththeswarthy,greedystreetmerchantswhohadArabicaccentsandgrotesquefacialfeatures.Shaheenwarnedthattheseimageswouldperpetuatenegativestereotypesthat“literallysustainadverseportraitsacrossgenerations.”Heargued:“Thereisacommandinglinkbetweenmake-believeaberrationsandtherealworld,”andwarnedofthenegativeportrayalofAgrabah,thefilm’sfictionalisedcitythathecalled“Hollywood’sfabricatedAyrabland.” Itappearsthatforsome,thiswarningwasn’tunfounded:in2015itwasrevealedthat30%ofRepublicanvotersintheUSwouldvoteinsupportofbombingAgrabah.AfterShaheenprotestedagainstthefilmalongsidetheAmerican-ArabAnti-DiscriminationCommittee,DisneyagreedtoalterthelyricsinArabianNightsforAladdin'svideoreleasein1993,anddefendedit,asitwasararefilmtofeatureanArabheroandheroine.AladdinwascriticisedforperpetuatingOrientaliststereotypesoftheMiddleEastandAsia(Credit:Alamy)DanielNewman,professorofArabicatDurhamUniversity,acknowledgesthatWesternportrayalshavecomealongwayfromthelotus-eating,Orientalistfantasiesofyesteryear,but“barringafewexceptions,whathashappenedisthatoneclichéhasbeenreplacedbyanother;fromthescimitar-wieldinglasciviousArab,wehavegonetothebomb-wieldingterroristArab.”Whilesome‘moderate’charactershavebeenintroducedinshowssuchasHomeland,hesays,“thepervadingfeelingisoneof‘threat’,basedprimarily–ifnotexclusively–onreligion.”“I’dasktheanimatorstoaddbenevolentmarket-vendorsandheroicguardswhobefriendAladdin,”Shaheensaidofthe1992Aladdin,consciousoftheimageofMiddle-Easternpeoplethatmightbemadeonthefilm’syoungviewers. Healsoaskedtheproducers“torespectIslamandtoaddahumanecharacter,Aladdin’smother,anArabwomanwillingtosacrificeeverythingforherson’shappiness.” Whetherthenewfilm-makerschoosetostandintheoldguardorvanguardremainstobeseen.Backin1992,Shaheencited“cabletelevisionandvideocassettes”asmakingiteasyforstereotypestotravelfarandwide.Thatisevenmoreimportantinaneraofmassmedia,all-you-can-watchonlinestreaming.Itmightbeworthaskingourselveswhenthenewfilmisreleased:whatwouldJackShaheenthink?    IfyouwouldliketocommentonthisstoryoranythingelseyouhaveseenonBBCCulture,headovertoour Facebook pageormessageuson Twitter.Andifyoulikedthisstory, signupfortheweeklybbc.comfeaturesnewsletter,called“IfYouOnlyRead6ThingsThisWeek”.AhandpickedselectionofstoriesfromBBCFuture,Earth,Culture,CapitalandTravel,deliveredtoyourinboxeveryFriday.ShareusingEmailShareonTwitterShareonFacebookShareonLinkedinShareAroundtheBBC ExploretheBBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsCBBCCBeebiesFoodBitesizeArtsTasterLocalThree