By: Julia Litrel
In today’s society, the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation is ill-defined. It is easier to err on the side of caution rather than risk insulting someone, but that, too, can be dangerous. In any case, Disney’s choice in removing key aspects of the story of Aladdin and the Lamp was more about marketability than fear of offense. In fact, some argue that the way Aladdin and Agrabah is portrayed is even more offensive than the original.
To discuss this further, a brief backstory is necessary. The story of Aladdin is known for its place in One Thousand and One Arabian Nights - however, this story was not actually in the original collection. A French translator named Antoine Galland added this Arabian folktale, along with several other stories, to his translation. His book became an incredibly popular addition, hence why most associate the story of Aladdin with the rest of those stories. Furthermore, the original story takes place in China.
So Disney chose to make a film set in an Arabian town based on a story that did not even have Arabic characters. It cannot be truly characterized as ‘white-washing’, as the characters were not made to be white. Still, the film was made to be much more Westernized.
The main Westernized aspects are the fact that Disney changed the race of the characters to what Western civilization took Aladdin to already be rather than using their platform to correct any misconceptions. Furthermore, the film centers around this idea of romance. In the original story, Aladdin was a no-good street rat who refused to work despite his father’s death, and he was tricked by an evil magician due to promises of wealth. In the film, Aladdin is also tempted by riches, but it’s because he is love with Princess Jasmine and wants to marry her. The original story gives him much darker intentions, so the idea of love-at-first-sight is very much a Disney idea to cater to its primarily young and American audience.
However, these Western ideas of romance and Arabic towns do result in a more relatable story line. The audience is able to comprehend the plot much easier as it’s more cookie-cutter and recognizable. Disney does have a brand to live up to, which can’t be ignored. Princess Jasmine is also a much stronger role model as she actually plays a role in the film, and Aladdin is much more sympathetic as he actually has a good heart. Finally, there’s less violence, as in the original story the evil magician and his brother were both slain. All of this makes the story more suitable for children, so by subverting the text Disney is really just catering to its audience. After all, this is not the only story that they’ve changed greatly.
Yet despite these positives, the Western references still detract from the People of Color narrative of the film. There weren’t even any POC voice actors. Also, the film still shows slaves, prostitutes, and talks of executions and cutting off people’s hands. So the Western storyline may have taken some violence away, but it also allowed some and even added to it.
There is one main question still, however: does it matter?
Whether or not Disney overly-Westernized this film is simply part of a much larger topic. This ties into the themes of appropriation and appreciation. Disney obviously changed the storyline enough that one could claim subversion. But Disney is a massive conglomerate whose main purpose is making money. Is it at all surprising that they did so? And what are the ramifications? Is this a victimless crime?
Some argue that Disney is stealing from POC narratives in order to make money while POC-run businesses, both in animation and beyond, are unable to compete. Thus by subverting these stories, Disney is simultaneously taking others’ culture and molding it to make it more palatable for their audience. This de-legitimizes POC businesses. It also reinforces negative stereotypes, such as the violence of the Middle East. The misconceptions behind minor infractions getting one’s hands cut off is a harmful stereotype that Disney, with its massive audience, chose to display as a key plot point.
But could this be helpful? Others would argue that the Westernization of these stories, especially by such a massive company, is helping to pave the way for more accurate storytelling. Middle America becomes slowly more accustomed to seeing different cultures, even if they are molded into caricatures, which allows gradual change and more and more representation.
However, should people from these cultures be forced to endure said caricatures before an accurate representation of themselves makes it to the big screen? Should anyone be forced to wait to be treated with respect? And is this even disrespectful?
Lesson Plan Day 2
Goal: Work on introducing multiple arguments to strengthen a claim; using rhetorical questions as prompts
Keywords: Westernization, appropriation, rhetoric
Beginning Activity (10 minutes)
Purpose: to introduce the students to the topic of appropriation
Have the students take 5 minutes to write down values important to their families. Give them examples such as religious holidays, traditions, and foods.
Split the class in half. One group will argue that others should not participate in their cultural events (appropriation) and the other will argue that they should (appreciation). Each student will only be allowed one sentence - go back and forth until everyone in the class has spoken, choosing the side to start based on a coin toss.
Introduction to Appropriation and Appreciation (10 minutes)
Purpose: to introduce appropriation in terms of Disney
Give the class the definition of appropriation and the definition of appreciation
Discuss “Pocahontas Was A Mistake, And Here’s Why!” in terms of appropriation and appreciation
Ask class for some moments from Aladdin that could be considered appropriation, and some that could be considered appreciation
Video Essay (5 minutes)
Purpose: to use Aladdin as an example of multiple arguments to strengthen or undermine a main argument
Watch second video essay "Starting Them Young"
Fill out worksheet throughout video (under resources tab)
Discussion (15 minutes)
Purpose: to have the students think from multiple perspectives and consider questions that they may need to answer first before a discussion
Ask the class whether they think Aladdin went too far in Westernization. Then ask the class if they believe Westernizing a story is negative or positive.
Give the students some time to write a few things in the “Reflection” part of the worksheet. Then ask them to share amongst themselves.
Wrap-Up (10 minutes)
Purpose: to finalize the topics as well as the importance of arguing the opposite side
Watch this 4 minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc1cufUeZAM
Ask each student to say agree or disagree and why - CAREFULLY MODERATE; keep track on board/paper
Have each student say one to two sentences arguing the opposite position.
Homework
none!