Orientalism is the stereotypical goggles that the West uses to view the East. A film that accurately represents Orientalism, and all of it’s ignorance is Disney’s Classic Aladdin. This film is about a young middle eastern man who is trying to defeat the villain, Jafar, and save Jasmine, the princess. In this movie, it depicts the life of two asian characters in the east, however nothing in this film is accurately represented. Throughout the film, many different cultures from the middle east are combined ignorantly to create these two characters, in the fictional land of Agrabah. Not only with the characters, but the land is also very stereotypical, as well as the customs the creators assume there would be. This film is a great example of how the West thinks that the East is like. Better known as the term orientalism. Orientalism is a term made by Edward Said, that states that it is the “hyper sexualization, exoticizatoin, and fetishization of the East made by the West”. Even though, it is a disney kids movie, it very well meets all of these three criterias. However, a reason that this may be is due to the fact that the majority of the crew working on the movie was white and wealthy. It is most definitely not an accurate depiction of what middle eastern life would be. Rather it is a stereotypical watered down version of what the middle east is like. This then, only does more harm, than actually teach others about the different cultures that there are. The creators appropriating their culture in order to display their offensive, stereotypical film for monetary gains. Disney’s Aladdin accurately depicts Orientalism through their stereotypical dialogue, animations, and overall plot.
To begin with, the setting and the attire of the characters is super stereotypical and offensive. The background of all the scenes are seen to be filled with different colors and gems. Making it seem as such a magical land. Not to include that the animals could actually make contact with their owners. Moreover, with the animals, it keeps displaying the snake, which can be seen as super stereotypical. Showing a exoticization of the land, of what the West believes the East looks like. Not only is it that, but they tend to get their cultures mixed up. Even though it is a made up setting, it seems to combine a multitude of middle eastern cultures in order to depict their own. Erasing different cultures, and making more racist assumptions upon these cultures. This is done by the setting of the place. It is depicted as fictional, however the kingdom in which Jasmine lives in sort of portrays the Taj Mahal. Which, to add on the Taj Mahal is not a kingdom, adding more racist ideals upon this. Not only that, but when Jasmine and Aladdin are on the magic carpet the Pyramids of Egypt can be seen. This shows that the producers did not entirely know what they were doing, but only included the two most famous places they know from there. Not only is it with the setting but the clothing of the characters. They chose what they thought was best. Aladdin’s outfit is a Turkish cultural wear, and Jasmine’s attire is Indian cultural wear. This proving more that they were just mixing cultures together. They must of thought that all the middle eastern cultures are so alike that they could be interchangeable. This bringing upon the issue that stereotypes will be in people’s minds all the time.
Next, the fetishization of the characters in the movie is very present. Even though, this film is made for children, women are vastly sexaulized through the entirety of it . To start off with, just with the clothing that they make the women wear. Jasmine and the rest of the women in the film are shown with a tight fitting top, that shows a lot of cleavage. Something that is super rare in a children's movie. Moreover, it shows the body of the women as super curvy. They include various belly dancers, that are supposed to be sensual. This for a children movie, being super inappropriate. Also this is not seen in any other Disney film. Especially not the ones with white female characters. This seems to only be the case with girls in this middle eastern film. Showing a great example of how people from the east have and continue sexualizing young girls in the middle east, due to their racist ideals. Finding them to be exotic and different, because they are from a foreign land. Further on in the film, Jasmine is forced to change into a different outfit, than her cultural wear. Jabar, the villain, uses mind control to be able to get Jasmine into something more revealing. He puts her in a small red top revealing lots of cleavage, and red pants. Not only is it the attire that makes this scene uncomfortable for a children's movie, but the way that they portrayed Jasmine in the following scenes. She becomes into a kid appropriate version of a sex slave to Jafar. She becomes very submissive to him, and also starts flirting with him, giving him a kiss. By the change in her voice, attitude, and attire, it could be seen that the producers were actually trying to sexualize Jasmine. Not only is it disgusting, but seriously racist. By sexualizing and fetishizing a middle eastern girl. Showing that their cultural attire, and the girls in their culture are sexy. Even though it is a cartoon, Jasmine was portraying a teenage middle eastern girl.
Moreover, it depicts their made up middle eastern land to actually be super backwards. This displaying the stereotypes we see on the daily about middle eastern countries. This is shown in the scene where Jasmine is finally let outside. She begins to cover herself up. Due to the fact that the producers of this mixed a whole bunch of middle eastern cultures together to create this film, it can be seen as super islamophobic. By displaying that Jasmine has to cover up everytime she goes outside. This showing the great ignorance there is when the cultural wear is mentioned. Saying that this cultural wear is forced upon the women, when truly it is their own choice whether they would like to wear it or not. They continue representing this middle eastern land as anti feminist more in the film. It displays the women by being shown as helpless and submissive. This is shown as to how Jasmine is depicted. When she does not agree with something, she does not do anything about it. Rather she follows along. he dad is super overprotective of Jasmine throughout the entire film, never letting here out. Not only that, but Jasmine is made fun of by her dad and Jafar, when she mentions her becoming the queen and taking charge. It portrays the women by how they think middle easterners treat their women, based on what they seen or ignorantly thought. She seems to need the help of Aladdin all throughout the movie, and the entire plot was settled around her finding the one, and getting married. It also brings up the issue of Jasmine being forced into a marriage. This feeds into the stereotype that the west has of the east. That child marriages are common there, and it should be stopped. However, somehow child marriages being mentioned in a middle eastern country is way worse than pedophilia being displayed in the West. This due to the belief, that the West think they are super advanced, and that these cultures are super behind. They believe they act like the Barbarians that they displayed in their movie. Moreover, they portray them as acting like this by showing Jabar in charge. A stereotypical version of a scary brown man from the middle east. How he takes charge by punishing others with violence. Portraying them as violent men in the middle east. They show that the system is what their orientalist point of view suggests, unfair. By having Jabar throw Aladdin in jail for a petty crime, or how they threw him in the sea to die, for no huge reason.
Lastly, not only are the women seen as helpless, but the entire culture on it’s own. This can be seen through the character the Genie. The Genie could be seen as the representation of the West by the impersonations and mimicking he makes throughout the film. The Genie could be seen as the savior throughout the film, helping Aladdin out at anytime. Showing how they needed a helping hand from the West in order to succeed. Making the middle east once again look super barbaric and in need of help from the West at all time.
Overall, the Disney movie Aladdin helps display orientalism in all it’s true colors. It does this meeting all the three criterias that Said had said that Orientalism is. The fetishization, exoticization, and hyper sexualization of the East by the West. Throughout the film, a viewer can see how the creators, all rich white people, met all of these criterias and displayed their orientalistik views up on the big screen. It shows exoctization by the way the land is displayed. Displayed as a magical, colorful place. There is magic and gold in different parts of the land, making it seem so foreign and exotic to the West. It shows it’s hyper sexualization by portraying the women with lots of curves, and cultural outfits, exposing a lot of their cleavage. Especially upon young girls, such as Jasmine, who was displaying a teenage girl. It shows their stereotypical point of view of what they believe that the cultures of the middle east are actually like. They believe they are super backwards, where women are forced to wear certain attires, and forced to stay at home. Disney was able to portray an inaccurate depiction of what the East looks like based upon their stereotypical lens. Through doing this they provided a great example of orientalism in mainstream media.