Exoticism and Vilification in Aladdin

Many view the movie Aladdin as a classic Disney movie. This movie, however, has somewhat of a dark side as it brings to the forefront various stereotypes concerning the Arab people and culture. The movie was originally released in 1992, but is the beginning of a broader trend. The stereotypes portrayed in the film have been reinforced in the minds of the American public through more recent events, such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Overall, the film Aladdin promotes dominant ideologies concerning the Arabic culture, especially concerning false stereotypes of the exoticism of the Middle East and the vilification of the Arabic people.

Common stereotypes of Arab people can be divided into two main groups: the vilification of Arabic people and the exoticism of Arab culture. In the category of vilification there are two main stereotypes, the terrorist and the protesters. The terrorist stereotypes is often connected with religion, in that many associate being Muslim with being a terrorist. The other main group of stereotypes, Arab exoticism, shows images of belly dancers, sheikhs, maidens, and women in burkas. Both these groups are present throughout the movie Aladdin, as it set a precedent for the the future portrayal of Arabic people in the media.

The film vilifies the Arabic culture and people in image and word. The original lyrics to the opening song of the movie once said, “where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face, but hey, it’s home.” These lyrics, however were eventually changed due to pressure groups. The images of soldiers, and other personages in the film, are given ugly facial features without teeth, further promoting the villain stereotype. In contrast, the main characters, Aladdin and Jasmine, are somewhat anglicized. For example, compared to most characters, they have lighter skin and are without accents.

Furthermore, images that exoticize the Arabic culture are scattered throughout the film. For example, there is a copious amount of belly dancers, and even Jasmine wears clothes that are similar to what the belly dancer characters wear and promotes the stereotype of the maiden, a beautiful princess. There are also images of men of pedestals performing ‘exotic’ feats. Some of these include laying on a bed of nails, walking across hot coals, swallowing swords, and charming snakes. The character of the Sultan in his vast palace is also similar to the more modern sheikh stereotype, an old man with a beard and an inordinate amount of money.

While the film Aladdin was released prior to 9/11, it set a precedent for stereotypes concerning Arabs as villainous and exotic. Some of these include the stereotype of the sheikh, the belly dancer, and the maiden. In the media today these stereotypes have been enlarged and Arabs are often chosen as villains in American action films. There are many negative stereotypes in popular crime shows, and in the comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, there is an episode entitled, “The Gang goes Jihad.” Overall the film Aladdin highlights many stereotypes regarding the Arabic people and culture and was the beginning of a more extensive trend that still exists today.