The Dark Side of Agrabah: Why the Story of Aladdin Rubs Some the Wrong Way

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is not only Aladdin’s unrealistic success that changes the man from a wholesome role model to a unworthy individual, rather it is the attitude Aladdin displays throughout the story that makes his character so contemptible. Aladdin is continuously rude and ill mannered, implying that he thinks that he is entitled to all the wonders that the genie bestows upon him. The way Aladdin demands his wishes makes evident the sense of self-entitlement that runs through this spoiled man’s blood. “Fetch me something to eat!" and “I want a scented bath." It is his sense of self-absorption and his lack of manners that make Aladdin such a poor role model despite his vast wealth.

Stereotypes are an unfortunate reality in the world today. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, children begin to become aware of race and ethnicities between the ages of 2-5 . It is during the latter part of this stage that many of these children will be exposed to fairy tales that attribute poor character traits to people of certain races. Disney’s adaptation of “Aladdin’s Magical Lamp” is no exception to this deplorable practice. Although this movie follows much of the same plot as its predecessor, there are a few additions and changes that depict biases and stereotypes mainly against people of Arab descent that were possibly and unfortunately prevalent amongst Americans at the time.

From the very beginning of the full-length film, it is clear that there is an anti-Arab agenda that was present in the creators list. Setting the tone for the rest of the movie, the film begins with a stereotypical short, stooped, Arab looking man riding on a camel who begins singings about life in Agrabah, a fictional Arab city where the story of Aladdin takes place (instead of the originally planned Baghdad.) The man somewhat dejectedly describes this “classical” Arab village as a place “where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face.” These few lyrics were so offensive to the Arab population that the American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee rallied and were successful in having the phrase altered . Barbaric and uncivilized, it is implied that all Arabs are evil to the extent that they mutilate faces that they do not find attractive.

Another stereotype of the Arab population in this film is seen through all “average” Arab citizens who live in this “average” Arab town. From the greedy merchants who yell and scream at every passerby, to the guards of the palace who attempt to dismember Aladdin, the film consistently illustrates Arabs as avaricious savages who act and live without the guidance of morality. It is interesting to note that these greedy merchants are frowned upon in the film despite the fact that they do more to earn a living and support their families than Aladdin, the “Street Rat,” ever does. It is Aladdin who prays when the going gets tough and never does anything but steal and make wishes to support himself. The merchants, although they may be uncivilized, do attempt the make a living in a more practical and honest way.

However, the clearest example of the anti-Arab attitude is seen in the guise of the characters that are least Arab: The two “heroes” of this movie, the only two people who are not portrayed as conniving fanatics or as dim-witted madmen are Aladdin and his beautiful Princess Jasmine. However, it is not solely the pure intentions or relatively good-natured dispositions that separate these two characters from their more brutish peers, rather it is the physical characteristics that are most clearly seen as unique throughout the film. Aladdin and Jasmine both have lighter colored skin than virtually every other significant character in the film and not only that, but their voices are distinctly more American than those of other characters in the movie. The contrast in both respects is greatest when compared the evil villain Jaffar who’s long pointed face is meant to typify and also exaggerate an average Arab face. It is reasonable to assume that Disney was attempting to play up the anti-Arab sentiment that was prevalent at the time. In fact, due to the Persian Gulf War that was being fought during Aladdin’s production, reports of up hate crimes against Arabs increased dramatically all across America . Disney Corporations, consistent with the sentiment of the times, chose to relegate people of Arab descent in Aladdin as stereotypical barbaric extremists in order to capitalize on the early 1990’s zeitgeist of pro-American/anti-Arab sensibilities.

The story of Aladdin, although intended to teach children virtuous life lessons is really a story that exemplifies attitudes that people as early as the writers of the Talmud attempted to discourage. It is the great sage Rava who stated in Pesachim that man may not rely on miracles but rather must try his hardest to accomplish whatever he wants done . The story of Aladdin, albeit unintentionally, undermines the importance of this lesson, a lesson that should be taught the children at a very young age. This magic carpet ride of wishing will continue to flourish in years to come because although the audience knows to “be careful what your wish for,” it is a universalized truth that people would rather let their changes be made for them than focus on the difficulty of creating careful prayer and the hard work that goes along with it.

Although one cannot know for sure, it is reasonable to assume that Princess Jasmine will suffer much of the same fate as several Disney Princesses before her. There is a tendency of these princesses to be so focused on getting married that they neglect to realize with whom they are tying that “ever-binding knot”. It is Princess Ariel who realizes that she has become a “cannibal” and Princess Belle who realizes that she has married an abusive husband. Likewise, sitting at that very same wedding table, Princess Jasmine will turn to her right and regrettably realize that as soon as Aladdin utters his third and final wish, he will lose his genie thereby become the same unambitious and lazy boy who lived a life of a crook and a street rat before, by dumb luck and not through determination, he stumbled upon a treasure that he will surely never find