Disney's Americanization Of Aladdin Walt Disney example essay topic

Disney's Americanization of Aladdin Walt Disney founded the 'Disney' corporation in the 1920's, he saw the animation industry, not as a form of artistic expression, but as a way to make technological advancements in the animating process and thereby turn it into a profitable commodification, something which could be marketed and sold to make money. I think it is a unanimous statement to proclaim that, if anything, he was indeed successful in that. Disney is now one of the top media conglomerates in the world. But how did Disney manage to manipulate the market so that all other animated films that followed would be measured against his and often fall flat against the Disney 'best loved classics'? He was a very powerful businessman, cleverly manipulating the middle class American masses with the pretence that he was instilling the correct moral values and lessons for young children, that his movies contained the basic building blocks every child would need to lead the correct and independent 'American dream' lifestyle.

The more loveable and captivating people would find the characters and plot can be attributed to how easily they (Middle American masses) could relate to them. Therefore, to attract the masses of the popular market, Disney has to appeal both to the children and the child within of the stereotypical American people. In order to do that, foreign places and cultures that are the settings for most of the animated features have been simplified and stereotyped into a more easily digestible and understandable 'American' format. Although every Disney movie is set in a foreign or imaginary land, that has no-doubt been done very little 'cultural' justice through it's representation, the specific movie I will be dealing with which has fallen victim to Disney's misrepresentation is: Aladdin (1992).

Aladdin is based in the mystical city of 'Agrabah' which remains geographically undetermined, but it is established that it represents The East and Muslim's, specifically Arabs or Arabians. The opening song is entitled "Arabian Nights" and has the imagery of a stereotypical 'Arab' with a camel journeying through a vast and ominous desert. Already setting a very foreign and simplified Arabian scene so that the interpolated American viewer can sufficiently distance themselves from the land where the story is set, so that they may sit back and enjoy these foreign 'oddities' without any immediate link to their own country. It could bring personal discomfort if issues are too familiar and close to home. There was much controversy reported about this Disney production, mainly from distraught Muslims who felt that their entire religion and way of life had been made a mockery of and was thereby devaluing it. If people laugh at the crazy Arab salesmen depicted as the sellers in the market place, then that means that they are poking fun and not being taken seriously as a nation.

Arabs are renowned for having been traders for many centuries and this ancient tradition has been turned into the fun capitalist 'discount's salesmen gag. When we meet the first storyteller and he has 'Sale' written on his stall as well as the fact that he is caught out to be lying when he says "combination Julian fries And coffee maker, will not break, will not break. Oh, it broke!" leads us to associate the characters in this film as non-trustworthy. This concept of the ditzy salesmen also appeals to the American masses, who know that a lot of discount stores and cafes in the US are run by Arab immigrants, and this connection allows them to relate and find the similarity even more amusing. The opening lines are of the song "Arabian Nights" and go as follows: "Oh I come from a land, from a faraway place Where the caravan camels roam; Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face; It's barbaric, but hey, it's home!" Already the exotic and foreign nature is established and the fact that even the local inhabitants consider it barbaric. Disney was even accused of racism for this film and as a result changed the lines "cut off your ear if they don't like your face" with "flat and immense and the heat is intense" for some countries releases.

However, the "it's barbaric" line was left in, in both instances. On examination of the original Aladdin tale on which Disney's version is based, it becomes evident that much of the story has been edited, deleted and even fabricated into a more American version of a socially acceptable tale. These alterations serve the purpose to make it a more streamlined and easily understandable film and also to add humour as is the case with Abu and Iago the classic 'sidekicks'. Three villainous figures were combined to make up one big villain, namely the royal vizier Jafar, who embodies all threes' characteristics. The same is done with the Genie where there is only one in Disney's there were originally two. Both of these were done because it's more effective to have single characters that can be embellished, rather than many which could get too complicated.

The main difference between the original and Disney's version is the lead character Aladdin. He is portrayed as an orphan who, against all odds, grew up with good moral standards and only steals because he has to: "gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat... I only steal what I can't afford- that's everything" [One jump ahead] Whereas, in huge contrast, the original tale portrays Aladdin as a lazy good-for-nothing who's father died out of shame and still lived with his mother who he did not help at all. Disney's hero could never be portrayed as such, that would go against the entire moral American values that they try so hard to reinforce. The female love interest is Princess Jasmine, who is seductively dressed (which goes against Muslim tradition) and has a mind of her own. She argues with her bumbling father and refuses to marry all the men he presents to her.

This goes against the Muslim beliefs that women are to be submissive without any opinion and instead instills the liberated American image of the new-age woman. All the characters have various accents, as is the case with all Disney films, and as always Aladdin and Jasmine have the American accents as well as the genie. All the characters that are driven, headstrong and essentially good are American. These three characters also have one common goal, to be free. Each desires this in a different right, but I think it can be safely stated that the key theme in this movie is that of freedom.

Also that whether you are rich (Jasmine) or poor (Aladdin) everything will work out alright in the end and you can realise your dreams as long as you stay true to yourself. It is interesting to note that with the Genie's Goofy hat and total comedic approach, he represents the whole capitalistic notion of Disney and America. He is the most American of the cast and adds a lot of modern humour to the story, he is the saviour who has all the power, encourages Aladdin to be honest, grants all the wishes and makes everything work out in the end, and he is the most Americanized icon, sending home the message that America ultimately saves the day. Apart from the others a key messages that the movie instills is not to judge a book by its cover when Aladdin sings; "riff-raff, Street rat, I don't buy that, if only they'd look closer, would they see a poor boy?

No sir " ee they'd find out there's so much more to me". However Disney expects us to judge Jafar because he is tall, elderly, skinny and sinister looking with a British accent and sharp features and he is always portrayed with red and black or dark colours. Based on that judgment it's pretty superficial that he's evil. And Aladdin with his big 'honest' eyes and rounded features can be trusted as the hero; the character of Aladdin was based on the all-American boy, Tom Cruise, furthering the American influence to the so-called Arab depiction. Aladdin is one more successful attempt by Disney to Westernize, and even Americanize, an artistic product of another culture. The Arabic fairy tale of Aladdin became raw material for the Disney machine, which produced not an authentic depiction of an Oriental culture and its products, but an American cartoon depicting the Arabic world and its people as both exotic and humorous.

But as I said in the beginning, Walt Disney was a Businessman not an artist and he created a commodity that could appeal to mass markets and there after create the fetishism of any syllable thing that maintained the Disney trademark or characters. His ploy was to make people fall in love with the movie so that they would then want to buy the merchandise. Disney movies sell themselves based on their label, the fact that it's "Disney" is far more valid to the public than the actual plot, because if its Disney, then the assumption is made that the plot will be in keeping with the classic trusted style of Disney movies (and it definitely will be). In closing, I'd like to quote the CEO of Disney, Michael Eisner in a statement he made in 2000: We have no obligation to make history, We have no obligation to make art, We have no obligation to make a statement, To make money is our only obligation. Their self proclaimed aim is to turn a profit from these movies and if that means manipulating cultures and age old stories in the process, then so-be-it. They are one of the biggest conglomerates in America; they can get away with it.

Written By: Angel Camped 2002 for a course entitled: Contemporary Popular Culture UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN- SOUTH AFRICA.