points of view, Perspectives, & Bias
When we talk of perspective, we can focus on two groups. First of all, every character in the film has a different perspective and engages with conflicts in a different way. Secondly, every audience member watches the film with different backgrounds and experiences. I am going to focus on exploring the perspective differences between men and women, wealthy and poor, adults and children, and different ethnic backgrounds.
CHARACTER PERSPECTIVES
Wealthy vs. Poor: In the movie, we have two very different perspectives of ancient Arabian culture. From Aladdin's point of view, we see life as a poor man on the streets. From Jasmine's point of view, we see life as a wealthy princess. Both of them think they want the life of the other, a classic "grass is greener on the other side" trope. There are subtle differences embedded in these class distinctions, however. For example, many of the street vendors speak with heavy accents, implying that lower class people do not speak properly. The upper class characters tends to sound American. Aladdin, however, sounds American too! This has been pointed out by many reviewers, and is a point of criticism in regards to representation of class and ethnicity. Men vs. Women: *IN PROGRESS* |
VIEWER PERSPECTIVES
Adults vs. Children: Every Disney movie has lines of dialogue and scenarios that can only be appreciated by adults. Of course, the overall story must be simple enough for young children to appreciate, but many of the jokes go way over their head. Thus, adults can see the movie in a very different way than children can. In this way, the movie Aladdin has multiple meanings and understandings. For example, the reference to 'hookah' in the opening monologue will likely be completely ignored by children. Adults will realize they are referencing a Middle Eastern smoking device, and teenagers and college students may even associate the hookah reference with drug use. This was, in all likelihood, unintentional on Disney's part. Arabic background vs. non-Arabic background: Wikipedia reports a major controversy regarding the portrayal of the Middle East in Aladdin: "One of the verses of the opening song 'Arabian Nights' was altered following protests from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). The lyrics were changed in July 1993 from 'Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face,' in the original release to 'Where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense.' The change first appeared on the 1993 video release." This controversy is a clear example of how a lyric regarded as harmless and playful by a wide majority could be considered insulting by highly educated individuals and/or those with an Arabic background. PHOTO CREDIT: "Two Cats Watching Aladdin" from asalover on DeviantArt.
|