Aladdin

Before I say "I love this movie," I must say something about my cultural background.

My four grandparents where born in the Middle East which, to some extent, makes me middle eastern. Also, by many I am considered an arab! I must also add the fact that I am not muslim, I am catholic.

Now, about Aladdin, I think it is not racist. Well maybe with the original song that said "where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face. It's barbaric, but hey, it is home." But this song was later changed so it will not be considered in my analysis. (By the way I think the original song is better! It rhymes so well and it is amazing although a little bit radical.)

On the other hand, talking of the second part of the lyrics ("It's barbaric, but hey, it is home.")  written above, the ones that where not change, I think they are a perfect demonstration of the reality because after all it is barbaric! It is barbaric because in the muslim world women are sold like a piece of market. It is barbaric because in that world they would cut any person's hand for stealing anything (even a loaf of bread)! It is barbaric because the sultan would have his own brothel conformed by the most beautiful kidnapped women from invaded countries! That world IS barbaric and it IS history (although now a days some of these are still practiced)!

I think Disney was to kind in not showing the extremely bad part of that world! If Disney wanted to be real instead of what some claim as "racist", Disney should have shown us the common brothel the turkish sultans had and how (as sexual slaves) the sultan treated the prostitutes in his brothel. Disney should have shown us how they sold women in the market by exchanging them with a physical price like a camel or gold. Disney should have shown us how the sultan kidnapped the entire world by turning people into slaves and women into prostitutes during the ottoman empire! This was the real dark side of the sultans era and none was shown, so I believe that Disney was generous.

Aladdin is an amazing movie and haters will always criticize it. I think that it deserved the awards it got and maybe more, and being Middle Eastern and knowing how women I've spoken to crave for their freedom, I believe that this movie could have shown the real world instead of a good shadow of it, so everybody who claims that these frases are not accurate by claiming that they are racist is wrong. They are right by saying that they are not accurate and that is because they are much worse! They would have cut your hand, or sell women as products, or treat women as sexual slaves in that world, and Disney did not shown that horrible side of the sultans reign!