Stereotypes and Reality

Often reality is much more complex than stereotypes. To the point when stereotypes portray a picture that is so far from reality, that it is closer to misinformation than to reality. Some of this confusion is unintentional, but it can be intentional as well.

I will use Middle Eastern culture as an example here. Back when I was a child, I watched Disney's Alladin and liked that a lot. This show has pretty much every Midde Eastern Stereotype there is.

Later in life, I met actual Arabs from Gulf countries and gradually found out that they are very different from the way Disney depicts them.

So here I will write a comparison between the two. As well as try to uncover the story of each stereotype.

We will begin with the Name itself. Alladin supposed to sound like a middle easter name and for average Western viewer it is. It sounds very much alike to a famous Saladin who fought the Crusaders around 800 years ago.

However, Saladin is Western rendering of this name, that mixes together several Arab words into one English. Proper Middle Eastern rendering should be Salah al-Din. Salah being his first name, Din is a surname and 'al-' particle simply means great and often added or removed before various middle eastern surnames. For example, Bashar Assad sometimes spelled Bashar Al-Assad as a form of respect. In more proper Arab culture movie, Lawrence of Arabia, someone re-renders his name as Al-Lawrance. Even name of Muslim God starts with this particle, implying that he is Great God.

Thus, if we re-render Alladin back, we will get Al-Laddin, Al-Addin, Al-Ladin or Al-Adin. That would imply his surname is Ladin or Adin, almost Latin. The question is if he is Roman Latin or Latin America Latin.

His attire is also far from what they wear in Gulf Countries.

In general, many of the things in this show have, Turkish, Iranian or even Indian origin. Arabs themselves likely do not think of themselves anything alike to Turks or Iranians, but from Western Perspective all three of them are grouped into Middle East.

Similarly, people outside of Europe can be inclined to group all Westerners together, even if there are big differences between French, Germans or Poles. Even in UK there are differences between English, Scots and Irish, even though most of the world simply groups them together.

The red hat is rather famous Turkish Fez. Once very popular in late Ottoman Empire, who actually considered this hat to be of Western origin for some reason. Eventually it was banned during Mustafa Kemal times as not-western enough. Nonetheless its enduring association with Middle East continues to these days.

White baggy trousers are somewhat more confusing. I think Zaporizhian Cossacks and Ukrainians in general wore them. Ukrainians however thought these trousers were of Turkish origin (actually it probably was Iranian Sirwal). Ukraine is about the same distance from, say, France as Turkey is, and they look exotic enough for a cultural icon, even if misplaced. 

Finally, a vest. That is too revealing for conservative Middle Eastern attire. The closest thing would be Serb, Greek and other Balkan people. They wear it over white shirt and not over naked body though. They are not Arabs and not even Turks. However, these territories were once part of the Ottoman Empire. That led to associations of these clothes with Middle East.

Alladin has a pet monkey, called Abu. However, in Arabic, Abu means father and sometimes used as an honorific form of address. However, it is always paired with the name of son or daughter, the person is father of, such as Abu Mazen or Abu Hamza. Using Abu by itself is therefore completely inappropriate. Much less call that a monkey.

Alladin's girlfriend, Jasmine, at least has somewhat Arab name. Munis the fact that it is Yasmine and not Jasmine. However, 'J' pronounced as 'Y' in German, Dutch and many other Western Languages. Pretty much all languages, that are located between France and Russia agree that 'J' pronounced as 'Y'. That includes Turkish language as well. Only English, French and Spanish each have their own idea on how to pronounce this letter. I think Andrzej Sapkowski even trolled them back with his Yennifer. However, it is their pronunciation that spread around the world.

Jamine also has pet tiger, despite the fact that there are no tigers in Middle East. Alladin's monkey later gets turned into elephant, that are also not present in Middle East.

Her attire is also far from actual Middle Eastern. In addition to Ukrainian/Iranian sharowary, she wears bra.

Overall, her attire corresponds to a harem girl stereotype. Similar clothes are worn by other women in this show. They even make them cover their faces with semitransparent veil, inspired by niqab.

Of course, that is far from, niqab, it inspired by. Islam only mandates to cover hair, not face even though some cover face as well.

However actual traditions will not make for a good design from entertaining perspective. Catholic and Orthodox nuns as well as Orthodox Christian elderly women also cover their hair, just like Muslim women would. That also said to make them closer to God, by dressing in God's approved way. In contrast niqab seems cute and exotic. So, it is in the show.

The city in which it is set, called Agrabah, close to Indian city of Agra. The caste design is not something one can see in the Middle East. The closest thing is again Indian Taj Mahal. That is a Mausoleum rather that a palace. It was built in Persian style by a Muslim ruler of a Mughal Empire in memory of his wife.

Taj Mahal is as far from Arabs as Westminster Palace is. However, it looks impressive, so the show has something similar as a palace.

Ruler or Agrabah is called Sultan, guy in white on the right. That does have a precedent in Middle East, as ruler of Oman is also titled Sultan. However, most gulf states call their rulers Emir instead. The title was likely inspired by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

He wears an oversized turban, that was likely inspired by Suleiman the Magnificent. Also, he sits on the throne that shaped like elephant.

His advisor is titled Vizier, a title mostly used by Persians and Ottomans, but has a clear Middle Eastern association in the West. His first name however is very Arab sound, Jafar.

Jafar carries Cobra shaped staff, despite cobras are non-existent in Middle East. 

Finally parrot Yago is a Macaw parrot, who are native to Latin America. However somehow that fits the Middle East stereotypes.

Final element of Middle Easter Folklore is Jinn. In this story he is blue, very talkative, lives in a lamp and grants 3 wishes if you rub the lamp. Something like that was probably in 1001 Night story collection. Eventually a Disney reimagined him like that.

In conclusion I would like to add, that stereotypes of every culture are likely very far from the actual reality on the ground. People oversimplify, add color and flavor, and often borrow ideas from what is closer and more accessible to them compared to actual thing. This one must be vary of making conclusions based on stereotypes.