How the new ‘Aladdin’ stacks up against a century of Hollywood stereotyping

Though critically acclaimed and widely beloved, the 1992 animated feature Aladdin had some serious issues with stereotyping.

Disney wanted to avoid repeating these same problems in the live-action version of Aladdin, which came out on May 24. So they sought advice from a Community Advisory Council comprised of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Muslim scholars, activists, and creatives. I was asked to be a part of the group because of my expertise on representations of Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. media.

The fact that a major studio wants to hear from the community reflects Hollywood’s growing commitment to diversity. Read more...