In hindsight it seems sad and strange that I picked Princess Jasmine to be March's Woman of the Month, Disney's first and only Middle Eastern Princess, knowing what happened in Christchurch just a few weeks later.
Aladdin came in for its fair share of criticism when it was first released, from its cartoonish portrayal of a fantasy Arabian city, to the ethnically-coded features of Jafar, to the infamous: "it's barbaric, but hey, it's home" lyric (the original lead-in to this was: “where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face…”)
A few "praise Allahs" and "salaams" are scattered throughout, and yet the tone is so intrinsically American and its narrative so Western that it can barely be described as a Middle Eastern tale at all. Disney took an aesthetic (or rather, the parts of it that were recognizable to Western audiences: the minarets, the harem girls, the turbans and scimitars – regardless of their authenticity) and wrapped it gauzily around a Disney tale of heroism, romance and believing in yourself.
The critique is out there, and it’s worth reading.
And yet despite the Disneyfication of the original Aladdin story, however much they diluted the culture upon which the film draws its inspiration, it nevertheless contains two likeable, relatable, three-dimensional leads – who happen to be Middle Eastern.
And though that fact may seem like a tiny drop in the ocean of the relentless awfulness in the world right now, this year it's been a balm. I saw the stage show in February for my birthday, re-watched the original animated film with my Disney-deprived friend a couple of weeks ago, and will probably see the live-action version when it's out on DVD later this year. From start to finish, and on so many levels, it's a great story.
So, I'm gonna talk about it some more. Specifically, why I think Aladdin and Jasmine are the best Disney power couple. Because what's the point of having your own blog if you can't go deep down the rabbit hole of your own incredibly specific interests?
First of all, yes - Aladdin's pursuit of Jasmine involves him lying about his true identity and passing himself off as a prince with a fake name. As Honest Trailers joked, Jasmine is totally catfished.
But COME ON. Sometimes you gotta take a story in the spirit with which it's given, and Aladdin's deception is intrinsically linked to his own self-esteem issues and the film's underlying message of where a person’s true value really lies. In which case, we can forgive Aladdin’s clumsy attempts to woo Jasmine on her own level, instead of trusting in his innate worth as just a lowly “street rat”.
So, why are they the best Disney couple?
1. They win by default
I'll start with the most cynical one. Disney is famous for its (manufactured, saccharine) mastery of crowd-pleasing enchantment and depictions of true love, and yet when you really get down to the nitty-gritty of how it’s depicted, are any of the Disney Princess films actual romances? As in, the genre of romance? Not really. They're adventures, and coming-of-age stories, and fairy tales. The romantic components are often an intrinsic part of this, but hardly ever the focus.
The entirety of Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora's relationships with their respective princes are based on their compatibility on the dance floor or in serenading each other. They fall in love instantly because it's important to the plot that it happens, and in all three cases, nobody even bothers to learn any names before they're getting hitched.
The scenes are sweet and charming if you're in the right mood, but remain utterly hollow. I mean, do you feel any of the things that a good romance is actually meant to instil in you? A genuine longing to see two characters get together? No. There's no suspense, no build-up, no moment when you feel rewarded by their realization of feelings for each other.
Things improve in the Renaissance: Arial may have fallen in love with Eric on little more than his sexy flute-playing capabilities, but her full-blown investment in this guy is completely believable. You want them to hook up for no other reason than she wants it so badly (plus she’ll get turned into a weed if she doesn’t). But that doesn't make it a particularly good romance, and as with the original princesses, it mostly exists to set the plot in motion.
Later projects like The Princess and the Frog and Tangled at least have the characters spending time together and getting to know each other, but they carry the whole "good, sensible girl must tame the wild stallion" vibe, which I've never been a huge fan of. By the time we get to Brave, Frozen and Moana, the romance angle only exists to be subverted or ignored entirely.
Aladdin's only real competition in the romance department is Beauty and the Beast, which also involves three-dimensional characters getting to know each other over time, discovering they have a lot in common, and helping each other grow into better people. There are many who would say this is the best of the Disney romances, and I certainly wouldn't argue too hard on that score, especially as the romance not only provides the backbone of the plot, but is also deeply tied into the film's character development.
But I find that I prefer Aladdin and Jasmine, largely for personal reasons. I've never been a huge fan of stories in which a man's redemption depends on the love of a good woman (though Disney's Beauty and the Beast does it far better than most) and a lot of the love story is overshadowed by the ticking clock in the background. We're never allowed to forget that if Belle doesn't fall in love with the Beast, then he and his household staff are doomed.
It certainly raises the stakes and adds to the suspense, but it's also a lot less fun. Aladdin and Jasmine on the other hand ARE a lot of fun, who like each other right off the bat with zero angst, drama or bad first impressions. They ultimately don't need to change or grow in order to suit or deserve each other, and the obstacles keeping them apart are largely external.
They are refreshingly well-adjusted right off the bat. Which leads me to...
2. They're friends as well as lovers
I can't be the only one who's sick of Hollywood's obsession with the man-child or the asshole as a viable romantic lead. Sometimes they can be entertaining, other times they get their necessary character development, but whenever a woman ends up with one I get a little depressed. By the end of the stories I'm usually left thinking: "well, that was a whole lotta work for a whole lotta nothing. And she’s signed up for a lifetime of this?"
And Disney Princess movies aren't immune to this: both Flynn and Naveen fall under the wide umbrella term of "bad-boy man-child", though they're more successful in that each one actually grows up by the end of the movie.
But Aladdin and Jasmine are different right from the get-go. They embody certain archetypes, but also transcend them. Aladdin is a bad boy in the broadest sense of the term, but it’s made immediately clear that he’s got a heart of gold. Jasmine is a rebellious princess, but she wasn’t raised to be spoiled or selfish.
A lazier movie would have their personalities clash to demonstrate chemistry, or fill their dialogue with snarky banter in place of a flirtation, or have Aladdin neg Jasmine about how snobby and/or sheltered she is to force her character development – but the writers take a smarter, simpler route. There’s an immediate attraction, followed by a tense meet cute that’s quickly diffused, and then an extended sequence involving talking, laughing, compliments, and sharing food.
More than any other couple in the Disney canon, Aladdin and Jasmine are two people I can see just hanging out, enjoying each other’s company, and having a relationship based on liking as well as loving each other. And what do you know – this is precisely the dynamic that extended into the three seasons of Aladdin: The Series. They’re fun to watch because they HAVE FUN TOGETHER.
And they’re able to have fun because…
3. They’re both great characters, separately as well as together
One of the most important reasons as to why Aladdin and Jasmine work so well is that the film takes the time to introduce the two characters separately before it throws them together, and each one is characterized as kind-hearted, mischievous, and quick-thinking.
Sure, Jasmine is considerably more naïve than Aladdin thanks to her upbringing, but that's precisely what leads to their first meeting – Aladdin leaping to her defense when she takes an apple from a stall to feed a hungry child. Hey, who else was feeding starving kids earlier in the film?
There are plenty more parallels where that came from, like how both are unsatisfied with their lives despite coming from opposite ends of the class divide, or how both have cute animal sidekicks as their only friend, or how they separately manage to insult the snotty suitor that seeks Jasmine's hand in marriage, or how they describe themselves with the exact same word at the exact same time: "trapped..."
This has the added bonus of getting the audience invested in their relationship without realizing it. We’re primed and ready for these two to fall in love because we know, even before they do, how similar they are. We consequently believe in the immediate attraction between them, not just because they're both good-looking teenagers, but we’ve already seen how compatible their personalities are.
And so it feels like pay-off when they work together to escape the irate stall-owner. When Aladdin spins a tale about how his “sister” is mad, it’s a thrill to watch Jasmine instantly pick up on what he's doing and play along.
He has the appeal of a bad boy without really being one, and she has enough intelligence and wit to counterbalance her naivety. They’re perfect for each other.
But depicting two people who are perfectly compatible is easy. The film also pulls off a much more impressive feat…
3. The movie makes you believe in love – real love – at first sight
Years ago I wrote about the ways a writer can make a reader/viewer believe that love at first sight is possible, and Aladdin and Jasmine were my purest example of the various techniques. There is no doubt at the end of their first meeting that they’re truly-madly-deeply in love, so how does Disney pull it off?
After all, love is more than just successfully bouncing off each other in order to bamboozle violent apple-sellers. Love involves trust and respect and understanding, things that must be established and built over time. How can a ninety-minute movie (which also has plenty of other things going on) convincingly lay the foundations of a lasting love affair?
Don't worry, they've got that covered too.
The respect comes when Aladdin takes Jasmine to his hideaway, and she gets to impress him by vaulting over the rooftops by herself. The understanding is when Aladdin realizes the way to her heart is to stop posturing as Prince Ali and offer her a carpet ride (“we could get outside the palace, see the world…”), thereby granting her the freedom she so obviously longs for.
Then there’s Trust. The Big Kahuna. And the easiest way around having to show one character earning a person’s trust over a prolonged period of time is to throw your couple into a life-or-death situation. Just as Aladdin and Jasmine are about to kiss for the first time, the palace guards arrive and sends them into a panic. Aladdin leaps onto the windowsill, extends his hand, and asks Jasmine a question she’s only got a few seconds to answer: “do you trust me?”
When she responds with “yes” and takes his hand in this moment, you know it’s meant to be. An affirmative response to “do you trust me?” is more powerful than any number of “I love yous.”
(Incidentally, that’s the reason why THIS exchange is echoed at the beginning of the magic carpet ride – as opposed to, say, the apple throwing trick. This declaration of trust is the lynch-pin of their relationship).
(Incidentally, that’s the reason why THIS exchange is echoed at the beginning of the magic carpet ride – as opposed to, say, the apple throwing trick. This declaration of trust is the lynch-pin of their relationship).
The thing is – it all works. The film takes everything you need for a life-long love – attraction, understanding, friendship, respect and (most importantly) trust – and compartmentalizes ALL of it into an extremely short space of time. At first sight, if you will.
Yes, Disney films have used the depiction of insta-love extensively over the years, in which case your options are to roll your eyes and switch the channel or just go with it for the sake of the unfolding story. But here the writers make you believe in Aladdin and Jasmine’s connection, by grounding the euphoria of first love with the qualities that real relationships actually need.
Though of course, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t some fantasy to go with the basics of a functional relationship…
4. They have the most magical Falling in Love Montage
There have been plenty of romantic set-pieces in Disney films, many of them sweeping and beautiful and heartfelt. But let’s be real: anyone can dance in a ballroom or a woodland grove, go sight-seeing in a quaint village with a horse and carriage, or be serenaded by two Italians while sharing a plate of spaghetti.
But a magic carpet ride? That’s next level. Especially when said carpet is not only sentient but the world’s greatest wingman (picking flowers, knowing all the best sights, making sure you kiss her at the end of the date). There’s an enchantment to A Whole New World that is special simply because it can’t be replicated, a pure fantasy that captures that weightless joy of falling in love in a way that only a gravity-defying magical carpet ride can achieve.
It’s even foreshadowed by a contrasting scene earlier in the film, while the two of them are in Aladdin’s hideaway, silhouetted against a beautiful evening sunset. When the guards attack, they have to leap to safety, with gravity ensuring that they don't get very far – but when they meet again, they can fly away into the freedom they both crave so much.
5. They’re allowed to be… kinda sexy
This one is wrapped up in some of the more controversial elements of the film, so bear with me. It’s been pointed out many times, in many different places, that the Disney heroines who are more overtly sexual in nature (either through their behaviour or their skimpy clothing) are the non-white ones. Esmeralda, Kida and Jasmine are the three obvious contenders – especially since there’s absolutely no way that Jasmine’s two-piece outfit is even remotely historically accurate.
Of course, there are counterpoints: Arial is white, and yet wears the least amount of clothing (as a mermaid), while Tiana is African American, and isn’t sexualized (despite her attractiveness). Furthermore, it’s not only Jasmine but also Aladdin who doesn’t wear much in the way of clothing – there’s even a joke in the Broadway musical that points out his shirtlessness and the fact that Jasmine noticed it.
It’s A Thing, and it deserves to be discussed. But again, if we take this film out of that particular context, then I actually really love the fact that Aladdin and Jasmine are allowed to be physically attracted to each other. Even in a children’s cartoon, it’s pretty overt (especially at 1:10):
Heck, they carry it all the way to Aladdin and the King of Thieves:
And it’s a positive thing between the two of them. It’s mutual, consensual, and they clearly enjoy it.
This level of physical intimacy just doesn’t exist within the other Disney pairings: not the chaste romances of Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora, not the adolescent courtships of Arial/Eric or Flynn/Rapunzel, and definitely not Beauty and the Beast, which hilariously had to walk the line between “acceptable touching” and “umm, yeah we don’t want anyone thinking about bestiality.”
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| I can no longer look at this screencap without laughing. |
As for Tiana and Naveen – well, they were frogs for most of the movie. It’s hard to find the sexy when your ability to produce mucus is literally a plot-point.
Disney often likes to throw a few sneaky jokes for the adults into their films, but every time I see it I’m surprised at how well they managed to convey Aladdin and Jasmine’s sensuality with each other while (obviously) staying well within the boundaries of what’s acceptable for a children’s cartoon.
6. All the little things…
There are so many other details that I didn’t get a chance to mention, such as:
* The way Aladdin says: “that’s awful,” when Jasmine tells him her father is forcing her to get married. It’s hilarious, because he’s sympathetic, but you can also tell from his voice/expression that it has never, ever occurred to him in his entire life that someone might have this problem, and that it is, indeed, awful.
* How Jasmine is devastated after she’s been told her very first friend was executed, telling Rajah: “I didn’t even know his name!” It allows for maximum payoff when she finally gets to say his correct name at the end of the film.
* The fact she’s intelligent enough to almost instantly see through his “Prince Ali” persona, which is confirmed when he unthinkingly repeats the apple trick. Her FACE:
* The way Aladdin describes Jasmine to the Genie as “smart and funny” before getting to “beautiful” (and only saying that when prompted).
* Aladdin totally unnecessarily telling Jasmine to “mind your head there,” when he takes her to his hideaway. Dude, she’s got this. But it’s cute that you care that much.
* The reprise of Aladdin offering his hand to Jasmine on her balcony and asking: “do you trust me?” complete with her reaction and the close-up of their hands meeting is one of my favourite movie scenes of all time. ALL TIME.
And I’m glad that such a joyful, sweet love story was a staple part of my childhood, one based on respect and kindness, humour and joy, trust and shared passion. I realize that dissing Twilight is so blasé these days, but the resurgence of fictional relationships with creepy power dynamics, overbearing masculinity, and the depiction of female characters as little more than receptacles for male obsession and/or redemption, makes me all the more happy that Aladdin and Jasmine exist.
They are the best Disney Power Couple; no contest.
I'd throw Hercules and Megera into the ring as a great Disney romance, which flipped the traditional Disney gender roles (to a degree) with Herc as the wide-eyed ingenue falling in love at first sight and Meg as the bad girl seeking redemption. Yes Meg gets damselled at the end, but only after she's made a choice to break from the hold Hades has over her, and then save Herc's life first.
ReplyDeleteBut I love Aladdin and Jasmine too - I think it was the first Disney movie I saw in the theatre and the animated series was the highlight of Saturday Disney. The musical I thought did an excellent job (A Million Miles Away is a fantastic number) and they fleshed the relationship out a little in the film in satisfying ways as well.
You know, I completely forgot about Herc/Meg when writing this! (I guess I was focusing on the official princess line-up). But yeah, they're great too - especially bad girl Meg.
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