#disney commentary

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Idk if people appreciate how clever it was for Disney to take the subject of ancient Greco-Roman mythological deities and base the soundtrack of Hercules around R&B Gospel music.

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The “Let's Infantalize and Desexualize Rey bc Feminism and For Little Girls” crowd seem to really want her to be, like, some kind of all-encompassing “antidote” to all the Disney princess/heroine movies (and others too, but Disney is the main punching bag for this kinda thing) that revolve around or involve a romantic love story (although the love stories, along with the songs, are what make those movies so iconic, but whatever). And yes, variety in and for heroines and all female characters is good and necessary. But what’s funny to me about this particular brand of wank and hand-wringing is that Disney already has a bunch of female-lead movies, especially recently, that don’t center romance at all. 

There’s Brave, which is super underrated, for being such a beautiful, magical story about mother/daughter relationships. There’s Wreck-It-Ralph and Ralph Breaks The Internet, in which Vanellope is the deuteragonist, a tomboy princess, and a perpetual little girl, with no romance anywhere in her storylines, which are, basically, about self-confidence, and finding her true place, respectively. In Inside Out, the Emotions are probably more “the stars” of the movie than the girl they belong to, but the story is centered on Riley, and although she has a heartthrob crush, that was a small bit played for laughs, while her arc was about dealing with life changes along with her burgeoning adolescence. And Moana, no romance there apart from her parents. So yes, there are other options.

But even then, it’s not like Disney’s ever gonna stop making the fairy tale love stories that have been their signature bread and butter since 1937. Other studios aren’t gonna altogether forego romance for female leads, either. So maybe people should just quit being salty that romance is a thing for lots of fictional heroines and that young girls like watching/reading it, idk. And that just because Star Wars is **STAR WARS**, that doesn't mean it will or has any obligation to conform to whatever form of Representation Deemed Most Good, Correct, and Role Model(TM) Appropriate.

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Is it just me or did anybody else pick up some strong Brave energy from Frozen II? 

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I don’t know if people appreciate how much of a banger “We Know The Way” from Moana is.

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So probably my favorite thematic addition in Aladdin (2019) is that they basically made Jafar the voice of the patriarchy, lol. If you thought he got on Jasmine’s nerves in the animation...boy. 

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People talk about how Ben Solo’s proposal to Rey in TLJ was bad or insulting or whatever it wasn’t, but in Aladdin (2019), when he first presented himself to Jasmine as “Prince Ali”, he accidentally insinuated he wanted to buy her, and right in front of her dad and the palace household and everybody, lol. And she glared at him like she was this close to letting Rajah shred him, and stormed out. So yeah I think that one kinda takes the cake. 

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Agrabah // GFFA

Inspired by Disney’s rather obvious (most likely) use of the same graphic design company for the Force Awakens and Aladdin (2019) posters, I decided to just go all in with a comparison of the various parallels between Aladdin (1992) and the Star Wars sequel trilogy (so far). Particularly concerning Jaladdin and Reylo. Because there’s actually a lot to work with there, even beyond the surface-level fairy tale tropey stuff. Plus, I’m always down to blab about my two life-long favorite media properties, and combining them is just extra fun.

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In both couples, one of them is royalty, the other is a peasant—one of the oldest fairy tale tropes in the book (so nice, George Lucas did it twice). 

Iconic, magical objects—the lamp, the legacy lightsaber.

Aladdin is the “diamond in the rough”, Rey is the “awakening”—more than what they seem.

“Do not be fooled by its commonplace appearance. Like so many things, it is not what is outside, but what is inside that counts.”

“Only one may enter here.” // “And now, it calls to you.”

Both were living that “Gotta eat to live, gotta steal/scavenge to eat” life.

But they’re both generous and compassionate, with a real selfless streak:

After Aladdin spent a whole musical number trying to steal some bread, he gave it to a couple of small homeless children.

Rey decided not to sell a droid she met like ten minutes ago, even though he would’ve gotten her a lot more food.

Both were verbally reminded of their very, very low societal status:

“You are a worthless street rat. You were born a street rat. You will die a street rat. And only your fleas will mourn you.”

“You come from nothing. You’re nothing”; “Alright, that is pretty much nowhere.”

Both inadvertently acquired modes of transportation in the magic carpet and the Millennium Falcon, respectively.

Speaking of which, daring and visually stunning flights through caves---the Cave of Wonders, and the caves on Crait.

Jasmine and Ben both felt stifled, trapped, and isolated by the lives, status, and predetermined roles they were born into.

The Sultan and Luke as patriarchal figures who tried to tell Jasmine and Rey to just be good girls and follow the rules. No leaving the palace or turning away potential suitors; no communing with the “dark” or trying to turn the pretty-eyed “villain”. And they both just did it anyway. 😊

Jasmine and Rey both have loyal, furry, basically bodyguards in Rajah and Chewbacca. Case in point:

Rajah biting and chasing away Jasmine’s wannabe suitors, and giving her a boost over the wall when she ran away (which lead to meeting her future husband)

Chewie busting in Luke’s door, and dropping Rey off at the Supremacy (for her date)

Love/intrigue at first sight, on Aladdin’s and Ben’s part.

Also, both were immediately impressed (and lbr, probably kinda turned on) by Jasmine’s and Rey’s displays of skill/power:

For Aladdin, it was when Jasmine took him by surprise and vaulted across the rooftops, all on her own—she’s a quick learner.

For Ben, it was when Rey took him by surprise and turned his mind probe back on him, then again when the lightsaber went to her on Starkiller.

Rey became embarrassed when Ben pointed out she was a scavenger. Aladdin became embarrassed after Jasmine revealed she was the Princess.

Aladdin saved Jasmine from getting her arm cut off for “stealing”. Ben saved Rey from Snoke’s order to kill her.

Aladdin and Rey got mid-movie makeovers, both wanting to look their best for the object of their affection upon reuniting with them:

Aladdin wished to be made into “a prince” before trying to win over Jasmine.

Rey…Idk, went to the gffa mall and Sephora or something before going to try and turn Ben.

Aladdin pretended to be something he wasn’t, then had an existential crisis about his worth and who he is without Genie and “Prince Ali”. Rey had built up a denial fantasy about her parents, then had to contend with admitting and accepting the truth.

Everyone is lonely:

Aladdin was parentless, Jasmine grew up in a gilded cage, and their only friends were their pets/animal sidekicks.

Rey was abandoned by her parents and grew up alone, Ben was estranged from his family and kept isolated by Snoke.

Both couples bonded over mutual issues and feelings, despite coming from ridiculously different backgrounds.

“Sometimes you feel so…you’re just…trapped!”

“You’re not alone.”—“Neither are you.”

Jasmine and Ben flexing their status like:

“Unhand him! By order of the Princess”; “At least some good will come of my being forced to marry. When I am Queen, I will have the power to get rid of you.”

“The Supreme Leader is dead.”—“Long live the Supreme Leader.”  

Jafar manipulated the Sultan, Jasmine, and Aladdin. Snoke manipulated Luke, Ben, and Rey.

Villainous red:

Jafar’s quarters and lair in the palace featured and were tinged in red, then when he took over the palace, it and the sky above Agrabah became tinged in red. 

Snoke’s throne room interior was red.

Villainous snake imagery and symbology:

Jafar’s staff had a cobra head, his throne as Sultan was a cobra head, and then he turned into a cobra (Jafar really likes cobras, y’all).

Snoke’s name was, well, Snoke.

Aladdin went to the Big Bad’s lair—the Sultan’s palace, taken over by Jafar—to rescue his princess. Rey went to the Big Bad’s lair to rescue her prince.

Jafar had Jasmine physically chained. Snoke had Ben mentally chained.

Aladdin’s “plan” for confronting Jafar at the palace was, “I’m a street rat, remember? I’ll improvise.” Ben had no idea how he’d try to kill Snoke in the throne room, just knew that he would. He might as well have been like, “I’m the son of a street rat, remember? I’ll improvise.”

Jafar dismissed and underestimated Aladdin because of his low societal status, then Aladdin defeated him, as he’s The Hero of the story. Snoke dismissed and underestimated Rey because of her low status and lack of pedigree, then her actions lead to his defeat, as she’s The Heroine of the story.

Both relationships bring a change to the previous status quo:

The Sultan decreed that from then on, the Princess can marry whoever she wants.

This is still speculation, but I’m pretty sure the reformed Jedi faith will not include the eschewing of marriage and romantic love. Because, I mean, that worked out so well the last time.

[fluffycakesistainted]

Hi, yes, hello, just wanted to say that this is the most glorious and epic piece of Disney music ever composed k bye: