Jasmine's new look

[21stamps]

Good!

Im honestly curious to know who is giving boys this "unrealistic body expectations" based off superheroes. As if someone is saying to an 8-year old, "if you don't grow up to be ripped like Thor, you're not a man!"

No one was saying that to little girls either.. Just grown women taking out their own insecurities on the rest of the world. Those insecurities didn't stem from a doll.

That you "spent 30 minutes learning" is exactly the problem.


Morocco may not be inArabia but its inhabitants are mostly an Arab people. And Islam very much has a strong cultural component with the Maghreb long having a prominent role.

But they aren't the same is what I'm saying.
Look at Jews- A Jew born in america is culturally different than a Jew in Israel. And even there- a Sephardic Jew has a lot of cultural difference with an Ashkenazi, and actually the Sephardics share more cuisine and musical similarities with Muslim Arabs than they do with their European Jew neighbors.

They all share a religion and a broad cultural base, but although people try, you can't represent them with one character.
The same as you can't represent Christians or anyone else.

Example- Sit between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia in Turkey. You see people from all over the world, including several Muslim countries. You will see men wearing trendy jeans and fitted Armani tee shirts, walking with a woman in head to toe covered black. You will see Muslim women in cleavage showing tops, and you will see Muslim women in an attractive pants suit and beautiful head scarf. That's why I say there is not a blanket "acceptable" or "representative" way to portray them.

 

[Earl Sweatpants]

No one was saying that to little girls either.. Just grown women taking out their own insecurities on the rest of the world. Those insecurities didn't stem from a doll.

that's what I thought.

 

[21stamps]

Not only 30 minutes - this isn't the first time I've considered these issues, I've spent years. I prefer some subjects more than others, and I tend to limit my comments to what I know, don't you?

ETA: Apparently you only read that first sentence and discarded my other statements and the follow-up post that was a response to 21stamps. I can only be responsible for what I write, not how you understand it.

I understand that. I'm a history nut.. But most of my focus is on Europe, Africa, Middle East, and specific parts of Asia- mainly Turkey and Armenia. I only know a tad more than the basics about Japan, China, Korea (probably bc I had a horrible time there lol), India, etc.. Although India has been a recent focus for me. I don't even know much about Alaska..but am determined to learn before we go next year.

I find a subject that I like, and then it takes me off in to new directions spinning off the original subject. We all have our different 'passions'.

 

[Disney4family]

It's make-believe people. It's ok.


Except it's a fictional land in a flippin' cartoon with a genie and human-like monkey and magic and flying carpet and a bird that can have full blown conversations and a tiger that walks around the palace not ripping people's throats out. I mean, we all know that Arendale is a real country, because it's in the world showcase. But until there is an Agrabah pavilion, it's fictional.

Thank you. I don't want reality and "period-appropriate dresses". I am at WDW. I want fantasy. I want to meet the characters I see in Disney movies and Disney cartoons. I am not interested in AP History when I am in my bubble. The 7 year inside of me and now even my kids want to see Disney characters, not historically accurate, politically correct, if they were real people characters. If you want accurate people from history -go to a museum. If you want to escape the real world and meet beloved childhood characters, go to WDW.

 

[Incomudro]

Thank you. I don't want reality and "period-appropriate dresses". I am at WDW. I want fantasy. I want to meet the characters I see in Disney movies and Disney cartoons. I am not interested in AP History when I am in my bubble. The 7 year inside of me and now even my kids want to see Disney characters, not historically accurate, politically correct, if they were real people characters. If you want accurate people from history -go to a museum. If you want to escape the real world and meet beloved childhood characters, go to WDW.

Drops mic.

 

[Disney4family]

Drops mic.

Hey - ever think you maybe should change your avatar? You could be next!

 

[21stamps]

I'm trying to envision some completely non offensive made over Disney World, or Disney movie...

If that happened..Then you would just have an empty park with a few kiddie rides.

 

[James Norrie]

And his insistence of eating 5 dozen eggs a day is putting a serious hurt on the farming industry.

As long as they are Non-GMO, Organic, Free-Range, Grass-Fed, Hand Delivered, Super Calcium, Cholesterol Free Eggs, I'm sure the farming industry is still making $10/Dozen in profit

 

[Nubs70]

And his insistence of eating 5 dozen eggs a day is putting a serious hurt on the farming industry.

Not to mention future health care costs due to excessive cholesterol.

 

[Tif]

I just came back from Magic Kingdom 2 days ago and it looks like a lot of kids are already wearing this new dress... It's interesting though, because they have a two peice version of it that seems to be more popular then the 1 peice. I personally don't like the new dress, but it didn't look as bad in person in the Fantasmic show...

I think it's just a way of making money off a new princess look. Like I said, lots of kids were wearing it... even more then Anna and Elsa costumes I think. A little upsetting, but what can you do...

 

[SorcererMC]

Food for thought for anyone who is interested. Just published two-part CS Monitor article on Disney and culture, addresses a lot of the broader issues brought up in this thread (princess and superhero culture, cross-cultural competence, etc.).

http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Movies/2016/0912/How-Disney-dominates-the-Hollywood-landscape
http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Movies/2016/0913/Is-Disney-using-its-influence-for-good

 

[righttrack]

I'm not sure how they do the casting for princess roles, but when they were casting for the Aladdin Broadway production, they said that it is illegal to ask someone's background in the audition (just like for any hiring interview).

Agree but in the age of cultural appropriation being frowned upon, anything is possible.

 

[worldfanatic]

On my vacation I wasn't paying attention, but became bitterly disappointed when I got home and saw the picture of us with Al & Jasmine.
This outfit of hers is a complete joke.
Talk about disrespect for the movie!!
Politically Correct Morality run amuck!!!
99 times out of 100 I defend Disney, but not here.

Pathetic, simply pathetic.

 

[SorcererMC]

Agree but in the age of cultural appropriation being frowned upon, anything is possible.

Right, your original point is valid - it is possible that it is a case of CM accommodation. Also interesting to consider if Disney is trying to shift from cultural appropriation to appreciation, and can they do that successfully?

 

[ford91exploder]

Right, your original point is valid - it is possible that it is a case of CM accommodation. Also interesting to consider if Disney is trying to shift from cultural appropriation to appreciation, and can they do that successfully?

$DIS only cares about money - So this costume change was financially motivated in all likelihood

 

[Andrew C]

So I just showed my 3 year old this picture for the first time and asked who it was. She looked at it confused for a few seconds and then said "Jasmine?"

 

[peter11435]

$DIS only cares about money - So this costume change was financially motivated in all likelihood

Or it has nothing to do with money at all...

 

[Andrew C]

Or it has nothing to do with money at all...

Doesn't look like they are changing the costume sold at the Disney store any time soon. What has been sold prior to the change (which doesn't look like this new design) is what is being sold now. And for Halloween.

 

[trentino]

$DIS only cares about money - So this costume change was financially motivated in all likelihood

That's what I keep thinking and am surprised that few others see this as both a money making and a cost savings move.

1) My suspicion is that this started with Disney observing that African American girls identified with and wanted to dress up like Tiana. But Asian, Native American and Muslim girls did not identify with Mulan, Pocahontas or Jasmine and weren't as interested in buying Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique packages like Tiana fans were. At the same time, Latin American girls had no princess at all to relate to. In response, Disney created the Elena character and simultaneously updated Jasmine, Mulan and Pocahontas to have culturally appropriate outfits with more intricate detailing that girls would remember, better identify with and want to emulate. You just need to look to how Elena was marketed recently: her costume has "14 yards of crimson colored satin, embroidered with more than 900 flowers that represent her fairytale kingdom and family. Her crown holds 222 dazzling jewels." The costume enhancements for Mulan, Pocahontas and Jasmine are all in the same vein -- layers of texture and detail to get more girls of the related heritage to want to emulate ... want to BE ... that princess.

2) Secondly for Jasmine, I think that Disney loved the idea of having more flexibility in their casting - by covering up Jasmine she no longer needs to be thin and trim with a darker complexion.

 

[SorcererMC]

$DIS only cares about money - So this costume change was financially motivated in all likelihood

I don't dispute that - that's the game and they are very good at playing it, being able to tap into the existing demand as well as shape consumer preferences in order to increase demand for their products. The Princess franchise may have been running its course as a fad, they've updated all of them now...and Jasmine in particular was a unique case for the reasons I've outlined previously.

ETA: In no order.

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/jasmines-new-look.918160/page-16#post-7396124
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/jasmines-new-look.918160/page-15#post-7391655
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/jasmines-new-look.918160/page-16#post-7395203

On second thought, perhaps I've misinterpreted your intent? I'm not ruling out CM accommodation b/c there is no specific information that says - 'this is the number one reason'. They really had nothing to lose by changing it, and several gains to be had.