this post was submitted on 26 Oct 2025
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No Stupid Questions

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There is no such thing as a Stupid Question!

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[โ€“] shawn1122@sh.itjust.works 17 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

They sound like Anglos because they're speaking English?

It's a fairy tale. Not sure if there are rules here.

[โ€“] sopularity_fax@sopuli.xyz -2 points 4 days ago (2 children)

No, everyone else literally has an arabic accent

[โ€“] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 13 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Except for the Sultan, Jafar, Iago, the Genie, the Cave of Wonders... which are almost all of the named characters. Gazeem and the peddler at the beginning are the only characters I can think of that had noticeable accent that wasn't British or American.

[โ€“] tal@lemmy.today 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Yeah, looking at a character list, that's actually basically every character of note. That's for the original, though it does occur to me that whoever did the voice for some international dubbed release might be different.

https://dubdb.fandom.com/wiki/Aladdin_(1994)

There were apparently releases for Egyptian and Standard Arabic.

EDIT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5q7cSx4tEo

[โ€“] shawn1122@sh.itjust.works -2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Never noticed that but you're right.

The reasons are obvious. It would by jarring to a majority white audience, especially in the 90s. Can't have your main characters being caricatured and everyone with an accent was a caricature back then.

[โ€“] sopularity_fax@sopuli.xyz -4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

But again, every other character does and they're comprehensible

[โ€“] shawn1122@sh.itjust.works 6 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Its not really about comprehensibility. The characters, especially to a white American audience that is accustomed to being catered to, become less relatable if they have an accent. It almost certainly would have had an impact on commercial success, especially in the 90s or earlier. The relatability of secondary characters is less important.

I know white kids that legitimately thought Aladdin was white. As a PoC it was fascinating to hear to say the least. It was a deliberate choice to make him fairer than Jasmine and to ensure he had no facial hair (which was the aesthetic preference of white Americans at the time).

[โ€“] sopularity_fax@sopuli.xyz 0 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[โ€“] shawn1122@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 days ago

Yes, actually exactly like Jesus.

[โ€“] Snailpope@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago (1 children)

It would be really hard for an American audience to follow along if they spoke arabic

/s

[โ€“] sopularity_fax@sopuli.xyz -1 points 4 days ago

Again monsieur sarcasme, everybody but the two mains does or doesnt

[โ€“] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Are you talking about the cartoon or the live action remake with Will Smith?

[โ€“] sopularity_fax@sopuli.xyz -1 points 3 days ago

That would have been a sick burn if it was like that "cartoon movie" or the VHS one from 1992 haha.

[โ€“] celeste@kbin.earth 1 points 4 days ago

Maybe it's to make the main couple seem more relatable to an assumed racist audience.