It is offensive. The opening song is enough. That is how Hollywood unfortunately portrays Arabs usually. I would refer you to this documentary : Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People (2006)
http://www.imdb.com/board/10948465/?ref_=nv_sr_1

None of my Arab friends or family find Aladdin offensive. They like that it raises a positive interest in their culture even if this film isn't an accurate portrayal of Arab life.
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hahah offensive, hell no. but in this pc world, i guess some people would find it so.

to all the delicate flowers who are "offended" by a 24 year old cartoon: beep OFF AND DIE

It's offensive if you choose to be offended.
It's a fictional movie that takes place in a fictional city/country.
It was also made 25 years ago, so sensibilities have changed somewhat since then.

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FINALLY SOMEBODY SEES IT!
It's like, when a black cartoon character is painted black I mean WTF, that is so racially offensive and stereotypical. Painting Middle Eastern characters with dark skin tones, like they all have is just so, blatantly offensive to me in my white sheltered suburban American home.
You are not only inaccurate to suggest everything you said, but completely ignorant and foolish to do so.
Have you seen how Americans are portrayed in European, Australian, or Asian films? Probably not, and even if you did you wouldn't be offended because we do it to them all the time right? Be the bigger person and climb that huge ladder to that massive high horse you feel compelled to mount and claim ownership of. You pretentious crusader, we all bow down to the very fabric of your moral structure and character and can only dream to achieve such enlightenment. WOW, you piss me off..

It can all depend on who you ask, one person can get offended by something that another person will not

I don't think it is offensive at all.
"If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving is not for you!"

I'd say there are a few stereotypes in it, but that doesn't make it offensive.

Jasmine's facial features and skin tone are almost spot on to literally the only Arab person I know personally.

I'm Arab and I don't find it offensive at all. It's just a movie, people need to relax

Is the OP writing an essay and is stuck or something?
Cause it sounds like an essay question?
It's offensive if you are really sensitive and wants everything to be realistic and accurate, including superhero-movies.
When I was young I wasn't offended nor was was any of my friends who saw it. In adult age I come across some Arabic friends who never found it offensive either.
It's an animated fairytale, loosely based on another fairytale. I don't think realism was something they achieved for with this one.
Plus if you think about it, Jasmine would be a very progressive character and isn't that what people are looking for?

who gives a flying F%#". This movie is not set to modern day but hundreds of years ago so if anybody say they are offended they are either time travelers or just complete morons.

Does Disney's Aladdin create an offensive construction of the Arab culture through generic western stereotypes of the east?
I only get offended by people that people would get offended by things like this
You tell 'im Im coming!

No, it is not offensive. It is a disney animated movie and not a documentary. Jasmine's clothes were chosen because they are pretty. I was a little girl when Aladdin came out. Loved it and thought "oh she is pretty! Her outfit is so cool!". It is not a documentary and one of the main characters is a genie (they do not exist) and a talking bird. Yeah, I think we will all survive, lol. No one should look to disney for realism. Its entertainment. As another poster said, no one gets up in arms dissecting whether or not Beauty and the Beast was true enough to France and French culture.

No. But then it is made by Americans so therefore anybody from that part of the world would be offended by it. Frankly I think a movie that is somewhat offensive to Arabs is True Lies but it doesn't bother me that much. But it was made before Islamic Terrorism was as big of a thing as it is now.
Green Goblin is great!

Yea if this were truly accurate Jasmine would have been stoned to death for dressing that way.

Yeah, it is weird that they had Jasmine reveal so much skin. It is like someone was more concerned with showing us how sexy she was than with historical accuracy.
Intelligence and purity.

I don't think so. Jasmine was wearing harem pants. And even in India, most women would have covered their midriffs with a sari or a scarf or something.

The clothes would have been fine had the story took place in India.

Technically, Jasmine would've lived in the women's quarters, called the harem. But she was more dressed like a belly dancer. Although there was a time that women in the harem enjoyed quite a lot of freedom, I doubt they dressed like that.

The main issue is that she is dressed like a harem girl, not a princess.
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