I saw this on Bitch magazine’s blog. Kjerstin Johnson posted a great takedown of Dina Goldstein’s “Fallen Princesses” series for JP Magazine, which basically uses Disney princesses and puts them in “modern day scenarios.”
Part VI of Fallen Princesses series: Princess Jasmine. Image via JPG Magazine.
Tweet
Tags: art, Orientalism, Princess Jasmine, sexism
I too find the Jasmine’s “Fallen Princess” image to be confusing and problematic. The other princess images I got the gist of and they all revolved around depressing realities of modern day women’s lives. I’d like to say that while I understand everyone’s reservations about having Jasmine’s ethnic status dictate her image, I think the same can be said for the other princesses’ images. The realities that the other women face (plastic surgery, obesity, alcoholism, balancing work/family, radiation therapy) are all problems prevalent in Western society. Being white and of higher class backgrounds, the other princesses are thus also being used to depict problems and issues unique to women of their racial/ethnic backgrounds. So Jasmine isn’t really the only princess whose race/ethnicity is being used to depict problems associated with her identity.
The main problem I have with Jasmine’s image is that it’s a tired image associated with Muslims/Middle Easterners. Perhaps a more interesting image that could relate to her background is that of her and Aladdin being racially/religiously profiled at airports (I know you might be thinking what about the magic carpet, but hey we’re talking about reality here ok?) The irony behind that image would be that Jasmine married to escape her prison palace, only to be prevented from travelling around the world due to being suspected of being a terrorist. This is a reality more fitting to the thousands of Muslims around the world every year who have found it harder to travel to the West for work or leisure due to coming under constant suspicion.
I’d just like to add that by my depiction of Jasmine would be more in line with the other princess depictions, because her inability to travel freely is a common everyday reality to many Muslims; living in a war zone however is not a common reality for Muslims worldwide because only specific Muslim countries are unfortunately experiencing that.
I actually love this series of photographs and I think this one is one of the more beautiful ones. I don’t get why it’s so “wtf”. It might be stereotypical, but aren’t all the other ones as well? I think it’s fitting. It’s also more empowering than other issues or scenes she could have been put in.
@ M
I remember reading on another blog that critiqued this series (Racialicious) that the reason so many commenters there found it to be WTF was because Jasmine was most clearly stereotyped as opposed to the other princesses because of being the lone Princess of Color in the series. You’re right to point out that the other princesses were stereotyped too as having problems common to white Western women; I see their stereotypes too. But I also see that since the other princesses are all white and since their problems are more familiar to us since we live in the West, that their stereotypes don’t stand out as glaringly as Jasmine’s does. Jasmine’s stereotype of being a “terrorist/freedom fighter” is one that is perniciously applied to Muslims everywhere right now; it’s not a simple mundane stereotype like what the white princesses face. It’s a damaging stereotype, which is why I was suggesting another depiction of Jasmine that wasn’t so laden with negative stereotypes and yet still depicted her as “fallen”. Also her fierce determination and willingness to fight back in that photo makes it problematic for us to see her as powerless and “fallen” the way we see the other princesses. That’s another reason why I have issues with her depiction.