I’ve read of other people (ok, let’s be fair, other men) who’ve done this, but it seems like they put way more thought and effort in to it. Sticking with custom high-caloric, low alcohol bocks and dopplebocks, regular checkups with a physician to ensure that he’s staying healthy, etc.  But this “eh, I’m just going to…

“Why did we ever listen to Megyn Kelly!?”

I think everyone is in de Nile.

Not to mention that casting tan-skinned people from other countries is no different. Chinese people cast as Korean, every native people in the US, etc.

West Side Story’s lessons really never sank in for you people, did it? SMDH. So here we are again.

What is there to admit? They applied makeup to actors so that they look like other people. These are people who pretend to be other people, professionally.

Apparently the casting agency literally brought in all the brown people they could get their hands on but it wasn’t enough. So they had to add some tanned whites.

Antoine Galland’s claim of hearing the tale from a Syrian storyteller was almost certainly false. No story resembling Aladdin has ever been found in an authenticated Alf Layla wa Layla or other recorded collection and a number of the motifs are not found in actual Arab tales.

But Galland used China as a symbol of…

William Shakespeare admits he knew female characters in his works were frequently portrayed by men in drag —and he said nothing!!!

It’s not that simple. Outside of placing the story in China, there is nothing to indicate that it actually is in China. All the details are Arabian or Persian. For example: the sultan is referred to as sultan and not emperor, the characters are Muslims and Jews with no mention of Chinese religions.

Because there was that movie, The Thief of Baghdad

Fun fact: Aladdin was never part of One Thousand and One Arabian Nights — which had it’s origins in India.

It’s not an Arab folktale. The Frenchman who heard the tale changed the setting from China to Arabia when he wrote it.

I heard rumors in Avatar those actors weren’t REALLY blue.

All the people in Baghdad are from China? That’s amazing

The character in the folk tale is supposed to be from China

I wonder if there was any “What do YOU mean, you people?” stuff going on.

Nope. In the words of Liz Lemon, “SHUT IT DOWN!”

The original Arabian Night lyrics: Where they darken your skin/ If they don’t like your face/ It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home

Did Gods of Egypt teach nothing?