You ain't never had a "friend" like me

In Disney’s “Aladdin” (1992) gender nonconformity is paradoxically used as a comic relief as well as social commentary as to the “need” for policing inappropriate gender behavior. Gender transgression was central to three of the films characters: Jafar, Iago and the Genie who were constructed in ways which placed them outside the traditional acceptable of heteronormativity. This queerness was enacted in different ways from the genie’s flamboyant antics, to Iago’s anger at being read as queer and his violent response to “inappropriate” sexual advancements/flirting by someone of the same sex.

Jafar, the power-hungry villain has little interest in Jasmine sexually she is simply a tool for him to get what he is truly after, power. He is revolted by the prospect of heterosexual marriage, and when this plan to marry the princess is first developed by Iago, Jafar’s facial expressions reveal nothing but utter shock and disgust at the idea. According to his plan, she will be killed after they are married, perpetuating sexualized violence against women. Furthermore, Jafar’s lack of sexual interest in women and his desire to kill the one whom he must marry in order to achieve his goal (power) situates his sexual deviance is dangerous. His all-consuming desire for money and power also feeds into existing cultural stereotypes surrounding the values of gay men.

Iago the parrot dresses as a pink flamingo in order to steal the magic lamp from Aladdin, an act that can be interpreted as being in drag. While in drag Iago feminizes his voice, disguising it as Jasmine’s in order to trick Aladdin into leaving his room, tying into cultural myths that drag queens and trans women are out to trick and deceive good heterosexual men.

In this moment, another flamingo approach Iago (still in drag) and begins to flirt with him. Based on his voice audiences are led to believe that this new flamingo is male. Iago responds violently to the advancements of the flamingo saying “you got a problem pinky” before hitting him over the head. This is more than simple slapstick comedy, before our eyes we are witnessing a gay bashing presented as a normal and appropriate behavior.

The Genie a flamboyant character crosses back and forth across gender lines frequently within the film, as he becomes a variety of pop-culture/media icons In this he is enacting an inappropriate queered masculinity where at different points within the film he is depicted as a gay tailor measuring Aladdin for clothes, then later as a flight attendant, and cheerleader with long blond hair. These are only a few of the times within the film that we witness the Genie transgress gendernorms. Despite the Genie’s gender transgressions, it was essential for Disney to maintain some semblance of acceptability when it comes to genderpresentation/identification and heteronormaive standards of behavior. The Genie who is beginning to build a friendship with Aladdin at one point in the film says “I’m getting kinda fond of you kid, not that I’d want to pick out curtains or anything” making it very clear that while it acceptable for men to be friends with other men there is a limit to that friendship. It is insinuated that there would be something wrong with their friendship developing into a romance where they would as the line eluded to have a home together. In this way audiences are given permission to laugh at gender transgression, the “absurdity” of two men loving each other while making sure that conservative homophobic “family” values are protected; there is no room for miscommunication of what sort of “friends” those two are.