Genie-ous Parody Of 'A Whole New World' From 'Aladdin' Tackles Asian Representation

Actress Sujata Day shared the spin she put on the old song “A Whole New World,” singing the “Aladdin” classic with fellow actor Ritesh Rajan and artist AJ Rafael. 

The live action version of “Aladdin” was released in theaters last week, but this parody, which makes some really sobering points about Asian representation in Hollywood, would’ve made a dope addition to the film: 

“A diverse film with no white saviors in the crew,” Day sings. “I’m more than just the friend or doctor tech. Now I’m in a diverse film with you.” 

The parody also hilariously hits on some other points, like how it’s crucial to show up in theaters for films with diverse casts to prove there’s serious “Asian box office clout.”

That way, there’s “no one to tell us no, or cast ScarJo ,” the song points out. 

Research consistently shows that not only are films and TV shows with diverse casts valuable for underrepresented groups, but they’re also very profitable. However, Hollywood still continues to treat the successes of these films as exceptions and not the rule, a 2018 study showed. 

“Diversity sells , but the TV and film product continues to fall short,” wrote Ana-Christina Ramón, co-author of the UCLA study. “So audiences are left starved for more representation on screen that reflects the world they see in their daily lives.”