Will Smith’s Genie and the Uncanny Valley – Learning with Pop Culture

Disney has been on a trend in recent years with the live-action remakes of their more classic films like Cinderella, The Jungle Book, and now Aladdin. I was just as excited as everyone else when the new Aladdin trailer dropped the other month because I enjoyed The Jungle Book. But the last thing we all expected to see was a swole Smurf with Will Smith's face awkwardly plastered right on it. It was unnerving, to say the least, and netizens were quick to voice out their revulsion through internet memes. Now, you've probably asked yourself, "Why does Will Smith's genie freak me out so much?" Well, it's because of a little concept called the Uncanny Valley.