Magic carpet is the true hero of Aladdin

My daughter is going to be in an Aladdin play. Prior to her audition, we watched the movie again together. As I watched I realized a couple things:

• The Genie character was written for Robin Williams only and nobody else could ever play him (except maybe Jim Carrey). Sorry Will Smith and who ever gets it in my daughter's play...
• Magic carpet is the true hero of the movie.

The case for carpet. (1) He is the one to take Aladdin to the lamp in the Cave of Wonders, otherwise they'd be lost there for ages. (2) He saves Aladdin's bacon at least four times (two in the cave, one silly one when Aladdin jumps off a balcony, then one very critical one at the end in the tundra). (3) He is the only character in the movie not motivated by their own personal ambition for freedom:

• Aladdin wants freedom from poverty and loneliness.
• Genie wants freedom from slavery.
• Jasmine wants freedom from confinement.
• Sultan wants freedom from responsibility.
• Jafar and Abu are just greedy.
• Iago is a slightly more complex character (hence switching sides in a later movie), but he mostly just wants companionship and respect.

Carpet is the only one with the purist intentions. He just wants to help, and knows good from bad. Without him, Aladdin either never finds the lamp or dies in the cave. Carpet has been waiting in that cave for 1000 years for a friend and that's all he cares about!

Getting someone to play the genie at the time, it's hard to think of many contemporaries. Maybe Martin Short, a little. The impersonations would be different, but he was pretty good at them. I'm not saying he's Robin Williams, but for the time he's one of the better plan B's.

As for a modern comedian, maybe as far as impersonations, Keegan-Michael Key?

I don't know who could capture the cocaine energy as well.

Tot Magic Carpet wanted to mate with Aladdin or his monkey?

I guess that means he was a shag carpet.

Not going to get any arguments from me. Carpet rocks.