Walt Disney Pictures released the 3D animated Zootopia in 2016 (IMDb). Directed by Rick Moore and Byron Howard, the film takes place in a city occupied by animals that act and speak like humans. While directed toward children, the film also has adult humor; for instance, while doing a math problem, Judy Hopp states, “I mean, I am just a dumb bunny, but we are good at multiplying.” Regardless of the humor and juvenile presentation, the timely theme of Zootopia is racial prejudice.
The plot of the movie is the partnership between a con artist red fox and a rabbit rookie police officer. Shortly after meeting, they discover that civilians who are predator animals are disappearing from the supposedly utopian city and the fox, Nick, is reluctantly pulled into an investigation by Judy Hoppe, the bunny. Put into a job position of writing tickets, Judy nevertheless looks for opportunities to shine in her new career. However, she meets opposition from every direction. In this conversation, the viewer sees her challenge: (Nick Wilde) everyone comes to Zootopia, thinking they could be anything they want. But you can't. You can only be what you are. Sly fox. Dumb bunny. (Judy Hopps) I am not a dumb bunny. (Nick Wilde) And that is not wet cement (Judy is standing in wet cement) (IMDb). In the course of the pursuit, the depiction of numerous personalities are presented in the infuriatingly slow sloth at the records department, the weasel who steals plant bulbs, and a dancing gazelle is a beautiful and graceful pop star. By the final credits, Judy has established herself as a predator personality in a submissive race, breaking the stereotype for her type of mammal. In addition, the sheep receptionist has moved into the spot of the mayor and the population of the city is learning to trust each other as an example to the viewing audience.
The definition of racism is the idea that traits apparent within a culture are attributed to a person’s physical characteristics and specific traits in one race make them superior (Blackwell, Smith & Sorenson). The resulting unfair treatment spreads into other areas such as types of employment, educational opportunities, or residential locations. The theme of racism is not new in film-making. The original movie recognized as being racially oriented was The Birth of a Nation, released in 1915 (Brody), which describes the birth of the Ku Klux Klan. Even the cartoon Song of the South in 1946 presented post-Civil War characters of Uncle Remus as a Southern stereotype of being uneducated with a rural dialect (Singer). Interracial relationships were the main theme in Shadows in 1959 (Ventura) and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner in 1967 (History.com). The list goes on as writers, producers, and directors attempt to educate the viewing public about the undesirability of racism.
Dyer (1988) describes racial prejudice in his essay, “White” in terms of the “norm” and the “departures of the norm” (p. 44). The reason for dominance of one group over the others in a society is power. This dominance by the characters of the predators in Zootopia is seen as an example in how the receptionist, even though she wields influence, is depicted as a sheep while the Mayor is a lion. The symbolism present depicts the predators/carnivores as personalities strong enough to govern, to establish themselves as leaders of the “lesser” animals. The significance is that those in power use whatever The character of Nick Wilde is a red fox, wily and cunning, as a con artist. Judy Hoppe is out of character as a rabbit; although her parents are shown to be willing to live their lives without adventure, Judy takes on the predator role is aggressively establishing herself in an occupation dominated by carnivore personalities and setting a goal of discovering a conspiracy of poisoning normally nor designated for a female bunny. But even Judy is not immune to the preconceptions of racial prejudice as seen in another conversation with Nick: (Nick) I think you said plenty. (Judy) What do you mean? (Nick) [saddened] Clearly there's a biological component? That these predators may be reverting back to their primitive savage ways? Are you serious? (Judy) I just stated the facts of the case! I mean, it’s not like a bunny can go savage. (Nick) Right. But a fox could, huh? (Judy) Nick, stop it! You're not like them. (Nick) [getting angered] Oh, so there's a “them” now? (Judy) You know what I mean! You're not that kind of predator. (Nick) The kind that needs to be muzzled? The kind that makes you believe that you need to carry around fox repellent? Yeah, don't think I didn't notice that little item on the first time we met. So l . . .let me ask you a question; Are you afraid of me? You think I might . . . I might go savage? You think that I might try to . . . [jumps forward] EAT YOU? [Judy jumps back and puts hand over Fox Spray]. I knew it. Just when I thought someone actually believed in me . . . (IMDb). The implication of this conversation is that those who are different in the wrong sort of way need to be controlled or limited in some crucial way so that they lose their autonomy. Near the end of the film, Judy offers the explanation to the behavior as a genetic predisposition in predators to violence, not unlike other racial accusations in human history. Dyer (1988) proposes that racism has become so inherent in society that racism breaks down into sub-categories based on descriptions such as countries of origin or income status. He also states that film-making continues to function with the notion that being white imbues the character with varying levels of superiority. Although the predators in Zootopia are all carnivores, they are placed into ranks of aggressiveness based on their species. Even the ram, the criminal boss figure, who although he is a sheep, is raised to the level of the predators by his violent nature. The idea that Dyer presents here is that racism soaks into a society and then moves into different classifications, to the point where those in power can claim to be blind to race – and yet the society remains racist. Consider the modern pattern of segregation that has taken place in many American cities. Instead of separating explicitly by race, different classes have separated in terms of economic power. However, the end result is that many cities have ethnic patterns of segregation that are more distinct than what were in place before the Civil Rights Act was passed.
Zootopia is a modern-day parable about battling prejudice and public panic against race by creating tolerance and establishing trust. The movie was given praise for entertainment and discussion of current social issues by (Pressberg, Rottentomatoes.com, Travers) and recent box office totals set ticket sales at $1,021,765,194 (TheNumbers.com). One of the latest offerings in films is encouraging people to accept diversity in all areas of culture, and Zootopia is a fun, thought-provoking presentation as a bunny battles racial stereotypes and achieves personal triumph in the process.
Works Cited
Blackwell, Judith C, Murray E. G Smith, and John Sorenson. Culture of Prejudice.
Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview Press, 2003. Print (pp. 37-38).
Brody, Richard. "The Worst Thing About “Birth Of A Nation” Is How Good It Is - The New
Yorker". The New Yorker. N.p., 2013. Web. 31 July 2016.
Dyer, Richard. "White". Screen 29.4 (1988): 44-64. Print.
Ebert, Roger. "A Time To Kill Movie Review & Film Summary (1996) | Roger Ebert".
Rogerebert.com. N.p., 1996. Web. 31 July 2016.
History.com. "Hepburn, Tracy and Poitier Star In Guess Who’S Coming To Dinner - Dec 12,
1967 – HISTORY.Com". History.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 31 July 2016.
IMDb. "Zootopia (2016)". IMDb. N.p., 2016. Web. 30 July 2016.
Neary, Lynn. "50 Years On, 'Mockingbird' Still Sings America's Song". NPR.org. N.p., 2010.
Web. 31 July 2016.
Pressberg, Matt. "Anti-Racist ‘Zootopia’ Is Crushing It In Countries Where Diversity Often
Doesn’t Play". International Business Times. N.p., 2016. Web. 30 July 2016.
Rottentomatoes.com. "Zootopia". Rottentomatoes.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 30 July 2016.
Singer, Matt. "Just How Racist Is Disney’S ‘Song Of The South’?". ScreenCrush. N.p., 2016.
Web. 31 July 2016.
The Numbers.com. "Zootopia". The-numbers.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 31 July 2016.
Travers, Peter. "'Zootopia' Movie Review". Rolling Stone. N.p., 2016. Web. 30 July 2016.
Ventura, Elbert. "How John Cassavetes' Shadows Changed American Movies Forever.". Slate
Magazine. N.p., 2016. Web. 31 July 2016.
