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. This type of belief was promoted by Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution and even Aristotle in his writings on the concept of “natural slaves”. In the course of community activity, racism and prejudice have the power to mold an individual’s behavior and feelings, many times rising to the surface as frustration and anger.
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). The storyline involves two families living just before the Civil War, one from the North and one from the South. Following the destruction of life in America pre-war, one brother forms the Ku Klux Klan. The actors playing black men were white men in makeup and the parts showed them as aggressive drunk set on undermining the country’s values. 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). Prejudice in the legal system was shown in To Kill a Mocking Bird, (Neary) released in 1962, and A Time to Kill (Ebert), released in 1996.And 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 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). 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.
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
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