Gender Stereotypes In Zootopia

Judy Hopps, the central character of Disney’s film Zootopia, believes in a world where anyone can be anything. Zootopia, according Judy, is a place where predators and preys can peacefully coexist and where she can freely follow her dreams of becoming a policewoman and easily “make the world a better place.” Despite the fact that Judy is the first bunny to ever attempt to join the police force, Judy is steadfast in her hopes for her future and firmly believes that Zootopia will accept her own dreams and the dreams of others. But this is by no means the case. What Judy soon realizes is that Zootopia lacks any sort of utopian characteristics. Instead of Zootopia becoming a place of opportunity, acceptance, and harmony, it is a place of hidden

Sadly, the black community are often seen and depicted as the “predators” by the white community who believe themselves to be “preys” and therefore victims. Once the predators began to turn “savage,” the community, and most of the preys, instantly assumed that there was something biologically wrong the predators. Similarly, many views surrounding the black community are produced by similar fears and misinterpretations. Savagery, in today’s society, is often seen as criminal behavior. Criminal behavior is often presumed to be intensified in the black community and white individuals very easily see only through the lense fear, seeing all black individuals as “savage.” Even though criminal behavior is more often seen in the black community, it is due more to the presumptions of the outside community being placed on the community in question. There is nothing biologically wrong with these people. They are not animals. They are simply acting out of what is expected of them, just how Nick Wilde submitted to “untrustworthy” stereotypes placed upon him by the preys. Such rash judgements and inflictions are examples of criminal behavior in and within themselves and demonstrate how aspects of criminal behavior are found in us

The filmmakers’ intent in placing a political message within a children’s film is to demonstrate the significance and the necessity to not let fear divide us and further separate ourselves.We should not look at pursuing an utopian society and even politics as as naive or impossible, but should look at it with hope. Unfortunately, the racial prejudices found within this film and those found today are not new. It is a relentless, ruthless cycle that never fails to be a prevalent issue both in the past and the present. However, we as a society of both preys and predators need to acknowledge our personal prejudices and confront the truth of not only or past, but also of our past. Although we cannot change who we are physically, we can change who we are emotionally as we shift our focus of fixing each other to standing with each other. Because this process is counter cultural, we must demonstrate vulnerability as we honestly recognize the discrimination found within ourselves and our past and consequently move toward a future of