Racism And Sexism In Judy Hopps 'Zootopia'

Zootopia is one of Disney’s most successful films in recent years. Its main goal at the time was to use animals as metaphors for humans in order to help kids understand racial tensions in the police and with the public. Disney achieved this, as well as incorporating underlying psychological themes that could be interpreted by audience members both big and small. They were harder to uncover, but some that I noted are how the characters are unique depending on how they were born and raised, the effects of isolation, and how they build relationships. I believe it’s important to look at the behavior of these animals since this film can be used as a tool to help children, and even adults, deal with their own behavior.

After introducing the article with a short narrative, the author shares, “At the turn of the last century, gorillas—strange, human-like creatures from ‘darkest Africa’—still flourished in the wild and thoroughly captivated the American public”(974). The words ‘flourished’ and ‘thoroughly captivated’ provide an example of loaded words that utilize the emotions of the reader. The author’s usage of this persuasive language helps to amplify the emotions of the reader toward zoos and zoo animals. Therefore, the author’s application of pathos and emotion assists in assuring the reader of zoos’

Predators, which are animals who are carnivorous or stereotypically wild, and prey are animals who are herbivores and are domesticable. Through this division, the creators display a social hierarchy. Prey are deemed as “the small guys” who do the small and humble work and are always underestimated and unappreciated by predators. Meanwhile, predators within society hold commanding and high positions but are seen as arrogant and inherently violent by the prey. This is important because it ties back to one of the two main reasons why social hierarchy is critical to social structure: “hierarchies shape our social lives and relationships in many different ways” (Manza, 90.) So while Judy may be breaking the social structure by becoming the city’s first ever rabbit cop she herself has been influenced by the social structure and hierarchy on how to react towards animals of different groups, primarily predators of Zootopian society. For example, Judy owns fox repellent and prior to leaving on her first day on the job she finds the fox repellent unnecessary, however at the last minute she decides to bring it with just in case of a predator attacking her. Furthermore, near the end of the film Nick becomes upset and confronts Judy, and Judy instinctively reaches for her fox repellent even though they're friends. This demonstrates the cold reality that prejudice is a quality that is

“Paradise Park Zoo” by Savannah Reich introduces the audience to caged animals that have anthropomorphic qualities, placing human characteristics on non-human animals or objects. Thus, the animals act more like humans than their animal counterpart. Using experimental psychology, the cages contend with an “elephant in the room.” As Reich examines an experiment that synthesizes how each cage would respond to an opportunity at freedom, the “elephant in the room” as opposed to feeling institutional oppression. In addition, Reich explores how the conflict affects capitalism through the lens of anarchism, patriarchy, and institutional oppression.

The Zoo is ever child’s dream of seeing strange animals that they have never seen before, but this zoo is like no other. “It was kept with things he could hunt, and it really wasn’t like any animal sanctuary” (Goldman 60). The zoo of Death as the zoo is called is full of

Given that the ZPD is made up of big predators and preys, Chief Bogo felt as though Judy can’t do the job, simply because she’s a small, cute bunny. Reverting back to the human world, the audience can recognize, that Chief Bogo is being bias. In Zootopia big animals think, that little animals aren’t supposed to do certain jobs. Just like in the human world, men think women aren’t supposed to do certain jobs. This film helps parents introduce the topic of social injustice; main focus is on teaching the audience about being prejudice. The protagonist herself has moments where she’s being prejudice. An example being, when Judy first saw Nick Wilde at the ice-cream parlor, she automatically assumed he was up to no good and started profiling him just, because he’s a fox. In reality people are always being profiled simply, because of

Judy Miles felt the same way as the character in the horror movies as a young girl when she roller skated to her friend’s house. One day, at about 10 years old, Judy Miles made plans with a friend to roller skate together, something she would often do with her friends and sisters for fun. Miles estimates that the small town where she grew up, Durant, Mississipi, consisted of only 2500 people. So even though her friend lived all the way across town, Miles was allowed to walk to her friends house because her parents had to work and take care of her five sisters. The kind of skates she owned weighed a ton and required a key to adjust, so she decided to roller skate instead of walk

“No matter what kind of person you are, I implore you: try. Try to make the world a better place. Look inside yourself and recognize that change starts with you” - Judy Hopps. The Disney movie, Zootopia, explains a society of animals where all the prey and predators get along together nicely. Judy Hopps, a rabbit, has always wanted to be a cop her whole life, but her parents want her to stay on the carrot farm to become a carrot farmer just like all of the other bunnies. After a lot of determination, Judy becomes the first prey/rabbit cop and moves to the city of Zootopia. The head officer explains that nine animals, prey and predators, throughout the four Zootopia zones had gone missing. Determined to prove her spot as a cop, Judy jumps at the opportunity to solve the mysterious cases. Judy went out trying to solve the cases with a mischievous fox to figure out what happened to the missing animals. Zootopia is a great modern day example of transcendentalism as it displays examples of nonconformity and confidence.

It is no surprise people enjoy stories of overcoming the odds. This is why both children and adults love the movie Zootopia. Walt Disney’s Zootopia is a heartwarming story on its own, but when it is analyzed, the movie has deeper meaning and lessons to learn. Zootopia not only has many post-colonial aspects that explain the mammals’ way of life, but it displays psychoanalytic tendencies about how the main characters childhoods affected them later in life.

The show and the theory are directly related by several points that have already been previously stated. The stereotypes mentioned in M. Butterfly are direct representations of the stereotypes mentioned in the theory. Though M. Butterfly is a major piece that has been directly known for its examples, other shows are known for such examples as well. “The highly profitable reincarnation of different version of the Butterfly story, from David Belasco’s Madame Butterfly to Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg’s Miss Saigon (1989), might well embody a ‘long line of Western misrepresentation of Asians, perpetuating a damaging fantasy of submissive ‘Orientals,’ self-erasing women, and asexual, contemptible men’” (Lee 13). Having more

Most people think of small animals, such as sheep, as meek and submissive due to their frequent portrayal as innocent characters in children’s stories and folklore; in these same stories, antagonistic characters tend to be fiercer animals such as lions or wolves. However, the children’s movie Zootopia, in which all characters are mammals, shows that this is not always the case. The characters in this film break the stereotypes against them by being different or the opposite of what the audience expects based on their species or occupation within the film. For instance, Judy Hopps solves the case on the missing mammals and why they went savage despite being a “dumb bunny”, and Nick Wilde turns from a sly con artist to the first fox cop. This

Traditionally, animated films have been made for and consumed by children, with the plotlines and themes being relatively basic and forthright. However, recent years have seen the release of animated films that explore significantly more adult themes and thought provoking ideas. Perhaps the most confronting example of adult themes in an animated film is in 2016’s ‘Zootopia’. The film forces viewers to think about concepts such as racial segregation, nature vs. nurture and the debilitating effect of stereotyping. Although Zootopia features anthropomorphic animals, it is easy to draw a connection between the film’s prey vs. predator narrative and racial divide in our own society.

A Disney film, Zootopia was released on March of 2016, it is not only a kid animated movie but a movie that exposes many social issues that we face in today’s society. This film is set in a city named Zootopia, where animals all sizes big and small come together to live a peaceful and civilized life. They “have abandoned traditional predator/prey roles in favor of civilized coexistence” (Rovi). In this film, there is a rabbit named Judy Hopps who has always dreamed of becoming a police officer, she lives in a town called Bunny Burrow. Where she lives with both parents and about two-hundred brothers and sisters. Judy leaves her parents and siblings behind to pursue her dream of becoming the first rabbit police officer, despite being told she will never be a police officer due to gender inequality. On her first day of work, she is assigned to be a traffic officer or as others referred to her a “meter maid.” She is determined that this will not stop her from being a real police officer. On her first day of duty, she gives out two hundred and two parking tickets and meets a con artist that happens to be a fox named Nick Wilde. In Zootopia, foxes are untrustworthy and discriminated for being foxes. This con artist will later help officer Hopps solve a mysterious crime. In Zootopia, a total of fifteen mammals go missing, and Judy puts her career on the line, for offering to help resolve this case. She is given forty-eight hours to crack this case if

The purpose of the research is to apply the concept of patriarchy in Radical Feminism theory to the female characters in the movie Zootopia as well as apply the concept of sex/gender system to the female characters in the film. By knowing the concepts, readers can also identify the types of oppressions faced by the characters and relate to real life as anthropomorphic animals are representation of human beings. According to Butler (1993), film analysis is able to provide insights into the ‘simultaneous production and subjugation of subjects’ and the mechanisms that sanction certain imaginaries as ‘real’ and others as ‘fantasies’. By analysing the movie Zootopia, the readers can see how the female characters are being portrayed in the film.

Zootopia is Disney’s New York City, the city of opportunities, where “anyone can be anything” (Zootopia). A female bunny can even be the first police officer in Zootopia history. Despite being constantly discouraged from persuading her dream, Judy Hopps proves her doubters wrong and becomes Zootopia’s first bunny police officer. Once at the male dominant Zootopian Police Department, the hopeful Judy is placed on parking duty and is outsmarted by the fox, Nick Wilde. On her second day, she is almost fired for insubordination, but Judy is given one last chance to prove herself by finding one of the missing predators. With the help of Nick Wilde, she begins her investigation, where she is constantly disrespected by the male characters. However, her feminine and masculine qualities allow her to eventually gain their respect. With Judy in the lead of the investigation, it is discovered that the once innocent Mayor Bellwether was behind the disappearances and she is arrested. Zootopia is once again peaceful and is under the protection of the respected Officer Judy Hopps. By comparing Judy Hopps to the other gender roles present in the film, Zootopia shows that moving between the masculine-feminine spectrum should be accepted and encouraged.