Zootopia is a famous film whose adulation had not been forthcoming; at least, its creators never thought it could grab the attention of many scholars. However, it subverted the expectation of its creators when the anthropomorphic animals in the film began being used as a lens for viewing multiple social problems. Zootopia evinces an extraordinary paradox that exists in the current society where functional laws are juxtaposed with social injustices like class struggle, ethnocentrism, and racial biases. This sad reality is experienced by Nick, the fox, who has to contend with implicit bias, whereby his community is considered sly and untrustworthy. The creators of Zootopia managed to create a relevant work that shows the extent to which the themes of racial bias, class struggle, and ethnocentrism are embedded in the current society.
The issue of racial discrimination, as it portrays itself in the United States, has been intricately woven into the movie. Zootopia presents racism as a way in which certain people see others as prey and others as predators. It creates a sad feeling among viewers in the sense that some people do not believe that racial discrimination exists or that they lack the imagination to uncover it. Still, Zootopia also addresses the fragility among people who benefit from racial discrimination and their reluctance to address the issue. In the film, Judy, a rabbit cop, meets Nick, a fox who should be her partner. Before the rendezvous, Judy’s parents had given her a fox repellent to scare foxes because, according to Judy’s parents, foxes are sly con artists. Judy wonders what she will do with the repellent but accepts it nevertheless because of her lack of understanding. Avoiding Judy’s meeting with Nick, it is essential to note that some people become discriminative even without their knowledge(Zootopia, 2016). Still, it shows Judy’s fragility; she cannot show her disdain for prejudice by effortlessly accepting a fox repellent. To a significant extent, the movie shows how many people live in denial when it comes to racism; they hate it without a doubt but would not mind propagating it if it is to benefit them.
Similarly, class struggle can be noted. Every developed country looks brimming with opportunities before one veer closer, and the same is true about Zootopia. Judy’s dream is to be a successful person and to participate in lifting her community in prominent roles. However, she is just a tiny bunny who cannot be left to handle prominent roles. The creators of Zootopia convincingly use the ethos and physical appearances of certain animals to create a symbolic representation of how society has been organized. This representation is an apt metaphor for class struggle because it shows that prominent positions are left for big animals and vice versa. The use of big animals to show the power disparity is unique and convincing. It satisfies curiosity and creates the image viewers want to uncover in that society. It conveys the message that even in a perfect society, some benefit and suffer (Zootopia, 2016). To top it off, it satisfies the allegory of power that an 800-pound gorilla sits anywhere it wants. Thus, the bunny can only sit at a small table and do menial tasks because that is what it is: a small person in society.
Furthermore, there is an inherent ethnocentrism, where some animals consider themselves better than others. The creators of Zootopia show how easy it is for a miscellany of animals to live together and still level prejudice against each other. It all comes down to ethnocentrism, the fact that some are better and deserving than others and that others are not deserving enough. Judy is a cop who is not allowed to search for big animals. Her superiors do not mind if her expertise could enable her to find these lost animals and make the job a success; they do not just want the lost animals to be found by her. Zootopia shows how individuals in society easily exalt themselves and their customs against others. It is more accessible for one group of people to elevate themselves and look down upon others with scorn just because they look and behave differently (Zootopia, 2016). The most disheartening thing that Zootopia uncovers is the possibility of the “superior” group predating the inferior group and not only demeaning it but causing harm.
In the United States, Black scholars are seldom given visibility like white scholars are, and it is also possible to observe the disproportionate killing of young black men by police officers. There are many stereotypes that the groups that consider themselves superior peddle to mock others. They may say lazy, un-enterprising, amoral, or even materialistic. When a group is labeled as un-enterprising, it becomes easier for violence to be instigated against it on the pretext that it is becoming a parasite. The temerity of one community to want to exterminate a specific community exists because individuals in the “superior” community consider the marginalized community as a burden. In other words, they are not disenfranchised, but they exist because they want to leech the mainstream community. Therefore, Zootopia argues the importance of drawing lines in the sand, whereby marginalized communities show they are not afraid to act against petty injustices. The film also shows how much people can go when waging their asymmetrical resistance against oppression and ethnocentrism (Zootopia, 2016).
The asymmetrical resistance is not a euphemism for violence. Instead, it shows the importance of keeping the customs that enable people to meet specific needs. The idea that some groups consider others as barbaric and uncivilized when they practice their customs is terrible. The movie shows that intolerance begins with minor missteps and the disdain for simple things that keep society together. It starts with a bunny mother running away from a tiger on a train and ends with bunnies wanting to exterminate foxes. Accordingly, the script is invariably clever; it shows that meritocracy is nothing more than a myth that is shouted out loud in society. Judy is educated, forthright, and dependable, which makes her best positioned for the job. Still, she cannot get visibility assignments because she is bunny and feminine. She is told, “It is not about how bad you want something; it is about what you are capable of!”(Zootopia, 2016). This idea shows that even with education and talents, backgrounds and classes, or even gender, some people can still be considered incapable.
In summary, the movie is a clever yet scintillating way of demonstrating the world’s problems and why infrastructure must be implemented to fix them. Zootopia shows that racism is embedded both implicitly and explicitly. From a bunny mother who does not want to sit next to the tiger to the bunny cop who is given menial tasks, racism is presented in ways that people can understand. Still, class struggle also affects how various groups and communities interact; it shows who will get the jobs and promotions or whose voice will be heard first between the bunny and the fox or even the lion. Regarding ethnocentrism, the comparison of one’s culture to that of another person is what leads to prejudice and bias. When certain groups consider their customs to be those of others, words like absurd, savage, and illogical are likely to come without a clear understanding of why some people do what they do.
Reference
Howard, B., Moore, R., & Bush, J. (Directors). (2016). Zootopia [Video]. IMDbPro.
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