Museum of Resistance and Resilience

Zootopia

Zootopia is a Disney movie centered around Judy Hopps, a bunny detective, and Nick Wilde, a sly con artist fox. They live in the city of Zootopia, a supposed utopia where all animals live peacefully with one another. When 14 animals go missing, Judy becomes determined to solve the case with the help of Nick. At first, viewers are introduced to the city of Zootopia as a paradise, where predators and prey have evolved past their biological differences to create a symbiotic society – Zootopia is a city without violence, with a very low crime rate, and inclusive regulations like architecture that suits animals of all sizes; it is evident that the residents of Zootopia have been conditioned to think the same, believing that they have overcome their differences to live in a society of sameness and thus safety. The issue is, as the movie unfolds and we follow Judy on her mission to track down the 14 animals who have mysteriously disappeared, the forces keeping this “utopia” in place are slowly revealed – cameras everywhere watching citizens’ every move, major species tensions (especially between predator and prey), frequent crime cover-ups by the government, and an overly intimidating and brutal police force that is incompetent at addressing residents’ concerns. Zootopia is a dystopian society in disguise, using suppressive techniques to maintain the guise of inclusivity. The citizens have unknowingly sacrificed their privacy for their supposed safety and wellbeing, but the issue is, how can we consider it a utopia if not every citizen is fully acknowledged and has their concerns satisfied? It is truly impossible to maintain a society without fear or pain unless the forces in power heavily control human behavior, which would make it lean more towards a totalitarian regime rather than a utopia.

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