Zootopia & Adressing Stereotypes

Rating: 10/10 (24 January 2020)

Ever wonder what a world without stereotypes would be like? In the movie Zootopia, directed by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush, the animated film has a purpose that sends a sweet, positive, and eye opening message to all watching about stereotypes. In fact, research shows that children have definite stereotypes on certain genders, ethnicities, and other social groups by age five, according to The Jane Group.
In the animated film, it all starts with a small bunny named Judy Hopps, voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin, and her desire and push to be anything she wants to be. Determined to make the world a better place, Judy takes off to the city of Zootopia after graduating first in her police academy class to be the first of her diminutive species to serve alongside larger animals like rhinos, elephants, etc. First assigned a parking ticket job then to finding a missing otter, Judy needed major help and found her person. To help her, she blackmailed a savvy fox named Nick Wilde that she caught committing all kinds of crimes with taxes and misdemeanors. Due to their mischievous appearance and perceived breaking the law ways, foxes are universally distrusted in Zootopia. Nick, voiced by Jason Bateman, helped out a ton throughout the adventures in each part of Zootopia, such as the tundra, rainforest, desert, etc.
Another Judy cheerleader in this film was Officer Clawhauser, voiced by Nate Torrence. Officer Clawhauser was a great example of stereotypes in this movie, as he would originally be percieved as an obese, effeminate cheetah who's obsessed with donuts and a singing superstar called Gazelle (voiced by Shakira). That wasn't the only stereotype based off of Officer Clawhauser though. While we are not sure, many percieved Officer Clawhauser or a predator in the film that simply embodies the kind of fat-queen stereotype, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Not only were many stereotypes made off of being a certain type of animal listed and appearance, but stereotypes were also created over the way they acted and viewed situations. Judy Hopps, for example, would not only be judged on her size (the fact that she was a bunny), but also because of her perky attitude and extra determined self. Sadly, stereotypes affect many of us everyday in reality. We try to be ourselves, but come off as oddballs, and I believe this film sends a good message that it is okay to be different and stand out in times others wouldn't. Our world these days tends to circle around trying to blend in and "act normal", but I believe that we all tend to forget the pressure we put on ourselves to feel accepted, when we are in control of that perception.
Overall, I believe the movie Zootopia sends a kind message to be accepting of everyone and don't judge others, all while keeping children entertained. With an upbeat soundtrack full of energy and suspense, I believe this PG movie was very successful in targeting all age groups entertainment, and it shows through the successful ratings and how high they grossed from this movie (around 1 billion). Hopefully someday everyone will acknowledge the kind messages emphasized in animated movies, like the animated movie Frozen and the message of possessing love within, and push for a stereotype free world too!