Therapist Reacts to Implicit Bias in ZOOTOPIA

Disney’s Zootopia is a story of learning to overcome implicit bias, prejudices, and stereotypes.

Judy Hopps is a good-hearted, open-minded bunny who rejects her parents’ and others’ prejudices. But working with sly fox Nick Wilde, she discovers she still has implicit biases she has to overcome.

Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright walk through her journey and how you too can work on getting rid of implicit bias. They also take a look at apologies and forgiveness in our relationships, how others' expectations can impact us, and the power of learning from other people's experiences and perspectives.

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Cinema Therapy is:
Written by: Megan Seawright, Jonathan Decker and Alan Seawright
Produced by: Jonathan Decker, Megan Seawright & Alan Seawright
Edited by: Alan Seawright
Director of Photography: Bradley Olsen
Russian Transcription by: Alena Petriaeva

[kid_invicible]

I just realized that that when the pig told the cheetah to go back to the forest, it had the same energy as telling someone from Asia to go back to China, Japan or India.




Damn, dudes, thanks for the likes, I didn't expect this to blow up.

[balrozgul]

I think part of the reason why Judy feels that she cannot be biased is the fact that she actively fights against a bias herself as to what bunnies are capable of. It is particularly easy to feel that as a victim you are incapable of also being a perpetrator.

[JinbaHGS]

I just noticed the reaction of the predator reporters in the news conference scene. All of them immediately go defensive, ears back, and nervously looking around them. Subtle, but effective to show the instant ripple effect of her statement.

[caitrose]

i have always been so struck by the moment where Judy says "youre not like them!" and he replies, "oh, there's a *them* now?"
thats very heavy and real and completely encapsulates the whole movie's thesis.

[sofiaabate]

“Go back to the forest!” “I’m from the Savanna!”
I think immigrants could relate to this.

[kitsunegirl]

Two bros chilling in a video five feet apart so the dog can have a nice place to snooze between them

[Tuntor]

Fun fact: When investigating Nick Wilde for the first time when he walks into the Ice Cream Shop, she jaywalks across the street. This is not something she normally does. When giving out tickets, she never jaywalks, as she has a deep respect for the law, but this one time seems to be an exception.

[jayforday]

I love the fact that Alan cries so openly, it needs to be applauded for how normal it is.

[Palitato]

Didn't even touch on the fact that the real villain the whole time was the most innocent seeming animal of them all. No matter how "good" or "nonviolent" they seem to be, anyone has the capability of being a terrible person.

[tommihorttana]

I love how the case is solved because Judy's parents, quietly in the background, resolved their own prejudices and started working with a fox.

[brendonhavener]

17:11 really hits home. I am a flamboyant dude and since middle school lots of people just assumed that because I was flamboyant I was gay, despite my protestations. Eventually I just ended up acting “gay” because that’s what they expect. It felt awful that nobody believed me, even when they were like “it’s okay we won’t judge you for being gay”

[directioner]

“The mark of a good apology is less about, he’s crying again”
I love sentence like these that get cut off and flow into others 😂😂

[davidgoldnrose]

Omg so that's why "oh wow you're autistic? I couldn't tell!" Feels like such a backhanded compliment

[cursedsoul]

Can we mention the beautiful line “Oh there’s a THEM now?” It’s perfect and shows his emotions and feelings wonderfully

[waitwhat]

Worked at Fast Food a while ago, and some customer was being REALLY dumb.

My manager at the time, is Native American. So when this customer says "Go back to your country!" I actually had to hold back a laugh.
Bro this is his country

But it's still sad that just the skin tone was enough to make that man think less of someone else.

[khananiel-joshuashimunov]

I loved that, during the big reveal, it's the villain is this meek little sheep. You as the viewer are implicitly put in this 3rd person perspective, you're above the petty biases of these dumb animals. And then, in a brilliant moment, the frame of this twist says that YOU are just as susceptible. Teaches you that you need to work on yourself, no matter who you are.

[minvi]

“Go back to the forest, predator”
“I’m from the savannah”
This scene reminds me of the amount of times I’ve been told “go back to China” or other racist names/phrases. I’m not even Chinese, but it doesn’t even matter because it is no excuse to be racist, it’s still sinophobic whether i’m Chinese or not because they had the intention and it is disgusting.

[person]

I really appreciate that they show Nick in this film as the stereotypical fox to begin with. It shows that “yes maybe you met a minority who fits the negative stereotype but that doesn’t mean that’s evidence that it was alright for you to have that assumption about them in the first place” Sometimes media focuses too much on “this person breaks the mold of their stereotype” which is Problematic because it’s still suggest the stereotype is true, it’s just this one person is an exception. Nick also shows that people can act like stereotypes due to feeling like they have no other choice, which provides people with “evidence” to their discrimination and thus more stereotypes and then the cycle continues.

[CeltycSparrow]

I DO find it ironic that Judy was a victim of bias, herself, when she was a child....she wanted to break the norm and be a police officer, because she believed the mantra that "anyone can be anything." Her parents scoffed at this notion and said "no, you just need to be a bunny. Be a carrot farmer. Settle for what is safe and comfortable. And even when she gets to the police academy, the polar bear instructor ALSO says ""Just QUIT....you are not worthy of this. Give up." but she is determined to fulfill her childhood dream of being a police officer, and eventually, through hard work and perseverance, she achieves this dream. She breaks the bias, so to speak. But then, Judy meets Nick, and because of her upbringing and life experiences, she INSTANTLY does not trust Nick because he is a fox, and she has been raised to believe that foxes are untrustworthy and malicious and bad. And she even eventually starts to trust Nick and they become friends....and she's even willing to consider Nick as her new partner. But then, when she falls back into the implicit bias, Nick calls her out on this....and I respect Judy because not only is she willing to consider that her personal beliefs are wrong (i.e. when she thought it was the wolves who were Night Howlers and it turned out to be toxic flowers making the animals go savage) she is willing to sincerely apologize to Nick and admit that she was wrong. She was willing to take responsibility for her mistakes and make them right.

[kellyl]

As a woman with an obvious disability (I use a power wheelchair), I have also gotten the "you are so articulate" "compliment" so many times, or people are surprised that I have 2 Masters degrees. It was worse when I was in middle and high school when I was literally treated like a young child because people just assumed I had an intellectual disability, so I think it's slowly getting better. However, I guess my only criticism is that many times when diversity and especially bias are discussed, disability seems to be the last group included in the discussion if at all. That being said, as also a white person raised in a progressive household, I'm sure that I've been guilty of similar microaggressions, and my friends probably did what I did and let it slide because everyone hates conflict and confrontation.