With everything that’s been going on in the world this last year, we should all take a moment to reflect on what is at stake. Whatever your thoughts are on the BLM movement, it doesn’t change the impact it has had. It’s quite a coincidence that Zootopia deals with this very topic, albeit in a very different way.
In this comic by RelaxableFur, Judy is seen revisiting one of her life choices. The video as dubbed by Kieran Hammersley can be seen below. Take a look and perhaps consider weighing in with your own take on the matter.
You guys REALLY may want to be careful with this one, people can and might stir up trouble over it. Just a little warning.
Yeah, this might have been a bad idea.
Not to sound… rude, for a lack of a better vocabulary. But this is a little too political for this site. I have my stance and my reason for it, sadly the one that makes everyone hate you (Don’t get it? Eh, don’t push me. I’m not here for politics).
Next up you’ll bring the hatred, rage, and insecurities that created stupid part of this whole thing –because I’m on the internet I should clarify I’m talking about emotional out lashes weather using the internet to create emotional harm to someone or willingness to kill a man’s family(yes that happened); not actual peaceful protest, because you have a right to express opinion as long as you stay sane in your method–
I love ZNN because it brings us together because of a movie, a single movie. Wasn’t that point the end, see differences despite race, gender, and life situation? can’t we throw political views there too?
Now I’m not saying delete this post, that’s your choice. I’m trying to express concern. I don’t want to see the Zootopia community’s safe spot get torn to shreds. I again am on the side that nobody likes, but I’m not going to pull out my argument arsenal for this. Why? because like I keep saying to get across the point: I see this website as a safe spot, let’s not take that away. Everyone hates each other right now and I don’t think prodding this subject is a good idea at the momment. Maybe in a few months maybe a few weeks if we’re some how lucky.
Am I saying what you should do: no. But am I wanting to give something to consider: yes. For I know you guys might just delete this comment and press onward. I’ll probably be salty for a few hours but in the end it’s your choice.
Wow, so much is wrong with the message in this comic. I get that it was created earlier at the height of emotional turmoil when all this happened. But to say that a good cop should quit because they think the system is broken does what? It leaves the bad cops. Now all we have are bad cops in a system that will work to corrupt it even more. The answer shouldn’t be to cancel the police or for the good guys to give up like this comic suggest. The answer is to make our police better. They need better training. They need better resources to track bad cops so they can’t go somewhere else. This comic completely flips Judy’s character upside down and in my opinion is character assassination. Like Judy said, she doesn’t know when to quit. Why would she quit now when she is in a place to help institute change. To be that force that helps shape the ZPD into what it should be? And let’s not forget that Nick is still there. Nick obviously didn’t quit. Maybe because he knows that if you want to change something it has to start from the inside. It has to start with someone’s heart. And in this case the heart of the police are the police officers themselves. This comic has an extremely negative message. Cut out the good to make ourselves feel better and leave the bad to contaminate an honorable profession.
Compared to all the the comments here so far I agree with the message that this comment is trying to portray. I am in full support of the BLM movement and in defunding the police. Judy can still try to make a difference whether or not she’s a cop. Her quitting her job just means she’s no longer taking part in an oppressive system. To say that politics shouldn’t be a topic on this website despite the fact that Zootopia has political themes is hypocritical.
We want accountability for police actions! Get rid of the thing that will actually accomplish that!
Every time defunding the police is tried, it is mostly backed up by the wealthy and privileged, who then hide behind their private security as violent crime skyrockets.
I’m not keen on this. It seems to be jumping on a popular political fad without thinking through the implications. It’s especially strange given that Zootopia had been one of the few acceptable positive portrayals of police recently. As mentioned in a comment above, this really messes up Judy’s character, and doesn’t even bother to address what the horrible implications are for Nick. Not only that, but it uses a horribly oversimplified analogy for an existing complex issue, which is not even consistent with what we see in the movie (apparently the racist ZPD is oppressing predators, even though a clear majority of them are predators). Ultimately, this comic completely messes up established setting and characters to preach a very shallow political message.
I want to thank you for having the fortitude to put this up on this website. I know, from a very personal standpoint, how some members of this fandom react to anything related to this topic. It surprises me this is a hot-button issue, given that the very movie that has brought us all together here deals with systemic and casual racism. But, then again it does not surprise me. Some of the comments remind me of the essay comments I used to get on my writings, after I voiced my opinion, despite the fact you’ve made it clear that ZNN makes no statement by sharing this content. But, you asked for my thoughts, so I thought I’d give it here, too.
African-American lives are not a political matter. It is not political to say that you do not want people to be killed based on their race. The statistics prove there is an issue with both over and under policing of minorities, and clear evidence of systemic racism exists (I have a diploma in Criminal Justice, I learned this in clear detail). The statement that ‘standing up for people who are being disproportionately killed is political’ is saying the value of their lives is based on a political viewpoint. And, if that isn’t the most racist thing I’ve ever heard, that their value depends on political stance, then I don’t know what is. Maybe not intended, but by wilful blindness of their own views. Does the police need reform? Yes. Should we force that reform by dismantling the institution and starting over if it is unsalvageable? If needed, heck yes. ‘A few rotten apples’ ignores the issue that it is the barrel they are stored in that is causing it, to use an example. That is the shortest way to explain my views.
This comic highlights an important piece of Judy’s character. That she wants to make the world a better place. If she were part of a system that made the world a worse place for mammals based upon their species, genus, or whatever, I have little doubt she would stand for what she believes in rather than the ZPD. After all, she emphasized this trait once before, when she first laid that badge on the desk, and walked away. When she returned with information important to the case, she didn’t care about telling the ZPD immediately. All she cared about was the friend that she’d lost, because of her speciesist comments. Thus, instead of heading for the ZPD to solve the case, she sought out Nick.
I am unafraid to place my name to my statement. Find me on various sites if you wish, bash me, none of it bothers me. I believe what I believe. I stand for what I stand for. My mom taught me to love, and to stand with those in pain, and by all the gods of any pantheon, I will hold onto those beliefs forever.
Thank you for reading this.
I doubt you’ll read this but, Do a little research before you make claims of what we should do. If you believe it’s still needs a reform, good for you: freedom of speech.
Be careful what you ask for. Interestingly enough, more white folks get killed than black. And good cops, weather for the right reason or not, want to get rid of the bad ones just as much as you do. We see the worst of best places. get payed surprising low, and technically pay our own salary. most departments getting the short end of the stick when it comes to city spending. In the end, nobody seems to care. Though retirement benefits are alright.
Yes, racism exists in all forms. sadly, the people behind it will always exist with nothing you can do. they find loop holes, always. But sometimes you mistake something racist we do as part of training. sometimes you make that same mistake with us not doing something that we know doesn’t work.
I ask, before you ask for a reform: do research, maybe ride along, and get an understanding. No problem is fixable without understanding it.
Though if we do get something, I want department issued back scratchers and baby wipes. You do not know how useful those two things are. put the word in for me, alright?
But in all honesty, whatever you believe in: keep loving, and stay strong.
Did my research. Three years of it, at University, and it continues every day. I’ve had innumerable instructors who are former officers who not only taught about these issues, but provided evidence to prove that it’s real, that it’s happening, and that the police are deliberately being ignorant in many cases. That the police need reform, and now. My instructors have Masters, PhD’s, and etc along with life experience in the field. Do you dare say that they are not educated, or informed? And be careful with throwing unsubstantiated stats around. More white people may be killed than African American in total, but if you do not account for ethnic density, then you’re just making a fool of yourself.
I speak not as some ignorant fool who only reads or watches the news. I speak as a person in direct contact with industry professionals, research professors, and education institution projects who are more than a ‘little’ researched and aware of what is going on. It might be easy for you to believe that every person on the internet has no idea what truly goes on in the line of police work, but sometimes, you’re just plain wrong.
I never said you weren’t educated. Just to be careful and make sure that you are. It takes one piece of misinformation and everyone is screwed. You seem like you have your reasoning for what you believe in. And I mentioned the statistic of whites being killed more than blacks simply because some don’t know it. And I want to make sure it’s there like salt on the table, you may not need it but it’s there.
And yes I do understand that there are people on the internet who do understand how the police work. But it never hurts to remind someone. Well, except for twitter. I have lost all hope there.
I did not mean to seem like trying I was attacking you, but more of a drop of information in case you didn’t know it. If you do and you still believe what you believe: that’s a good thing. As long as you don’t do something crazy, like attempting to murder someone, I am 100% alright what you believe and what you do with it. Even if I disagree.
I decided to look into this. And essentially, this is a good lesson on how to screw your main characters in a logical way. Hear me out.
Yes, this is actually in Judy’s character to do this, but that’s actually worse. She (no pun intended) jumps to conclusions, While Nick is a little more cautious.
Now for sake of argument, let’s say this police brutality protests are happening in Zootopia and it’s very similar to what’s happening in the US but maybe not exact.
Judy may think that, “Why do I work for this system” every time she sees a video of someone being “Unrighteously killed” (It’s grammar, and not sarcasm quote marks, calm down). Nick on the other paw, would be more like: “Something seems odd, I’m going to look into it.” and is most likely to use the resources he has: training, experience, records, and even body cam footage if the ZPD has them(I guessing yes due to the look of their budget). And in these cases Nick would be able to make the calls of: “Yeah that was justified”, “That was unjustified and could lead to an arrest”, “Justified, but that’s doesn’t excuse their terrible approach.”, ect. No context is left out, which is the most important thing before you say whose right and whose wrong. Judy, again, would most likely forget about these resources and thus would not use them on her own. Honestly, I’m pretty sure it would be Nick to teach HER a few lessons about context.
But let’s say in this comic’s scenario, she never spoke out about her feelings on the matter and never learned these lessons. Judy would say this and commit to her decision. Nick would most likely be mad and trying to hold it in, something around the lines of: “Your not the freind I knew.” “Your going to side with the ones who don’t care about the actual issue, and take stuff out of context just to make cops look bad” , and “You open my mind and yet you close your mind to the idea your very co-workers could be good mammals and are not willing to think about all the possibles, that they could be working to the same goal as you regardless if they like it or not?”, maybe more but you get the idea. Nick would just be mad and most likely would say something that would end their friendship out of spur of the moment.
Oh boy… Here’s the chaos. First, Judy’s out of a job –No surprise there–;Next, everyone else she knew on the ZPD probably won’t talk to her anymore out of sheer disappointment; This will be big news, making some people less likely to comply with police, causing more dangerous everyday scenarios that still don’t make the police any better (and a bit of a paradox); and worse, most protesters will still hate her despite quitting. Judy probably could not even walk past a local protest without some the idiots who are prone to violence ganging up on her and attempting to beat her to a pulp; no back up, and people being people by coming and surrounding the area to watch, giving her little to no escape without some significant injures.
So here we are, Judy’s got: pretty much no friends in city (except maybe in the mafia, but that might still not end well), she ending up causing more problems in the city whether she realizes it or not, got no job, will have a harder time finding a job due to her public status, no way or reason to go back to the ZPD, and by now realizes she hurt and backstabed her best freind a second time with by the looks of no recovery.
She is going to feel miserable, and after all that: will most likely feel that’s there’s nothing left for her in the world. She could go back to the farm, but that’s not fixing anything. After everything, a little more time might be all it takes her to push her self off the edge. Literally. Interestingly enough, and very tragically, retried police officers are very likely to commit suicide– feeling a lack of purpose, constantly questioning themselves about everything they did, still people hating them because they work with police, and very vivid memories of the horrors of society they have seen, maybe more–. Judy would, if not already, have every single one of those, and that’s on top of losing her best freind again. Unfortunately, all of this would probably hit Judy harder then a brick being fired out of a cannon due to her emotions as seen being a little more… multiplied, because I don’t know how else to explain it. It’s clear to me what she would do.
Oh, we’re not done. Again, Judy was big news a couple years back. her death would make the headlines for sure, meaning Nick would have to hear that his best freind took her own life. Nick would never be the same. All of his humor would be dead, major depression, slowly unable to feel anything. Knowing him, yeah he still cared about her despite the betrayal he felt. She got him out of a literal and metaphorical ditch. Hearing this news would make him lie awake every night with only regrets. He would, like many, blame himself for her death. Even worse, he would have a valid argument against himself. There’s nothing you can say could convince him it wasn’t his fault, even with therapy. After a few years, Nick will become very distant from everyone he knows, be a lot more aggressive over all, and desperately trying to feel something. It’s not likely for him to consider suicide, but still he would probably do things he wouldn’t do otherwise. And they wouldn’t be good things. He’s going to retire miserable and most likely alone.
You know how there are games with multiple endings, usually containing a simple good and bad ending? This is as a bad ending as you get. There is no logical way for this to end well. like I said in the start: this is a good lesson for writers who want to screw their main characters as much as possible. One dies and other feels miserable for the rest of their life.
Now some things I brought up are very serious topics, and that sometimes happens when you take things in a realistic perspective. Some things where a little harder for me to type due to me having a decent personal understanding. If you need to: don’t be afraid to talk to trusted people about these things, especially if it came from a random internet post. If you think you need a hotline, call one. If anyone has good sources for them, feel free to share. The only depression hotline I could find that seemed some what trust worthy might only apply to those in US, so share any other ones you can find.
844-833-4643
again, don’t be shy about these things, being open about any major subject like this can prevent people from doing very harmful things. To themselves or others. It is important! Especially if it keeps haunting you! Even if it came from a random series of text in context of a fan comic for an animated movie.