RE: ‘Racist allegories in Disney films’
Keith Reed,
You can’t be serious. Are you attempting to find work at the Onion? I don’t know your work other than this one article, but I hope you don’t believe most of what you wrote in it.
A little controversy is great for critical review, but I think you’ve missed the point of this movie’s message by quite a stretch. Its open metaphor regarding the dangers of closed-mindedness is ironically lost on you.
What are you talking about in the following two sentences? I feel as if you haven’t watched this movie.
“The animals that are usually prey in the animal kingdom are the dominant force and look down upon the predators. Throughout the whole world of Zootopia, the predators are bullied by the prey, and this is an amazing shift from reality.
Other than the end of the movie, the predators are bullying the prey. Toward the end of the movie, there are some bad-guy prey characters. However, they are clearly identified as wrong and violating their duties to the behave ethically and morally. In fact, the great climax of the movie is the good-guy prey character, Judy Hopps, taking down the bad-guy prey character, Assistant Mayor Bellwether.
Here is a review written by a professional: http://qz.com/633398/struggling-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-race-and-privilege-disneys-zootopia-has-you-covered/. It demonstrates comprehension of the story, insight into the real allegory, and appreciation for the craft. It’s one example among many that correctly identify the positive values of Zootopia.
Your work was irresponsible and reprehensible. Fortunately, it won’t be seen by very many people. For me, it represents all that is wrong with select members of the media today – those who perpetuate bad data as if they are meaningful, pawn off opinions as fact, or prey on others’ insecurities and fears to get attention. You should be more than a little ashamed of yourself for attempting to fuel a fire of anger when faced with a movie that artfully dedicated itself to the healing process for many past wrongs. Our nation and many others that have suffered gravely from devastating practices of civil-rights abuse, segregation, racism, sexism, classism, political and legal injustices and bigotry. Many awful practices still exist today; that must be fully addressed and stopped.
Do we have a long way to go to right these wrongs? Yes, we do. Does this movie provide a great platform to renew our commitment to combat inequalities? Yes, it does. Is a result of this movie a more informed and open dialogue about human rights, human dignity, and an end to bullying? It most certainly is.
This movie isn’t part of the problem. You, Keith Reed, are also not part of the solution when it comes to the movie review that was just published. I hope you will reconsider and use your talents for good.
I believe that you are a thoughtful, provocative, brave writer. There are plenty of injustices to uncover, so please put in the hard work it takes, and go uncover them. Be even more brave and force yourself not to hide behind cynicism, sarcasm, and disgust. Turn anger into action for righting wrongs rather than pointing fingers. And take advantage of opportunities and platforms such as this periodical to let your best voice be heard. Remember: Each article you write will serve as at least one reader’s first impression of you. May you be fortunate, from this day forward, to have every reader know you at your best.
Best regards,
Jonanthan Titus
RE: ‘Remain composed in the face of terror’
You are incorrect in your assertion that the attacks are possibly a sign of desperation. They were sophisticated in nature, well coordinated and undetected by the authorities. On top of that, they were able to recognize the attackers on security video so they knew them, and they were able to infiltrate anyway. These are all signs of a brazen and sophisticated and obviously well-organized network of Islamic terrorists. Yes, we should remain calm, but drastic measures must be taken to root out and kill these Islamic thugs before they can do more damage and kill more innocents. And by the way, the White House was officially at a ball game with the head of state from one of the most brutal dictators in the world.
Dave Thoensen