Modern Mythology and Predator Discrimination in Zootopia (2016): A Barthesian Semiotic Analysis

Abstract

This research analyzes the animated film Zootopia (2016) as more than just children’s entertainment. It is examined as a cultural text that communicates ideological meanings through its story, characters, dialogue, and visual symbolism. The study applies Roland Barthes semiotic theory of myth to explore how the film constructs and naturalizes the idea of predators as a collective threat. Through a qualitative descriptive method, the analysis focuses on key scenes, selected dialogues, and symbolic representations within the film. The findings reveal that Zootopia promotes a hidden narrative of fear and social control by repeatedly associating predators with danger through signs such as sharp eyes, muscular bodies, and aggressive behavior. The film also employs rhetorical strategies including inoculation, which admits minor faults to distract from deeper problems; ex-nomination, which makes the dominant group appear neutral and unnamed; and quantification, which uses statistics to rationalize fear. These strategies work together to disguise discrimination as a natural social response. The research contributes to the study of literature and film by offering a semiotic approach to understanding how ideology operates in popular media. It emphasizes the importance of critical media literacy and shows how myths in film can influence public perception of identity, power, and social order. In conclusion, Zootopia serves as an example of how modern myths are formed and how they function ideologically in contemporary cultural texts.