In an age of growing social awareness, there is a growing demand for films that explore and challenge society's norms, standards and institutions , especially those that influence the way of life based on sex. Younger generations desire films where dominant female characters drive the plot and are the focus of the story. Two films achieve both goals of being led by female characters and challenging social institutions - Wonder Woman and Zootropolis - although the two films achieve these goals in very different ways. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Although both films have a female protagonist, Zootropolis and Wonder Woman differ drastically in their depiction of hegemonic masculinity, hierarchical dimensions of gender, and patriarchy. While Byron Howard and Rich Moore largely avoid these issues in Zootopia, Patty Jenkins makes them key themes of Wonder Woman. However, both films share key characteristics: a reinforcement of components of masculinity, the absence of non-women subjugated by their gender, and the absence of a clear demonstration of women empowering or working against gender inequality. Sharon R. Bird, quoting Connell, defines hegemonic masculinity as "the maintenance of practices that institutionalize the domination of men over women." Therefore, hegemonic masculinity can be said to be present in these films if such institutional practices are present, and while they are certainly present in Wonder Woman, the same cannot be said for Zootopia. There is no clear barrier, legal or social, preventing women from ascertaining positions of influence in Zootopia, whether in government or the police force. In fact, in the first bullpen scene, the first police officer mentioned by name in the film, Francine, was a woman, and Assistant Mayor Bellwether held a high position in the city government. Meanwhile, Judy Hopps is never told that she can't be a police officer because of her gender; she is discriminated against just because of her species. Wonder Woman, on the other hand, prominently features discriminatory institutional practices throughout the film, from the scene in which Diana is essentially kicked out of the Supreme War Council because she is a woman to the scene in which she is repeatedly belittled by male British generals while translating Doctor Poison's notebook. The kind of overt gender discrimination outlined in Bird and Connell's definition of hegemonic masculinity is largely absent in Zootopia, but is very present in Wonder Woman. Bird and Connell's definition of hegemonic masculinity is not just about domination over women, but about domination over women. subordinate masculinities." None of these films show clear examples of this type of domination. Nowhere in Zootopia is an institutional practice depicted in which subordinate masculinities are dominated, and although Wonder Woman shows many practices that institutionalize the domination of men over women , at no point does the film show any examples of men with "superior" masculinities dominating those of subordinate masculinities. Bird outlines three components of masculinity that she argues are perpetuated by heterosexual male homosociality: emotional detachment, competition, and sexual objectification. of women The components of masculinity can be said to be strengthened in a film if these elements are present, and although both films contain some of these components, neither contains all three, and each film contains the components that are missing. to the other. Wonder Woman offers many clear onescompetition demonstrations; The film's central conflict, World War I, was itself a gigantic competition between the belligerents to see who could be more dominant, and leaders such as Sir Patrick Morgan and General Lutendorf regularly competed to be the most influential and have the most decision-making power in their respective governments. The film also shows the sexual objectification of women, with Sameer's first words to Diana after meeting her being about her body. Wonder Woman lacks examples of emotional detachment, but Zootopia contains many; the aforementioned first bullpen scene shows Chief Bogo and other dominant male officers acting emotionally detached. Nick Wild, the film's most prominent male character, is characterized by a reluctance to express emotion, demonstrated when he quickly changes the subject after telling the story of how he was discriminated against during his Junior Ranger Scout initiation. Taken together, both films depict and reinforce all three components of Bird's hegemonic masculinity. Lee-Jane Bennion-Nixon defines the modern concept of the "warrior woman", a female character often recognized by the "physical/mental strength she displays". in the face of adversity” (310) and that “has the ability to reveal the hierarchical dimensions of gender in contemporary society and culture.” Both films have female protagonists who could reasonably be argued to constitute “warrior women,” but the films differ in whether the main characters reveal gender hierarchies or work to overturn them. In Wonder Woman, Diana clearly exposes and works to overturn gender hierarchies. When she is expelled from the Supreme War Council for being a woman, she questions why she was one, and when she is belittled by the generals while decoding Doctor Poison's notebook, she continues to speak despite the comments of her male colleagues. In Zootopia, however, gender hierarchies are never truly explored. Judy's successes against adversity, such as joining the police force or being named police chief, are seen as victories for her species rather than her gender. Zootopia's failure to address gender hierarchies largely prevents the film from showing or presenting patriarchy, although one could reasonably argue that the overwhelming representation of males in Zootopia's PD is a presentation of patriarchy. However, in Wonder Woman, the presentation of patriarchy is clear; once Diana leaves Themyscira, most of the institutions are dominated by men. The Supreme War Council is made up entirely of men, all the soldiers she encounters are men, and the group she travels with to the Western Front is entirely male besides herself. The only prominent female character in the entire film after Diana leaves Themyscira is Doctor Poison; the rest of the world she faces is dominated by men. Bennion-Nixon argues that the "warrior woman" archetype can serve to challenge and raise awareness of gender inequality, among other issues women face in real life. However, it is unclear whether the women featured in the two films counteract gender inequality or serve to reinforce it. In Zootopia, gender inequality is never truly explored, and at no point are Judy Hopps' successes, such as uncovering Mayor Lionheart's initial plan, ever celebrated as progress for her gender. Online, Wonder Woman appears to challenge gender inequality more than it reinforces it; the depictions of the Amazons as powerful warriors and Diana's dominance in the film counteract society's expectations for women in the film. However, a relatively important character who at least dilutes the.