Movies have been used throughout the years as a modern way to explore many philosophical and moral conundrums. Various film makers come up with stories that are controversial, either because of the subject matter or the way it may be presented – still, it gets people to think. We are starting a new series where each article will focus on a single controversial subject matter which has appeared in movies or shows. And the very first topic of the series will be speciesism.
So what is speciesism? The differing in treatment or the varying moral consideration based on the species is called speciesism. An example of this would be the difference in treatment of dogs and cows by human beings – human beings treat dogs as their companions, while cows are slaughtered around the world for their meat and skin. And multiple variations of speciesism have been around for centuries. And among many academics – the ethics, morality, and concept of speciesism has been the subject of substantial philosophical debate.
Films and television series such as Carnage, District 9, Zootopia, Beastars and Bojack Horseman all tackle speciesism to various degrees that it makes audience members even think about the inner species divisions within human beings such as racism and same-sex relationships. In Zootopia, where anthropomorphic mammals (both predator and prey) co-exist together – the film gives a very believable look at the various prejudices that come from belonging to a certain species (not unlike a division seen among humans due to difference in skin colour or spoken language).
Of course, there are multiple documentaries that feature various types of animal cruelties. One of the biggest documentaries tackling this issue – Chris Delforce’s Dominion was a powerful piece which successfully showed animal cruelty while also portrayed the various speciesism multiple animals faced on a daily basis. This documentary features the narration of various actors such as Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara and Sadie Sink, as well as the singer Sia.
Currently speciesism is treated as a philosophical and moral conundrum and most movies treat them the subject matter in that manner. Most documentaries show us the huge issue upfront to our faces, but most of these important documentaries are not watched by a majority of the population – usually because of lack of interest or not having a vested interest. In fact, many people know more about the trailer for Netflix’s upcoming documentary series History of Swear Words than what is going on in the Dominion documentary. Obviously ill-treating any species is wrong, but with the lack of interest still being a prevalent issue, we need more creative ideas from film makers so as to give this controversy a more wide spread, global reach.
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
