The Problem With The Alpha Dragons
So one of the things I have a problem when it comes to HTTYD is the usage of the term alpha for dragons such as the Bewilderbeast, with them being called alpha dragons.
Now I have no problem with the role the Bewilderbeast serves with the title of the King of Dragons, nor do I have a problem with it's powers. My problem is with the usage of the alpha concept via the alpha species. This is because this concept is a pseudoscience, and one that can pretty dangerous to spread around.
So the concept of the alpha originates from the concept of the alpha wolf, and by extension omega and beta wolves. The concept of the alpha wolf originated from studies on wolves that were held in places such as zoos, or in other words captivity. One L. David Mech who studied some of these wolves wrote about the concept in their book The Wolf. The idea they had was that wolves would fight for dominance and whichever was the most aggressive or strongest would become the leader the alpha, with others submitting. This concept was wrong because this research was done with wolves held in captivity, and we know how animals in captivity don't act like how they should. It would eventually be found that in the wild, wolves don't create such a hierarchy and are family units. Many papers and articles would outright point this out obviously. Even one L. David Mech after learning of his mistakes would actively try to get publishers to stop printing his book. At the end of this, the alpha wolf and by extension any offshoots of it would be regulated to the realm of pseudoscience.
But like many pseudoscience it wouldn't die, and would fester. The concept of the alpha would be pushed onto all different species of animals, and eventually the social species that is humans as well. With the main concept being the one we know, the alpha male.
The alpha concept is one of the primary things that fuels toxic masculinity, but also integrated into public consciousness through media such as HTTYD. This is brings about harm to everyone through what it encourages, and how it restricts people. Alongside the mockery of men who aren't alpha in the eyes of those who believe in such pseudoscience.
It also brings about misfortune to animals such as pets as well, as certain whisperers use the concept of the alpha to teach bad methods of dog training. The pseudoscience that is the alpha pack hypothesis results in dominance based dog training, and in the most simplest terms is barbaric. Professionals condemn such training methods as unethical and not based on science. It has also been shown that such methods only suppress/mask the problem and only make things worse. Meanwhile positive reinforcement training is the method that actually works.
Btw the alpha dragon concept is used throughout the film by having the Bewilderbeasts and later Toothless challenge each other, all as a means to control the flock.
All that to say I don't like the fact that the concept of an alpha was made part of Httyd, and that by using it as a concept only adds onto the perpetuation of the alpha concept in public consciousness. They could have easily brought in the Bewilderbeast as the King Of Dragons with mind control powers and not called it the alpha. While Drago's Bewilderbeast taking control of the flock would be because there is no Bewilderbeast on the good guy's side to counteract it's powers. All while having Toothless and eventually Berk's flock break free of Drago's Bewilderbeast control. While Toothless being the one who lead the charge ends up becoming not the alpha but the leader of Berk's flock. Written by Eris
