Over on Gawker, a new article has popped up about our little Derpy extravaganza. They acutally did a pretty good job of digging through the piles of information that has been flooding every aspect of the fandom for the past few days, as well as bugging Cereal for an interview. It is Gawker though, so expect some snide remarks buried in there.
One key point to focus on is the Hasbro PR rep's response:
"The 'My Little Pony Friendship is Magic' series has always been about acceptance and inclusion, and the series strives to convey that through the playful antics of a diverse cast of characters," Hasbro spokeswoman Nicole Angello told us over email. "Some viewers felt that aspects of the episode 'The Last Roundup' did not stay true to the core message of friendship which is the heart and soul of the series. Hasbro Studios decided to make slight audio alterations to this single episode."So there you have it!
You can find the entire article here!
573 comments:
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ReplyDelete@Adrian Brony
ReplyDeleteBut it's the kind of seen that's been palyed out in hundreds of cartoons (and the Three Stooges) hundreds of times before. A silly character accidently does something dangerous, slapstick ensues. The only difference is...the character is a girl? If that's the case the complainers were being kind of sexist.
Except that she didn't have mental disabilities, and to argue so is rediculous. It isn't up for debate. The writer flat out said she wasn't, and to act as if every stupid character in cartoons are suddenly disabled is incredibly idiotic.
ReplyDeleteCartoon characters are, a lot of the times, exaggerated or caricatures for comedic effect, etc. This whole "issue" has been utterly ridiculous.
No surprises here.
ReplyDeleteHmph, I'm glad for clarification at least.
ReplyDelete@Tovler
ReplyDeleteYeah, man. Clearly when they went out of their way to make Zecora, Trixie, Nightmare Moon, and Vinyl Scratch toys they only did it because they resented the bronies.
It couldn't be that that they know those are fan-favorite characters and made them just because they knew older fans wanted them. That doesn't make any sense.
>Of all the ponies in My Little Pony's fantasy kingdom of Celestia
ReplyDeleteWell obviously they're informed and educated about the topic they're writing about.
@Miles
ReplyDeleteYou are too cool. Infact, you created a whole fucking story up there over your gay fantasies for Derpy.
@Adrian Brony This. I still think removing Derpy was silly, but Hasbro isn't being 'bigoted' or 'exclusive' by removing her. Hasbro portrayed a character in a comical light, and some folk thought that the character was supposed to be retarded. Folk got confuzzled, and mistakes were made. But the eyes shall remain, and so let us be satisfied. Or at least complain in a civil manner, instead of ranting about Hasbro's wickedness. I do that about D&D, but MLP's got no place for anything like the Edition Wars. :D
ReplyDelete@TheDoktor Everyone catches hell of varying degrees for this in my book. (not necessarily in order)
ReplyDelete-The fans who overreacted at the outset of this whole mess
-Yamino and her ilk who fanned the flame war from their tumblr accounts
-The production team for such a sloppy job on fixing it, and their continued radio silence on the whole ordeal.
-Hasbro worst of all for playing right into the hands of the fucking trolls who started this bullshit, then coming back with a bullshit PR line that contradicts itself.
-The fansites for not stepping up and using their position in the community to reign in the flame war. They've done it before and they should have done so this time. They remained mostly silent and acted like it was business as usual despite a majority of the fanbase tearing a hellish war path of butthurt and rage across the internet.
It was handled poorly on all sides and everyone from the fans to the production team should feel some level of shame over the events of the last month.
I don't want to stoke the fire, but I don't buy Hasbro's reasoning here. I don't see how the original scene with Derpy violated anything the show is said to stand for. I think Hasbro overreacted to a few viewer complaints, and chose to ignore the fact that the brony community was in raptures over the scene. In my opinion, Hasbro made a very poor choice of action. At the very least, the "alterations" went beyond the voice, and removed the heart, the character and the comedy out of the scene. Bad show, Hasbro. Bad show.
ReplyDeleteSo it's officially a one-off incident. BS reasoning or not, I can work with that.
ReplyDeleteI work at an animation studio (NOT pony related in any way) and can attest to the fact that sometimes, we HAVE to change show content just because the guys upstairs (executives, legal, childrens' entertainment advisers, internal censors) say so - though this usually all happens before airing/release. We won't always be told why or given options - we just have to change it for whatever reason they decide it shouldn't be on screen the way we envisioned it. It sucks, but that's just how it is - the entire entertainment industry is like this.
ReplyDeleteI like Derpy and was excited to see her in the original version of The Last Round Up, but had a feeling there could be trouble (mostly because of her voice). All I kept thinking was "How did this get past the execs and overhead!?" I have worked on shows for the preschool and elementary set before and have observed how strict a studio can be about the content. They typically don't let ANYTHING through that could even possibly offend ANYONE. And through I like Derpy and find her clumsy personality sweet and amusing, I can see how someone seeing her out of Brony context and/or that is easily butt-hurt (or a troll) could interpret her the wrong way.
Studios are always going to err on the side of caution when it comes to childrens media or looking derogatory toward any group of people. I'm concerned that MLP could be under tighter supervision now and as a result could become a dumbed down or less culturally referencing show. Since it would take months for this to really come to fruition - as the rest of season 2 is most likely (I have never worked on a Flash based show and am not super familiar with their scheduling) so far into production that few changes could be economically made and still hit air dates - we probably won't really see the true fall out from this until next season. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll still be getting the same high caliber entertainment we've come to expect from the lovely people who produce the show.
I'd just like to know if we can confirm this is in fact a quote from Hasbro. And not some made up BS to get bronies to pay attention to their article/troll.
ReplyDeleteThis was probably to be expected. They don't mind having a special-needs character but they hate like fire the implication that someone with a disability is a danger to herself and others.
ReplyDeleteI tried to Love and Tolerate but now I feel like they are really hurting themselves with this by pretty much saying "We don't want retards in our show."
ReplyDelete#FuckHasbro
We do not forget
We do not forgive
Expect us
It was some viewers...
ReplyDeletewho?
@Daffodil
ReplyDeleteYes. Nobody could have possibly noticed Zecora, Trixie, Nightmare Moon, or Vinyl Scratch; nobody but us bronies. Actually, Vinyl was pretty hidden so I'm being only 75% sarcastic.
I applaud Miles. I applaud everybody who reacts in a way I personally believe to be 'not completely raging'. I applaud myself.
ReplyDeleteIn less egomaniacal phraseology: Why do we get so mad at Hasbro for being oversensitive? It's annoying, yeah. But if Rainbow Dash can put up with Derpy's derps, can't we put up with Hasbro's? Let us not so easily forget the lessons of the show we love.
Love and tolerate. Love and tolerate.
I'm done posting here. LOVE AND TOLERATE, BEEEYETCHES, OR FEAST UPON BANANAS.
ON THE MOOOOOON.
:D
I KNEW it was Hasbro's decision to edit. Faust stated that "egghead" just barely met requirements, so there was no way a relatively unknown term such as "Derpy" would have made it through, especially with the character and situation it was used. Though "Some Viewers" doesn't automatically mean "angry soccermoms", it could be the concerned employees of Hasbro (or hell, maybe even Apple). Again, all due to dumb worries about their kid-friendly reputation and profit.
ReplyDeleteAs for the eyes: Hasbro may have only requested audio alteration, but the episode still had to be re-animated anyway to match the new dialogue animators probably edited the eyes as well "just to be safe" since they most likely also knew the reason the audio was edited.
To those who are saying "Derpy is no longer canon": YES, she is. The entire crew refers to her as "Derpy", HUB refers to her as "Derpy", she is storyboarded as "Derpy", her name is officially "Derpy", not Ditzy Doo, not Bubblefuckclutzdinkditzclutzy or whatever people call her other than "Derpy". Her name is still "Derpy". It's just that Hasbro feels her name is not acceptable to be aired to the target audience.
The crew was nice enough to give her the scene in the first place. I'm okay with just that. The original, unaltered version they gave us will still exist somewhere.
@Adrian Brony
ReplyDeleteThat scene did not make Derpy seem like she had any kind of mental disability. She expressed concern for others' well being, complimented others on their good work, and genuinely tried to help, but ended up causing problems only because she wasn't paying attention.
Saying she was a "danger to herself and others because she was handicapped" is absolutely not how it looked. If anything, she's a danger because she's oblivious, which has nothing to do with mental capability.
She still does the exact same things in the edited version. The only differences are her voice, eyes, and name.
If the "disabled people are dangerous" excuse is what it seemed like, now it just seems like people without disabilities are exactly as dangerous.
"The 'My Little Pony Friendship is Magic' series has always been about acceptance and inclusion"
ReplyDeleteWith that said, they go ahead and censor a character that is considered different.
I'm glad we even got a response at all, but it is undeniably contradictory. It is, to be blunt, a crappy response.
Also, they changed more than just the audio. The eyes were altered slightly in the animation.
So yeah, I'm not buying it.
Funny, I was arguing that this was more likely a copyright issue. Guess I'll eat my words now.
ReplyDelete@autobotgodzilla
ReplyDeletedon't jump to conclusions that fast. she wasn't just clumsy, she was absentmindedly jumping on a lightning cloud and utterly wrecking the place while not having the slightest clue what was going on. that is a major difference from just plain slapstick.
>Single Episode
ReplyDeleteSee? No worries. Now stop spamming us with depressing pictures/videos.
So...okay, they fixed this one episode because they thought the specific events therein were trouble. But otherwise, Derpy is sticking around.
ReplyDelete...I see no issue there. Best as I can tell, we get to keep our beloved wall-eyed pony, while future episodes will probably steer clear of doing what The Last Roundup did with her and keep her in the background. Not perfect, but I can live with that, and happily. I honestly kinda preferred the mysteriousness and applicability she had before being "canonised", anyway. Derpy is best when she and her personality are whatever her fans want them to be.
Works for me.
ReplyDeleteThis whole derpy drama and now this Gawker article makes a bit depressed.
ReplyDeleteThink i will need to take a timeout from the internet...
@Austin W
ReplyDeleteWow. Just wow.
I don't want to be associated with this fanbase anymore. I can't believe someone would be this stupid.
Seriously guys, it's just ONE scene from ONE episode.
ReplyDeleteThe show isn't yours, you can't decide what they do or don't on it.
They did it, not to annoy you, but because there are people who feel really offended by Derpy *gasp*
Yay, an official response! And it's about the best one we could have hoped for at this time. Now hopefully things can calm down.
ReplyDelete@bamakid1272
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention one thing. As many have already pointed out, what Hasbro said was very hypocritical. Saying the message of the show is about ACCEPTING others then say they had to change the character because she was UNACCEPTABLE to some people is hypocrisy at it's best. Just come out and say that she had to be censored to avoid offending some. What they said is just crontradicting in every way possible.
And to those that are haters, yeah, what about characters like Goofy, Billy, and Ed? Their just as bad, if not worse, and targeted to the same age group. Yet no complaints? That just isn't right.
@Adrian Brony
ReplyDeleteAnyone and everyone can be deemed dangerous if they're clumsy, if that's the way you want to take it. Everyone, disabled or not, has caused accidents at times. Most of us fans understood that fact just fine. Derpy is popular precisely because she's relatable.
I'm glad Gawker wrote the story because this whole Derpy thing has been simultaneously so bizarre, hilarious, uplifting and sad that it deserves to be known to the outside world.
ReplyDeleteSomething like this could only happen to this fandom. For better or worse.
That didn't strike me as a terribly complimentary article by any means.
ReplyDeleteGawker, as with most media, seems to take great pleasure in presenting bronies as dysfunctional and hypocritical as possible. The broad brush paints us all as unhinged basement-dwellers though is admittedly much more entertaining than simply acknowledging that in any fandom there are always vocal fanatics.
In the end, bad behavior all around turned this into a black mark on everyone involved. Pro Derpy, Anti Derpy, and even Hasbro. It's my hope that we can recover. But only time will tell if we can heal the divisions in our own community and our relationship with Hasbro and the way we relate to one another as fans and bronies.
@naahdude *Hug* C'mon bro! We aren't all angry! These comment forums have just gone a bit nuts, and Derpy drama got a bit overdramafied by some folk.
ReplyDeleteRemember, guys: The more we ANGER, the funnier we are to Gawker!
And while we all love to make people SMILE SMILE SMILE, I think we should withhold our hilarity from those jerks. :D
@naahdude
ReplyDeleteCalm down. You're overreacting like the people who caused this. People like that do not represent the entire fandom.
A calm response is what's required, not a knee-jerk emotional reaction.
We are not the show's target audience. It's a show for little girls which is appreciated by adults as well.
ReplyDeleteWe, as adults, need to keep the kids' interest at front. This change by Hasbro was necessary for the kids.
It is time for every one of us here to act as adults.
@Adrian Brony
ReplyDeleteAnd how many times has a similar scenario played out in a dozen Looney Tunes or Disney shorts?
@Adrian Brony I understand that viewpoint, but this is a world with cartoon physics. It's unlikely she was a danger to anyone - and the Mayor wasn't even mad or fazed at the damage to town hall. We also don't know that that was their reasoning - it could also have been Rainbow Dash's annoyed tone or somesuch.
ReplyDeleteಠ__ಠ
ReplyDeleteThey didn't change her antics, though. The changes they did make also don't fit at all with the reason they gave for making those changes.
@Tovler
ReplyDeleteI understand how you feel but isn't that taking it a little too far. :( I mean, Hasbro aren't bad people, they just found themselves in a difficult situation which clearly wasn't resolvable without stepping on a few toes. I bet most of them wishes this entire affair had turned out better - for all of us.
@Goblin Brony You sir, are awesome, and you should feel awesome. I agree completely. Yes it is annoying, yes we want recognition as a valuable fanbase, but why would we go against our own values that actually make our community a positive thing and react so negatively and hatefully to it. What everyone forgets is that this doesn't mean that we can't get recognition and shout outs from the show and hasbro, its a setback, nothing more. If we rage incessantly about it, it'll become more than just a set back. We know we are a positive force, lets work to disprove those that think otherwise by continuing to act in positive ways, not hateful ones.
ReplyDeleteTL;DR: Lets stop acting like this is the end of the world for us as a fandom and that somehow hasbro and the rest of the world will now hate us forever and wants to send us all to the moon. We can still prove ourselves in a positive light. Many of us joined this community because of how DIFFERENT it was from the rest of snide, hateful and unwelcoming internet. Lets not act in the predictable internet way that we fled from in the first place. This is just an opportunity to prove that difference, to prove how positive and unique we are as a group of people. Lets not blow that.
@Goblin Brony
ReplyDeleteHah, I like that. I'm not shy about my opinion of the situation, but I try to keep it sane. I still love the show and the fandom as a whole, I just don't care for the decisions Hasbro has made regarding Derpy.
@acsinclair You are also awesome. Even though your TL;DR was about the same length as the original paragraph. ;P
ReplyDelete> "The series has always been about acceptance and inclusion"
ReplyDelete> Edit a pony whose eyes are different
ok
@Jaberwocky
ReplyDeleteExactly.
Derpy is as Derpy does. She will always be Derpy to us, no matter what Hasbro does.
Quite a sizable portion of fans have been calling the censor complainers the "self-entitled" group in all this and that they should leave if they can't "sit down and suck it" basically, whereas the ones who got the scene censored are being *defended* for their words and actions even as they've started to openly cackle and dance about what they did. So apparently...
ReplyDeleteDeliberately sabotage the fandom mascot = Get the **** loved and tolerated out of you.
Complain about the needless censoring of the fandom mascot = OMG YOU'RE NOT TRUE BRONIES, GTFO
Really, this whole mentality where we're not allowed to call out our own for their dickish behavior, but being totally okay with wanting to oust the "attackers" of the dickish party because they don't adhere blindly to a fanmade decree is just absurd. Even moreso with the increasing number of "Ditzy Doo" fans I see who keep rubbing in the fact that their version of the character "won" because they got Hasbro to de-canonize "Derpy Hooves" and insure that she'll never be depicted in that way (or be called Derpy) ever again.
Yamino and their ilk pretty much did the most un-brony thing possible, and yet the moment some of us got on their ass for it, they're made out to be victims that other people rush to protect (including a member of the show's staff, which just made the situation *worse* to be honest) and their attackers made out to be the "real" villains in all of this for some damn reason.
This whole experience has soured my impression of the fandom, if only because of how increasingly self-destructive it's becoming whether through purposeful damage, or ignorance of who's trying to damage it. I suppose I wouldn't stop calling myself a brony, but I'd definitely make it a point to dismiss my affiliation with those sorts of people, and like hell I would mindlessly accept and protect ****twit bronies who would ruin the show if they could.
So yeah, **** you Yamino and everyone who thinks like you, hope the harassment inflates ten fold now that that tumblr post is out there for all to see, and your actions towards getting Derpy censored prove that you're a bloody liar who actually *hates* the mentally challenged so much so that you want them "out of sight and out of mind".
As for Hasbro... my disappointment at your hypocrisy knows no bounds, and this guarantees I won't be giving you a dime of my money ever again, for this franchise or any other.
1. since when are we nerds?
ReplyDelete2. the show does not take place in celestia
3. that sample from devientart is way out of line. i can see getting mad at her, but that is taking it way too far. what happened to love and TOLERATE?
*spends sever minutes reading the assorted and often vitriol filled comments*
ReplyDeletefor those of you calling for maturity, and respect in the Brony protests of Derpy Censorship. i think it is far to late. both Maturity and Respect have been flung out the window, and no there isn't a Pegasus in sight to save it.
honestly, people going with knee jerk reactions is what gives any fandom a reputation for being volatile. if people would only calm down, get a grip on themselves and THEN post a well thought out reply to what they disagree with, perhaps we might have a better reputation. when it comes right down to it all, for all that we try to say that we embrace 'Love and Tolerance' .. we really don't do so all that well.
That doesn't explain why the name change. "Derp" doesn't refer to a mentally challenged person at all and never has. It's always been a normal person having a clumsy moment. And why the eyes? Being cross-eyed does not = mentally challenged.
ReplyDeleteI am still completely confounded as to why she is seen as 'mentally challenged'! Being clumsy and having an odd voice does not mean mentally challenged. There are mentally disabled people that speak normally and people that can barely speak or move that are geniuses! By their logic, Stephen Hawking is an idiot.
Not like:
ReplyDelete-The undermining of the situation. "single episode, tiny change, slightly changed".
-Attempts to paint bronies as raging and vengeful
Do like:
-The understanding of WHY we liked Derpy in the first place (she's partially our creation, and a connection we've made with the staff)
-Attempts to see both sides of debate.
I have to admit though, even though I'm disappointed with the change, I'm even MORE disappointed with the communities reaction. I'm not seeing much love and tolerance on either side, and I'm disappointed that this even started due to arguably misplaced tolerance. It's like we can't even handle our own motto.
@dmtactical
ReplyDeletedefinatly agree
@RainbowDash818
ReplyDeleteI think being part of any fandom is a nerd quality.
@naahdude If an attack came from 4chan, it would explain why there have been so many crazy antics by "bronies". I mean let's face it, 4chan isn't home to many individuals who like to be civil.
ReplyDelete@Tovler
ReplyDeleteOr you could watch it where the Demographic doesn't matter, like I do. I mean a majority of us watch it for the stories, not just for Derpy. It doesn't take a Hulk-Brained Idiot to see that!
SHS Hulk "Hulk don't understand."
@lalangosta
ReplyDeleteIt's good to hear it explained from somebody who works in the industry; from that perspective I can understand the reasoning behind their actions. It calms my frayed nerves a bit, but... I am still upset they censored our shout-out, and resent the trolls and ignoramuses who made such a fuss in the first place.
Also, why are we going on about the voice? I thought that was so she sounded more female, not less offensive. Isn't it unrelated?
ReplyDelete@Twilight Sparkled But no one is making the argument that Derpy should have stayed the same in spite of the target audience. It's pretty subjective to say that this change is somehow better for children.
ReplyDeleteIf it were the case that appearances of incompetent/insane ponies were harmful to children and need to be removed, then they have quite a few changes left to make to nearly every episode of the show.
The episode didn't stay true to the core message of friendship, which is the heart and soul of the series.
ReplyDelete>Because Applejack didn't trust that her friends would accept her losing the competition and still be her friend
>Because They completely forgot about Pinkie Pie and Rarity and left them in the desert
>Guys, if we take out Derpy's name and fix her crossed eyes, the episode will be fixed!
I don't want to live on this planet anymore.
@MyBoyJ Thanks for the link. I was bothered because I was worried that people who actually had similar characteristics to her would be offended and feel like they were being made fun of. It felt to me like a very careless oversight, not something malicious. I have had issues where my own disabilities were made the subject of mockery, and I found it very unsettling and promoting a poor image of issues I've worked my whole life to overcome.
ReplyDeleteI know she doesn't speak for everyone, but my personal concerns over the episode are just that: Personal concerns, not something that comes with experience. I want to hear more about those experiences from people who have actually had them, like this woman, and how they view it, and I hope Hasbro and other studios have made the decision to do that as much as possible.
I'm not sure why people are looking at this as Hasbro spitting in the face of fandom, when it should be looked at from the perspective of people who have disabilities and whether it is an issue with THEM. I'm pretty disappointed with the response people have been putting out because of a change Hasbro made, largely on behalf of a vocal minority with no personal stakes in it beyond fanservice.
A lot of this behavior is just meanspirited and unpleasant in what has usually been a fantastically inclusive community.
Well-said Cereal!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the story, at least Hasbro explained themselves and not just hide under the desk or brush the issue under the carpet like other corporate dips###s. Am I happy about the Derpy change? no really but geez people. At least we have a good show on the air pretty much one of the best animated shows I have seen in years. So don't put the series in jeopardy by sending death threats or spam to Hasbro. Just accept that Hasbro came out and explained themselves and move on.
ReplyDeleteHmm, trolls won it seems. It's unfortunate, probably means we'll no longer see her in all her grandeur like in the Last Roundup. But I presume her cameos will continue like they always have.
ReplyDelete@Blethisto
ReplyDeleteSorry, I'm a bit confused. Was this in response to what I said or did you mean to reply to someone else?
Ffs, can we stop beating a dead horse (pun fully intended)? Shouldn't have scrolled down to look at the comments. People are completely missing the point here - Derpy herself isn't the problem: It's RBD's treatment of her that was perceived as being discriminatory. And from a corporate standpoint, I can see why Hasbro did what they did - it was the best (if not the most tactful) way to do it. It was a choice between (a) Leave the episode unedited, and open for legal ramifications from tight-arsed individuals, (b) Remove the episode from distribution, (c) completely change the scene, which would likely involve a lot of resources and schedule delays, or (c) Make minor, easily-done tweaks that removes any liability. I'm not completely agreeing with the way they handled the situation, but it's better than the alternatives, and I'm more inclined now to stand on Hasbro's side than before, rather than with you self-entitled, whiny 'fans'. Just as I was thinking this fandom was better than TransFans. Turns out you guys are just as bad.
ReplyDelete@derp
ReplyDeleteThat's certainly possible. It sounds a little sophisticated for /btards to impersonate bronies, sign petitions, spam Yamino, etc. Trying to make us look less credible through impersonation is way too Machiavellian. We may have to deal with the fact that plenty of Bronies are not going to be civil.
@Bastoff I know. I mean Hasbro could have lined their pockets with all that Bayformers money and bought a bunch on yachts, but instead made cartoon with actual effort put into it. And I'm also aware that Hasbro even shared fan-videos amongst each other and Studio B. It still feels bad that Derpy is no longer a symbol of goodwill towards. Hasbro/DHX and Bronies.
ReplyDeleteAlso the show that dared to have Black Zebras and Native American Buffalo will probably be more scared to address socio-political topics because of this.
I'm not particularly happy about this, but at least they gave us our response; let's just cut our losses and go home. No need to flame Hazbro.
ReplyDeleteThe lot of you Bronies raging over Derpy are just pathetic. She isn't "yours". It's just a cartoon horse and she isn't anything special. She's not the main protagonist of the show and I doubt anypony will quit watching MLP just because of this ridiculous issue.
ReplyDeleteStop acting like such pretentious, self-rightious, buttflankers. This isn't your show. They aren't here to impress you. This is targeted towards girls of 8 and up. Sure, it's all fine and dandy if adults like it, but you aren't their demographic. Hasbro doesn't "love" you and nor does Studio B/TopDraw. They are a business. They aren't here for your demands. Get over it. With all this raging and drama, you've made yourselves look worse in their eyes. I know this comment will probably be flooded by more rage, but just know that what you are doing is just retarded. You adults act more like children than your own age. You could've handled this rationally and maturely, but your obsession with "Derpy" just seems to wash your minds of all intelligible thinking.
This is why most people think of you as nerds/creeps/fappers/etc. You just prove it time and time again.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLike others have said, the paradox of heavily editing a character who *appears* to be retarded under the intention of better reflecting the show's core teachings of acceptance and inclusion is baffling. That's like locking someone in their home forever for the benefit of everyone else because they don't look "normal".
ReplyDeleteIgnorance on that level just makes me want to bash my head on the desk and scream at the stars. People who are that thick are often impossible to reason with, impossible to explain what they are doing is counter-productive in the long run, that exhibiting this kind of special treatment just makes things worse.
I had terrible problems in school when I was younger. I was very anti-social because I simply lacked efficient social skills, and I was very angry about that and the fact the other kids thought I was strange or weird because what was simple for them was difficult for me.
The school stepped in and gave me support, but their support consisted of having a staff member follow me from class to class like a babysitter and focus solely on me. Because of this, I appeared to be EVEN MORE STRANGE AND WEIRD because I was being babysat in HIGH SCHOOL. I got picked on even worse because the school treated me as if I were a weirdo, while trying to help me learn to fit into school and gain acceptance as an equal to my peers. Getting the "Special Treatment" did not make me an equal, it only reinforced everyone's beliefs.
The school did realise its mistake after hearing it enough times from me and my family, and they changed their method from in-class support to short meetings with "mentors" during break times. I got the support I needed, and people thought that because I didn't have a babysitter with me anymore and I was more at ease and social that I was no longer some strange person that cannot be approached.
My point is that making a fuss over something while trying to downplay it only makes it appear worse than it really is. If they had just left the scene alone, the controversy would've died down with time and re-runs of the episode would've been accepted as "just another episode". If they really HAD to do anything, then it would've been to just tell the studio to not give Derpy any more speaking roles in future so to sidestep the whole potential problem, and let's be honest: None of us were holding our breath for another scene with Derpy voiced.
I'm Matt, and I identify with Derpy.
@DerpGarde It's hard to say that Hasbro didn't do this for the kids. They can't have any taint of discrimination against people with developmental disabilities. Understand that this was not done to hurt the bronies, it was for the kids, the most impressionable viewers of the show.
ReplyDeleteThe moment that someone brought up disabilities was the moment that Hasbro had to act. They are protecting their brand, and acting responsibly. What they did is called damage control, and every corporation practices it every day.
What you call subjective is much more clear cut for the professionals who write the scripts, who analyze them for the core values of the show and to make sure they contain at least a modicum of educational content.
You can feel bad for losing something, but everyone here needs to act like adults, understanding why Hasbro did what they did, and acknowledging this wasn't some slight against the adult fandom.
Hasbro has gone out of their way to accommodate bronies. Hell, almost no other kids show has done what Hasbro has done, and we need to give them the benefit of the doubt on this issue.
Please, everyone, just act like the adults you can be. Take this little setback as part of life and look forward to a long, pleasant, mutual future with a show you and I like.
"but it's unlikely they'll persuade Hasbro—who must feel both blessed and cursed by a fanbase as entitled and obsessed as that of any adult sci-fi series or comic book—to restore their beloved Derpy."
ReplyDelete^
I disagree with this. It's only a matter of time until this happens. I'll make it happen if I must; if others do not find the impulse and insight to direct their efforts.
Anyways, this article is surprisingly comprehensive about the issue.
@chiusa
ReplyDeleteCan you really claim that you aren't raging with your very comment? All your name-calling and rudeness isn't helping matters one bit.
It is in no way unreasonable to express an opinion; what IS unreasonable is immaturity. Be nice.
What a load of horseapples.
ReplyDeleteThey're all about inclusion and acceptance--- so they CENSOR DERPY HOOVES because someone thought she was mentally challenged?
So Hasbro is officially accepting the responsibility for the decision to alter The Last Roundup. This does not look good for future broadcasts/DVD's of the episode outside of iTunes.
ReplyDeleteThis is news? I figured everyone knew Derpy was slightly altered due to what some people were saying and any complaints Hasbro was receiving because of it. And of course it was only one episode. It's the only episode she's ever spoken in. lol I mean, she'll be in the background for people to find at least. So it's not like it's completely the end of Derpy. She just won't speak again. Or if she does, it simply won't be in the original type of voice used.
ReplyDelete@DerpGarde
ReplyDeleteNot raging.
Stating the obvious.
They are obviously sugar coating the fact that they're censoring Derpy. Sorry hasbro, but a sugar coated pile of shit is still a pile of shit. I'm not eat this.
ReplyDeleteI dont see why people see this as a good thing and a relief and such. I mean, essentially our worst fears were realized. She was whitewashed out of the show. Sure they did it to one episode, but that just tells me that she will never be featured prominently in any other episode because of this. Derpy will forever be a background pony now, no more lines, no more close ups, nothing that could be seen as 'offensive'.
ReplyDeleteSo no, I'm not happy. The people who find her offensive are stupid anyway, they should look at themselves. Fry from Futurama acts a lot like Derpy, doesn't make him mentally disabled. People automatically assume that mentally challenged people *must* be stupid drooling idiots. It's a terrible stereotype. If the first thing you think is that she is clearly representing a disabled person then you should really get your head out of your ass, because they aren't like that.
Damn thing sucks.
i dont understand why some people behave themselves like they own this show. Derpy was changed for episode, deal with it. They(hasbro) do want or do not want from time to time to listen to fandom. Why do you think you have any rights to demand anything, thats what i cant comprehend.
ReplyDeleteIt like telling mangaka to not kill an important character or to not draw boring story arc, but he will freaking do it because its his creation and he have any rights and means to do so. So why Hasbro any different? Its theirs show, they can do anything they want with it, you like it or not
Why wont you just chill out and wait for next undoubtedly awesome and heartwarming episode of awesome ponies? Stop hating Hasbro for everything they dont deserve
@rhjunior
ReplyDeleteHasbro acted because they were afraid it mocked kids with disabilities. They took "derp" to be a slur, which evidently some understand it to be.
Honestly, this PR statement reeks of horse manure.
ReplyDeleteFirst, her claim about the audio editing doesn't add up. Derpy's censorship wasn't just the audio. It's also the lip-synching, eye movements from Derpy, and Derpy's name being censored. The fanbase has the eyes of an eagle and the ears of dogs. They can spot the most miniscule changes very quickly. The fanbase is much smarter than most give credit for.
Second, this:
Some viewers felt that aspects of the episode 'The Last Roundup' did not stay true to the core message of friendship which is the heart and soul of the series.
This doesn't make sense. Derpy is a FRIEND to the ponies from Ponyville. Also, "doesn't stay true to the core [of the show]"? Friendship isn't just about expressing morals. It's also about learning that there are others who are different than yourself and appreciating them for who they are. Don't they remember Zecora's debuting episode and the reason why seven main characters (this includes Spike) with extremely varying personalities were united in the first place? Derpy was appreciated by the fanbase because they LOVE this klutz; and they love her for her aloof personality, expressions, qualities, and flaws. Derpy was not making fun of the mentally disabled. She's just a klutz. Dash, despite feeling impatient, appreciates Derpy for at least trying to help her. The fanbase reacted this strongly (positively when she first spoke and very negatively when she was censored) because the animation studio and fandom are very close and communicate with each other directly. I almost never see this in any fandom for any media.
In addition, what about all those people like BaldDumboRat who ARE disabled (particularly mentally disabled) but feel absolutely grateful for Derpy? They love her because she's a character they and everyone else can relate to. She doesn't have all these magical abilities. She's just a pony with clumsy issues in her flying and eyes, a will to help, an aloof personality, innocence, and the ability to try whatever she could to help others. Derpy was a fantastic character in the original "Last Roundup" airing because we can appreciate her for being her.
When I watch the censored scene, all I saw was a sarcastic, obnoxious, screechy pony. I didn't see Derpy or Ditzy Doo or whatever. I just saw an unlikeable voice attached to Derpy's gray fur and feathers and blonde mane. She doesn't sound cute, clumsy, and innocent anymore. Just like Rainbow Dash's re-recorded lines, Derpy was just out of character.
(Cont.)
@Twilight Sparkled Well, naturally this wasn't done simply as an intentional "In your face" to bronies, I can certainly concede that. As you say, they were responding in a way that is traditional for a company like Hasbro. However, just because they didn't intend to be insulting doesn't mean that fans aren't going to feel a little brushed-off anyway.
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, I don't believe it is as clear-cut as you say; if it were, we likely wouldn't be having this conversation now. A very large number of fans have found her removal far more problematic than her original appearance. I even overheard a nine-year-old girl disheartened over the removal of her name and the change to her eyes. What about her?
Please know that I do respect your opinion, though, and I appreciate your well-reasoned approach to presenting it. It is certainly possible to have a civil debate about this matter!
They're lying, obviously. They didn't just make slight alterations to the episode, they lazily replaced her voice and undid the one thing that made her beloved by the fandom. It's like they didn't even care.
ReplyDelete(Part 2)
ReplyDeleteAnd what also gets me upset was the implying message this censorship brings. What I think about in the censored version is this: "You're disabled. You're mentally sick. Therefore, you have no part of society." As someone who unofficially has Asperger's, that makes my eyebrow twitch. It also doesn't help that the quality of the production in the re-dubbing is absolutely horrific; I can literally hear this acting in a 4Kids dub. Knowing the standards of the voice acting in MLP:FIM, this doesn't sit well with me.
Lastly, the reason why the fandom reacted this strongly is very underestimated. While the "bronies" from 4Chan definitely made the fanbase look like clueless jerks by spamming Yamino's page on DeviantArt and Tumblr (and I'm not a fan of some of the stuff she said, either, including her wild and off-kilter misunderstanding of the fandom's appreciation for Derpy; I've already critiqued her stance several weeks ago, and I don't intend to revisit her page), the majority aren't stooping this low nor are they spamming dissenters' pages with crap. They're genuinely very upset for good reasons. Despite claims by the Hasbro PR that the audio was "edited" for one episode and Kreoss's reassurance that Derpy will be a-okay, many of us are worried that the edit could do the following:
1. Strain the relationship between the creative staff and the fandom.
2. Give DHX and Studio B a little less creative leeway compared to before the fiasco.
3. Open up a Pandora's Box effect on other episodes, either past or future ones.
4. Cut off possible future connections between the passionate fandom and the show itself.
5. Throw out Derpy's potential as being not only an even greater character, but also being a bigger role model and inspiration for the handicapped.
I still don't agree with Hasbro's actions. Looks like a "huge" company got pushed around by "some viewers." What does that even mean, "some viewers." I really hope someone over there would care to expand on this explanation in the near future. Also, the changes to Derpy weren't just audio, but also visual.
ReplyDeleteI really hope we get a better explanation than this from Hasbro.
Also, I really wish people would stop making assumptions about what our community has come to. We are all Bronies here, and we will forever be Bronies. Fighting with each other over what is "reasonable and mature" serves no purpose here. This is a heated subject, so emotions are very high (as they should be.) Please Bronies, it's not your responsiblity to point out others "unrational" comments. OUR COMMUNITY WILL BE FINE, Trust me. I've seen some amazing things come from our ever growing community. After this has all blown over and been resolved, we will all get back to doing what we love best. Watching ponies and playing 'find the Derpy' in the new episodes.
@Mattatatta
ReplyDeleteThis. So much this. It's sounds like if people hated the Mare Do Well episode as much as I heard they did, the episode could've been pulled for not "being within the show's core morals". But once again I'm fallin back on this being a huge troll tactic from Gawker since they just want more site views from the thousands of bronies that would click on it to see it. Now if we can confirm that this Nicole Angello works for Hasbro and Hasbro confirms her response to the article then I can take this response truthfully cuz it really doesn't make much sense for Hasbro to reply to (of all places) Gawker. They could've gone to wired (which they do alot), EQD, Hasbro's own website, their twitter, MLP twitter or facebook, etc.
@bestpony? AJ ;) Precisely this.
ReplyDelete@Twilight Sparkled
ReplyDeleteWhile "damage control" is important for businesses, sometimes it is best to just leave things alone because the damage has already been done, and/or taking action will make things worse.
Was there a Gawker article about the people offended by Derpy's original portrayal? Was there an article anywhere about that topic that wasn't written by someone who felt that way? No.
It was only AFTER the "damage control" was done, that things attracted attention, and the thing that attracted attention was the uproar over the "damage control". There was nothing notable or newsworthy coming from the so-called "Anti-Derpy" group, but because of the knee-jerk reaction to appease people and fix a perceived problem, a REAL PROBLEM was created.
It is everybody's fault at the end of the day. The "Anti-Derpy" group, Hasbro (specifically the people who authorised and ordered the censoring), and the "Pro-Derpy" group. Each and every one of us had a part in this, and led to this issue garnering the attention of thrid parties. Whether all of us will accept that fact is a matter of maturity.
That being said, if voicing my opinion and arguing that the damage control was a foolish and uninformed move, and expressing my support for Derpy's original, canon appearance makes me at fault, then I accept that fact.
This comes to mind:
ReplyDelete"I felt a great disturbance in the Force... as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."
Now we wait for the first brony to kill himself intentionally (gunshot) or unintentionally (such as alcohol poisoning, OD) over this.
It's not surprising that Hasbro gave Gawker a statement and not the fanbase. Hasbro clearly didn't want to respond to this in any way, but as there's an article explicitly about it going to press, they had to say something.
ReplyDeleteOnce you get past the obligatory snark in the first couple of paras, it is surprisingly in depth, and not as harsh on the whole origins/possible offensiveness of Derpy's name. The headline's a lot harsher, but the writer doesn't get to pick the headline, so fair play to you Adrian Chen.
Also, that video of the stream response when Derpy first talked never fails to make me smile.
@Adrian Brony: Why the hell are people assuming Derpy is mentally disabled to begin with?
ReplyDeleteIf the scene 'played out badly' because it 'portrays people with mental disabilities as a danger to themselves and others'... consider this side of the coin. Derpy is a ditz, not disabled (as implied by HER ORIGINAL NAME, DITZY DOO).
Naturally, clumsy people can and WILL be dangerous to themselves/others, because they can put a foot wrong without realising it (I'd know, I am one).
It's the way it is. Folk who have these issues- mental or not- will have to suffer repercussions because of it. So taking a name/voice/eye pattern down because a few people complained is hardly addressing ANYTHING to do with the issue that you propose.
@Mattatatta
ReplyDeleteOh, I readily admit to having a hoof in all the butthurt going on, I'm just making clear my opinions of Hasbro and the Anti-Derpy side because contrary to popular belief, I can be a brony while being devoid of love and tolerance, largely because I do not believe that love and tolerance equals "immunity" from being called out for poor behavior.
Just as well, anyone here can call me out, but if they do, they can't admit to having any more love or tolerance than I do. On the contrary, I'd *rather* people were bloody honest about their feelings on the matter rather than practicing what amounts to personal censorship its self.
Gawker you say? I'll be sure to skip this one. Those fuckin' retards couldn't tell the difference between a hole in the ground and their ass.
ReplyDeleteRemember folks, this is the same group of people who actually think there is nothing wrong with their current site layout and have been for a year. Let that simmer for a minute or two.
@Dark Qiviut As far as I'm concerned, this sums up the situation very well indeed. I don't hate Hasbro for this by any stretch, but I don't think they've realized all the implications of this action.
ReplyDeleteWhite Ink: No one in their right mind would name their kid Twilight Sparkle either. Or Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Heartstrings, Sweetcream Scoops, Tink-a-Tink-a-Too, Lemon Drop, Tickle, Triple Treat...
ReplyDeleteOK about the voice, but I still can't get my mind around that someone would find Derpy's name offensive.
ReplyDeleteEspecially in a country where half of the four latest presidents were named after female genitalia (granted only one of them acted like one).
@DerpGarde
ReplyDeleteIt's a good point that some people with disabilities have viewed Hasbro's decision as hasty and a bit clumsy. I think that most of the problem was that the term "derp" could have been understood as derogatory. Maybe they could have changed her name to the canon, "Ditzy Doo," and left it as that.
I think that if Derpy was really going to be a successful character to show acceptance of those with mental disabilities, she could have been introduced intentionally as such. Since the only characters in school are younger ponies, then perhaps Derpy could be explicitly shown as school-aged, and as needing a little extra help with a lesson. I'm not talking about some clumsy, preachy scene, but just an appreciation of differences.
That's the controlled, subtle way that would have worked for Hasbro, and one which would not not generated backlash from disability advocates. Everybody could have won if only Derpy had a better coming-out party, as it were.
I think i'm gonna stop watching the show. I mean first of they broke their promise then they don't respond to use but respond to Gawker. Not to the bronies or even say " Hey Equestria Daily and Bronies here's what we did and why. That would have been better if they were just honest with us. It's like being betrayed. Well I guess i'll make this Saturday my last episode
ReplyDelete@Goblin Brony lol, you know I realized that after I posted it. MLP community issues always make me a long-winded bastard.
ReplyDeleteI understand Hasbro's position, but where there's less than 200 people "offended" by The Last Roundup, there's more than 30.000 people that don't want it changed. So... Unfair is what comes to mind. :v
ReplyDelete@Dark Qiviut
ReplyDelete*Slow clap* This. THIS. So much. Thank you for writing this. I'm planning on writing a long article about the whole thing, and about how it's NOT Ok, and you've giving me even more to think about and include. Thanks. :)
Keep fighting for this guys - it DOES matter!
@Dyxid I'm sorry, but you're missing the entire lesson of the past few days.
ReplyDeleteThis was never supposed to be about "who started it first" or about casting blame.
This comes down to wether you're going to be one of those who keep rocking the boat once someone else has put it in motion, or if you're gonna be one of those who try to calm the waves.
if your main objective is to "get the last word", or to "punish the guilty" rather than to work towards a mutually satisfying conclution even if it means you won't get your ego stroke - then I agree with you, yeah, you're probably not a brony.
Honestly, If we really think it's wrong for interest groups to try to dictate to the producers what the show should be about, then we should not add to the burden by doing that exact same dictating thing ourselves. That's just logic.
To those commenting upon censoring Derpy to be hypocritical because it goes against inclusion, or how changing her voice is anti-clumsy people...
ReplyDeleteClearly they found her voice and name to make her a mockery of such people, even if unintentionally.
She's still every bit as clumsy, so it's obviously has nothing to do with clumsy people being unacceptable. So anyone who claims that is being less then accurate.
The truth is, her voice did sound like a mockery of the mentally disabled, as in it's similar to the voice I would make if I was mocking such a person.
But since her actions are identical to what they once were she behaves with the same exact level of intelligence that she did.
It may be somewhat difficult to see things from such a perspective, but when you look at it from that angle it makes sense. A name and voice that could easily be taken as insulting even if unintentionally.
@Twilight Sparkled I imagine you're right. It's quite a bit more difficult to take something back than to simply give it a second thought in the first place. My favorite suggestion so far has been the idea of giving Derpy her own episode, in which viewers can learn just how much the other characters actually appreciate her. I think it would be a wonderful way to set the record straight, but alas, I think at this point the chances of that happening are slim.
ReplyDeleteYou know the most ironic thing about this is that the same VA that did Derpy(Tabitha) also did the voice of Minty, another ditzy pony(that apparently everybody liked until she was kicked out of the core 7). She could have easily just done Minty's voice and it would have worked perfectly(as well as being a nod to the little girls who remember Minty).
ReplyDeleteseriously Hasbro.
ReplyDeleteyou are going to do this.
"she didn't spread the message of friendship"
how!? she was one of them, they didn't shun her or anything, she was a part of their group. if u ask me, including somepony who is "retarded" (even though we all know Derpy wasn't retarded, she was just clumsy) spread that friendship can include everyone.
don't you try to make is sound like you did the right thing hasbro, cause you made a mistake here and i (and all the rest of the Bronies) expect you to fix it.
@benchief
ReplyDeleteAnd she's still every bit as clumsy.
Her voice unintentionally sounded like a mockery of the mentally disabled and thus was altered. If she had been intentionally made that way I doubt there would have been a change.
What people don't seem to understand is how parents of the mentally handicapped would have felt about this scene.
ReplyDeleteThe entire scene was Rainbow Dash basically poking fun at Derpy and telling her to basically stop being clumsy and causing problems.
Hasbro could have gotten in serious trouble had they not fixed this scene. And the Derpy fans aren't exactly seeing this, unfortunately.
It's not an attack on the fans. it's not an attack on the character. It's an attempt to agree with the /actual/ demographics of the show--the children and their parents.
Granted, it was a nod at bronies, they never even had to put that bit in there, which is what Derpy fans don't seem to understand.
@DerpGarde I concur. Like yourself, I also don't hate Hasbro, and I understand that it wants to defend its rep. Don't let my harsh writing fool you (harsh for this site; I've written much harsher material elsewhere). However, Hasbro didn't handle this debacle well at all because of not only being mostly quiet about the whole thing, but also responding to Gawker (who's notorious for writing articles merely to create a stir).
ReplyDeleteThe Public Relations statement is flawed logically and strategically; and all it did was fan the flames further after the fandom calmed down considerably already.
Pity. But i guess its better then nothing.
ReplyDeleteI can only hope that Hasbro, one day, does decide to put the name back on here in a episode that's just like this whole thing.
/Til then, the sun still rises over the hills and sets behind the mountains. as long as she goes back to being an Easter Egg, I'm happy with it.
let these debates continues
ReplyDeleteIs there copy of the article. I refuse to vist Gawker sites ever since that password incident. Remember pageviews = money.
ReplyDelete@Corkscrew True, but many things can be viewed as insulting if you think about it for too long. I used this argument in a similar conversation: if you're familiar with the character Ron, from Kim Possible, you know that in the first few episodes, he is far from being a match to the titular character. He's airheaded, cowardly, and physically less than capable. I hated that show at the time, because I viewed Ron as offensive to males. Should the entire show be changed just because I decided to be offended by something so silly?
ReplyDeleteIsn't it possible that the problem here was more that
ReplyDeletea) Rainbow Dash sounds irritable with Derpy in the original scene and sounds like she can't stand her
b) the original voice being kind of wrong due to bad voice direction/ misunderstanding of the character (hence colt voice instead of female)
C) Derpy being an up-in-the-air term that people can't seem to agree is offensive or not?
I really don't think any of this had anything to do with Derpy's mental capacity, as she still is hopping on a thunder cloud and causing chaos. All that happened is they made the Derp eyes a little less prominent (which is fair enough, Derpy doesn't always have derped eyes in her pervious appearances!) - and removed the name - likely to be on the safe side.
Hasbro are doing what they can to manage the issue, Bronies need to stop with the wild panic. If Derpy had been banned they could of easilly cut her out the few seconds she was in other episodes SINCE "The Last Roundup"
I wonder if it would help if material explaining Derpy,how she came to be, and the intent behind could be added to future releases from Hasbro whether in episode commentary form or as an extra feature.
ReplyDelete@Koshi Doshi Exactly. Not that Hasbro would particularly get in trouble, but they still want to protect the My Little Pony reputation and keep it as "Kid Friendly".
ReplyDeleteIt's PRIMARY target demographic is 3-9yo's. What people don't understand is that they are more particular with what is and is not "appropriate".
I'm going to share with you guys a little something, something that I've had since childhood, and still have years later; Strabismus.
ReplyDeleteFrom Wikipedia:
Strabismus:
"also known as heterotropia, is a condition in which the eyes are not properly aligned with each other. It typically involves a lack of coordination between the extraocular muscles, which prevents bringing the gaze of each eye to the same point in space and preventing proper binocular vision, which may adversely affect depth perception."
Not everyone accepts this, but some fans believe that Derpy has this condition.
Further on:
"Strabismus is often referred to as "lazy eye" or known as amblyopia. In fact, amblyopia refers to the brain's ignoring input from one eye, which itself can result from discordance in the images provided by the eyes such as occurs in constant unilateral strabismus. It is also referred to as "crossed eyes", “wandering eyes”, or having a “cast”.[4] Other names include "squint",[5] "crossed eye", "google eye", "boss eye", "cock eye", "wonk eye", "codeye", "derpy eye", and "wok eye""
'Derpy eye', my friends, is a term that is regarded to be on the same level of other terms such as 'lazy eye', 'cock-eye', and 'squint' to describe Strabismus.
Should further explanation be required, my point is that Derpy's unique eyes could be due to a common eye problem found in real life. And not only that, but "derpy eye" is used to describe it - which strongly supports the belief of Derpy's name originating from her eyes' appearance - NOT her perceived intelligence.
I have this condition, and I'm not stupid, or retarded, or brain damaged like some people like to believe having "derpy eyes" means. The vast majority of people who have or have had "lazy eyes" are treated like average, normal people.
This is one of my arguments in support of Derpy. Her crossed eyes bear no weight on her mental capacity, because, even by real-life standards, crossed eyes are the result of a vision problem and not a mental health problem.
personaly, i am not going to stop watching MLP, as i fully enjoy the show. however i do feel extremly hurt that they would change such a well loved character. we all loved derpy just the way she was. and my problem with this, is based on a few complaints regarding derpy, they all of a sudden have to change her. whats going to happen when they get an e-mail saying that pinkie pie is to happy? or that apple jak is too much of a red neck? seriously.. everypony has a right to be upset on this, based on the fact that she was a fan based character. and her speaking was a shoutout to the brony community. shame on you hasbro..
ReplyDelete@DerpGarde
ReplyDeleteI need to thank you, too, for a good dialogue. I appreciate understanding why so many were offended, beyond my first reaction.
Twilight Sparkle made a mistake and destroyed all of Ponyville in Swarm of the Century. Still well loved by all. :)
ReplyDeleteThe fandom isn't going to "calm down" until they FIX what they DID. This is a "New Coke" moment.
ReplyDeleteThe edit they made "did not stay true to the core message of friendship which is the heart and soul of the series."
ReplyDeleteSee this? This is me taking all of my support for Hasbro and dumping it into a meat grinder.
ReplyDeleteReally, I'm ticked now. I had your back here, Hasbro. I was the ONLY one in a swarm of my friends who was actually willing to defend your stance. I pointed out that her name wasn't originally Derpy to begin with, and that to name her such was probably a canonical misstep. I was quick to point out that only the Apple version had been changed, which made it likely Apple was the culprit. I noted that her voice and mannerisms COULD be taken in a mildly offensive way, even if I didn't agree with it myself.
And what do you do? You come out and admit that you changed it. And then give....the WORST....WORST....possible reason for doing it. "We felt that a pony who was different from the others yet still friends with them was not staying true to the message of friendship." Are you out of your bloody minds? That is a terrible reason to change it! You could have used this as an opportunity! You could have been smart and pointed out to complainers that here is a pony berated for being clumsy, and yet she maintains such a large circle of friends, showing that children can all be friends regardless of their natures. But you blew it!
And then as if that wasn't enough, you actually lied in your PR report. "We made audio changes." Really? That's true, you did. But that isn't all you did, is it, Hasbro? You also changed her eyes. Now this wouldn't be a problem except that you specifically said "audio" changes, implying that was all you did when it clearly was not. If you're willing to lie to our faces about something so horrendously easy to spot, what else will you happily lie to us about?
Way to burn your bridge with a good portion of the fandom, Hasbro. I'm really disappointed. I was covering your back, and you twist around and stab it. Not cool.
Title of Article says it all: I'm a troll, and I hate people who are different and judge people based on looks.
ReplyDeleteThe only offensive thing about that episode was a voice actress not knowing she was voicing a female.
ReplyDeleteNow let's wait till Derpy's "canonical" name gets revealed.
And I wonder who were those "some viewers"...
Hey Hasbro-Friend-Lady! How about the friendship you showed the 3 or 4 or 5 year old fans of MLP who don't understand things like "protect your bottom line" and "politically correct late night hack job edit" and "fix the disabled"? You couldn't allow those kids' favorite pony to have THREE LINES of dialogue in a fifteen second scene while your grammar-deficient Transformer Grimlock goes skating across Cybertron unscatched? Does Hasbro plan to post THERE IS NO SANTA CLAUS on their homepage in giant block letters tomorrow? Because as an adult I can deal with it....but I wonder if the my children who happened to find one of their heroes in a little pony named Derpy Hooves will be able to.
ReplyDelete@DerpGarde
ReplyDeleteSadly, men are considered an acceptable target of such mockery. Rest assured that I too find such things offensive. The thing is that hardly anyone would take it seriously.
And the fact that what made her seem mentally disabled was entirely unintentional they really didn't add her in with that in mind or with preparation to deal with any feedback upon that issue.
It wasn't anything they wanted to have to address so they did what anyone would do if they inadvertently brought up an issue they didn't want to deal with.
Its sad that hasbro changed derpy, but there's not much we can do to change that right now. Derpy will always be derpy to us, and that's something that can never be changed. Gawker's article was annoying. We just gotta turn the other cheek bros.
ReplyDelete@kris
ReplyDeleteSorry, but I'm not the kind of person who lets someone spit in my face and then I shake their hand for it, especially when the ones doing the spitting claim to be my "fellow fans" and a company that expects my further patronage.
If they want to act like dicks, they're going to be treated like dicks, simple as that. I was never obligated to follow some sort of "forced" creed of love and tolerance, even moreso when it was originally meant as a way of countering and annoying trolls. (IE: Even it's reason for coming into being was a means of dealing with unwanted parties.)
@Twilight Sparkled Truthfully, I'm probably more loyal to this community of fans than any other I've ever participated in, and this is why. I've spoken with countless bronies over the past few days online, even some who were posting their complaints unreasonably on the DeviantArt accounts of folks like Kreoss and Sibsy, who obviously had nothing to do with Hasbro's decision. The thing is, those people have often gone back and apologized later after realizing their mistake. I know there's been emotional over-reactions to this, but things will settle down again soon enough, I wholeheartedly believe.
ReplyDelete@Corkscrew Very true indeed.
ReplyDelete(Reads thread.)
ReplyDelete(Hides MLP merch, Welovefine shirts.)
Well, back to being a closet brony. It's better in there.
Ah, so that was why they changed the tone of Rainbow Dash's lines to make her sound a bit calmer about Derpy's accidents rather than sounding frustrated about them like before. I suppose I can see where they are getting at with the whole "acceptance" thing in that RD seemed a bit miffed at Derpy for what she accidentally did. However, it isn't outside of RD's personality to get frustrated with other characters, so that didn't seem off to me in the slightest.
ReplyDeleteAlso notice that even though Derpy damaged town hall, the Mayor didn't seem mad at all. Then in the next scene when Derpy said: "Yay Applejack! Woohoo!" then fell back in the hole, RD just gave a "oh well" expression. Those scenes seemed pretty forgiving and accepting to me.
But, even though they did make the scene more "accepting", that change still seems like a rather odd and possibly hypocritical move. Like, no matter what viewers thought of the Derpy scene, editing it is almost like saying there shouldn't be ponies (or people) like that or that they should be treated differently if there are. I'm sure that wasn't the intent, but some people could no doubt view the editing that way just as they felt some could think the Derpy scene was offensive to begin with. So, I guess it's a lose-lose situation at this point with the oversensitive peeps.
Well anyway, it's nice to read Hasbro's actual response rather than taking educated guesses at it. I wouldn't worry about it too much since the original episode with the original scene is floating around on the net as well as on the Friendship Express DVDs. So, I guess it would be best to consider the edited episode a "re-imagining" of it to give it the best possible outlook.
I don't think they absolutely hate bronies or anything. It is just that they ate falling into the same politically correct nonsense that plagues big corporations. No matter the reasoning, it is not a good thing for the politically correctness to mess with creator content.
ReplyDeleteWhat worries me most is that they consider RD's light jab and her typical brudque attitude as bullying? It is like they never watch the show. RD and her personality quirks is very unique and totally on line with the theme of friendship. I am honestly disappointed. Gawker always disappoints as usual too. I do not appreciate constant jabs to the fandom like we have some alien mindset to everything.
I know it’s a bit lame to quote other people, but I’ve always loved this metaphor:
ReplyDelete“This must be how a lioness feels when the alpha male eats one of her cubs. I just don't know where we stand right now, and he's not having any of my zebra tonight, that's for fucking certain.”
-Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw
Changing Derpy serves no purpose. She was offending only if you really want her to be. But I don’t see any reason why Hasbro would do anything for us. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? They would lose some fans they never wanted in the first place. Yeah, I bet they are scared shitless.
Still, it’s a shame; the last roundup scene was such a nice gesture. Poor Derpy… she was too good for this cruel world ruled by oversensitive soccer moms and moral crusaders.
@Fox-Boy IanExcept by definition if it won't be aired it is not canon.
ReplyDeleteOT: Hasbro has pretty much burned any amount of goodwill they had from me. And hopefully, many others.
@Corkscrew
ReplyDeleteEr... actually most people would NOT take that seriously as the "being unable to keep up with the main character" has pretty much been the case for 80-90%, at least, of every female character in television history (although that seems to be changing around now).
I'm fine with the new voice I'll clench my teeth and let you change the name but the eyes are what makes Derpy Derpy
ReplyDelete@White Ink Most pony names would be ridiculous by HUMAN standards.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't get is why Gawker would have gotten and "official email from Hasbro" explaining the situation as opposed to say ANY OTHER news site. We sent mass emails and get no response at all despite being the ones most directly invested in finding out an answer yet some purposely inflammatory internet garbage rag of a news site gets an email response from Hasbro?
ReplyDeleteAm I really the only one wanting something a little more trustworthy than Gawker's word that they even spoke with Hasbro? Who's to say this isn't just some lie they made up to flesh out their shitty article? I mean, Hasbro has been decidedly silent about the whole issue. I just really don't trust this source. It all smells rotten to me.
Unless I see some legit proof of an official response I'm going to ignore this "response" and continue on my merry way.
@Vaitin
ReplyDeleteRead the OP again. Seth says this is what The Hub was going to answer him with. It's legit.
@DyxidI applaud your logic. This is similar to people who flip out on people for flipping out over a kids' show. What's worse flipping out over a kids' show or flipping out over somebody flipping out over a kids' show? That argument's logic has weak kung fu.
ReplyDeleteThis is quicky turning into an ugly mess...
ReplyDeleteCalm down, everypony! You're not going to help the brony collective freaking out and acting like crazy arse-biting monkeys. Derpy is ours, not theirs. We can keep her as our clumsy-yet-beloved angel, and let the soccer moms and parachute parents have their "sanitized" version of "unnamed pony number 18". It's quite easy.
Remember her as the best mailmare on Equestria, loving mother of Dinky Doo, partner of Carrot Top and awesome companion of Doctor Whooves, or whatever you think about her in your mind. She is ours, but also yours. Please don't ruin your own image of Derpy, going berserk into anyone who doesn't share our points of view.
Derpy is our own angel. A glorious angel, who won't ever die.
O disagree with you Adrianbrony. It does not matter whether a mentally ill or the sharpest pony acts as a threat. It they are clumsy and making a mess, we should largely treat the situation the same. Why we do that is to show that everybody are to be treated as normal as possible. Most people who have mental ailments would not want to be treated like everybody should treat them with kid gloves and be pandered to. I think it would be more outrageous to imply that the world rotates the other way for disabled or hampered people. That is not only ironically unfair, but it also shortchanges the reality of a situation especially if there is danger involved
ReplyDeleteWell, Derpy will always be Derpy. It has been put out there for us, and I doubt the dev team will ever have her named something different in future episodes, because I bet they want her to remain Derpy as well.
ReplyDelete@Lostcause Well stated. Epictetus, pretty much the patron saint of Stoicism, teaches us "People are not offended by things, but by their reaction to them"
ReplyDelete@Shippoyasha I too thought the scene to be completely in line with Rainbow Dash's character. Seriously, she treats everyone like that, and it's always something those around her just put up with.
ReplyDelete@Eri
ReplyDeleteThere's also what TV Tropes calls "Word of God", which is statements by the creators that aren't part of the show but are what the creators believed to be true when they were making the show. Like the fact that Albus Dumbledore is gay. Also, it's important to note that they only removed the name Derpy from the episode, they didn't replace it with something else like Ditzy Doo or whatever. And the episode still exists on the DVDs anyway. So the name "Derpy" is still canon, until such time as a future episode calls her by a different name.
It seems like Hasbro won't listen to our pro-Derpy arguments, no matter how thought out and articulate they are. Perhaps if we were to solicit children in the actual target audience (such as little brothers/sisters, relatives and their friends) for their opinions the matter, Hasbro would be more inclined to reconsider their decision, as I am sure most have no problem with Derpy and find her antics humorous.
ReplyDelete@DERPDERPDERPDERP
ReplyDeleteWell yes, I said that.
Sure, I made no mention of why men were considered acceptable to target, all I claimed was that it wouldn't be taken seriously be near anyone because of this.
I imagine that plenty of people consider weak female characters to be bad role models and offensive, and quite a few people would take that seriously. It wouldn't be changing if it wasn't that way.
I'm in the article picture...
ReplyDelete@Piper
ReplyDeleteI just refuse to "sit down, shut up, and suck it" basically. (Again, I'm dealing with dicks here.)
Speaking if the flamewar aspect, I think this fandom didn't blow anything out of proportion to be honest. It was a big deal to censor things and response was appropriate in scope. That said, fans should give more support for Studio B.
ReplyDeleteThe true threat to this fandom are the TROLLS that are fanning the flames or perhaps being the culprit if this drama. I say this fandom be way more vocal in support fir the cartoon and drown out the idiotic trolls.
It is fine to feel anger about this. But we can put the energy in the form of making thus fandom cooler, appreciating thus cartoon more and let Hasbro know about it.
I gave faith in this fandom. All of you guys should too!
@Your Friend the Taxman I have two children, 3 and 6, and they each joined me in writing a snailmail to Hasbro today asking them to please consider making Derpy grow/change as a character in the show itself in upcoming episodes, not by editing her late nite in a back alley with no explanation. Well that's what I wrote. My 6 year old said "Dear Hasbro please give Derpy back her old voice because her old voice is perfect" and my 3 year old just scribbled and we helped her draw a heart and the word DERPY. P.S. I bought them a Feathermay and a Honeybuzz today, confound Hasbro, they irritate me so but then they release these wonderful pony brushies!
ReplyDeleteHasbro and the people complaining are apparently completely unaware of the past 50 years of animation.
ReplyDeleteOn a serious note we are not the only ones upset by this. I was on the train today sketching Derpy. A girl of about seven years of age boarded the train with her mother and I think grandfather. The mother,grandfather, and girl took a seat next to me. After a stop or two I heard "Mom look told you there was a pony named Derpy with funny eyes in that episode." As I turned to look up the mother was saying something like "no thats just something people made up online." I explained what had happened with the episode to them. The mother told me that the girl had been complaining for the past few days that computer episode was changed. The girl seemed a little upset so I told that the dvd version was unchanged and gave her the picture of Derpy I had sketched, it seemed to make her happy.
-Im not sure what the girl's name was I am awful at names, good with faces.
-The subject of Bronies came up, but I just said I was an animator and animation enthusiast which I am.
Great job of upsetting your entire fan base Hasbro.
Seems like a pretty hefty 'fuck you' to me. They wont respond to or even acknowledge us, or our actions to savederpy, arent going to change things back, and are minimizing the edits.
ReplyDeleteHey kids, dont be friends with people who might be disabled, thats not how friendship works.
I despise this article. It has a very distinct slant against Bronies- calling us "strange", "volatile", "nerds" (not a direct insult, but it unfairly characterizes us), saying we "mutated" from a 4chan joke, calling us a "hive mind" as if we don't have seperate opinions and there weren't people opposed to the outrage reaction of the fanbase, and comparing us with Ananonymous for poor reason.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, it doesn't present the logical side of the argument in support of Derpy at all. It tries to present it with the quotes from Cereal Velocity, but he only lays out the Derpy issue somewhat and then dismisses its significance to an extetnt with the quotes used. It says it was a "tiny" change, but not only is that vague, but the general scene changes can be argued as fairly large.
It gives Hasboro's argument, but doesn't tell the valid points from Bronies about why the scene is not offensive. It notes that "Derp"'s definition as something akin to "stupid" has been debated, but then goes on a tangent on how it has been used negatively without giving the other side of the "debate". It fails to acknowledge the numerous people with some of these disabilities that have come out in support of Derpy either.
This isn't an editorial/opinion piece; it's laying out the story with a distinct slant against bronies. It's not a fair telling of the story at all. And if it wanted to be an opinion piece, it should go all the way, instead of laying out the author's opinions in a matter-of-fact manner.
This is really badly done.
I am happy to have my DVD. I pre-ordered it on Amazon, and it's shipping, and just to be sure I got it early, I picked one up at Walmart also (nothing wrong with having a spare). I've already watched it... I am JOYED at ORIGINAL DERPY. I also cringed at the meet the ponies bit... "Princess Celestia is the only pony with a unicorn's horn and pegasus wings"! BLEEEAH!!! No wonder poor Luna went Nightmare... :(
ReplyDeleteAs for Hasbro's response... HYPOCRITES!!!
"Ponies are all about love and tolerance and acceptance and blah, blah, blah..."
ERASE THE DIFFERENCES! That pony can't be allowed to be different! Wipe out the nonconformist!!!
Facehoof moment incoming... /)-_-
Hasbro, you were more offensive to be taking her from us than leaving her. Pathetic foals!
Right now, I’m quite crestfallen about the whole Derpy fiasco. Although I understand the reasoning behind Hasbro’s decision, I still feel that the criticism towards Derpy’s portrayal wasn’t enough to warrant the editing of her scene. If Hasbro is so concerned about the show’s ideals of “acceptance and inclusion” being threatened, couldn’t they just have tried to incorporate a short bit of a future episode in which Derpy is praised and appreciated for her own unique personality? In my opinion, I think that would adhere to the show’s message, as well as provide a powerful statement about love & tolerance. However, I fear this alternative would be too long-term of a pay-off for Hasbro, and would also be deemed as treading territory that is too “unsafe” or too “sensitive” a topic. I still feel that Studio B is trying their best to find a compromise between the interests of the fans and Hasbro. After all they are the ones who incorporated the shout-out in the first place.
ReplyDeleteHere's to more Derpy in the future!
@Anadu Kune
ReplyDeleteThe fact that you told not only the mother the truth of what has happened, but also told the truth to the child, is a big thing you did. The worst thing you can do to children is shelter them too much and sacrifice the most basic of virtues.
You got lucky, too, because even though she was clearly upset to learn the truth, you were able to give her hope by telling her that the DVD is unchanged, and you generously gave her your sketch of Derpy to further brighten her day.
You earned yourself a lot of good karma for your actions, and have restored my faith in humanity by a large margin.
(side note: I'm kinda glad to read that there is a mother who is somewhat aware of ponies on the web, and doesn't assume the worst of it all)
Also... DERPY'S ON THE TRAIN!!! She's on the train in her usual spot on the back cover of the DVD case!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"Bronies are on the march. One of the strangest, most volatile fanbases..."
ReplyDeleteDid. Not. Do. Research.
Gawker, I am disappoint.
How about if we just say that they replaced Derpy Hooves for Ditsy Doo?
ReplyDelete@Dyxid Well, then I am sorry for you. Honestly.
ReplyDeleteBut it does beg the question: why are you even here?
I'm here because I want to revel in the show and the various fan art. Are you here because you, in your own words, want to "treat people like dicks"?
You need to ask yourself these questions.
Huh, I'm unfamiliar with Gawker, but as an unbiased reader I have to say that article was simply poorly written. It was basically just them giving a low blow to the fandom, not much else.
ReplyDeletePiper: GOOD FOR YOU! Not being sarcastic either. Hasbro needs to see more solid evidence of what the kids in the audience think. See if they have friends at school who could mail something in as well.
ReplyDeleteo.o...We're still going on about this?...
ReplyDeleteThe statement said only the audio was changed for a single episode. That isn't true. They also changed her eyes.
ReplyDeleteBy changing her eyes they are saying that having crossed eyes are somehow offensive? That people with disabilities are offensive?
The original material was not as offensive as this!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they'll make it up to us by having Vinyl Scratch talk. Yeah, all would be forgiven then.
ReplyDeleteOk I wasn't really on board the 'Save Derpy' crusade and I'll admit I though some were overreacting, but that article I found to be slightly unfair not all the Pro-Derpy Bronies were as bad as that ONE comment he used, and since when is one comment on the internet a viable piece of evidence to create an accurate portrayal of a group. So yea I didn't care for the article.
ReplyDeleteAs for Hasbro's response, I feel for them I'm sure their intentions weren't to piss off the fanbase, I truly believe they would like for our relationship with them to work. As a large corporation with such a history and reputation they have a huge responsibility to maintain said reputation and decided it was necessary to make the change. Also the fact that it's only this episode is encouraging. I know some may not find this response acceptable but at least it's something.
@Fox-Boy Ian
ReplyDeletenext u shall see a pony named Ditzy Doo with correct eyes and generic voice, researching physics GG
What makes me mad is that Derpy was never retarsed! I mean which bucking bronies said that Derpy is just a "big retard joke"? That makes me sick that anyone would think that.
ReplyDeleteErm... Isn't My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic done in allcaps in official statements? Is that just editing by Gawker or what?
ReplyDeleteSo Hasbro won't release an official statement to the fans... but will give one to the Gawker? And makes a statement that straight-up ignores the will of the majority AND contradicts itself?
ReplyDelete...Hasbro, what are you even doing.
Now here's hoping Gawker isn't trolling us or else I'm gonna be super you-broke-a-pinkie-promise mad
ReplyDeleteTranslation: The whiners won
ReplyDelete@kris
ReplyDeleteTch, my ass that you feel "sorry".
I'm still going to watch the show I suppose (though I'm not as eager to get around to season 2 as I once was), but my affiliation with the fandom is just about shot after this, even moreso with the number of people actually trying to defend Hasbro's censorship all in the name of "love and tolerance" fueled ass-kissing.
That fellow bronies were responsible for causing the censorship in the first place is bad enough, but that other bronies are willing to protect these censorship hounds and Habsro, while only chastising their attackers, goes to show just how bad and ass-backwards things have gotten.
I'll probably still look into certain fanworks as well (while making a note to avoid anything made by the Anti-Derpy side, like how I've stopped watching Yamino), but I just don't have the drive to post or talk about them openly anymore. Hell, this whole incident pretty much nuked what interest I had in a possible fan project of my own, one I had become increasingly antsy about because I really wanted to try it, and I just generally no longer take any sense of pride in being a fan of the show knowing that there's people actively working to ruin it from within and being allowed to get away with it.
So yeah, it's either "treat dicks like dicks" or "quit because of the dicks" and since people seem to be *so* against the idea of infighting, the only alternative left to me is to walk away and hide in a closet.
That of course won't be a terrible loss to anyone here as I'm not a particularly active or well-known commenter (nor am I a "somebody" in the fandom at large), but it still kind of sucks to have made a Blogger account just because of this site and now having little reason to speak up here again, or that I won't be as active or as interested as I once was on other forums and such.
I'm honestly disappointed with a lot of things right now.
ReplyDeleteI'm disappointed with Hasbro for messing with a fan-character that was an obvious shout-out to the brony community.
I'm disappointed with the few bronies who decided to post negative things at Hasbro for their poor choice. (Article explains it all.)
But what really gets my goat are the people who COMPLAINED about Derpy being all down-syndrome-y?
Honestly, I couldn't give a damn if it was a shout-out to people with mental problems or not. I liked Derpy the way she was. It was funny!
People who whine about how "offensive" she is, are the REAL problem in our society. They nitpick over such unimportant things that the money makers at the big top can't seem to help but answer to.
4Kids is a good example of this. Thinking about nothing but money in their back pockets and the screech of the soccer moms. They ruin whatever anime they grab a hold of and shove it in our kids faces. All the while saying, "Fuck you," to the fans of the series.
Is Hasbro that bad yet? Of course not! But we need to make sure they don't. Not through threats, but support for our characters and the show itself. We should try speaking louder than the nitpickers who screw things up for all of us and them.
Seriously? Hasbro decides to publish their response through this guy?
ReplyDeleteYou know, out of kindness, I don't think I will type what I really feel.
I for one, hope Anonymous crashes that gawker website.
"Some viewers felt that aspects of the episode 'The Last Roundup' did not stay true to the core message of friendship"
ReplyDeleteRaging freaks who couldn't just be happy she got a part in the show:
"WHY YOU NO NAME HER DITZY DOO!?"
"What? that isn't how I imagined her voice at all!"
"Why isn't she delivering mail and saying Muffins?!"
"THAT'S NOT CANON!" <- lols
"LET'S RAGE TILL WE GET THEM TO CHANGE HER TO WHAT WE IMAGINED HER TO BE AS!"
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As Tabitha told me in a letter which I will copy paste the parts she said I could include:
"I'm sorry I can't comment about MS. Hooves, the brony/sisterhooves community is wildly creative, having taken the merest suggestion of an idea, a weenie image, and created a whole character and reality. Rather than arguing with another's version of reality, or some official stamp, I say, go with your strength, and just create, create, create. Bronies are seething creative factories. I just don't think everyone realizes the potency of it. Let's face it. There are a lot of agendas for our lives, our thoughts, our energies. Creating is how to put it all back in your own mitts. Creating is the habit of a god... and... Creating from nothing is economical! Clears emotional flab! Gives you a six-pack psyche and makes one far harder to blow out of a cannon.
It's always a weaker position to object than it is to put out something new. When you argue, by default, you are agreeing to someone else's starting premise.
Just walk away from the very idea that there's a victim or aggressor. That's old world do-do. Change the game. Victims needs aggressors and v-v, but neither needs you. Make stuff. And love it with parental patience right from the pooping toddler stage until it drives away in a lamborgini. It'll all add up someday to mass defection from the land of limits, into your scott-free reality.
You, super love chickens, standing up for horsey happiness, are your own stamp of approval. But if you need mine, dang it, I stamp you! Like a hairy hobbit foot! LOVESTAMP. Done.
It is as if we are witnessing string theory in blossom. There's a parent reality, some sort of catalytic event and then new universes spring out fully formed. like bronyverse. That is awesome. It speaks of massive creative oompah. And I think bronyverse has just had triplets too.Maybe some of those 'verses you don't want to live in, but the good news is... you don't gotta!
I wish you a brave new world where every healthy inspiration blasts into being. GO GO GO!"
@Zombie
ReplyDeleteIf they make Scratch canonically blind or deaf (Beethoven anyone?), and Hasbro stands by it no matter what, then more than what they did to censoring Derpy would be forgiven, they'd earn all of my respect.
Let's have an episode where Scratch is shown to be deaf, and communicates through sign language and/or magic and the conflict could be that some ponies are too impatient to wait for Scratch to communicate with them before they walk off, but some ponies (such as Fluttershy or Pinkie) smother Scratch with kindness that she feels like she's being treated differently anyway. The message could be that while being impatient with ponies with disabilities is very unfriendly and mean, offering to help a disabled pony with EVERYTHING can make them feel just as bad. The key is to be patient, and be willing to help when it is asked of you.
If Hasbro were to okay an episode such as that, and proceed to not give two shits about haters and their bitching, then they'd be completely forgiven and highly respected by me at the very least
This whole business has probably caused people to have MORE dislike for the mentally delayed...
ReplyDeleteHasbro can't have an image of being one that risks being offensive, yet Snails has a Cutie-mark that represents his talent for being SLOW/DUMB/REATRDED.
ReplyDeleteHasbro ONLY censored Derpy because of raging fanaticism from those that wanted Derpy changed to be Ditzy or told unknowing parents that a kids show aimed at their children had a character in ONE episode making fun of mentally retarded children.
These fanatics are the cause for the change and that pushed Hasbro to keep a NEUTRAL stance on NOT NAMING HER ON THE SHOW! (I now am leaning slightly towards hating the name Ditzy now over this retardation...hell even fics that seemed good threw in a bias hate message of their dislike of Derpy Hooves name... they know who they are!) so to KEEP FANS HAPPY AND TO KEEP A NEUTRAL AND SAFE IMAGE, this is what they had to do.
Blame is none other then those who wished for getting their way and stupidly thinking Derpy, a silly mistake by definition (or to have a silly expression on your face), from a MADE UP word was more offensive then your parents naming you Ditzy which means you're basically a klutzy airhead who by definition is slow, flighty and dumb; a true blond.
Hasbro censored just the ONE SINGLE EPISODE so keep that in mind as it seems to imply that for the most part DERPY IS SAFE for now. Whether she'll ever get another chance at being in an episode? I PERSONALLY freaking hope not unless they get Tabitha back to be her VA, if anything she could easily adjust her voice to be slightly more feminine. THAT NEW VA SUCKS AND MADE DERPY ACTUALLY FEEL RETARDED.
This is why shows never give shout-outs to fans, because you'll always end up with a group so butt-hurt or feel so self-entitled that they start demanding more and how they should go about doing stuff.
I'm not happy with Hasbro's beating around the bush but it did imply by how they worded it that it was most likely the fans that complained then those 'moral guardians' that make their kids watch spongebob all day long and other silly shows with more mentally challenged characters.
Well, here's to hoping no one actually supports the butchering of Derpy on iTunes and just buy the DVDS! hopefully, if they get enough sales to bring out more dvds with cool behind the scenes stuff. I'm sure a lot of importers would love that idea.
@nickman983 I´m agree with you.
ReplyDeleteOk, you know what? Fine, whatever. I don't care anymore. We're not gonna change their minds, I'm gonna take my "could be worse" and go back to my fan art and apple bobbing scenes.
ReplyDeleteNot to break up all the raeg here but holy crap, check out WeLoveFine's newest prints!
ReplyDelete@Anadu Kune
ReplyDeleteYou just said it man. That was both beautiful what you did for that little girl, and tragic that she was left so confused by Hasbro's actions.
Hasbro should be ashamed of themselves.
Maybe Studio B will make it up to us by having one of the other fan-favorite characters speak or something. If Scratch reappeared and took her goggles off to reveal red eyes, all would be forgiven.
ReplyDeleteYou people do realize that this stuff is the exact same thing that caused this, don't you? Those of you who are pissed of teens worked up in your emotional dramas, need to cool down. And if you're not a teen and are a full adult, then shame on you. Grow up and be bigger people. It was one change, and all this over reaction is driving the fandom from the show and its creators. Accept that businesses are not going to act ideally for the masses. They have to cover their asses and do what they have to. Everyone who is all in a tizzy needs to calm down.
ReplyDeleteWait, was there ever any doubt that they only modified one ep? I mean, that's the only one where she got a speaking part ("muffins" notwithstanding).
ReplyDeleteI wish Derpy wasn't edited at all so that there wouldn't even BE all these problems :<
ReplyDeleteI still sincerly believe it has something to do with francheiche and marketing.
ReplyDelete(I excuse for bad spelling)
All I'm taking away from this is that Hasbro wants to pretend that mentally challenged people do not exist and do not deserve air time. This is EXTREMELY offensive. I expect no less from a corporate entity. As I've said before, Hasbro has lost all of my business.
ReplyDeletePapa Prinny: Consider getting the brony-oriented figures which are coming out soon, since that at least is one thing they've done right lately.
ReplyDelete@FuckYouGoogle
ReplyDeleteWhy? Why on earth would I patronize them after they told us- and all mentally handicapped people- to go to hell? This is the VERY kind of reason why you should not give them your money.