Obligatory post on the Derpy Debacle
This is a glorious post. Please read it and share it with any friends you may have who are still foaming at the mouth.
Where to even begin. The first time this whole mess broke out, I stayed out of it and avoided it entirely until it mostly blew over. Now it’s back, and I’m mad enough to write a rant about it, even if in the long run I don’t expect this to change anything. Feel free to ignore this, it’s going to be long, and I just want to get my feelings on this out there to calm myself down a bit.
Personally, I loved the original Derpy scene. I found her hilariously adorable and just wanted to give Derpy a hug. I loved her cheerful attitude, even if she was a klutz. It was an unprecedented shout out to the fans by Studio B. All that said, it should never have happened.
I didn’t find the scene offensive at all. But even I could recognize there would be people who would. The creators should have realized that too. From the beginning the team have been exploring uncharted territory, carefully balancing an unprecedented variety of age groups in the fanbase. A slip-up was inevitable. Sure, they’ve included plenty of pop-culture references and fandom shoutouts in the past. But the Derpy scene crossed a line none of us even knew was there. Whether or not you find the Derpy scene offensive, it is one thing that no one can deny at this point: controversial. It provoked strong emotions in a vast number of people, both negative and positive. And that means trouble. They put themselves into a very bad situation. Either they change the scene or leave it as is, both ways a bunch of people end up upset.
It is simply unreasonable to expect Hasbro to risk any sort of publicity meltdown over a children’s cartoon that makes up a microscopic portion of their vast profit margin. I could easily imagine a Fox News special report about how offensive and inappropriate MLP is for kids. I’m sure Hasbro can too. They are not entitled to give us anything. The more people talking about the issue, regardless of which side of the argument they are on, the more serious Hasbro will take the whole thing. And even a very small but vocal minority can be extremely damaging to their reputation. So it doesn’t surprise me at all that they made some concessions and changed the scene around a bit. That’s just how things work. The only thing I blame the studio or Hasbro for is lack of communication: I wish they had issued some form of public statement on the issue, rather than leave rumor to run wild for so long. But what’s done is done.
The fandom’s over-reaction has been absolutely disgraceful. It was a one-minute scene in one episode of a children’s cartoon. You have a right to find either Derpy’s original portrayal or her subsequent erasure offensive. You also have a right to make your opinion on the matter known. You do not have a right to hurt actual human beings or threaten anyone with violence and hate because of it. Please, consider what you’re even fighting for. This is a show about love and friendship, and people are sending death threats over it. Stop this. Think about what you are saying and doing. If you’ve learned anything from watching the show, if you’ve been paying attention to anything at all, don’t resort to hate speech, slurs, and attacks on individuals. That will accomplish nothing. Also, think about the consequences of your actions. This has the potential to permanently change the way Hasbro views our demographic. If they begin to think we’re more trouble than we’re worth, they would be perfectly within reason to end the show and begin work on their next toy line. Write well thought letters, sign a petition if you must, but don’t be an idiot. The best thing you can do though, is just take a step back and calm down. Look at all the tremendous things Studio B has already done for you. They constantly acknowledge our fandom and go out of their way to cater to us. Just let this go, and maybe we’ll have a second chance to do the right thing and prove we’re not a pack of raving lunatics. If not, it could mean far worse changes ahead.
In conclusion, I refuse to let this stop me from enjoying the fandom I know and love so much. People are actually rage-quitting the entire show because of this. Would you really turn your back on all the amazing moments and characters and lessons the show has to offer because of this one very unfortunate situation that’s escalated far out of control? All the art, music, fiction, games, and the whole host of amazingly good things this fandom has done are still out there. Bronies have collectively raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity through all the combined fundraisers. MLP has changed people’s entire lives, and brought so much happiness into being, even given people the will to live. The fandom will carry on, and I will continue to enjoy it to the fullest. So please, can we all just go back to getting along and having fun?
