If Disney JR can get away with death, can DHX with FiM?

[ManaMinori 4,145]

So, in an episode of "the Lion Guard", Simba and Nala had to attend a funeral, and there was a dead elephant just lying on the ground, in plain sight. While the scene was somber, Simba messed up his eulogy, and there was a lighthearted moment to distill the seriousness of it all.

So, if they can show a dead animal and funeral on a Disney Jr series, can DHX get away with it in FiM? (Hasbro seems keen on riding Disney's 'princessify everything' coattails. Yet Disney's also been showing death scenes for a long time. Can't Hasbro copy and get away with that, too?)

[cookiequester 32]

I've seen something on this topic quite a while ago. Although FiM most likely has a higher age rating than said show you mentioned, I honestly doubt FiM will be showing death anytime soon. Parents don't quite trust DHX as much as they trust Disney to deal with more "difficult" subjects for younger audiences, such as death, transgenders, homosexuality, sexual nature, true romance (I'm not counting Rarity's crushes on Trenderhoof and Prince Blue Blood.), etc.

 

I'm sorry, I can't remember what video it was. I'll get back to you if I find out.

[honk friend 1,978]

So, in an episode of "the Lion Guard", Simba and Nala had to attend a funeral, and there was a dead elephant just lying on the ground, in plain sight. While the scene was somber, Simba messed up his eulogy, and there was a lighthearted moment to distill the seriousness of it all.

 

hey i saw that yesterday morning when i was stuck in the er!

yeah probably, idk why it hasn't been a thing yet

i think granny smith should kick the bucket already, that would make for a good episode

[Marimo 555]

Death is a more natural thing to showcase for a franchise who emphasizes the idea of "the circle of life", with the animals still acting a lot like animals, and whose original source material has one of the most well known deaths in animated films. This is a fantasy series about herbivores who actually have control over a lot of aspects of nature, and where animals have societies more resembling humans, so death isn't something the show can so naturally and casually display. I doubt they want to kill off any of the cast, or even introduce a character just to have them die. They could always touch on Applejack's parents being dead, but they already handled death metaphorically with Tanks for the Memories, being about working through the five stages of grief to get to accepting when you have to let go, so that takes away from what lesson or growth could be done with the Apple parents' death (not to mention if they've been gone for a while now, then her family would've already gotten past their grief).

 

I think they could, as they've said that they would be able to touch on AJ's parents but it would need to be handled carefully, but at this point I don't think they really would unless they wanted some dramatic moment for like a finale or the movie.

[cider float 2,538]

I guess this is as close to death they will show.

 

 

There's also this pony skull from Scaremaster even if it's just a prop the detailing on it would describe what a pony's skull would look like.

 

Edited February 8, 2016 by cider float

[Metemponychosis 1,262]

I wouldn't bet on it. Death doesn't sell toys for Hasbro.

[cider float 2,538]

In terms of death they only go so far as showing skeletons, but there are skeletons in children's cartoons anyway and it's not considered morbid or whatever because walking living skeletons are supposed to be cute and funny I guess.

[ManaMinori 4,145]

Death is a more natural thing to showcase for a franchise who emphasizes the idea of "the circle of life", with the animals still acting a lot like animals, and whose original source material has one of the most well known deaths in animated films. This is a fantasy series about herbivores who actually have control over a lot of aspects of nature, and where animals have societies more resembling humans, so death isn't something the show can so naturally and casually display. I doubt they want to kill off any of the cast, or even introduce a character just to have them die. They could always touch on Applejack's parents being dead, but they already handled death metaphorically with Tanks for the Memories, being about working through the five stages of grief to get to accepting when you have to let go, so that takes away from what lesson or growth could be done with the Apple parents' death (not to mention if they've been gone for a while now, then her family would've already gotten past their grief).

 

I think they could, as they've said that they would be able to touch on AJ's parents but it would need to be handled carefully, but at this point I don't think they really would unless they wanted some dramatic moment for like a finale or the movie.

dhx have shown death before, in Hearts and hooves day

 

And have also psuedo klled Sunbutt in Twilight's flashback. They can push the envelope with an actual dead body

Edited February 8, 2016 by Nightmare Muffin

[Dark Qiviut 22,447]

I agree with @@cookiequester. Even though The Lion Guard and FIM are both rated TV-Y, the reason you don't see death mentioned in anything other than in passing in FIM is trust. Disney has a long history of handling death very gracefully, so the audience trusts it more in handling the subject. FIM has a difficult time handling sensitive subjects tastefully, and Hasbro is a very conservative company. To Hasbro, better not handle the subject at all and not hurt profit than give it a shot and screw up royally.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Dark Qiviut

[Silver Stream. 708]

I agree with @@cookiequester. Even though The Lion Guard and FIM are both rated TV-Y, the reason you don't see death mentioned in anything other than in passing in FIM is trust. Disney has a long history of handling death very gracefully, so the audience trusts it more in handling the subject. FIM has a difficult time handling sensitive subjects tastefully, and Hasbro is a very conservative company. To Hasbro, better not handle the subject at all and not hurt profit than give it a shot and screw up royally.

This basically. For now, it's better to accept the "implications " that death EXISTS in FiM (the skulls Cider mentioned, the heavily implied headcanon that AJ's parents are dead, and the alternate future we saw.in the finale where nothing existed) but won't be DIRECTLY executed and/or addressed in any episodes.

[Marimo 555]

dhx have shown death before, in Hearts and hooves day

 

And have also psuedo klled Sunbutt in Twilight's flashback. They can push the envelope with an actual dead body

 

The funeral thing was quick, avoided showing the body itself, and even used moreso as a gag as part of a song. It's not as easy to compare as actually addressing that someone is dead and being willing to give it the appropriate gravitas. Besides given the quick nature, using that is like using Button Mash playing an arcade game as an example of how DHX should make an episode all about video games.

 

And Celestia only got knocked out for a little bit. The fact that she's able to get back up shortly makes it completely different than actual death because the whole point of death is you can't get back up ever.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Marimo

[Jangocoolguy 433]

I wouldn't bet on it. Death doesn't sell toys for Hasbro.

 

Pretty much this.

 

(even though Optimus has been killed and revived so many times it's a joke)

[Saroth 102]

Sure, FiM might be able to get away with having characters die off in the show, but then what does the show become?

Currently, we have a show about six friends having adventures and solving problems together. We don't have a dark show, we don't have a show that deals with deep emotional trauma (minus a couple episodes, but they are still done in child-friendly ways). Probably the reason that the show has avoided killing off characters is because they don't need to. We've seen Sombra getting killed off, but he was a villain who attempted to enslave an entire city, and much worse in the S5 finale. Nobody looks at the cute ponies and think 'God, I really wish I could just see one of them die.' Any non-villain death would ruin the entire spirit of the show.

[cider float 2,538]

Death added to this show would be much better than Slice of Life though

[Mesme Rize 15,687]

I think there is a big difference between the 2 shows, in that the lion guard (which is based off the lion king movies) is in a universe, where the circle of life is a big element of the story and the fact that Disney is scaring childhoods with the topic of death since the 1930s.

 

Hasbro can't show these themes, because we're talking about a different kind of show, which has a more positive outlook on life, instead of being doom and gloom. And as it was mentioned before, the topi of death is a big risk to take, because you have to touch that topic with grace.

[Makazi 317]

The dust cat in Pinkie Apple Pie seemed pretty dead to me.