Has MLP ever offended you?

[Flutterstep 46,279]

As crazy as it might sound, there has been several cases of this happening to people, including myself. For instance, when I started watching the show, I always felt offended how the writers made Fluttershy (a character that is portrayed to represent a shy character) is nothing more than a complete stereotype. Instead of teaching kids that those who are shy are no different to others when they have opened up, alternatively, they did the opposite and displayed Fluttershy as a weak, timid, quiet and worrying character who is scared of nearly everything and gets pushed around by others, and even by her friends. The worse part about it, however, is when they make jokes about it. I find humour about shyness or disability (out of a non-dark humour context) no different to jokes about autism, tourette's syndrome, cancer or anything along those lines: cruel… not funny. And this is coming from someone who can find the darkest of jokes funny. The fact that there's no diversity in who the jokes are aimed at, and the fact they are in a children's cartoon, is the main reason they have a larger impact.

 

I know what most may be thinking, "How could anyone feel upset about such a thing?" Easy - the same way someone would feel if a character that shared their ethnicity or religion was based only around an offensive parody of them. We've moved on from some stereotypes, being sexual orientation, religious views and even something as subtle as the use of dialect, but we are still making fun of disabilities, personality and health - in a kids cartoon.

 

Another example I and a few friends of mine have noticed, is the reoccurring jab at workers in the city of New York. It is no secret that Manehattan is a pony themed representation of New York City, and with it, casts a specifically type of rude, busy, business hungry ponies who only care about themselves. I've visited New York before, in addition, I have friends and family who have lived there. The claims that all New York workers are rude is beholden false. And even if statistics said otherwise, it's wrong to create accusations like that, multiple times, in the show.

 

I'm not even going to start on how other species make subtle references to existing cultures and civil conflicts. All of this makes people speculate and judge others poorly and can even lead to loosing potential friends - a thing I wouldn't expect from a show set purely around the values of friendship.

 

Anyhow, in conclusion to this post, I'd like to here anyone else's thoughts on this and give any other examples of MLP causing any offence to you or others.

 

Please keep comments on topic.

[BastementSparkle 20,312]

 

 

Instead of teaching kids that those who are shy are no different to others when they have opened up, alternatively, they did the opposite and displayed Fluttershy as a weak, timid, quiet and worrying character who is scared of nearly everything and gets pushed around by others, and even by her friends.

 

I dunno, I've always found Fluttershy to be pretty brave. She stood up to a dragon when her friends were in danger, she stood up to Discord and befriended him, she's said no multiple times. A large part of her character in the show has been her slowly growing to overcome these things. She get's pushed around by others sure, but that's not unrealistic at all, and her friends don't really push her around. Rainbow can get a bit over-aggressive, but she clearly cares a lot about Flutters and wants the best for her. 

 

 I mean, I've had a lot of troubles with being anxious and really nervous around new people and things, and she really does seem a lot like myself when I'm in that kind of mood. Her "Scared of everything" reminds me of myself at times. I don't blame you for disliking her, but I can't say I disagree more.

 

 And no, I've never been offended by this show. I've disliked certain things about it, but there's never been anything bad enough, or ever anything felt like the writers had cruel intentions to make me feel offended. At most I felt a tiny bit uncomfortable during two episodes "What about Discord", and "On your marks" that hit a bit close to home on certain issues, but that wasn't necessarily a bad kind of uncomfortable.

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,329]

No I've never been offended by the show nor do I think the writers intentionally try to offend others. Sure, sometimes they have episodes full of unfortunate implications, but that's more of the fault of bad writing than mallicious intent.

[Black Sabbath 2,484]

I found the  way that Derpy acted in "the last roundup" to be a little offensive and I'm very glad that they edited that scene. 

[Concerned Bystander 2,901]

No I've never been offended by the show nor do I think the writers intentionally try to offend others. Sure, sometimes they have episodes full of unfortunate implications, but that's more of the fault of bad writing than mallicious intent.

 

I don't think bad writing is the problem.  The simple fact of the matter is that in this day in age, no matter what they write, someone will take offence to it, it's inevitable.

 

But to answer the OPs question. No, I have never taken offence to anything in the cartoon.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Concerned Bystander

[Megas 27,060]

No, and I think it'd be silly to be offended

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,269]

Nope. This show has never offended me at all. 

 

 

Well, except for the lack of video games in Equestria. That's gameist. We need proper video game representation! 

[Jaxsie (Inactive) 1,343]

No, I've never been offended by any episode of MLP. There has been moments when I disagreed with the show, but beyond that, no. The way I see it, I choose my offense like I do my battles: wisely. I don't allow myself to get offended easily, because if I did, I would be offended by everything. And ain't nobody got time for that!

 

I'm not sure personality stereotypes are on the same footing as racial stereotypes...but this is my perspective and I understand everyone projects themselves onto the world differently.

[Solar Cloud 493]

No, I have not been offended by the show. Not even the Derpy scene from The Last Roundup. Tis silly to be offended by a kid's cartoon.

[Fluttershyfan94 5,738]

It has never offended me and even if it did it's a cartoon so I can't say it would be serious. Still having said that I've watched shows far more offensive and not taken any offense by it.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Fluttershyfan94

[Black Sabbath 2,484]

even if it did it's a cartoon so I can't say it would be serious. 

Why not? Does it magically get less offensive because it's a cartoon? 

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,298]

Not really.  I've always found the fandom to be far more offensive than the show.

[FlitterFlutter 1,568]

 

 

Why not? Does it magically get less offensive because it's a cartoon?

Well yeah.....

This is how stuff like south park and Family Guy are still on, somehow is something is a cartoon it is less offensive. You ever read on a video game or movie they put cartoon violence as different from regular violence.

[Officer Strike 152]

I have to admit it is so stereo typical. It offends me that everypony has one special talent which makes their cutie mark. I dont really like the idea.

[Riganthor 483]

it never managed to really offend me in anyway

[Ponies4Bronies 394]

No, I don't. The writing is not intentionally offending people, so being all offended is just wrong, deal with it, the world is not tailored to you, not everything is politically correct and neither should it be. Make it easier on yourself by anticipating being offended if you are just that kind of person, because being so offended by a show with pastel ponies or anything else for that matter is one of the world's largest wrongs.

[That Guy with the CMB 5,869]

Yes, I have. Episode 100 and fandom's...ideas. It just killed me.

 

 

Either way, it's fine now, I guess. Don't care about that anymore. <~>

[Dark Qiviut 22,172]

A few times.

1. Hasbro whitewashing Derpy and Rainbow Dash in The Last Roundup. Derpy became an out-of-character dumb blonde stereotype. The edited scene was as poorly acted as a 4Kids-dubbed a cartoon. Dash's dialogue was patronizing. And there are severe implications about how people like her exist, yet shouldn't, just by censoring the scene. In trying to not make it offensive, Hasbro screwed up massively. Because TLR is still aired in its censored state, I still won't watch it on TV. I'll only watch the original.
2. Celestia assigns Twilight to protect The Crystal Empire. Thousands of lives are at stake. Instead of trying to fend off Sombra, she puts all the burden on Twilight as a "test." It killed all the momentum leading to Twilight's ascension, and Celestia looked like an opportunistic tyrant.
3. The whole interrogation scene between VP Luna and Twilight. What made it so offensive is its complete stupidity. I'm supposed to take it seriously, but how can I when the "evidenced" turns out to be pieces of paper glued on top of each other, and Luna never figured it out? Everyone (Luna, TS, Flash, Sunset, Snips, and Snails) came out of that scene more incompetent. It's the worst scene in the entire main series.
4. The 2014 Holiday Special's whitewashed plot device of cyberbullying. Trolling is a very massive problem, and lots of people commit suicide because they can't get away from the bullies, whether it's online, off, or both. The whole comic screws up this concept, and it looks even worse because Ted Anderson (the writer of the comic) is close friends with two huge anti-brony SJWs and wrote both sexist and racist comments during the height of the drama in fall 2014.
5. Princess Spike's ending. Quoting my analysis:
   

    

   But despite all the problems, the approach to giving Spike his recognition was really sweet. When he tried to rebuild the statue and failed, all of the delegates united with him. Cadance said it best: No matter how much you play your part, you're as important as everypony else. During the last part of her speech, she looked at Spike sincerely, implying to both him and the audience how important he is to everyone. Even with all the torture porn in this episode, at least he has his moment at the end…

    

    

    

   
   

    

   
   

    

    

   …But this tasteless joke fucking ruins it!

   • The imagery is disgusting. It was already painful to see Spike's eyes swell from allergies the first and second time around. The poor dragon suffered enough. Why overwhelm him — and the audience, by extension — by reviving it once the moral is resolved? Damn it, the later the scene, the more the grosser details hurt.
   • DHX confirms to the audience how much of a punchline Spike is. Even though the audience can assume he's a constant joke, the resolution gave the audience faint hope that Spike is more than a one-dimensional piñata. That he's as equal a character as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Instead, the only main male character is relegated to a sideshow who does nothing but get himself into situations where he'll badly screw up.

      

      

     What worsens this implication is how FIM is supposed to be a pro-feminist show. A show with proud, unique qualities that can attract all sorts of demographics. A show that teaches us new techniques of masculinity and femininity without being tied down to sex. The morals are supposed to reach out to people young and old. When the morals are really mature, kids are respected. One of its most important morals is to be yourself. By endlessly punishing Spike and making him suffer long after he learns his lesson, kids are being told how meaningless the show's morals are. Even after you learn your lesson, karma will still bite you back. Spike is a really unique character, as he's the only dragon and male/boy of the main cast, so there's ample opportunity to bring a fresh perspective of Equestrian society. With this scene, DHX tells longtime and first-time watchers that being different means the show can make a complete ass out of you, and you will like it.

   My question to you is this: What does this teach children? What does this teach parents of children? For me, being ordinary is the way to live. Sticking out from the crowd and being yourself makes you inaccessible. Having a fresh voice in life invalidates your existence. Say I'm a father of a young kid and want to find a good cartoon show for him/her and me to watch together. If this was my first episode of Friendship Is Magic, I would feel horrified, never let my kid watch the show again, and not recommend it to other people in my inner circle.

    

    

   In addition, what does this teach in the name of feminism? Remember, feminism is bringing all genders at an equal level. This scene asks the viewer where Friendship Is Magic stands for as a feminist icon. For me, this scene confirmed a major hit in its credibility. How? Because it implies a return to the status quo for Spike in a rather daring product. As the rest of his friends mature, he's stuck and will have his character reset for the next episode, maybe in another clichéd episode with another clichéd setup with the possibility of characters as stereotypical as the bullies from Dragon Quest, Snips and Snails from Boast Busters, or Tree Hugger from Make Friends But Keep Discord. For he's different in both species and gender, this scene doesn't furnish feminism, but anti-feminism instead. To echo @Wind Chaser and merge his thoughts with mine, the scene and aforementioned episode epitomize hypocrisy in a show that champions individuality and challenges the status quo, two main goals of third-wave feminism. Season five has dared to move in a fresh direction with their characters, plots, and morals. Despite being imperfect, it earns credit for advancing in this path. To suggest a return to the status quo for the only main male character and not even attempt to hide it calls the ethics of FIM's canon and production into question.

    

Edited April 25, 2016 by Dark Qiviut

[cmarston1 5,951]

I wouldn't say that I have been offended by the show.

Not even on the most controversial episodes such as Magical Mystery Cure (which is one of my all time favorites),the first Equestria Girls (I really enjoyed it), or Brotherhooves Social which is one of my favorite episodes of season 5.

Edited April 25, 2016 by cmarston1

[Midnight Seashell 206]

Maybe it's just me but I've felt that there's some rascism in the show considering how donkeys,zebra's and bison's are treated and maybe even dragons heck even changelings.

[Concerned Bystander 2,901]

Hasbro whitewashing Derpy and Rainbow Dash in The Last Roundup. Derpy became an out-of-character dumb blonde stereotype. The edited scene was as poorly acted as a 4Kids-dubbed a cartoon. Dash's dialogue was patronizing. And there are severe implications about how people like her exist, yet shouldn't, just by censoring the scene. In trying to not make it offensive, Hasbro screwed up massively. Because TLR is still aired in its censored state, I still won't watch it on TV. I'll only watch the original.

 

In this instance, I could actually retract my earlier comment about not being offended.  Although in all fairness, that blatant act of PC appeasement was more down to Hasbro being spineless than about the cartoon itself.  Obviously conditions like dyspraxia (and others) don't exist in the perfect land of Equestria.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Concerned Bystander

[Gestum 2,493]

Well, I personally haven't been offended by it. With one exception of course. "Slice of Life" was offensively bad.

 

The only thing (other than "Slice of Life") I could understand that someone got offended by was Derpy.

[ggg-2 3,550]

As a paraplegic, Diamond Tiara's statements in Flight to the Finish came off as borderline, if not flatout, ableist.

[darkwingmare 1,296]

Definitely not. Then again, I'm not very sensitive to "offensive" matters in general. It takes a lot to offend me. I wouldn't see how a cute show such as MLP would ever offend anyone, though. Take it easy, chill out.   

And as for Derpy, I think we need more disabled characters. It should not be frowned upon by anyone, we all should be aware of that disabled people is a thing, so why couldn't a pony possibly be? I'd see it as a good thing, not a bad. The way they portray her is bubbly, clumsy and cute. Is that offensive in some way? I mean, there are plenty of cheerful, cute and bubbly disabled people out there. Nothing wrong with that.

Edited April 25, 2016 by darkwingmare

[Fluttershyfan94 5,738]

Why not? Does it magically get less offensive because it's a cartoon? 

Well it rarely is the intention to be offensive especially a cartoon like mlp. It wouldn't matter even if it wasn't a cartoon though, people nowadays are way too easily offended by everything.