Has MLP ever offended you?

[GenderIsAnIllusion 2,177]

Im just going to say if MLP FIM has ever offended anyone, those people need to take a long hard look at their life and reevaluate.

[Sunny Fox 5,950]

Rant incoming - I'm usually above this, but....

 

Ironically enough, one of the few episodes that managed to overcome my usual perspective of "hey, it's a cartoon show, don't stress about it" is Amending Fences. (As opposed to my reactions to certain other fans' reactions to FiM - they're real people after all.) The sheer character assassination inherent in the attempt to retroactively portray a off-hand decision Twilight made in the pilot as being devastatingly debilitating to somepony we've never heard of before and Twilight accepting the blame when she really did nothing wrong, is extremely galling to me. And this is the line that really makes evident the sheer dishonesty of this entire episode in no uncertain terms :

 

Twilight Sparkle: I know. And I think it's my fault. Back when we were in school together, you invited me to a party. I was so focused on my studies that I didn't show up. [Emphasis mine]

 

Um... no. No. No, no, no. Nononono. All of my no's. Every conceivable, possible NO it is within my power to bestow.

 

First off, Moon Dancer did not invite Twilight anywhere. The original scene in the pilot, and the scene as reshown in this episode, makes it clear that that never actually happened. A third party issued the invitation, as a freaking aside. Nor does the fact that Moon Dancer only organized the party in order to get Twilight to attend, in any way obligate Twilight to attend. Moon Dancer's decision to organize that party, and thereafter sequester herself when Twilight did not attend is entirely her own decision, and made in spite of the fact that the other three ponies featured in the episode 1. DID attend and 2. thereafter went out of their way to invite her to join them in friendship thereafter and she refused. Because Twilight freaking "I-have-to-have-Spike-tell-me-who-my-friends-are" Sparkle didn't come to her party. Boo freaking hoo, Moon Dancer. If you had actually got off your flank and made the invitation in person, I might have more sympathy for you. Instead, you trusted word of mouth to somehow spread the information that Twilight is the only pony who can make you happy by coming to your little party.

 

Horse-apples. The moral they tried to get across was "the smallest actions can affect someone else, so take care". So far, so good. However, the moral that came across was "you have a duty to accept blame for the offense of someone who decided to make you (without your knowledge or consent) the lynchpin of their emotional life and then took it personally when you didn't do what they wanted you to." The sheer idea that someone can force their own emotional expectations upon you and still be the victim when you don't live up to those unfounded expectations is utterly offensive. It's the very antithesis of living a life of free will that does infringe upon the rights of others. It's blatantly forcing your own emotions onto someone else and making them take responsibility for your personal issues.

 

Yeah, Slice of Life also kind of sucked. Instead of creating their own world that people can enjoy, they decided to canonize everyone's pet fanfictions, as a "thank you". However, the really  offensive bit for me is that Pinkie, instrumental as she was in actually getting the crazy couple together, got virtually zero screen time. Yup, Pinkie got Cranky his happy ever after, but is never acknowledged at his frikkin' wedding. Way to give Pinkie the middle hoof, writers!

 

I also don't enjoy the deep south / hillbilly stereotypes that sometimes get thrown in... or make up an entire episode (Somepony to Watch Over Me; Hooffields and McColts in particular.)

 

Wheeeew... finally got that off my chest.

[Luna 831 466]

I say only in the early episodes how celestia was mean to luna.

[Steve Piranha 29,420]

Yes, I'm being offended that: 4 seasons later, I HAVEN'T SEEN AN EPISODE FEATURING BAT PONIES  . Joke aside, NOPE , I didn't feel offended by MLP . Though, I think that's silly, people get offended just because you use Chrome instead of Firefox nowadays 

[Midnight Chimes 69]

Those who are saying that the censorship of the Derpy scene was somehow offensive to the disabled are missing the point. The reason why the original scene was censored is because it was offensive. Okay it doesn't bother me personally but that doesn't mean it is not offensive to others. I mean come on, it basically ridicules and makes fun of Derpy for being clumsy/stupid. Were they right to censor it? If I'm honest, I couldn't care less if both versions of the scene were removed from the episode entirely. It adds nothing to the story and is not even remotely funny.

[Shanks 10,816]

For the most part no, because I don't waste my time getting angry reading into things that aren't even there, I am too busy worrying about actual problems in the world. It is thanks to people that do read into things that aren't there that the one that could be said to "offend" me did happen and that was the Derpy incident. Since the Slice of Life episode aired I am significantly less angry about that though my irritation with the SJW's that are causing so many other similar incidents is getting greater and greater due to their blatant authoritarianism disguised as tolerance and respect.

Edited May 6, 2016 by Shanks

[powerpuff-tsubasa 448]

there are time when i actually do get offended by its "dry humor". grrr

[An Unknown Pony. 370]

Nah,not really.Afterall,its a show about making friends,and even though i dislike some episodes,i don't have a problem with it.

[JewelledCrown 25]

When big Mac was in a dress and that old guy had a crush on him

[powerpuff-tsubasa 448]

when i mean "dry humor" i just mean dashie's remarks sounded pretty mean

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Nope, not in the least. I've always been happy at how nuanced the show can be in perhaps ways the writers didn't intend but it came out as thanks to how complete the world is.

[Looks 130]

I don't find stereotypes to be offensive in the show, because they just ARE stereotypes. You can't ignore that Fluttershy being overly-shy sometimes is... a personal flaw. There's absolutely nothing wrong with maybe pushing in a few jokes about it; it teaches kids that shy people are... well, shy. I don't see Fluttershy being depressed 100% of the time, and I CERTAINLY wouldn't like a show where everyone is the same.

 

Zebras might be a reflection of African tribes; is that a problem? Why are reflections, and stereotypes suddenly incredibly discouraging against children? Sure, I can understand if it was used as an attack or an insult, I could see the problem there. But, honestly, do you REALLY think they mean it? Do you really think that kids will instantly think of 9/11 whenever they picture the Canterlot Wedding?

 

Sorry if I got carried away. I don't mean to start a fight; just merely a discussion.

 

(and no, I've barely ever taken offense to anything, despite being Hispanic)

Edited May 18, 2016 by Looks

[Luna the Great of all the Russias 2,984]

If anything, it would be editing Derpy in The Last Roundup which may be the origin of my opposition towards political correctness and hatred towards SJWs. Though that's not actually the show bothering me as much as the people who forced the change onto the show.

[Foxy Socks 2,599]

I do not feel offended by ponies. The most offensive thing might be the Derpy incident, but I don't see this show as offensive. It's ponies.

That doesn't mean there are no legitimately offensive things to some, but I have not been offended.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Namae

[1Bit 1,531]

Nope, never been offended. The only time I get offended is when someone else, another person, actually says something offensive or treats me in such a way because of who I am.

 

But MLP is a work of fiction, that aims to teach morals to children and provide a pleasant, uplifting source of entertainment every saturday. Any offence that the show could cause is not intentional nor should be put on anywhere near the same level as the offence that other people can cause you.

 

[twiia 1,843]

Not that I know of. I don't think the show has ever offended me

[cider float 2,537]

Slice of Life was offensive.

[Batbrony 16,054]

I haven't (well, except for when Hasbro "redid" that Derpy scene in The Last Roundup, but I know that wasn't DHX's choice, that was a studio mandate and never the creators' intent), but I'm a pretty easygoing guy in general.  When it comes to films and TV shows, the only things that really "offend" me are bad or cliche writing or poor execution in a performance, neither of which one usually encounters in MLP, which is probably why to this day the most infuriating episode in the entire show for me is the wretched "MMMystery on the Friendship Express."  I have literally nothing good to say about that episode.

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

well, except for when Hasbro "redid" that Derpy scene in The Last Roundup, 

Would you mind explaining why it was offensive when they edited that scene? 

[Batbrony 16,054]

Would you mind explaining why it was offensive when they edited that scene? 

 

Well for a couple of reasons.  As a fan, from a narrative standpoint, it was offensive on two fronts.  One, Hasbro assumed that because Derpy sounded funny, that meant she was supposed to mentally challenged (which she wasn't).  Two, they assumed that having a mentally challenged character would be automatically offensive in a children's show, which again, it wouldn't be (even though, again, Derpy has never even been written as mentally challenged).  Even if she were mentally challenged, there was absolutely no malicious intent behind that scene (as evidenced by the fact that they only changed the voice and threw out her name, not what she actually does).  Having grown up in the 90s and seen far more flagrantly stupid characters, largely male, on cartoon shows from that era (Ed from Ed, Edd, and Eddy, Billy from Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants, to just name a few), this felt like a gross double-standard, not just concerning gender, but the fact that by all accounts Derpy was a perfectly pleasant and well-meaning character while all those other examples were over-the-top caricatures.  The former was deemed something that had to be buried, but the latter gets a total pass?  Yeah, to say the least, I was pretty upset about that.  Thankfully, she finally came back at the end of Season 3 after largely being absent from most of it, and Slice of Life was the final repentance from Hasbro and DHX for Hasbro's poor decision; I can also accept Tabitha's vocal change in that episode far more so than the original voice change because (1) she was the original VA for Derpy, and (2) she intentionally made it sound more feminine the second time because in the first instance she genuinely thought that she was recording for a male character, which I can believe given how low Derpy's original voice is, even if I still love it.

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

 

  One, Hasbro assumed that because Derpy sounded funny, that meant she was supposed to mentally challenged (which she wasn't).  

It was partly because of her voice, yes, but her name and eyes played a rather big part as well. 

 

Two, they assumed that having a mentally challenged character would be automatically offensive in a children's show, which again, it wouldn't be

No they didn't. The reason they changed the scene was that they received multiple complaints, thus meaning that they didn't assume anything. 

[Batbrony 16,054]

 

It was partly because of her voice, yes, but her name and eyes played a rather big part as well. 

 

No they didn't. The reason they changed the scene was that they received multiple complaints, thus meaning that they didn't assume anything. 

 

 

Then those who complained held the same double standards as well, seeing as they didn't feel offended enough to get the over-the-top caricatures I cited off the air.  Her eyes had been a part of her design from the very beginning (even if it was originally just an animation error), and her name was taken from a word that is not inherently offensive.  Can you recall once hearing anyone say in a derogatory manner that someone is "derpy" meaning they're mentally challenged?  The worst the word means as slang is "foolish, silly, or awkward."  Next to dumb, stupid, or idiotic, all very PG words themselves, derpy is plain tame.

 

And if we're going to say that the mere existence of complaints justified changing it, they received just as many complaints (if not far more so) after the change was made.  Many of those, I can recall, were from parents of mentally challenged children.  As I said, I do not believe Derpy is supposed to be mentally challenged, but many of these parents claimed that their kids came away from seeing her with a positive reaction, seeing her as a positive representation, and again, compared to the likes of Patrick and Billy, yeah, Derpy is downright positive in her portrayal.

 

I'm not trying to reopen something that happened over four years ago, it's done, buried, and its effects are long passed.  I'm just saying that at the time, for every good reason there might have been for complaining about Derpy (because I don't want to simply invalidate someone for thinking she was offensive, if they really felt so I'm sure that some of them were sincere), there were five bad reasons for doing so.

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

Then those who complained held the same double standards as well, seeing as they didn't feel offended enough to get the over-the-top caricatures I cited off the air. 

Or maybe they did, but nobody listened to them that time.

 

Edit: Or maybe they didn't even watch those shows.  

 

 

and her name was taken from a word that is not inherently offensive.  

Yes, I'm aware of that. But considering the meaning of the word and how Derpy acted I can kind of see why some people would have a problem with that name. 

 

 

And if we're going to say that the mere existence of complaints justified changing it, they received just as many complaints (if not far more so) after the change was made.  Many of those, I can recall, were from parents of mentally challenged children.  

First, I highly doubt that received as many complaints after the change. Second, maybe those complaints about her where from parents of mentally challenged children so I fail to see why that matters. Third, I never claimed that the mere existence of the complaints justified changing the scene. I said that you couldn't claim that Derpy was changed simply because Hasbro assumed that Derpy would be offensive.

 

 yeah, Derpy is downright positive in her portrayal.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't all she did destroy stuff while trying to help? 

Edited May 25, 2016 by Yamet

[Batbrony 16,054]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't all she did destroy stuff while trying to help? 

 

Yes, but given Derpy's history, that seemed to be more because she was clumsy than mentally inept (same as someone could be the smartest fella in the world but a horrible dancer with two left feet).  She was perfectly competent, she was just clearly a character who had bad luck.

 

And I do apologize if at any point I've taken a hostile tone (and trust me, I'm not saying that sarcastically).  I just get pretty impassioned about these points because this was something that really riled me up at the time.

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

Yes, but given Derpy's history, 

What history are you talking about?