Derpygate

[Arylett Charnoa 4,919]

Personally, I can see why she was cautious. MLP is a brand for children, specifically, little girls. And people are very sensitive about what gets shown to little girls especially. They didn't want to taint the brand and wanted to take all of the precautions necessary to prevent it. Sure, it may seem overreactive from an outsider's perspective, but companies are all about presenting a good image.

 

The littlest thing tainting your image can send you down to the ground. If there is even the POSSIBILITY that a word could mean an offensive slur, you've gotta get rid of it in case someone else DOES discover its darker meaning beyond just ten e-mails and makes an even huger ruckus.

[Lady Ice Dragon 16]

All things considered, I am happy with the name Ditzy in show. If it means we get to keep our favorite mailmare in the background, or even better, having more scenes with the Mane 6, I can accept her original name. Notice in the letter that she was going to be named Ditzy in the first place, plus the scene was originally much longer. Pretty much the whole reason it was shortened was for the running time of the episode.

 

I now look at it as her given name is Ditzy Do and her nick name is Derpy. Even if it is never said again on the show (which it wont be) no one said she cant be Derpy in our hearts.

[FIuttershy 49]

I will say this much here and then I'm done. Knowing that an edit took place and Derpy was said officially in show and then removed to be later changed leaves a bad taste in my mouth on the authenticity of the show, even if the show remains as great as it is beyond this event.

 

It's just a sour thing to think about.

Edited March 1, 2012 by Ｆｌｕｔｔｅｒｓｈｙ

[ponyvangelist 732]

It's refreshing to hear a little more about how this came to be, and some of the thinking that went on behind the scenes, but as Ms. Rogers pointed out, the ultimate decisions weren't hers and, unsurprisingly, Hasbro and the Hub weren't interested in going to the mat for a character named "Derpy" if there was any chance it would hurt their business.

 

Whether it actually would hurt their business really doesn't matter, but rather whether they think it would, and apparently they do.

 

In other news...

 

The International Association Of Blondes has filed suit against Hasbro, Inc. claiming the use of the name "Ditzy" for a blonde pony is offensive, perpetuates negative stereotypes and is discriminatory against blondes.

 

Of course, I'm just kidding. Or am I?

[DrOphthalmos 497]

What surprises me is... how does pissing off so many bronies not hurt their business too? Are little girls buying up that many toys while we are all purchasing custom-made eBay items that give no money to Hasbro? Are we not giving them money too? Should I go buy a "Wuggle" and "Cuddleuppets" to support the companies advertising during the show? (Actually, I think I'd be more inclined to buy the spray liquid rubber and the TruMoo chocolate milk). Ultimately, this is a business and what will speak loudest are not our complaints but our cash. I would hope we have more available income than the target audience.

 

But then again, the toys that have come out are complete turn-offs. They have a conceited pink Celestia - one parent on Amazon confessed that they let their child bathe it in the tub with the hope that Celestia would die and shut up. The mane 6 come with a random animal friend - e.g. Rarity comes with a random bird, where's Opal?!

 

A ray of hope: http://www.equestria...ally-white.html

I take this as a sign that Hasbro is reaching out for our money after all. Let's give it to them!!

Edited March 1, 2012 by DrOphthalmos

[ponyvangelist 732]

Pink Celestia rankles me somewhat, so I'm glad at least some of the Celestia dolls are starting to turn up in white.

 

Then again, I don't buy or collect dolls, so my opinion of the toys is moot, I suppose.

 

Hasbro sells about $4 billion worth of toys a year. That's a lot of toys. I can't find specific numbers for My Little Pony, but Hasbro's annual report for 2011 does mention the franchise and that sales for 2011 for the franchise were better than for 2010.

 

Whatever the numbers, ponies are a very small part of a very big picture. Within the franchise, we can assume Lauren Fausts' G4 ponies are popular, given the increased sales. Given that the dolls are sold by just about every toy retailer domestically, and by a significant percentage of toy sellers worldwide, the volume of ponies sold each year is probably quite high.

 

Of those sales, bronies -- despite being hyper-dedicated fans, as a rule -- probably account for a tiny fraction of sales. I would suspect less than 1%, though I admittedly don't know. That assessment is based on the fact that there are a lot more young girls in this world than bronies, and the dolls are very popular gifts for girls.

 

Hasbro has shown signs of wanting to cater to the brony market, however, and where the standard girls' offerings tend to be cheap and mass-produced, I would expect brony-oriented dolls to be the high end of the quality and price range, given the nature of the market.

 

Sorry, I'm off on a tangent here.

 

My underlyhing point is various claims made by a vocal minority of bronies that they can somehow bend Hasbro to their will (regarding Derpy) by voting with their pocketbooks seem more like vain braggadoccio than a credible rallying call for meaningful action.

 

Hasbro wants to sell toys, and I'm sure they'll appreciate whatever bronies buy, but thinking they will respond positively to what amounts to cyberbullying doesn't seem very realistic to me.

 

I will admit, however, that if they do offer some really nice high-end models, I may get one for my desk.

[DrOphthalmos 497]

 

My underlyhing point is various claims made by a vocal minority of bronies that they can somehow bend Hasbro to their will (regarding Derpy) by voting with their pocketbooks seem more like vain braggadoccio than a credible rallying call for meaningful action.

 

Really? I haven't seen anything like that at all and that was certainly not what I was suggesting. I just think we should buy stuff so Hasbro continues to like us and doesn't see us as some crazy mob that isn't even contributing to their bottom line.

[Coal 26]

Well, time to express my thoughts here goes.

 

I personally think Derpy is awsome, and thats why I'm going to say this. I really think we should all put this behind us, in the grand scheme of things it isn't all that bad. While yes I was awed when Derpy appeared as cannon and saddened when she was edited I stil love her.One scene isn't going to change that, for me at least.

 

Meanwhile, Derpy, as far as I can tell, is still in the opening with derped eyes, as well as usually making at least one appearance an episode. That personally is enough, the fact that she is there is awsome in and of itself. Right now I'm taking a don't play with fire kind of stance because I've seen things much smaller than this do alot more damage, and I don't want the show to be further edited or Derpy removed entirely.

 

Just me though, I might just be someone Crazy rambling.

[ponyvangelist 732]

I guess I'm still scarred by the initial hategasm over on EQD. One could directly attribute the fact that I'm now a member here to my distaste for what I saw there, and a resulting desire to discuss teh poniez in a more positive environment. So far, so good.

 

If you haven't seen the numerous boycott threats, or email-bombing threats, or organized protest efforts aimed at trying to get Hasbro to change Derpy back through various forms of persuasion, some more threatening than others, then I truly envy you and advise against looking into it further.

 

There are, of course, also campaigns with the same goal that encourage more positive feedback, but my humble opinion is that there is little to no chance of any of them actually accomplishing anything.

 

As for buying stuff to show support, I installed iTunes after swearing it off years ago for the sole purpose of doing that, and like the "shut up and take my money" attitude so many bronies have. I'm sure Hasbro doesn't mind, either.

 

I still think it's a niche compared to the tons of plastic ponies being shipped out of China each day, but if Hasbro were to offer high-end dolls for $100 a pop, I know more than a few bronies would buy them -- IF they were worth it to them.

 

Having thought about what I might shell out a hundred bucks for, the first thing that comes to mind would be a good-sized pair of detailed, well-sculpted statuettes, Celestia in brass and Luna (adult) in pewter, or something along those lines.

 

They may not want to go into that business themselves, but I can foresee a lucrative secondary license industry build up around the property.

 

Time will tell.

[hwrogers 168]

The brony market:

Much more spending money, like you said, we won't be satisfied with non-show accurate stuff: stuff that honestly looks a little creepy (but that's probably just me. I'm slightly creeped out by animal suits, so...), can be annoying (like you said about letting her daughter take it in the bath, lol, poor girl... both of them), and of poor quality just won't cut it, so they're going to be entering a whole new market.

 

Problem is, it's a very risky move to enter a new market; especially an entirely new market! I can imagine an exec making an argument that it's similar to any fanbase market, though, and there's some truth to that.

 

But there is a huge advantage. That is, the only competition in the new market is individuals who hand-make stuff; in other words, there's almost no competition in the new market. It's like going hunting and finding a fresh cut of steak ready to cook.

 

But once again, it's a small market, and it's a risky market, but the meat is tempting, so it'll be interesting to see if they make a move.

 

 

Releasing show-accurate toys is definitely a good idea, though. It will make almost no effect on their primary sales, while increasing the periphary.

 

 

 

LOL! Oh my gosh, a giant brass Celestia and pewter Luna, would be so freaking epic I don't know if I'd be afraid to buy it! Though I do have to admit, it might strike an atmosphere of idol worship, like some egyptian statue, and people might get concerned about how much I like the show...

Or at least a over-fancy "look how rich I am" atmosphere

 

i may have to get a pink celestia just so i can gold flake it, BEHOLD THE GOLDEN PONY!!!

 

 

back on the derpy topic look what i found on youtube;

[Arashi Takamine 123]

Can I just say something real quick? It's been proven originally Derpy wasn't even supposed to be there she was just an animation flub as a background pony. We were the ones that brought her up and then they started to show her as a background pony. Unfortunatly that gift was literally looked in the mouth by haters and even Hasbro. Now I've bought Hasbro products for years, (Fur Real Friends, Furby all that stuff even the G3 ponies when I was little) and buy them now for my younger cousins but in retrospect it really is bad for the buisiness if people start to taint it's image. It's like how people are trying to say Monster High is teaching girl's to be slutty when there's subtle messages in the show about accepting one another and being good, stopping bullying ect. The Kind Campeign itself funded for an MH episode about stopping girl to girl bullying.

 

Maybe Derpy will re-appear as just another background pony. I'm okay with that. I like her new voice better over the old one but I do like her eyes. They remind me of when I had a lazy eye when I was little and if one were to address Hasbro maybe giving Derpy/Ditzy an episode about her eyes and how she handles her every day life may tone it down a bit especially if they use it as a way for parents to teach their kids going through it not to be scared.

Why do I say not to be scared? Treatment for lazy eyes involve surgical procedures.

 

 

Plus bronies can rejoice.

Edited March 2, 2012 by Arashi Takamine

[Fox 5,330]

I'm just think it teases fans, when they give a character a voice and remove it.

[hwrogers 168]

i like that idea, a derpy episode effectively would say "trolls shut up" however i think that it would only really warrant a longer scene like was originally planned for the last roundup, couple minutes to explain and then move on with the episode. maybe have one of the cmc's ask about her eyes (the're young, they can get away with it) and it quickly gets explained as a simple difficulty of life and demonstrated that she is a kindhearted and caring pony regardless of this problem with which she must live. no need for a big scene when a small one will do right?

[Dundermiffly 27]

I don't think the change was too bad. Yes, it was disappointing, but Derpy will always be Derpy, no matter what the canon is.

[Dark Qiviut 22,396]

This'll likely be my longest reply here.

 

Throughout the drama, I've been very vocal against Derpy's censorship. I'm going to copy-and-paste my most important posts since it initiated, from the earliest posts to the latest ones. Note that some of the stuff will repeat because I've posted my stuff across many media. Because they're quite long, I'm placing each of them under the spoiler tags.

 

I'm going to start with my reply to Kreoss, one of the animators for the show:

 

I've said part of it elsewhere, so I'll say it here.

 

I may be one of the newcomers in the fandom, having being a fan only since last summer, and have only started to get involved in MLP fandom politics since December/January. But when I researched Derpy prior to "The Last Roundup," I see this adorable, loving klutz who means well yet has the tendency to make mistakes. She means well, but it doesn't go according to plan. The way the fandom shaped her up from this background pony into a wonderful character shows me how much with potential she has.

 

When "The Last Roundup" first made it on the air, I and the great majority of the passionate fanbase LOVED the scene Derpy was involved in. The animators and scriptwriters didn't have to include her in the scene, but they did as a token of appreciation towards the fandom. Unlike what some people have said, the brony/pegasister fandom is massive and passionate; the scene is a means of communication between the people behind the show and the fandom (particularly those who adore her). Derpy's original portrayal of the scene is beautifully done and implies that she has plenty to develop as a great secondary character instead of merely being a background character, and I really appreciate the hard work you, Sibsy, and so on here to include her, her name, personality, and care. To this day, I don't see how the original "Derpy" is offensive at all, even after all the links provided.

 

The re-dubbing of the scene really stung because in comparison to some that I've crossed, I *didn't* see this coming. Despite the controversy from last time, WeLoveFine (a major sponsor of Hasbro and the MLP:FIM series) continued to sell Derpy merchandise, one of her shirts being a top seller.

 

As for the re-dubbing itself, it came across as a major insult to myself for at least four reasons:

 

1. The voice acting of "My Little Pony" has been known for featuring excellent voice acting and providing high standards as such. The voice acting for Derpy and Rainbow Dash in the re-dub are very, VERY poor by MLP:FIM standards. I've watched anime dubs from 4Kids Entertainment, and the re-dubbing is very comparable to 4Kids's anime dubbing in quality.

 

2. The characters aren't right one bit. Derpy Hooves has a bubbly, cute, innocent, klutzy personality. Despite having a new female voice now, she sounds screechy, like a hyperactive sparrow. It doesn't sounds cute or klutzy anymore. Also, RD's reaction to getting hit by the lightning didn't fit, either. Her initial exasperation in the first scene fit her much better because she's impatient. RD's revised line sounds way too calm for her personality.

 

3. The censorship of Derpy's name is another. With Derpy's name removed in the revised version, it gives that impression of censorship/political correctness. Stuff like this is one of the biggest problems in most cartoons today. MLP:FIM was a big change over this. DHX/Hasbro bowing down and eliminating her name entirely just makes her a generic character.

 

4. The overall charm is missing. There was a bubbly, innocent, yet hilarious scene that was a huge shout-out to the brony fanbase. A HUGE majority of the fanbase praised the scene and LOVED her for this. The current scene lacks this charm because the original one made Derpy the wonderful, loving klutz she was. We LOVED her for her being the way she was. The new scene, like I said before, flattened her character and doesn't give her an identity.

 

I'm currently not all that concerned about the crossed eyes, but they definitely added a ton to her klutzy, bubbly, accident-prone characterization. They helped make Derpy lovable and identifiable; they made Derpy, well, Derpy. The re-dubbing made it much more subtle, and I'm completely fine with that…but it's nonetheless not the same.

 

Even though the scene was just a few minutes long, it brought a lot of charm to "The Last Roundup" and really, really helped make the episode very endearing. While the rest of the episode is unchanged and still excellent, the extra piece of the puzzle is severely missing now because we saw the original first, and the poor care in the re-dubbing is an even bigger stinger. It's a shame, too, because I'm very sure the voice actor for Derpy in the re-dub is excellent.

 

Regarding the Yamino situation, I have no intention of visiting her page nor discussing with her or the people in her comments section. I made my stance towards her earlier this month, and as a result, I see no reason to revisit it.

 

Will the show be fine? Currently, I'm quite sure the show will go on just fine. Despite what happened here, it's an extremely great quality cartoon that brings the joy into our hearts. It's got that innocent, lovely atmosphere full of interesting, lovable characters. That won't change, and you and your crew have an unbelievable amount of talent, and you're just growing in your capabilities.

 

As for Derpy herself, will she be fine? I give you a ton of credit for attempting to bring the calm during this tempest here. And I appreciate your willingness to take your valuable time to make a stand on this whole thing. However, while *you* say she'll be fine and while part of me wants to believe she'll be fine…my heart is very unsure. The poorly done re-dub of Derpy and Hasbro's censorship of her name in it gave me really bad vibes surrounding the klutz. WeLoveFine may still be selling her name and product, but the censorship of her name in the "fixed" version and lazy care of the re-dubbing rubbed me the wrong way and, to me, is a major disrespect to all the hard work you, Sibsy, and the others put into. I'll never change my stance over the poor re-dub, but my feelings over Derpy's possible outcome in the future (including Season 3) will remain in limbo for now.

 

To conclude my comment, I want to thank you for taking your time to express your thoughts and feelings surrounding the "fixed" scene. You had guts putting this here, and you deserve so much credit for not only the hard work you put up on the show, but for your ability to attempt to reach out and comfort the fanbase. This time right now in the MLP:FIM fanbase is sensitive and tumultuous, and you deserve credit for your words of wisdom. With that, I humbly thank you.

 

 

My reply to the PR quote to Gawker:

 

Honestly, this PR statement reeks of horse manure.

 

First, 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.

 

And 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.

 

 

Finally, my reply to AKR's e-mail (she, BTW, now has more understanding surrounding Derpy's name and its origins thanks to Daniel's reply):

 

Honestly, while I appreciate the writer of the episode for taking her time to respond…it didn't give me all that much closure. We've already seen what "derpy" truly meant (which is "to make a mistake") and what strabismus can also mean (one of 'em being "derpy eyes," oddly). Seeing so many comments feel connected to Derpy in the original scene was an elation to myself and the fandom (including plenty of mentally handicapped people like BaldDumboRat and people WITH strabismus). We've seen the comments from people who adored Derpy because she's a character that so many of us can relate to. That's why people such as BaldDumboRat loved her so much and why she goes around creating pro-Derpy videos and faving Derpy artwork.

 

This letter should've given me closure…but it didn't. Really, it only saddened me even further. Seeing the edit will forever remain a gigantic disappointment for not just the horrendous re-dubbing, but the poor handling of Derpy's censorship, too. I can't accept the re-dub because of how badly handled it is compared to the original one. The letter is definitely well-written and well-thought out (much better than that crappy PR response to Gawker), and I appreciate her for explaining her ordeal in concise detail. But nonetheless, it felt like the fandom's collective and passionate rally and support to retain Derpy's original scene throughout the media except on YouTube and The Friendship Express DVD was for naught, and it's just emotionally draining.

 

[ScarletDagger 88]

The Last Rounderp

 

I originally had a hard time understanding what made Derpy "offensive" enough to change, but do have a bias that I've held since The Last Roundup.

 

Ironically enough, the new voice is closer to how I expected her to sound than Tabitha's "boy" voice. I also like that Derpy sounds less "dopey" now. So when all is said and done, I have made my peace with it.

 

 

it's actually derpy's "dopey" voice that makes her so cute. I heard that voice and melted because it was so awesome. It fits her perfectly. And its full derp. Nothing greater than full on derp.

[Mister Jack 566]

Part of me wonders if Derpy would have gotten censored if Tabitha had known from the beginning that she was a girl.

[ScarletDagger 88]

I can tell Derpy's a girl by the voice. I don't know what everypony else is hearing.

Edited March 2, 2012 by ScarletDagger

[SBaby 660]

She'll always be Derpy to us.

 

I do find the whole thing kind of ironic, though. These people complained 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. But isn't the whole point of friendship accepting others for who they are and not judging them on their flaws? Yes, it is. So aren't they themselves going against those very ideals with the complaints? Somehow, hypocrite, doesn't even begin to describe those people. If they're willing to teach their kids that it's ok to be intolerant about the way someone sounds or looks, then the world is worse off than even I thought.

 

But Derpy is more than just a character with messed up eyes to us. And she is more than just another pony friend. She is an idea, that it's ok to accept others no matter how they look or sound. Ideas cannot be destroyed, no matter what they do. An idea is the most powerful thing in existence, a proverbial Seventh Element of Harmony, if you will. We will continue to think of Derpy the way we have since the beginning. She will always be Derpy to us, and no force in the world will change that idea.

Edited March 2, 2012 by SBaby

[hwrogers 168]

She'll always be Derpy to us.

 

I do find the whole thing kind of ironic, though. These people complained 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. But isn't the whole point of friendship accepting others for who they are and not judging them on their flaws? Yes, it is. So aren't they themselves going against those very ideals with the complaints? Somehow, hypocrite, doesn't even begin to describe those people. If they're willing to teach their kids that it's ok to be intolerant about the way someone sounds or looks, then the world is worse off than even I thought.

 

But Derpy is more than just a character with messed up eyes to us. And she is more than just another pony friend. She is an idea, that it's ok to accept others no matter how they look or sound. Ideas cannot be destroyed, no matter what they do. An idea is the most powerful thing in existence, a proverbial Seventh Element of Harmony, if you will. We will continue to think of Derpy the way we have since the beginning. She will always be Derpy to us, and no force in the world will change that idea.

 

i want to like this post more than once since there isn't a "fricken awesome!" button...

[SBaby 660]

If you think that's something, check this out.

 

 

Amazing what two minutes of searching on youtube can uncover, isn't it?

Edited March 2, 2012 by SBaby

[ponyvangelist 732]

Out To Pasture

 

The "Anon" video is a good example of what I've been talking about. The strategy is to harass Hasbro until they meet the demands of a portion of the fanbase. While anger and outrage on the part of some fans is understandable, channeling that into a campaign to bully Hasbro into changing Derpy back is misguided and counterproductive.

 

Spamming Hasbro's email and snail mail inboxes with demands will send a strong message, all right: don't listen to or try to deal with people who cannot be reasoned with.

 

The problem for Hasbro is if they give in to this sort of campaign now, they can expect more of the same in the future, for Celestia-knows-what. It can, of course, be persuasively argued that this whole mess came about because they caved to someone (who, exactly?) in the first place, but there's just no way Hasbro could possibly produce the show going forward with the threat of this sort of thing perpetually hanging over their heads.

 

Given a choice between a dysfunctional relationship or no relationship at all, the choice is obvious.

 

At the risk of belaboring the point, and with the proviso that I'm not knocking people who feel hurt and want to deal with it constructively, I'm compelled to remind anyone who follows the link below that the article in question was written long before any of this came about.

 

If the horseshoe fits, wear it.

 

Compare and contrast what's written there with some of the behavior we're seeing now. It's uncanny. Prophetic, even. And definitely apt when it comes to the unseemly self-aggrandizement of a few on behalf of the assumed many.

 

I'm not suggesting that any of this be swept under the rug (I would prefer a lot more openness from Hasbro et al in cases like these), or that Derpy fans shouldn't express their unhappiness in ways that are sensible, positive and healthy. I'm all for that and applaud fans mature enough to do that.

 

What I have no truck with, however, are fans who think abusing Hasbro over this is the right thing to do. Again, the link above speaks for itself. I pray that no one watching all this from the sidelines should ever mistake them for representing the fanbase as a whole, because that would be an even greater injustice against real, living people than anything Hasbro could do to a lovable but nonetheless fictional character named Derpy.

 

They certainly don't represent me.

[Eenohay 318]

I believe this is the thing.

 

Hasbro would be an idiot to sucumb to our messages. I know they already did for the haters. But's that's where we need explanation.

 

That's all I want, and I bet that it would calm down everybody else, and it's exactly what hasbro should do. Just tell us, directly, why the hell was derpy really removed, is it really only from the itunes version, and will she be ever back.

 

If hasbro now brings her back, then im sorry but hell will break loose

[ponyvangelist 732]

Same here. A little more openness would satisfy me. Some things have dribbled out, but this feels too much like Hasbro is clamming up. With all the sound and fury, which they clearly anticipated, I guess I can't blame them for keeping mum, though I still would prefer they level with the fans.

 

And yeah, they aren't going to flip twice. Ain't gonna happen.

 

But then, I confess bias in all this, because the "New Derpy" is more like I expected her to be in the first place than the "Old Derpy", which seemed too "dopey" to me. So I, for one, welcome our new Derpy overlords.

 

A Derpy that has strabismus and is clumsy because of it is good enough for me. I don't think she needs any more challenges dumped on her to be endearing.

 

But we'll see how this shakes out. Hopefully we'll see a happy ending to this troubling episode and plenty of thoughtful letters to Princess Celestia in the end.

[SXCJ40 125]

Is it just me... or does it feel like the only true bronies that folow the "love and tolerate" code are the ones here, cuz everywhere else on the internet, I see "bronies" acting like they are ay war with Hasbro