Your thoughts on the Feminspire Blog & MLP's Values?

[Commander_PonyShep 349]

You know, if it weren't for that stupid feminist article (http://feminspire.com/equestria-girls-how-did-my-little-pony-go-so-so-wrong/) not only insulting Equestria Girls when it isn't even out yet, but also Princess Twilight despite its good sides, I wouldn't be constantly scrambling around hoping to find Lauren Faust and asking her what her true intentions with Twilight Sparkle were.  I wouldn't even have to bother with any soul searching, either!

 

I don't want to leave the fandom, I really don't!  I know that there is still hope for My Little Pony, even with Meghan McCarthy replacing Lauren Faust.  And yet, it's all thanks to the rushed nature of Season Three and people like Feminspire.com raining on my parade, that I'm constantly questioning my own bronydom.  And, I don't even think McCarthy and her team are even interested in fulfilling Lauren's vision of a not-sexist-at-all My Little Pony, where the six main ponies try to be more independent rather than subservient to some male figure.

 

So please, help me out here!  What should I believe in?  Is MLP still a good inspiration for little girls as Lauren intended, or did it degenerate into destructively sexist drivel?  Was Princess Twilicorn a reflection of Twilight's growth as a character, or did it turn her into a sexist stereotype and reinforce bad messages like "girls want to be subservient to men"?  And what about Equestria Girls?

[Verily British 144]

I honestly don't understand what all the fuss about Equestria Girls is about, the way I see it is that it is just a film. I don't see how this film should affect our fandom in anyway, people join this fandom because they enjoy the TV series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic I fail to see how a film that doesn't have any impact upon the TV series' storyline should cause people to leave the fandom.

 

Regardless of whether Equestria Girls is a huge success or a gigantic failure I will still be a part of this fandom because the TV series is what entertains me. But even if the TV series was suddenly cancelled then I would still be a part of the fandom because of all the amazing fan made work and, naturally, this forum.

 

But I digress from your question, Is MLP still a good inspiration for little girls as Lauren intended, or did it degenerate into destructively sexist drivel? I still think that the show, as of far, is a good inspiration to young girls. It teaches important life lessons as well as other things, but how that will turn out with season four? I don't think that we can judge until the first three episodes have been released at a minimum.

 

As I said before, as long as the Equestria Girls story and the MLP FiM storyline don't cross then I don't think that we have anything to worry about concerning the success or failure of Equestria Girls. If what people are saying about the show or Equestria Girls is getting you down then I suggest don't search for those things, or avoid them if they appear on a website that you are a member of.

 

But as to what you should believe in? I say that you believe in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. As long as that show continues to be as entertaining and enjoyable to us as it has been for the past three seasons then we have nothing to be concerned about.

 

I hope this is helpful in some way or another and has given you enough of a reason not to leave our little fandom.

 

EDIT: Wow I didn't quite expect this post to get four brohoofs, cheers.

Edited May 28, 2013 by British Brony

[Commander_PonyShep 349]

With Princess Twilight and Equestria Girls coming around, I'm starting to have doubts about not only the show, but also my own love for the show.

 

I want to believe Meghan and her writing staff are doing a good job, despite Lauren leaving the show, and despite the Hasbro execs' meddling.  However, it's thanks to Feminspire (http://feminspire.com/equestria-girls-how-did-my-little-pony-go-so-so-wrong/) that I'm starting to wonder what the show would've been like if Lauren remained running it.

 

So, in your opinion, would the show be better with Lauren still working on the show?  Or is it good the way it is without her?

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

So far, FIM has spent half of the series without her, and the staff has done a really good job keep the ship sailing even without her guidance. The first half of season three was completely without Faust, and the team did well with her, but episodes nine onward had major issues in all of them.

 

The question at this point, however, is how Twilight's transformation will be handled come season four. Faust made it clear that she wasn't for what happened, and the P.R. statements from Hasbro, McCarthy, and Larson were just plain stupid that do nothing except create and eventually enforce shaky speculations. Season four's management of the episodes and handling of Twilight will be the main turning point here to whether Faust's (and former editor Renzetti's) guidance will be missed or not.

Edited May 28, 2013 by Dark Qiviut

[mycarhasaMoustache 449]

No. Season 3 would have been pretty much the same but the season finale would have been the last ever episode of mlp since Lauren has stated she would have ended the show with Magical mystery cure and that would be the end of it. Why do people give a crap what some pathetic feminist blog says about the show? The show is better off without lauren.

So far, FIM has spent half of the series without her, and the staff has done a really good job keep the ship sailing even without her guidance. The first half of season three was completely without Faust, and the team did well with her, but episodes nine onward had major issues in all of them.

 

 

Lauren left the show during season 2 she only worked on about 2 or 3 episodes of season 2 and had nothing to do with season 3 at all.

[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 777]

I'm sure that even if Faust stayed on the crew the fandom would still be freaking out on what choices she'd select, I.E. indifferent. All shows will have their ups and downs and considering how rabid some fandoms can be I have to say that Jayson and the rest are doing quite well considering. My hypothesis is that the individuals working on EqG may not have liked where it was going (before people went crazy) but they made the best of the situation and just flowed with it.

 

No matter what though, fans will nitpick the crew because FiM's 'messiah' decided to pursue her own path. 

[Syrchalis 40]

Season 3 would have a different ending. Aside from that I doubt that much would have changed. Maybe a few details but that's about it. Lauren tried to make a helpful and great show for girls and MLP:FiM is still that. I just think she would have made a few better choices. Dreams shouldn't always become true, especially not as magical as the last episode.

 

That is of course only my opinion. I based that on what I think is good for the viewers and what's not. People should rather be happy with what they have, like the Season 1 finale teaches.

[Scootalove 10,684]

It usually depends on what the writers did as a whole without Faust helping them decide on episodes. Usually some writers are put under pressure when it comes to writing the episodes, and without guidance from Faust in my opinion the writers are going down the right path even if some episodes aren't good or up to par. The results are, the fans depend on Faust to try to help the writers make good episodes but the thing is we can't always depend on one person.

 

Anyway, follow your own path and not depend on anyone.

[Darkshift 85]

I am starting to see change whether this change will be good or bad I don't know considering they haven't had long enough to be fully judged.With Equestria Girls approaching the film should tell us enough.

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,090]

No. Season 3 would have been pretty much the same but the season finale would have been the last ever episode of mlp since Lauren has stated she would have ended the show with Magical mystery cure and that would be the end of it. Why do people give a crap what some pathetic feminist blog says about the show? The show is better off without lauren.

Lauren left the show during season 2 she only worked on about 2 or 3 episodes of season 2 and had nothing to do with season 3 at all.

 

Actually, I disagree, because the Season Three Finale would've never happened with Faust still around. She also didn't say she would've ended the show with Magical Mystery Cure, simply that her plans for Twilight were different. I doubt she planned to end the show after three seasons, and probably would've kept it going to its logical conclusion.

 

And granted, PonyShep is the one who keeps bringing up that blog, not anypony else, so I'm not sure if there are folks here other than PonyShep who care about that blog.

 

Finally, I disagree that the show would've been better off without Faust, you, I, nor anypony else can honestly say whether it would be better or worse. I personally would've liked to see what Faust's vision for Twilight was, but we're stuck with what we got. I have faith it will turn out good and Alicorn Twilight will work out, but I will not deny wishing I could see Faust's vision as well.

[Sir.Flutter Hooves 2,953]

Are you saying it's not good now? When Lauren left, I thought the show actually got better. Heck, we should be lucky it's still good, because usually when the creator leaves the shows is utter crap (Example: Spongebob). I think the show is gonna get better over time, like a good wine.

[Wingnut 6,725]

Guess I'll throw in my two cents.  At least she didn't wait as long as her husband did to leave the Powerpuff Girls production team.  That show soon declined afterwards but that was a case of a cartoon running its course more than Craig's departure.  If Lauren stayed on until MLP became sharkbait, then, yeah, fans would be panicking and blaming everything on her leaving.  Or, if she didn't leave at all, MLP would run its course inevitably and fans would blame its fall on her sticking around instead.  Sigh. 

 

Without a doubt, the show is taking a different direction than it would if Lauren were still the head honcho.  Even though I disagree with Twilicorn at this point in time, only season 4 will show whether or not this turns out to be a bad direction. 

[Mutemutt 772]

I'm not gonna lie, I'm also curious as to what Lauren had planned and how show would have progressed if she was still involved but, ultimately, it doesn't matter. What does matter is where the current crew will take the show and how effective they'll be a telling the story. I have no idea whether it would have been better or worse if Lauren Faust was still working on the show and I don't all that much about it.

 

I think the show was doing fine up until the last few episodes. We won't really know how good or bad things turn out until it happens. Just gotta wait and see.

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

I'm conflicted. One one hand, Faust was at the helm for season 1, and it's still my favorite season so far. Season 2 had a lot of good, and some not so good, and was overall a weaker season IMO. At that point, I would have said that Faust leaving hurt the show a little bit, but season 3 really impressed me, so I want to say I am much more optimistic about the future. From Crystal Empire all the way to Apple Family Reunion, the quality was as high as it had ever been for me personally. However, even though most of season 3 was excellent, there were a few episodes that rank among my least favorites of all time. I personally didn't care for Keep Calm and Flutter On, and Games Ponies Play is hands down one of the worst episodes in the series. Spike At Your Service and Just For Sidekicks had a couple of hiccups, and have received some criticism from fans, but I enjoyed them both. Magical Mystery Cure was an excellent finale, but I'm still a tad skeptical about Twilicorn.

 

But to answer the topic question, I don't think the show could possibly be bad if Faust was still involved. She knows the ins and outs of the characters better than anyone could, as she created them. If Faust was still involved, the show would be as awesome as it is now, or maybe even more so.

[Rappy0 338]

I'm going to be honest with y'all and I don't think you're going to like what I'm about to say but I really think it needs to be said. IMHO Lauren Faust is given way to much credit for making the show good. Yes, she made the characters and the basis for the show which helped make it good and I probably wouldn't have liked the characters as much as I do if she didn't create them but she's not the only person that made the show as good as it turned out to be. Nobody can say if the show would have been better or worst w/o her.

 

Season 3 changed the status quo and I admire them for that, I know a lot of people don't like Discord being reformed or Twilcorn but it's really to early to say if it was bad for the show at this point in time.

Edited May 29, 2013 by Rappy0

[hawkflame 3,308]

I think so.  At the very least I think it would have worth a look.  Most of the issues I've had with the series came up in the third season.  Season 3 was by far the least consistent, and It's made me question my faith in the writers somewhat.  With Lauren at the helm providing a stable vision long term, it could have been bad, could have been good, but it at least would have been consistent. 

[Yellow Diamond 7,561]

Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows? One really can't say because Lauren really didn't oversee much directly other than Season 1 and a handful of episodes from Season 2. Frankly speaking, I think any degradation witnessed thus far would have occurred with or without Lauren at the helm. Season 3 would probably be 13 episodes (and a noticeable shortage of writers), Alicorn Twilight (or Princess Twilight) would probably appear, and EqG would probably be in production. (EqG seems to have been planned for some time now, based on Meghan McCarthy's comments.) A lot of those decisions come from Hasbro, not DHX Media or the staff involved directly from the show. I suspect that, had Lauren stuck around, the big argument right now would be how much she is being squeezed by Hasbro to do things not necessarily coherent with her vision for the series.

 

With all due respect to Lauren (and she deserves a lot of it), not each and every single aspect of Season 1 was golden. There were definitely some rough patches with some of the episodes and their writing. Because she left before she could "complete" her vision, I think there is a tendency to embellish whatever she may have touched because there is a lingering notion of a "pure" MLP: FIM. But let us remember also that Season 2 -- a season Lauren did not heavily influence in terms of story direction -- contained some of the best episodes the show has yet seen. So the line should not necessarily be drawn between what Lauren Faust directed and what was the result of her successors. I would definitely argue that Meghan McCarthy and Jayson Thiessen have done a terrific job picking up the show following Lauren's departure and producing consistently high-quality material.

 

If Lauren were still around, who knows: maybe some Bronies would begin to mutter that it would be better if she left, accusing her of "selling out" to Hasbro over time. I'm not saying I'd be in that boat; rather, fans will find all sorts of things to argue about, regardless of the circumstances. Her continued presence wouldn't necessarily smooth things over.

 

Do I wish Lauren Faust remained with MLP? I sure do. But she's gone, and she isn't going to come back unless an extraordinary chain of events occurs. We can still enjoy the core tenants of her vision, however, and the work of those who have succeeded her.

[Anadu Kune 668]

As I said in the other topic I think that blog article is pretty poorly presented. Given that, the article shouldn't influence your opinion so heavily. Rather than restate what has already been stated Ill just link that response. 

http://mlpforums.com/topic/61575-lauren-fausts-intentions-with-twilight-are-confusing/?p=1507641

 

We don't know how the show would be like right now had she stayed. She probably doesn't even know. All she has were her intentions which were subject to change even had she stayed. Why do so many have trouble just accepting that she has left and her original plans whatever they may have been no longer apply? Instead of judging the show based off what it may or may not have been you should examine what is. 

[Commander_PonyShep 349]

Click here to read it: http://feminspire.com/equestria-girls-how-did-my-little-pony-go-so-so-wrong/

 

Me?  I think the writer of that blog was misinterpreting everything.  For Princess Twilight, it was a leadership position that needed to be earned.  Yes, it was mostly a result of the Hasbro execs' meddling, but the writers eventually found a way around this by making it look like Twilight had to grow and develop into a princess and leader.  As for Equestria Girls, the movie isn't even out yet, and they're making premature judgments galore.

[mycarhasaMoustache 449]

No and for the love of Celestia will you stop bringing it up over and over and over again This is about the third or fouth thread you have posted today going on about that stupid feminist blog. The feminist blog is based around bias and one sided opinions therefore it is a large pile of rubbish and nothing more. 

[Sunny Fox 5,929]

@@Commander_PonyShep, Several thread lately created have been dealing with the issues raised from this: http://feminspire.com/equestria-girls-how-did-my-little-pony-go-so-so-wrong/. That being the case, I have merged them into one thread. Anything to do with a member's response to this, please post it here, so we can avoid cluttering up the forums.

Edited May 29, 2013 by Full Spectrum

[Anadu Kune 668]

 

 

Me?  I think the writer of that blog was misinterpreting everything.  For Princess Twilight, it was a leadership position that needed to be earned.  Yes, it was mostly a result of the Hasbro execs' meddling, but the writers eventually found a way around this by making it look like Twilight had to grow and develop into a princess and leader.  As for Equestria Girls, the movie isn't even out yet, and they're making premature judgments galore.

See there you go. Yes they are misinterpreting Princess Twilight. Can you name another princess who earned her princess hood more than Twilight? Can you name another character that actually earned the title rather than being born or marrying into it? They are focused on a label but ignore the actual content. 

[Commander_PonyShep 349]

She said that she never had a problem with Twilicorn as "sexist".  Rather, she felt that Princess Twilight came too early, and that Twilight didn't do enough to become a full-fledged alicorn princess, or anypony important, for that matter.  In-exchange, it didn't promote prettiness or subservience to males, but rather the idea of doing little for a lot, which is what any TV show or movie would tend to promote, even if it's aimed at males instead of females.  She actually had no problem with Twilight earning her status and using it for the greater good, it's just she felt it could've came at the end of the series, rather than in the middle of it.

 

I then talked to her about Twilight Sparkle and The Crystal Heart Spell, and the message the book tried to promote.  She was glad for its message, where being a leader means treating others as equals and uniting them as such.  She was also thankful for providing some clarity for me after I e-mailed her about this.

 

Though, as for Equestria Girls, she only had problems with the trailer, but she also hoped that the movie will promote equality just as much as Princess Twilight.  So technically, she wasn't that much of an extreme feminist to begin with, and that I was questioning my love of MLP for nothing.

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

@@mycarhasaMoustache, @, Both of you are factually wrong.

 

This feminist blog, as far as Equestria Girls is concerned, is extremely correct in her opinions and backs them up. From a conceptual standpoint, Equestria Girls is extremely anti-feminist, and that's not good because it goes against everything Friendship Is Magic stands for. How is it anti-feminist?

1. It sticks Twilight Sparkle and "copies" of the Mane Six in a high school setting, a common cliché in family-friendly entertainment, with no honest-to-God effort to connect it to Friendship Is Magic. Unlike several Friendship Is Magic episodes (which use the plot willingly to critique these clichéd concepts), Equestria Girls attaches high school as its central setting.
2. The production of the movie has sucked from the ground up on all parties. Both Hasbro and DHX are equally at fault here, not one or the other. Each concept art that was leaked to the public occurred so early and so quickly for several months, indicating poor security on Hasbro's behalf and sending messages to people that this movie has no quality control. When this disgustingly sexist piece of concept art was revealed, Equestria Daily's commenting board exploded in a fury. This movie had undergone several serious changes since the beginning, particularly the bad character design, when both Hasbro and DHX should've communicated and agreed to a design concept during the sketching and researching stages of the movie. The prototype dolls, for one, indicate the scary, sexist culture that American society still instills into girls from ages two and up. And those dolls enforce the editorial's argument (and also really piss off Faust).
3. This is a completely new franchise designed to attract adolescent girls (ages ten to fourteen), but Hasbro slaps the MLP:FIM logo on the front in order to attract those who've followed the main generation since its inception in 2010. A spinoff doesn't excuse Hasbro or DHX from straying so far away from the roots of this generation. You can make the characters in character however you want or how the beginning of the movie shows Twilight in Equestria. But they're not enough. The feel of FIM, from the concept to its setting, must match the main series. The atmosphere and mission statement from Friendship Is Magic must coexist with Equestria Girls. The info-dump of the trailer, plot summary, and poor development of this movie proves how EQG is FIM's antithesis, and that's a really bad thing.

Friendship Is Magic, on the other hand, is blatantly pro-feminist, because it doesn't stick to the norms of "kid-friendly" TV that plagues current-generation entertainment.

1. Its central setting isn't a school and is a town. Part of what makes this animation so successful is how its main purpose is to provide plots to characters without having to stick to the stereotypical ideals of girl-centric TV. But when they did, Friendship Is Magic spun them in the other direction the minute you see a preview, editorial, or review. For example, Twilight being relocated from her school to Ponyville is an underlying criticism of this stereotypical setting. There were other great concepts that were supposed to break away more like Princess Celestia being Queen Celestia, but Hasbro rejected that one because of the perception that little girls won't buy a fictional, benevolent, off-white, queen pony unless the word "princess" is plastered on the package.
2. The characters are individual, independent, and break away from the tropes in common family-friendly fiction. Sleepless in Ponyville, for example, jabbed at the "common-trope" part when Rainbow Dash cut off Scootaloo's overly sappy campfire story before she could finish it. Each character shares an occupation or activity that both mares and stallions can perform successfully if given the scripted assignment to.
3. As a whole, it sends a message to families that kids, especially young girls, can enjoy quality entertainment without resorting to girly stereotypes. G1's MLP Tales, G3, and G3.5 resorted to girly stereotypes that ransacked founder Bonnie Zacherle's vision of creating a franchise accessible to people of all ages and alienated plenty of the original G1's audience. If FIM didn't air and push the concept to its fullest potential, the franchise might've died.

Faust herself, who laid the foundation for FIM before she resigned from being fully invested halfway into season two, is a feminist; and she's very blunt about it in her character design, interviews, and mission statement for quality family-friendly entertainment. Shows she helped work on — Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and The Powerpuff Girls — are known to deviate away from the norms of traditional family-friendly TV and criticize both anti-feminist and sexist values of female characters. In TPPG, Sara Bellum, Sedusa, and Femme Fetale have exaggerated hourglass bodies to criticize the "perfect doll" culture that so many companies and commercials exploit in Western society to sell.

 

And the girls don't buy the toys alone nor always see the TV shows or movies without parent consent. The prototype dolls, for example, target young adults, but their parents buy them. The movie tries to get the kids excited, but the parents and/or guardians hold the income and determine whether it's appropriate for their kids to see EQG or not.

Edited May 29, 2013 by Dark Qiviut

[mycarhasaMoustache 449]

@@mycarhasaMoustache, @, Both of you are factually wrong.

 

This feminist blog, as far as Equestria Girls is concerned, is extremely correct in her opinions and backs them up. From a conceptual standpoint, Equestria Girls is extremely anti-feminist, and that's not good because it goes against everything Friendship Is Magic stands for. How is it anti-feminist?

1. It sticks Twilight Sparkle and "copies" of the Mane Six in a high school setting, a common cliché in family-friendly entertainment, with no honest-to-God effort to connect it to Friendship Is Magic. Unlike several Friendship Is Magic episodes (which use the plot willingly to critique these clichéd concepts), Equestria Girls attaches high school as its central setting.
3. The production of the movie has sucked from the ground up on all parties. Both Hasbro and DHX are equally at fault here, not one or the other. Each concept art that was leaked to the public occurred so early and so quickly for several months, indicating poor security on Hasbro's behalf and sending messages to people that this movie has no quality control. When this disgustingly sexist piece of concept art was revealed, Equestria Daily's commenting board exploded in a fury. This movie had undergone several serious changes since the beginning, particularly the bad character design, when both Hasbro and DHX should've communicated and agreed to a design concept during the sketching and researching stages of the movie. The prototype dolls, for one, indicate the scary, sexist culture that American society still instills into girls from ages two and up. And those dolls enforce the editorial's argument (and also really piss off Faust).
5. This is a completely new franchise designed to attract adolescent girls (ages ten to fourteen), but Hasbro slaps the MLP:FIM logo on the front in order to attract those who've followed the main generation since its inception in 2010. A spinoff doesn't excuse Hasbro or DHX from straying so far away from the roots of this generation. You can make the characters in character however you want or how the beginning of the movie shows Twilight in Equestria. But they're not enough. The feel of FIM, from the concept to its setting, must match the main series. The atmosphere and mission statement from Friendship Is Magic must coexist with Equestria Girls. The info-dump of the trailer, plot summary, and poor development of this movie proves how EQG is FIM's antithesis, and that's a really bad thing.

But they are all just guessing since all of those opinions are based on a 1 minuet advert how about we just wait untill it has we have actually seen it before just assuming its sexist. Its a cartoon just get over it.