Should something be considered canon just because Lauren Faust said so?

[windy_prance 114]

Wow this will be controversial.

 

Before anyone start stoning me to death, let me be clear. Lauren Faust is an awesome person and she has given us joys through MLP as well as the other shows she has worked on. No one can take that away from her.

 

HOWEVER I have noticed a lot of bronies especially some of you on this forum consider Lauren Faust's words and opinions about MLP as holy text. To the point where any alternative opinions that goes against anything Faust said to be wrong by default.

 

...I do not like this mindset at all. Especially now that Lauren Faust is no longer part of the MLP staff. Her opinion is pretty much headcanon now...completely on par with the headcanon we as fans come up with.

 

Can her opinions can be relevant and possibly valid? Could be sure. Are her opinion the holy text? NO!

 

Ok...*ties a blindfold and prepares for possible pain from projectiles*...whether you hate me or not, this conversation needs to discussed.

[Troblems 5,609]

I think at one point it was cannonable (not really a word, but go with it), however, getting farther and farther from the time when she was involved, it should be less so. The more the ponyverse develops without her in it, the less her input will matter.

[GreyScholar 1,584]

When it comes to the season 1 pilot episodes and through such the royal sisters (also as the writer of the episodes), yes I feel it should be treated as canon. Anything else yes but only if it doesn't conflict with the canon of the show.

Edited October 21, 2013 by EquestrianScholar

[Koelath 444]

Why does this thread even exist? If you can define canon, you can answer this question for yourself. Faust's words are only canon for:

 

- Season one (during which she was the main creative force of the series)

 

- Episodes she wrote herself, regardless of season.

 

- Any of her words that are backed by the other creative contributors on staff.

 

Anything else isn't canon or is at best unconfirmed canon (which is about the same as fanon).

Edited October 21, 2013 by Koelath

[NavelColt 22,876]

Season 1: Absolutely.

Season 2: Debatable. Lauren only had input on some parts of the season, and was no longer the lead editor like Megan now is.

Season 3: Not at all.

 

Lauren has stepped outside the circle of creating the show, thus, her word is no longer canon, since 'canon' means true in the show's verse, as the writers of it have displayed. Lauren's word is now 'the word of the original creator and the ways they would have gone instead'.

[Emperor Posh 360]

No I don't think what she says now is cannon, though what she has said in the past and what she said she had planned, I take into consideration because some of the current writers know what Lauren wanted MLP to be, so some stuff may still show up from what she originally planned. I do feel that some bronies do not give her the respect she deserves though. Some people need to realize that MLP G4 was created off of her ideas, and without her G4 would not be what it is today.

[Dddrgn 450]

Honestly, for season 1, whatever she said was canon, but after that, it's just her own fanon, nothing wrong with it, but definitely not canon.

[windy_prance 114]

Just to add to what I said before, I feel even Faust's Season One opinions is no longer canon or at least now open to be questioned. Faust thought Luna and Celestia would the only ailcorns in Season One...not the case anymore.

 

People who says otherwise are once again considering Faust's words as holy text.

[Captain Brony (MG11) 218]

George Lucas said a lot of things about Star Wars lore that wasnt true.

 

Anyways I admire Lauren's input seeing as she helped birth the show and had many ambitious ideas.

However she is not spearheading all of the development and writing. The other writers do that.

 

This is why I trust Megan Mcarthy more. She is head writer, wrote more episodes (Faust writing only 3) and oversees much of the world building and even takes Faust's ideas into consideration.

[FNGRpony 655]

I literally don't care what Lauren Fausts creative intent was.

Why?  It's over.  Her tenure with the show has ended.

 

And you know what?  i'm not done with the show yet.

Not only do I not care how she feels, or thinks about mlp, i care even less about those who think she's true voice of the show canon wise.

Of course if season 4 sucks hard ass,

I may waffle on this. I'm not saying it will, I'm saying it might.  I'm concerned.
I heard the first two episodes are gonna be a direct  continuation from magical mystery cure.

 

 

Now as a gambler that's not putting the chips away that's dubbeling down.

and i respect the fact their dubbeling down. 

that also could mean we'll have three times the mess as what we started with.

 

So yes i'm concerned.

[pinkiefan1287 610]

That has been something I have been thinking about for a while. She did make the show and come up with good ideas. But I feel anything she says's now should not be considered cannon. Lauren involvement with the show is no more. They may have been ideas that she had, but now it's up to the writers on the show now to come up with the ideas. 

[Frith is Magick 1,471]

I think that even though she is no longer on the writing staff, because she was such a driving force at first, her words do hold power. They may not be canon, but they are coming from someone who established much of Equestria as we know it. What Faust says now may be on par with fanon, but she is a more reliable source, and I will accept what she says until it is contradicted by the show. I respect her for what she did during her time on the staff, but I will not follow blindly ignoring fact. If a later season contradicts an earlier season, unless there is a darn good reason otherwise, I will accept the earlier season, but canon is canon, there is no arguing on that point.

[Shanks 10,811]

No, she did form the basis of the show and was heavily involved in the beginning and still involved but not as much in season 2 but she is no longer working on the show. A good writer may start with a vision but then have it change as the story evolves so even if Lauren Faust stayed on the show her vision may still have changed anyway, certain decisions might have been different if she had stayed but there still would have been some changes in the show. We also have to consider that even in the beginning Lauren Faust wasn't the only writer and the others I am sure had an influence as well. Laurens Fausts words should be taken seriously but with a bit of a grain of salt because she no longer has control over the direction of the show.

[Nature's Spell 526]

Lauren was awesome for what she created, but she's gone for two seasons now and what she wanted doesn't apply anymore. My problem is less with her and more with those who use her words on some misguided anti-Twilight rant.

Edited October 21, 2013 by Nature Spell

[FNGRpony 655]

Lauren was awesome for what she created, but she's gone for two seasons now and what she wanted doesn't apply anymore. My problem is less with her and more with those who use her words on some misguided anti-Twilight rant.

 

Misguided nothing i've heard ms faust didn't like the direction of the show.

 

Don't scape goat the fan base, (I'm certainly not calling them blame less).

[Nature's Spell 526]

Misguided nothing i've heard ms faust didn't like the direction of the show.

 

Don't scape goat the fan base, (I'm certainly not calling them blame less).

Her words have been used by anti Alicorn bronies to support the idea that it was not a good idea to make Twilight into a Alicorn Princess. That successor didn't mean wings blah, blah. I have no problem with Lauren, but I do with anybody who uses her words to attack the current plot. I've not paid attention to how she feels about the current storyline and she can think as she wants. Edited October 21, 2013 by Nature Spell

[FNGRpony 655]

Her words have been used by anti Alicorn bronies to support the idea that it was not a good idea to make Twilight into a Alicorn Princess. That successor didn't mean wings blah, blah. I have no problem with Lauren, but I do with anybody who uses her words to attack the current plot. I've not paid attention to how she feels about the current storyline and she can think as she wants.

 

There's really nothing to attack. we've not really seen alicorn twilight in action yet.  (sense people keep saying EQ doesn't count)

Objectively I can't tell you if it's a good or bad thing.

 

If i tell you I like it, and you tell me "sight examples why it works."

I don't have any good or bad examples LOL. 

 

Some people (who faust might be one off) are going "NOT GONNA LIKE!" jamming their fingers in their ears (and nose heh ^ ~).

to which I point out "there's nothing to like or hate yet."

 

Imagine if you will pinkie pie's pet gummy was gull grown at the end of a season and people whined "Oh i don't like the new gummy."

 

Well I'd need to see more LOL (I'd like it lol) before I could honestly make a judgement

Edited October 21, 2013 by FNGRpony

[Nature's Spell 526]

There's really nothing to attack. we've not really seen alicorn twilight in action yet. (sense people keep saying EQ doesn't count)

Objectively I can't tell you if it's a good or bad thing.

 

If i tell you I like it, and you tell me "sight examples why it works."

I don't have any good or bad examples LOL.

 

Some people (who faust might be one off) are going "NOT GONNA LIKE!" jamming their fingers in their ears (and nose heh ^ ~).

to which I point out "there's nothing to like or hate yet."

 

Imagine if you will pinkie pie's pet gummy was gull grown at the end of a season and people whined "Oh i don't like the new gummy."

 

Well I'd need to see more LOL (I'd like it lol) before I could honestly make a judgement

Well clearly you are senseable, but many in this fandom are a bunch of cry babies because their precious head cannon was wrecked by natural and welcome development in the show. As you said let's wait and see.

[Koelath 444]

Misguided nothing i've heard ms faust didn't like the direction of the show.

 

Good for her. That doesn't magically stop angry fanboys from being misguided.

 

Faust ran season one and had a heavy creative hand in season two. So she gets canon powers for season one and parts of two. Beyond that, she holds no power.

[FNGRpony 655]

Well clearly you are senseable, but many in this fandom are a bunch of cry babies because their precious head cannon was wrecked by natural and welcome development in the show. As you said let's wait and see.

 

Well, I can't repeat this enough, i'm concerned.

magical mystery cure wasn't my favorite episode.  that doesn't mean alicorn twilight sucks.

 

Just how boast busters doesn't mean trixie sucks.

 

If fans don't have a good taste in their mouth about magical mystery cure i could see why you'd bust out the pitch fork and torches.

 

People might see it as a turd on top of a crap sunday.

I see it as a cherry, a cherry I wish to wash off and sterilize lol.  But i'm not forgetting where that cherry came from.

[Koelath 444]

Imagine if you will pinkie pie's pet gummy

 

Season four needs a Gummycentric episode.

 

Personally, I enjoy when the fanon is obliterated. When Luna appeared in season two and wasn't this timid little nothing fans imagined, I loved it.

[FNGRpony 655]

Season four needs a Gummycentric episode.

 

Personally, I enjoy when the fanon is obliterated. When Luna appeared in season two and wasn't this timid little nothing fans imagined, I loved it.

 

you know i wasn't exactly thrilled by luna eclipsed lol.  And not cause of fannon. 

Kinda like in bridal gossip,

it shows ponyville by and large is filled with fear mongering jerks.

 

I'm looking at you pinkie pie.  And wether she was having fun or not, she had to know after what 3-4 out bursts she was starting a stampede of panic?

 

I don't give her a mulligan on it cause it's the second time she's been the fear ring leader.

[Koelath 444]

you know i wasn't exactly thrilled by luna eclipsed lol.  And not cause of fannon. 

Kinda like in bridal gossip,

it shows ponyville by and large is filled with fear mongering jerks.

 

I'm looking at you pinkie pie.  And wether she was having fun or not, she had to know after what 3-4 out bursts she was starting a stampede of panic?

 

I don't give her a mulligan on it cause it's the second time she's been the fear ring leader.

 

Bridal Gossip was the Zecora episode, right? Eh, people fear the unknown. It's irrational and often lousy, but it's nature. Even animals know that fear. Are animals jerks?

 

The fear-mongering in Luna Eclipsed is reasonable enough though. I mean, she did almost destroy Equestria...And when she came back to reintegrate into society, she did so in the most terrifying manner possible.

Edited October 21, 2013 by Koelath

[Scootalove 10,684]

In Season 1, Faust was involved in the show as a writer since she did create the show in the first place so it was considered canon in those days. The same thing can be said for Season 2, but she wasn't involved as much in this season. As for Season 3, since she wasn't involved with the show or was still currently working with the show so it wasn't considered canon if she said anything about it.

[FNGRpony 655]

Bridal Gossip was the Zecora episode, right? Eh, people fear the unknown. It's irrational and often lousy, but it's nature. Even animals know that fear. Are animals jerks?

 

The fear-mongering in Luna Eclipsed is reasonable enough though. I mean, she did almost destroy Equestria...And when she came back to reintegrate into society, she did so in the most terrifying manner possible.

 

Well, to be fair the writing staff in luna eclipsed stacked the deck against luna.

It's night mare night.

It's in the middle of the night.

 

Now this basically the most damning strike against Luna,

she comes down in a carriage in ponies with GOD DAMN BAT WINGS!

Now wait... there awesome.  They were real cool.  And we're never gonna see them again LOL.

and that's all those bat wing ponies were,

a means to make Luna look bad. 

Why?  Cause if she showed up with the two normal jerks who heavy princess Celestial along no one would said a damn thing.

 

Luna Eclipsed scene

Pinkie

ZOMG its nightmare moon!"

Mayor Mare

"Oh calm down pinkie it's Phil, and Biff I'd know those two losers any way."

 

I mean luna didn't put those two ponies out there cause she was in on nightmare night.  She didn't even know what the hell it was about.