Yeah yeah, I'm really late on this, but it beats digging a 100x40x100 hole in Minecraft.
So yeah, an episode back in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, the animation team recognized the fan character "Derpy Hooves" as canon, even giving her a speaking role. Here's the scene.
Needless to say, there was a pretty big outcry from the...."special needs" community, or at least those that champion for them. They claimed that Derpy Hooves is offensive to differently abled people despite the fan interpretations of the character (Often as the Mail Pony for the town and as a loving, caring mother of Dinky Hooves).
So yeah, is Derpy Hooves offensive to the special needs/differently abled community? And if so, why? Or why not?
Personally, I think this chalks right up there in terms of ridiculousness as people assuming Rainbow Dash is a lesbian simply because of her rainbow colored mane and tomboy attitude.
Edit: And before things get wildly off track, please note that this is NOT a thread about MLP, but rather about if a character from the show/fandom is offensive, or if people are making a big to-do about nothing.
Edit 2: Update, Hasbro changed the clip. Took out Derpy's name and redid both Dash and Derpy's voices.
Enjoy. I suppose...
And BaldDumboRat's response to the outrage (Which I suppose is fitting as she's the best damn fan VA for Derpy)
I think I've argued this a substantial bit, but I'll reiterate. You portray a character in fitting with popular negative stereotypes about a frequently marginalized group of people and you are in the wrong. Intent does not even matter, because the result is kids watch this, see these kinds of things as humorous, and we've done a bang-up job of educating another generation that people who are differently abled than normal people are objects worthy of laughter, not human beings.
I don't see much a problem. And even if children did pull from it that "retards be funny ta' laugh at and ain't people 'cause a crosseyed pony was clumsy", it ain't th' shows job ta' hardwire what children depict when watchin' these shows. Ye can watch anythin' and find somethin' "offensive" in it, some easia' than otha's. Aye it may be offensive, and many be worse. But sometimes if'n these thin's do happen and children do pull up such opinions, mayhaps th' parents should do somethin' ta' help their child besides yellin' at th' people who make th' show. What are we gonna do? Be like th' "good ole days" and ban episodes o' shows fer ridiculous reasons?
I think I've argued this a substantial bit, but I'll reiterate. You portray a character in fitting with popular negative stereotypes about a frequently marginalized group of people and you are in the wrong. Intent does not even matter, because the result is kids watch this, see these kinds of things as humorous, and we've done a bang-up job of educating another generation that people who are differently abled than normal people are objects worthy of laughter, not human beings.
I don't think My Little Pony is going to make children antagonize people with mental handicaps.
Besides, even if Derpy WAS intended to be a mentally handicapped character, she seems to have a huge and loving fan base.
I think I've argued this a substantial bit, but I'll reiterate. You portray a character in fitting with popular negative stereotypes about a frequently marginalized group of people and you are in the wrong. Intent does not even matter, because the result is kids watch this, see these kinds of things as humorous, and we've done a bang-up job of educating another generation that people who are differently abled than normal people are objects worthy of laughter, not human beings.
I don't think My Little Pony is going to make children antagonize people with mental handicaps.
Besides, even if Derpy WAS intended to be a mentally handicapped character, she seems to have a huge and loving fan base.
Make them? No. Reinforce existing societal norms which permit mockery and marginalization of a group of people? Yes.
I think I've argued this a substantial bit, but I'll reiterate. You portray a character in fitting with popular negative stereotypes about a frequently marginalized group of people and you are in the wrong. Intent does not even matter, because the result is kids watch this, see these kinds of things as humorous, and we've done a bang-up job of educating another generation that people who are differently abled than normal people are objects worthy of laughter, not human beings.
Yeah yeah, I'm really late on this, but it beats digging a 100x40x100 hole in Minecraft.
So yeah, an episode back in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, the animation team recognized the fan character "Derpy Hooves" as canon, even giving her a speaking role. Here's the scene.
Needless to say, there was a pretty big outcry from the...."special needs" community, or at least those that champion for them. They claimed that Derpy Hooves is offensive to differently abled people despite the fan interpretations of the character (Often as the Mail Pony for the town and as a loving, caring mother of Dinky Hooves).
So yeah, is Derpy Hooves offensive to the special needs/differently abled community? And if so, why? Or why not?
Personally, I think this chalks right up there in terms of ridiculousness as people assuming Rainbow Dash is a lesbian simply because of her rainbow colored mane and tomboy attitude.
Edit: And before things get wildly off track, please note that this is NOT a thread about MLP, but rather about if a character from the show/fandom is offensive, or if people are making a big to-do about nothing.
We actually had a big debate about this in the guild, but it turns out that the voice actress thought that Derpy Hooves was a boy, so she tried to imitate what her neighbor's kid sounds like (and he's not mentally challenged) and since THAT was the number one reason people were pissed, it becomes much less of an issue.
I say get a different voice actor; I think we'll see a different one in these up coming episodes, given all the hate towards it and the easiness of replacing a small part like that. razz
Tara strong will probs do it in an emergency re-do. xd
I think I've argued this a substantial bit, but I'll reiterate. You portray a character in fitting with popular negative stereotypes about a frequently marginalized group of people and you are in the wrong. Intent does not even matter, because the result is kids watch this, see these kinds of things as humorous, and we've done a bang-up job of educating another generation that people who are differently abled than normal people are objects worthy of laughter, not human beings.
I don't think My Little Pony is going to make children antagonize people with mental handicaps.
Besides, even if Derpy WAS intended to be a mentally handicapped character, she seems to have a huge and loving fan base.
Make them? No. Reinforce existing societal norms which permit mockery and marginalization of a group of people? Yes.
Which changes absolutely nothing.
And when it turns out the voice acting sounding like a mentally challenged person was unintentional, does that still make it offensive? Are they still reinforcing the mockery and marginalization of a group of people?
Yeah yeah, I'm really late on this, but it beats digging a 100x40x100 hole in Minecraft.
So yeah, an episode back in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, the animation team recognized the fan character "Derpy Hooves" as canon, even giving her a speaking role. Here's the scene.
Needless to say, there was a pretty big outcry from the...."special needs" community, or at least those that champion for them. They claimed that Derpy Hooves is offensive to differently abled people despite the fan interpretations of the character (Often as the Mail Pony for the town and as a loving, caring mother of Dinky Hooves).
So yeah, is Derpy Hooves offensive to the special needs/differently abled community? And if so, why? Or why not?
Personally, I think this chalks right up there in terms of ridiculousness as people assuming Rainbow Dash is a lesbian simply because of her rainbow colored mane and tomboy attitude.
Edit: And before things get wildly off track, please note that this is NOT a thread about MLP, but rather about if a character from the show/fandom is offensive, or if people are making a big to-do about nothing.
We actually had a big debate about this in the guild, but it turns out that the voice actress thought that Derpy Hooves was a boy, so she tried to imitate what her neighbor's kid sounds like (and he's not mentally challenged) and since THAT was the number one reason people were pissed, it becomes much less of an issue.
Except for the fact that despite what the means were, the ends are still unacceptable. Think of it like serendipity, but bad. It doesn't matter what they wanted to do, because all the refutations in the world will do nothing to change the fact that such a portrayal is harmful to a frequently marginalized group of people, deliberately or not.
I think I've argued this a substantial bit, but I'll reiterate. You portray a character in fitting with popular negative stereotypes about a frequently marginalized group of people and you are in the wrong. Intent does not even matter, because the result is kids watch this, see these kinds of things as humorous, and we've done a bang-up job of educating another generation that people who are differently abled than normal people are objects worthy of laughter, not human beings.
I don't think My Little Pony is going to make children antagonize people with mental handicaps.
Besides, even if Derpy WAS intended to be a mentally handicapped character, she seems to have a huge and loving fan base.
Make them? No. Reinforce existing societal norms which permit mockery and marginalization of a group of people? Yes.
Which changes absolutely nothing.
And when it turns out the voice acting sounding like a mentally challenged person was unintentional, does that still make it offensive? Are they still reinforcing the mockery and marginalization of a group of people?
My question is, how does someone sound retarded?
Kay I mean I get the concept of it and all but, but can you really?
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