tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post3489245091555091018..comments2023-05-08T04:26:41.949-04:00Comments on My Little Po-Mo: Doors are barred and shutters shut/Guess I should've stayed inside my hut (Bridle Gossip)Froborrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-31412223421191226962014-05-30T21:36:25.861-04:002014-05-30T21:36:25.861-04:00By all rights, I should delete this comment for co...By all rights, I should delete this comment for containing a personal attack. I am giving you a pass this time--and only this one time--because it is directed at me.<br /><br />The "Magical Negro" stereotype is, in fact, racist, as all positive stereotypes of underprivileged groups are. Even though it is on the surface positive, it contributes to the othering and thereby marginalization of the people being stereotyped--most notably, Zecora never gets to be the main character of a story, but exists solely to further the development and progression of Twilight Sparkle. This would be non-problematic if there were other characters who coded as being of African origin, and did not share in the stereotype, but as it stands now, every African-descended character in Friendship Is Magic is a minstrel-rhyming closer-to-earth "wise savage" whose only story function is to aid a European-descended character.<br /><br />So, yeah, that's pretty racist. Would it be better if she were substituted with a negative stereotype? No, obviously--but I'm intrigued that the idea of making her NOT a stereotype doesn't seem to have occurred to you.<br /><br />Anyway, I do admit that I went a little too far with this post, which is why I posted <a href="http://mlpomo.blogspot.com/2014/01/book-version-doors-are-barred-and.html" rel="nofollow">a revised version</a> earlier this year. In addition, I summed up my thoughts on Zecora and what I felt the show could do to salvage the character <a href="http://mlpomo.blogspot.com/2013/11/elements-of-harmony-3-zecora-is-best.html" rel="nofollow">here.</a>Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-27231397025920626992014-05-30T21:26:06.873-04:002014-05-30T21:26:06.873-04:00Reading comprehension is your friend. I did not sa...Reading comprehension is your friend. I did not say that "The Ticket Master" IS sexist bullshit, I said that there is sexist bullshit IN "The Ticket Master." The portrayal of six very different young women is not sexist; the portrayal of "frenemies" is.Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-19930720661509362422014-05-30T20:08:17.966-04:002014-05-30T20:08:17.966-04:00Ticket Master. "Sexist Bullshit?"
Six fe...Ticket Master. "Sexist Bullshit?"<br />Six female characters shown having wildly different motivations for wanting to attend the GGG, but that's "sexist?"<br /><br />RHJuniorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13852560194337309640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-80062494999677065892014-05-30T20:05:45.227-04:002014-05-30T20:05:45.227-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.RHJuniorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13852560194337309640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-49471408921845922772014-02-04T00:07:39.713-05:002014-02-04T00:07:39.713-05:00I hadn't even thought of that, but yeah, I can...I hadn't even thought of that, but yeah, I can definitely see how it could be. My sympathies.Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-30997497811537108632014-02-03T23:14:53.719-05:002014-02-03T23:14:53.719-05:00On top of all that, as a trans woman I find the &q...On top of all that, as a trans woman I find the "humor" of Fluttershy having a male voice to be deeply painful. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-43508001289871303892013-10-27T00:26:02.089-04:002013-10-27T00:26:02.089-04:00That's simply untrue about affirmative action....That's simply untrue about affirmative action. Racism is a systemic social phenomenon which disproportionately affects some members of a society more than others. The playing field is tilted; the only way to restore it to a level field is to either push down on the parts sticking up (which seems both unnecessary and cruel) or push up on the parts forced down.<br /><br />Let me state this very clearly: Acknowledging the existence of race as a cultural phenomenon is not racist. Even treating members of different races differently is not inherently racist. <i>Contributing to the material social conditions by which individuals of some ethnicities are privileged over members of other ethnicities is.</i> So-called "colorblindness" is thus racist, because it is a conscious choice to ignore those material social conditions, perpetuating the status quo. Affirmative action, if done right, is not, because it mitigates, rather than increasing, that differential of privilege.<br /><br />Part of how any culture perpetuates its social construction is through the telling of tales. One tale which supports racism is the tale which contrasts Our Tribe with the undifferentiated mass of Other; to perpetuate that tale is thus a racist act.Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-25173976383408719122013-10-26T21:21:00.682-04:002013-10-26T21:21:00.682-04:00This episode also reeks of affirmative action whic...This episode also reeks of affirmative action which is, by its very nature, racist.<br /><br />However, then there is the question of whether or not artificial inclusion is racist in itself. That the creation of a tale, by members of a particular ethnic group and in a region primarily populated by that ethnic group, can be considered racist because it does not take into account the cultures (or even existence) of other ethnic groups that are not even typically in the geographic region in which the tale is set? I am not questioning the effects of such things, merely the mentality of blanket assumptions and inferences (and not implying that you have done this).<br /><br />Lines, so many lines arbitrarily drawn in the sand, and their far-reaching effects...Scorched Winghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18063509517664033395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-29281619943314352302013-04-10T21:15:39.197-04:002013-04-10T21:15:39.197-04:00Well, no, you likely weren't taught the differ...Well, no, you likely weren't taught the difference--but you learned that difference from things like Disney, from the media you consumed, as much or more than in school. African cultures are no further distant from us than medieval Europe or ancient Greece, so there's no inherent reason to depict one but not the other, yet it's because shows like MLP do play favorites that kids only learn about the one.<br /><br />I think absolutely the citizens of Ponyville have accepted Zecora, which is great. I just wish Zecora weren't such an awful pile of stereotype. I have mixed feelings about the original plan for her; on the one hand, more Zecora might enable the addition of nuance. On the other, oh hi there, "Magical Negro" stereotype, welcome to the pile. Really what the show needs is more zebras--an episode where the Mane Six are the bizarre outsiders in Zecora's home town could be awesome, except that frankly I don't trust the writers to pull it off, given their track record with Zecora, the buffalo, and so on.<br /><br />It's an interesting claim re: Polsky. However, as I understand it, if a single writer both suggests the story and writes the script, they get a "Written by" credit. If one writer suggests the story and another writes the script, they get a "Story by" and "Teleplay by" credit respectively. Assuming we're talking about social conservatism (that is, bigotry) since nothing in the show is remotely economically conservative, and looking at the stories where Polsky has either a writer or story credit, the only one that strikes me as particularly conservative is "Over a Barrel." Most of the other "conservative" stories are by Rogers, with a couple from Morrow.<br /><br />Thanks for the compliment! My B.A. is actually in English, but at one point I was toying with an anthropology minor. I ended up just doing three anthropology classes, though, and two of those were intro level. I've since considered, and done reading preparatory for, grad school in either cultural anthropology or media studies, but in the end I like my current paychecks too much to go through with it.Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-18150454731202087152013-04-10T16:38:10.308-04:002013-04-10T16:38:10.308-04:00That I can very much agree with.
The fantasy-me...That I can very much agree with. <br /><br />The fantasy-medieval trope is at this point so much an integral part of the animation world, mainly thanks to Disney, that I don't think there is anyone in the Western world over 4 or 5 that doesn't immediately identify it.<br /><br />The Greco-Roman trope is probably identifiable by any kid of 8 or 9. As it's based on reality, it requires a little more information about the world.<br /><br />I recognized those things by those ages, but even as a teenager I wouldn't have been able to tell you the differences between southern and western African cultural artifacts, mainly because I - and most Western kids then and now - haven't been taught the differences.<br /><br />The deeper I get into this blog the more impressed I am. Your BA in cultural anthopology, by any chance?<br /><br />I think the degree to which Ponyvillians have completely accepted Zecora was driven home pretty well in "Luna Eclipsed" where she was the character primarily responsible for the foals during Nightmare Night. I read somewhere that she was originally intended (by Lauren?) as a secondary mentor for Twilight in the way that Yoda was for Luke Skywalker, but for whatever reasons that never panned out. That intention did get a huge shout-out in "Magic Duel" <br />though.<br /><br />BTW, I think it was Megan McCarthy who said (possibly in jest, but likely not) at a panel that "the right wing story ideas go to Polsky." Interesting. There's video of this panel out there in the vast Pony YouTube world, but I can't recall where. It may have been the writer's panel at the Las Vegas Unicon.<br /><br />Brony on!Hifibronyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17855839118225378113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-84170049615947631832013-04-10T10:09:41.113-04:002013-04-10T10:09:41.113-04:00Respectful disagreement is always welcome, and tha...Respectful disagreement is always welcome, and thank you for your thoughts!<br /><br />However, I would point out that a six-year-old is just as unlikely to recognize the difference between classical Greco-Roman architecture and fantasy-medieval fairy castles, and yet, as I pointed out in the article, the pegasi get the former and the unicorns the latter.<br /><br />Ultimately, most of the issues with Zecora are a problem of tokenism. They've chosen to have one character represent all of Africa, and it is simply not possible for a single character to do that without either leaving things out or blurring together distinct cultures.Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-67471904687749287112013-04-10T03:23:10.483-04:002013-04-10T03:23:10.483-04:00I think you made one error here, and one that you ...I think you made one error here, and one that you warned yourself against in earlier reviews and your purpose statement: ignoring how an episode like this has to be written to make its point to the target audience.<br /><br />A six year old girl, even an African-American girl, would have less than zero comprehension of or even the ability to comprehend the differences between African cultures.<br /><br />I am reading your posts in order, and generally share your politico-philosophical viewpoints, but IMO you're over-reading this given the show's target audience. At the age of the target audience everything outside their family and immediate small circle of friends is "other." <br /><br />I am afraid I must respectfully agree to disagree with you about this episode, which in my opinion is average, but no better save for a couple of nice Apple Bloom and Fluttershy moments.<br /><br />Cheers!Hifibronyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17855839118225378113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-45360214069772309482012-12-07T19:29:35.880-05:002012-12-07T19:29:35.880-05:00Reading too much into ponies is kind of the point ...Reading too much into ponies is kind of the point of this blog.<br /><br />As for whether she is a racist caricature: Obviously, the degree to which she is racist is a matter of opinion based on where you set the bar. I freely admit I set the bar quite high. She is definitely a caricature, not a character, however; a better way to put it is that she is (like Celestia, and unlike the Mane Six and Luna) a plot device disguised as a character. Easy way to tell: without delving into fanon, there is no way to answer the question "What does Zecora want?"Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-90528225049097700672012-12-07T13:53:57.700-05:002012-12-07T13:53:57.700-05:00zecora is not a racist caricature. your reading to...zecora is not a racist caricature. your reading to much into her.Shakilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04417983581713698020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-9793064917624651372012-12-02T22:55:24.932-05:002012-12-02T22:55:24.932-05:00Yeah, Apple Bloom is actually introduced in the fi...Yeah, Apple Bloom is actually introduced in the first episode, although this is the beginning of shifting her from background character to secondary character.<br /><br />Feel free to link or quote as you wish, but if you quote, please link as well.<br /><br />And... yeah. There's an episode where the Mane Six tell Apple Bloom and two of her friends how they got their cutie marks. Pinkie Pie's story pretty much has UNRELIABLE NARRATOR written all over it, but involves her growing up on a literal rock farm among dour ponies, and her father has that distinctive Amish hat.<br /><br />Yesterday's episode confirmed (with a flashback from a slightly more reliable witness) that rock farms exist and one is run by the pony in the Amish hat, so it seems that part of Pinkie's flashback is real.Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-29342034107721047802012-12-02T22:43:53.145-05:002012-12-02T22:43:53.145-05:00Are they?
*looks it up*
Huh, had them confused w...Are they?<br /><br />*looks it up*<br /><br />Huh, had them confused with Pennsylvania Dutch. Thanks for the correction, will fix in article now.Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-42515828707802025552012-12-02T19:48:29.362-05:002012-12-02T19:48:29.362-05:00The Amish are Swiss and German btw.The Amish are Swiss and German btw.Jason Millerhttp://www.jasonmmiller.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-24876759360357387862012-12-02T18:26:18.668-05:002012-12-02T18:26:18.668-05:00This episode was one of the other four I ended up ...This episode was one of the other four I ended up watching this week in addition to the two I'd already mentioned, so it felt fresh in my mind as I read this. Watching the episode, I'd gotten the impression that it was set latter in the show's run, given that Applejack's sister felt like the sort of character shows introduce later in their run. I like that this isn't the case, though, and that the show had the sense to give the ponies lives and relationships outside of each other early on. <br /><br />Speaking of world-building, a general lack of knowledge about it, when combined with my general ignorance of the various African cultures and the fact that I had not at all noticed that she was speaking in rhyme did not allow me to see the degree to which Zecora's depiction was problematic. Thank you for the breakdown. <br /><br />Incidentally, I was working on a blog post describing the idea that intent is not magic, and this essay was actually very helpful in helping me visualize what I wanted to say. Do you mind if I end up quoting you and/or linking to you in the post? <br /><br />Finally...Pinkie Pie is <em>Amish</em>? 0_o!<br /><br />Ianhttp://nymonsters.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.com