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Of Tumblrs and Grimdark
14 years ago
I was discussing tumblr recommendations with a number of wonderful bronies today. As you may know, there are a great number of wonderful pony-themed tumblrs available today, including several great Fallout: Equestria related tumblrs (like my personal favorite: http://asklittlepip.tumblr.com/ .)
Discussing the merits and flaws of tumblr recommendations brought on this revelation:
I don't care for "grimdark."
A bizarre statement, perhaps, for someone who obviously writes grimdark-- Fallout: Equestria is a 600K word grimdark magnum opus. But Fallout: Equestria isn't a story about grimdark -- it's not about blood and mutilation, sadism and death. Instead, Fallout: Equestria is a story about standing up against evil no matter the cost. It is a story about lighting candles in the darkness. About the value and vulnerability of virtue, and the necessity and strength of friendship.
None of which really works as powerfully or successfully without grimdark. You cannot stir a reader's soul with a tale of lighting candles against the slight dimness. Pinkie Pie will be the first to point out that the call to stand against evil isn't very compelling when the villain is The Dreaded Bringer of Cotton Candy and Chocolate Milk.
So let me rephrase that: I don't care for "grimdark for the sake of grimdark."
Grimdark, when utilized to a more poignant and noble end can be a beautiful thing. I offer up Silent Ponyville as an excellent example of grimdark done right. But grimdark for the sake of shock, and character assassination, and just turning something beautiful into something ugly? That I tolerate because I am a brony and I take our message of "love and tolerance" to heart... but I don't like it. Not one bit. And I think we all know an infamous story that can be used as an example.
As such, I have found the small but seemingly growing number of grimdark-for-the-sake-of-grimdark tumblrs (particularly those which are... let's not even say "character interpretation" and jump right to "character obliteration") disturbing. I will admit it: I have a low tolerance for bullies. Hurting hurts.* Pointless and excessive cruelty is neither fun nor funny. As such, I don't want to spend time with a tumblr, much less a story, whose only purpose is to make me feel disgusted, despondent and upset.
I won't name any, but I will name a number of tumblrs that I find exemplary -- tumblrs which I regularly leave feeling better than I did when I started looking, whether it is because of the quality of art and story, the lovely characters, and/or the sheer adorableness. I am not on tumblr myself, so I offer them here:
http://askfluttershyandpinkiepie.tumblr.com/
http://askvelvet.tumblr.com/ (NSFW)
http://ask-thecrusaders.tumblr.com/
http://askthepiesisters.tumblr.com/
http://askoctavia.tumblr.com/
Check them out. In my humble opinion, they are a credit to the My Little Pony fandom and deserve the readership. Likewise, please join in and suggest a few gems you have found and would love to share.
And, for fun, here are just a few more of the wonderful Fallout: Equestria and associated Side Stories related tumblrs:
http://askredeye.tumblr.com/
http://askpuppysmiles.tumblr.com/
http://asksecurity.tumblr.com/
http://ask-dotrook.tumblr.com/
http://demi-one-wing.tumblr.com/
http://mech-station.tumblr.com/
--Kkat
(*Granted, I make exception for sexualized BDSM fantasies, but that's another matter entirely.)
Discussing the merits and flaws of tumblr recommendations brought on this revelation:
I don't care for "grimdark."
A bizarre statement, perhaps, for someone who obviously writes grimdark-- Fallout: Equestria is a 600K word grimdark magnum opus. But Fallout: Equestria isn't a story about grimdark -- it's not about blood and mutilation, sadism and death. Instead, Fallout: Equestria is a story about standing up against evil no matter the cost. It is a story about lighting candles in the darkness. About the value and vulnerability of virtue, and the necessity and strength of friendship.
None of which really works as powerfully or successfully without grimdark. You cannot stir a reader's soul with a tale of lighting candles against the slight dimness. Pinkie Pie will be the first to point out that the call to stand against evil isn't very compelling when the villain is The Dreaded Bringer of Cotton Candy and Chocolate Milk.
So let me rephrase that: I don't care for "grimdark for the sake of grimdark."
Grimdark, when utilized to a more poignant and noble end can be a beautiful thing. I offer up Silent Ponyville as an excellent example of grimdark done right. But grimdark for the sake of shock, and character assassination, and just turning something beautiful into something ugly? That I tolerate because I am a brony and I take our message of "love and tolerance" to heart... but I don't like it. Not one bit. And I think we all know an infamous story that can be used as an example.
As such, I have found the small but seemingly growing number of grimdark-for-the-sake-of-grimdark tumblrs (particularly those which are... let's not even say "character interpretation" and jump right to "character obliteration") disturbing. I will admit it: I have a low tolerance for bullies. Hurting hurts.* Pointless and excessive cruelty is neither fun nor funny. As such, I don't want to spend time with a tumblr, much less a story, whose only purpose is to make me feel disgusted, despondent and upset.
I won't name any, but I will name a number of tumblrs that I find exemplary -- tumblrs which I regularly leave feeling better than I did when I started looking, whether it is because of the quality of art and story, the lovely characters, and/or the sheer adorableness. I am not on tumblr myself, so I offer them here:
http://askfluttershyandpinkiepie.tumblr.com/
http://askvelvet.tumblr.com/ (NSFW)
http://ask-thecrusaders.tumblr.com/
http://askthepiesisters.tumblr.com/
http://askoctavia.tumblr.com/
Check them out. In my humble opinion, they are a credit to the My Little Pony fandom and deserve the readership. Likewise, please join in and suggest a few gems you have found and would love to share.
And, for fun, here are just a few more of the wonderful Fallout: Equestria and associated Side Stories related tumblrs:
http://askredeye.tumblr.com/
http://askpuppysmiles.tumblr.com/
http://asksecurity.tumblr.com/
http://ask-dotrook.tumblr.com/
http://demi-one-wing.tumblr.com/
http://mech-station.tumblr.com/
--Kkat
(*Granted, I make exception for sexualized BDSM fantasies, but that's another matter entirely.)
He's actually not quite grimdark. It's an amusing and humorous little tumblr about big mac. X3 I adore it. I think it may really be my favorite big mac tumblr.
But I'm glad you gave a cohesive reason for the line between certain grimdark tumblrs. @__@
I'm not sure how many I follow, and I mean actually pay attention to because I met quite a few fellow bloggers through livestreams... But I know I lean more toward character driven ones, rather than just simply grimdark...
Huh... The only grimdark tumblrs I do seem to be following is Lil miss Rarity and Sadistic Rarity.... Both NSFW (and Sadistic Rarity is coming back!)
But Sadistic Rarity was the first I ran across and amused the heck out of me (after I had been further desensitized a bit to innocent ponies being more gritty by FO:E)... I feel she's more like a grumpy slightly discorded Rarity. XD
Lil Miss Rarity.... Took me a while... Kept running across reblogs.... Finally just followed out of curiosity. Still wondering if it was a good idea.
And I'd share this amazing Blue Blood tumblr, but he's decided to close up shop. ;A; But for nostalgia's sake: http://askblueblood.tumblr.com/
Finally, I'll suggest this very special guard pony tumblr. http://askaquilinus.tumblr.com/ Because it's very well thought out with ideas for how the guard is run (outside of the non-canon Celestia's influences). Really fun. Um. Occassionally NSFW, but very rarely. Like. I think there's only 4 of those in there at all right now. And... YEAH!
Most of the ones you suggested I followed already. Except the Octavia one. I unfollowed cause I realized I had no interest in her or Scratch. Except a couple really nice Scratch tumblrs (that like never update and i forget to unfollow).
And I was never really a fan of the crusaders in the first place. "Fictional dumb child syndrome" really ruins child characters for me. XD;
And what the hey. That Princess Molestia's tumblr. It's like, every 6 posts maybe that it makes me uncomfortable... But otherwise, is kinda funny. There isn't too much outright sexy stuff going on... If I remember right... Might have blocked out a couple things. XD
*posts before I babble more*
In terms of humor, it doesn't necessarily have to be deep, but it should at least be doused with wry, snarky, black humor or be so over-the-top that it becomes ridiculous (like the movie Braindead/Dead Alive)
http://askikeapony.tumblr.com/
Grimdark elements to build a story, however, is far more interesting as you stated above. Fallout: Equestria, a few of its awesome spin-offs, The Color You Bleed, and a few others...it's not merely grimdark for the sake of grimdark, nor is it even the focal point of the story. It preys on yet another human desire we seem to want to see again and again and again. We yearn to set characters up as icons on a gilded, ivory pedestal and just as soon as we set them up, we endeavor to tie ropes and chains to them and drag them down through a sea of muck riddled with broken glass. Our desire is to see that icon we set up drag themselves out, bleeding and scarred, and return to their rightful place, that much stronger for having suffered through horrors unimaginable.
I've read Sgt. Sprinkle's Cupcakes and I've read Fallout: Equestria and thoroughly enjoyed both, but the one that stuck with me most profoundly was your fic. I oft found myself contemplating the Characters, their actions, the predicaments they found themselves in, the ruthless cunning of the villians and the resourcefullness of the heroes. It's like a bag of chips next to a fine dessert. Chips you scarf down mindlessly without a second thought, and you don't reflect on it after eating it. A fine dessert on the other end leaves you satisfied, yet yearning for more, and you're allowed to reflect on how great it was and how happy you were that you had it. (Totally stole that analogy from Egoraptor but it works, damn it!)
Please, ask me - why do you stop creating your wonderful bondage pictures? I miss them very much...