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So, Alicorns....
13 years ago
General
I'd mostly talked myself down from the Princess Twilight ledge already, but this essay by PixelKitties helped. Thanks!
I've been on the "Lighten up" side of reaction to drama regarding the show in every instance before this, so it was surprising -- and unsettling -- to be reading EQD last evening and feel the knot in my stomach grow tighter and tighter. I realized how ridiculous such a reaction was, and my subsequent anger at myself for being so riled up about it just made things worse. The sad, sorry truth is that I don't think I've ever been this emotionally invested in a television program and the characters that populate it, and I really didn't like the reaction I was having to this news. So, I turned off the computer, went and walked the dog, and tried to calm down. I mostly succeeded, though I did have a more restless night than usual. (Seriously? Can you believe such a thing? Man, I need a life.)
I do, in fact, trust the people running the show, because they haven't failed me yet. After considering my reaction, and what I was really reacting to, I think I've worked out why I reacted like I did. Almost all of them have to do with me, and none of them have to do with the people running the show.
First, I don't like spoilers; I really enjoy finding out what happens as it happens during the episode. I never read synopses, and I avoided even learning the titles of the episodes. I ultimately couldn't avoid the spoiler for "Magic Duel," but did avoid learning anything about the episode before I watched it. Although I could ignore the trickling of alicorn-Twilight images at the beginning, I couldn't escape the explosion yesterday and it, well... spoiled the episode. Of course I'll watch it. I may love it. Everything in it may fall together perfectly and I may say "Yes! That is exactly how this was supposed to happen!" But I can't and won't be surprised at this big reveal, and I feel that's taken away part of my enjoyment.
Second, I've been approaching the show from a storytelling standpoint that would be more appropriate for my demographic, not the target one. And, for the record, I'm WELL beyond the target demographic, and likely older than most people officially associated with the show, including the suits at Hasbro. So, I'm interpreting Friendship is Magic through the lens of more sophisticated and complicated techniques, which is not appropriate. There is, of course, plenty of nuance and subtlety in the FiM storytelling, but as PixelKitties noted, this is a show for children (mostly girls) between the ages of 4 and 10. This is an inherently good world, a world where talking to the bully ends the bullying, where honesty is not only the best policy but will be rewarded, and where kindness is the path to success. This is a world where Friendship is the most powerful magic, literally capable of overcoming every obstacle. It's this inherent goodness of the world that has been one of the most attractive things to me, an unrepentant cynic and misanthrope. The strokes in FiM have to be broader, and if I'm expecting a dark psychological drama filled with angst and failure, the problem lies with me, and not the show.
Third, this is, ultimately, a show intended to sell toys. I've told that to other people, and I need to take my own advice. Hasbro is always there. They may not make many demands, but the demands they make will be heeded. The creative team has been successful at minimizing that aspect, but they know who is paying the bills. I need to remember that. Shit, I don't have nearly as much merchandise as many, but the fact that I have any should tell me something.
Finally, and perhaps most tellingly, I approach the issue of Twilight's coronation and wings with a lot of my own baggage regarding friends and friendship. I've never had a group of friends like Twilight has in Ponyville, and even my best friends now are scattered across the country. People drift apart. Life's circumstances bring changes, even if you don't want them. Looking at her ascension this way, and forgetting my second point above, Twilight's new status really has the potential to change the group dynamic for the worse. Of course, when I think that I need to go re-read my second point. FiM is set in an inherently good world. Things will work out.
So, this has been cathartic! Thanks again to PixelKitties for writing her journal entry, and allowing me a chance to sort through my own thoughts on the issue.
Bring it on, Larson! My body is ready!
Now, I'm going to spend the rest of the evening with Chaos Space Marines.
I've been on the "Lighten up" side of reaction to drama regarding the show in every instance before this, so it was surprising -- and unsettling -- to be reading EQD last evening and feel the knot in my stomach grow tighter and tighter. I realized how ridiculous such a reaction was, and my subsequent anger at myself for being so riled up about it just made things worse. The sad, sorry truth is that I don't think I've ever been this emotionally invested in a television program and the characters that populate it, and I really didn't like the reaction I was having to this news. So, I turned off the computer, went and walked the dog, and tried to calm down. I mostly succeeded, though I did have a more restless night than usual. (Seriously? Can you believe such a thing? Man, I need a life.)
I do, in fact, trust the people running the show, because they haven't failed me yet. After considering my reaction, and what I was really reacting to, I think I've worked out why I reacted like I did. Almost all of them have to do with me, and none of them have to do with the people running the show.
First, I don't like spoilers; I really enjoy finding out what happens as it happens during the episode. I never read synopses, and I avoided even learning the titles of the episodes. I ultimately couldn't avoid the spoiler for "Magic Duel," but did avoid learning anything about the episode before I watched it. Although I could ignore the trickling of alicorn-Twilight images at the beginning, I couldn't escape the explosion yesterday and it, well... spoiled the episode. Of course I'll watch it. I may love it. Everything in it may fall together perfectly and I may say "Yes! That is exactly how this was supposed to happen!" But I can't and won't be surprised at this big reveal, and I feel that's taken away part of my enjoyment.
Second, I've been approaching the show from a storytelling standpoint that would be more appropriate for my demographic, not the target one. And, for the record, I'm WELL beyond the target demographic, and likely older than most people officially associated with the show, including the suits at Hasbro. So, I'm interpreting Friendship is Magic through the lens of more sophisticated and complicated techniques, which is not appropriate. There is, of course, plenty of nuance and subtlety in the FiM storytelling, but as PixelKitties noted, this is a show for children (mostly girls) between the ages of 4 and 10. This is an inherently good world, a world where talking to the bully ends the bullying, where honesty is not only the best policy but will be rewarded, and where kindness is the path to success. This is a world where Friendship is the most powerful magic, literally capable of overcoming every obstacle. It's this inherent goodness of the world that has been one of the most attractive things to me, an unrepentant cynic and misanthrope. The strokes in FiM have to be broader, and if I'm expecting a dark psychological drama filled with angst and failure, the problem lies with me, and not the show.
Third, this is, ultimately, a show intended to sell toys. I've told that to other people, and I need to take my own advice. Hasbro is always there. They may not make many demands, but the demands they make will be heeded. The creative team has been successful at minimizing that aspect, but they know who is paying the bills. I need to remember that. Shit, I don't have nearly as much merchandise as many, but the fact that I have any should tell me something.
Finally, and perhaps most tellingly, I approach the issue of Twilight's coronation and wings with a lot of my own baggage regarding friends and friendship. I've never had a group of friends like Twilight has in Ponyville, and even my best friends now are scattered across the country. People drift apart. Life's circumstances bring changes, even if you don't want them. Looking at her ascension this way, and forgetting my second point above, Twilight's new status really has the potential to change the group dynamic for the worse. Of course, when I think that I need to go re-read my second point. FiM is set in an inherently good world. Things will work out.
So, this has been cathartic! Thanks again to PixelKitties for writing her journal entry, and allowing me a chance to sort through my own thoughts on the issue.
Bring it on, Larson! My body is ready!
Now, I'm going to spend the rest of the evening with Chaos Space Marines.
