Racism and Ponies Redux

[nenena]

the_sun_is_up has a really good post about racism in the most recent MLP episode.

Also worth highlighting is this comment by mekosuchinae:

"Okay, can we call a moratorium on all analogies implying the Native Americans were as prejudiced or at fault as the Europeans/White Americans who attacked and disenfranchised them, stole their lands, and did their best to eradicate native cultures and peoples? Because, uh, no. At all. Ever."

THIS.

Also the fail behind the logic supporting the settler ponies' claims in the episode was so, well, failtacular that I still can't believe it was upheld as "reasonable" at all. The show made it very clear that the settler ponies built their orchard on buffalo land by *mistake* (as if the real white colonists that settled the American frontier took native lands by *mistake* but whatever) and then makes the logic leap that because the settler ponies took land that wasn't theirs by mistake, now they... have a legitimate claim to it. Somehow. Also, they worked REAL HARD to plant those apple trees, and the fact that they worked REAL HARD to farm land that was never theirs to begin with is also repeatedly upheld as a reason why they "deserve" the buffalo land.

I'm sorry, but WTF, My Little Pony? It doesn't matter that the settler ponies made a mistake - this is arguably proof that they weren't ill-intentioned against the buffalo, but it is NOT a reason why thy should therefore have a claim to buffalo land - and it does NOT matter that they worked reaaaaaaal haaaaaaaaard to farm that land as long as it was never theirs in the first place. So what if the settler ponies needed those apple trees to feed their village? That still DOESN'T GIVE THEM A CLAIM TO THE LAND THAT ISN'T THEIRS. If the buffalo had refused to share - as would have been their right to do so - then the settler ponies should have just scrapped their town and moved somewhere else. Yeah all of their hard work would have gone to waste, and that would have been sad and caused a lot of hardship for them, but here's the lesson that should have been learned: Accept the consequences when you make a mistake, learn from it, and next time do your freakin' research before you start working reeaaaaaaal haaaaaard to build your town. Wanting to be on that land real bad is not the same as having the RIGHT to be there. Jesus, show!

The settler ponies were completely in the wrong in this episode and the amazing twists of logic that the show comes up with to try to convince the viewers that they had a legitimate claim to buffalo land is just plain insulting as fuck.

Hmmmmm, kind of like how colonist/native conflicts from all over the world are continually misrepresented in history books and media depictions created by the colonizing powers. But I digress.

Comments

[aiwatan.livejournal.com]

That's an awesome message.

So... if I go and work really hard cleaning a house that's not mine...can I kept it?

Srly, why would you touch a subject where you are obviously the culprit if you are not willing to accept your guilt?

[kyrafawxe.livejournal.com]

That's what I thought when I was watching it too. :/

The solution to the "problem" was also really stupid. "lololok. you can have the land if we get pie."

Seriously? *sigh*

[nenena.livejournal.com]

Because of your icon I kind of imagined "lololok you can have the land if we get pie" being said in Terezi's voice. In the most sarcastic way possible.

"LOLOLOLOLOK you can have the universe we created and that you accidentally stole from us 'cause hey we know that humans worked real hard inventing the internet and all so it's totally okay if you just go ahead and keep the universe that you stole from us as long as you give us some pie every now and then."

That is insane troll logic at its finest.

[ravenstar84.livejournal.com]

Hey! I was searching out for anyone that chimed in the newest MLP episode, (as well as the Zecora episode). You have no idea how refreshing it is for me to read this. There's too many places online defending the BS in these episodes. I was actually considering writing a letter about this to Lauren Faust and the heads of MLP(thought I think a handful of people have said what I want to say). Thanks so much for this post.

[nenena.livejournal.com]

I'm flattered, but I'm hardly the only person to have posted about this. kialio has an excellent post (http://community.livejournal.com/deadbrowalking/488814.html) at deadbrowalking that focuses more on the "African and Native American people can't be ponies in Equestria and this is problematic as hell" aspect.

I was actually considering writing a letter about this to Lauren Faust and the heads of MLP(thought I think a handful of people have said what I want to say).

I think you should still write that letter, though! Even if you're saying the same thing that others have already said, the more voices that the creators can hear objecting to this racism, the better.

[ravenstar84.livejournal.com]

I read deadbrowalking (wish I could join the comm), and thanks! I'll try getting that letter soon.

[neocloud9.livejournal.com]

*hugs this entry*

[symbolswriter.livejournal.com]

Oh, now I see what's the problem (I still watched only 4 first episodes, so I'm completely clueless). In this case, I guess I agree on that matter.

Also, I guess now Native-American and African children can't associate with ponies anymore?

[furikku.livejournal.com]

No see it's OK because they still have the White ponies and White is for everyone! :V


orz

[symbolswriter.livejournal.com]

It was obvious! All the world's children are White!
...
*facepalm*

[ravenstar84.livejournal.com]

I don't see how anyone shouldn't be able to associate with ponies. I just don't like racist imagery in my shows, or any form of media for that matter.

[symbolswriter.livejournal.com]

Well, because if I got it right, there is a clear analogy that goes like this: "Zebras=African; Buffalos=Native-Americans". Therefore, ponies seems to be anything BUT these two ethnoses (or maybe they are analogous to just one certain ethnos, but whatever).

For example. Let's say, in a new MLP episode, clearly-Russian... Umm... Bears! Yes, clearly-Russian bears appear! Complete with accent, ushankas and dancing kazachok. So, I start to associate with bears instead of ponies. And ponies start to seem kinda alien to me. You get the point.

I think it would be good if ponies stayed race-neutral for everyone, as the lessons they teach (as far as I have watched this show) are.

Unless it's really aimed on a rather tight audience and it is not planned for this show to be broadcasted elsewhere.

[ravenstar84.livejournal.com]

You're absolutely right. I did wonder what would ponies be equivalent to in real life if we have retains animals represent African and Native American (or some aspect of either or). Doing this doesn't make the Ponies race neutral for everyone.

[nenena.livejournal.com]

There was no reason why Zecora couldn't have been a pony.

There was no reason why the native-analogous group that the settler ponies in "Over a Barrel" came into conflict with couldn't have also been ponies.

It's just... Why, show? Why are you doing this? Arrrrrrgh!

[(Anonymous)]

It keeps doing this to you because it's a show aimed at selling 3-11 year old girls on cheap plastic crap made in a factory in China by a person making 7 dollars a day. They really only care about appealing to the white kids whose parents are rich enough to afford to buy them a bunch of that shit.

[nenena.livejournal.com]

Oooooh aren't you brave, trolling a post that's eight days old.

Please tell me more about how big your e-penis is.

[furikku.livejournal.com]

"Okay, can we call a moratorium on all analogies implying the Native Americans were as prejudiced or at fault as the Europeans/White Americans who attacked and disenfranchised them, stole their lands, and did their best to eradicate native cultures and peoples? Because, uh, no. At all. Ever."

At a party for my MIL, one of the attendees tried to argue this.

I brought up the smallpox blankets thing. Nobody had heard about it. -_-

[cykstar.livejournal.com]

If their message was about seeing both sides of the coin then they fucked up hoooooribly. And now I can only imagine the number of little children who think that the Native Americans were at fault as well. It's bad enough that I spent a good portion of it doing an "Indian war cry". Thank you, TV.

[meiousei.livejournal.com]

So, a long time after this post was posted, I watched this episode. WOW, can I just say, "agreed on all points with your post?"