#mylittlepony - #The Representation of Scootaloo's Aunts - Why I Can't Celebrate It

The Representation of Scootaloo's Aunts - Why I Can't Celebrate It

I apologize if the Mods consider this too contentious a subject, I'm trying to keep the focus on topic.

So . . . we've kinda had a big hubbub over nothing since the last episode, haven't we?

Like, as far as the actual text and content of the episode itself goes, literally nothing.The episode called them aunts, and there's some side tweet behind the scenes where the writer says they're not actually related like the episode implies.

I'd like to raise a few questions;

Does such Word of God extra-material even help the acceptance of gay people, considering the target demographic and those who most need to see these representations are children, most of whom don't follow articles and tweets about every episode?

Remember that Facebook screenshot of some parent reacting to an article and than preaching to their kid about gay people for 30 minutes? That kid probably has know idea why their parent suddenly had an anti-gay sermon. The parent was just on the computer or something (I don't see this happening after seeing the episode) and than abruptly decided to "open up the bible" for anti-gay time. As far as we know, they have nothing from the show as a role model contradicting said sermon, no role model, nothing.

Everyone seems so happy and excited about Scootaloo's aunts but I can't celebrate.

I understand not wanting the show to make a point about drawing attention to gay relationships, but does anyone feel like it's kind of a cheat for the episode to directly lead casual viewers into thinking their sisters with the author's intent as a tweet on the side?

This episode kind of made me more in favor of the literary concept of Death of the Author, because when all you have is authorial intent and nothing in the text expressing said intent, it seems kinda BS. Like, what if a cartoon represented asexual people with a pair that looked like a couple, except for the tweet that says they aren't.

I hope a future episode clarifies that they're not blood relatives in some passing line of dialogue, or has a wedding picture in the background or something.

Personally, I would've preferred the sort of opposite of how they went about it with this episode; Have an actual passing reference to having same-sex parents or a same-sex couple in the episode, and than say nothing on Twitter. Those who pay attention the show will notice, children can see a positive or neutral representation of same-sex couples, and just let it be.

Of course, it'd still probably have an internet article about it, but least the inevitable conservative complaining would have the substance of talking about something in the actual episode, and that something could be there for every single viewer.

As it is, to me, I feel like it should've been a big moment, and I see people treating it like a big moment, but I'm sitting here wondering if anyone's as underwhelmed as I am. And if it's even helping anyone who needs it.

Submitted June 20, 2019 at 07:58AM by Crocoshark
via reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/c2wcdp/the_representation_of_scootaloos_aunts_why_i_cant/?utm_source=ifttt