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The Last Roundup: My Thoughts


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I just watched "The Last Roundup". I realize I'm very late with this, but I've been catching up, so I hope I'm forgiven. I read up on some of the controversy surrounding this episode and it bothers me. I have to wonder, there have been simpleton characters in cartoons before, and as far as I know, none of them have ever started any controversy, so why did Derpy? I didn't see any malice toward disabled people in that brief scene.

As for the rest of the episode, I kinda liked it.

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It really is a two sided argument.

On the side of save derpy there have been characters like this before in other shows and rarely do they have a mental illness. I'm actually a little offended at people for jumping on the belief that derpy is handicapped in anyway. She is a klutz, has cock eyes, a slight speak impediment, and maybe a little scatter brained but nothing shown of her has lead me to believe she was mentally handicapped in any way.

On the other side many do see her as handicapped and find it offensive to use derpy as a comedy piece.

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Oh DerpyGate...

My thoughts on the matter? This situation definitely has two sides. I think it's not the fact Hasbro backpeddled Derpy, but the precedent that it set then and into the future with how they'll treat our community -- especially with shout outs like the kind we saw in this episode. I personally think Derpy's change and un-naming happened for all of the wrong reasons. It's all about perception and tone, after all -- the people complaining the loudest about Derpy were also demonstrating their personal views of how mentally disabled act, which is ignorant in itself.

I also think if they're going to remove or change characters that appear mentally slow or clumsy, Snips and Snails should also be on the chopping block, as well as every other dopey character in their other non-MLP properties.

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The only people I saw complaining that she was offended were fans who had an idea built up in their head how she should act and sound and didn't like the official version. Maybe I missed the angry parents because they don't hang out on Reddit

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People are going to receive it how they will. It's sad, really. We're all so awkward around special needs and all of that. Besides..Derpy doesn't come across as "special needs" in the first place. The clever placement of eyes aside. I always assumed it was a clumsy thing. Not special needs. :/

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People are going to receive it how they will. It's sad, really. We're all so awkward around special needs and all of that. Besides..Derpy doesn't come across as "special needs" in the first place. The clever placement of eyes aside. I always assumed it was a clumsy thing. Not special needs. :/

I'd have to agree with you. I never thought she was special needs, just a bit of a klutz.
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I happen to prefer Derpy's revised voice myself. Even if I didn't, I think Hasbro has the right to edit episodes after they've aired if it's to avoid controversy. George Lucas's various edits of the original Star Wars movies are IMO more outrage-worthy than DerpyGate.

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I'd say it's on the developmentally disabled (and those that speak on their behalf when they can't) to decide what does or does not insult them. And if we don't understand why it might, we're better off asking them why then saying that they're wrong to feel hurt.

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I have to wonder, if Goofy had new cartoons, would he get at much controversy? He's been doing that clumsy routine for ages.

Goofy can get away with it because he's a hick, and hicks remain acceptable targets in entertainment (unlike the developmentally disabled).

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