The George Lucas Paradox

[BaconofChaos]

Hey all,

Found this article on ED (buried in one of the nightly round-up posts where most folk won't see it) and found it pretty interesting. A discussion on how Lauren Faust leaving the team is not nessesarily a bad thing (yeah, I know we discussed it way back, but still interesting) plus a little bit about the effect the fans are having on the show. Interesting stuff.

I apologise for any spelling mistakes I made with this post. I think I fixed em all but I'm very tired and RSI is affecting my fingers >_<

[brianblackberry]

I knew that Lauren wanted to have the first season be much more of an overreaching story arc right out of the gate but that idea was dropped before as a concession to have the show go forward (Hasbro was pretty insistent about it being episodic). Yet again I am really glad for the stuff she manage to get included that was initially resisted, such as Rainbow Dash with her current tomboy, brash personality (as it can be argued she is the most popular character).

I will agree overall, the show became better as the season went on, but I would argue that be because we got the see the initial personalities that were introduced early on (always a necessity) expanded upon, so we already had a base to which to work with (which was not true in the initial episodes when we were still just learning about the cast). Although the second half had many of the best episode, it also had what I felt were the two weakest, Stare Master, and Owls Well that Ends Well.

Although I am sorry to see her go, I do know she had as much influence over season two, story-wise, as season one, as much of it was already written when she announced she was stepping down, plus as the author states, much of the talented crew and directors are remaining. It is also pointed out that Hub is willing to fully acknowledge the non-traditional fan base (this is not the same as claiming Hasbro does though). Hopefully season 2 will have the occasional shout outs and Easter eggs to the online adult fandom but won't recreate the show to pander to us, such a move usually ruins and not enhances a series.

[Ginger Mint]

hi hi

I think this is kind of like the difference between working on a team and working on a committee. Lauren was part of a team, so just because she didn't get everything she wanted, doesn't mean she didn't know what she was doing. The team will be lessened without her, and it'll probably take things in different directions than it might have gone otherwise, but I think whatever they do decide to make will probably be good all the same. On a committee, you get your way or don't based on procedural rules, but on a team, ideas get worked through by merit and sometimes you have to fight for a good idea when nobody else sees it.

George Lucas clearly got too much credit for the original Star Wars movies, in my own opinion. In the newer ones, he didn't have anyone to tell him "no, thats a bad idea." But even the best writers have bad ideas on occasion. When you've only got what is already in your head to go by, ideas can get stale.

I think FiM would have been great with a plot arc, different yes, but still good. There's more than one way to bake a cupcake after all. The problem with Lauren leaving isn't that they won't have a chef, rather that their cooking staff will be less diverse by one.

The article seems to frame it as an issue of "Genius Creator" vs "Talented Team" but I don't think that is a very accurate way of looking at it. Maybe that was the case in Star Wars, I don't know, but that would be an example of bad teamwork. When you've got a good team, the creator is an integral part of the team, rather than being two separate entities.