Shouldn't violence in schools be addressed?

[Mana Minori]

I'm sorry, but I've seen many reviewers and fans praise the fact that Hasbro/ DXH has finally gotten so bold as to make a statement/ commentary on the glaring problems that lie in the (namely American) school system through the season premiere, School Daze, part 1 and 2. They hit us over the head  with the blatant racism/ speciesism spewing from Chancellor Neighsay, and many season before that, they addressed the issue of school bullying through Diamond Tiara and the CMC. Sooooo.....am I the only one that thinks that DXH missed a whopping opportunity to address the very real, very threatening issue of gun violence in schools, and the very real possibility that's now being proposed of arming teachers with said weapons to protect their students? Heck, in episode 2, of season 8, I believe, Pinkie wanted to bring in a frikin party canon to teach her students with.

I have to call horsecrap with DHX and its writers for the show creating the EEA and yet, not addressing the issue of party Cannons in school, and Pinkie’s eagerness to be firing them off around her students, no matter how small or large it is. Let’s be realistic- that thing is just a re-purposed weapon of war painted in cute colors. Heck, even if it wasn’t, we’ve already seen Twilight choke on a piece of confetti, once, in EG, thanks to Pinkie!

With the long drawn out and debated issue of gun control and regulation the States due to the alarming increase of school shootings, and now a push for and against arming teachers with them, I really feel like this hot button issue is a missed opportunity to have been made its own episode. After all, it is the kids that are being affected in real life by this situation.

[Zapper]

It's funny you want this in MLP and not Hasbro's own gun-loving, stuff exploding Transformers.
I really don't want them to introduce more pony violence. That war crap in the time jumping two-parter with Starlight Glimmer was bad enough.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

It's a serious issue, but MLP isn't the right outlet for them to discuss it. The showwriters would want to consult child psychologists so they don't scare the kids out of their wits, and it's quite heavy a topic to be discussed.

[Safflower]

Little girls are the main audience for FiM. While they probably will need to be educated about this whole mess, that will be later on and probably won't be through a show about multicolored ponies. I think the possibility of not making it through school because someone shot you at school is a little too much to be in a show like FiM, especially considering how the parents and children would react. Like tailrustedtealeaf said, it's not the right outlet. Hasbro would likely lose viewers and therefore money. In other words, Hasbro won't do it because it's a big risk, regardless of whether it would work or not. The theme is a lot more dark and serious than I would care for in a show about multicolored ponies and friendship. Gun violence doesn't fit in MLP. There are much much better ways to confront this issue and educate people. It simply isn't the right audience.

How do you propose they would handle this episode? Obviously they can't have a literal school shooter that shoots the ponies at school...

[hathorcat]

It's a serious issue, but MLP isn't the right outlet for them to discuss it. The showwriters would want to consult child psychologists so they don't scare the kids out of their wits, and it's quite heavy a topic to be discussed.

This...sometimes a cartoon...well it just has to be a light hearted fluffy and frivolous cartoon.

[Leave a Whisper]

It ought to be addressed through appropriate real life mediums. All you hafta do is watch old PSAs and edutainment shows, to realize that very seldom, does a cartoon address serious issues with any sort of decency or seriousness. And Hasbro is definitely not one of those companies that has ever been able to do it.

The best way to do it, is to train kids in their classes what to do if it should happen. The same way they would for natural disasters and such. Perhaps bring law enforcement in to talk to the kids about that issue and what to do.

The only times I can think of, that were decent was when Mr. Hooper on Sesame Street died. They did consult a child psychologist on how to address it, from what I hear.

 The Captain Planet AIDS episode. And how it was wrong to shun someone who had it, while dispelling myths on how it could be contracted.

Captain Planet drug episode. I think someone died, or came close to it.

 And I've heard about the gargoyles gun episode. Where one of them shot Elisa by accident. But both took responsibility for their actions.

Tailrust, I don't think your giving kids enough credit.

[ColdRuru]

To add my stone, keep in mind that MLP is not a show exclusively for the US. In the EU and most countries where it's audienced, theyre's no guns allowed in the wild like it's the case in the US. Nor the students or the teachers would have one easily, as it's not a common thing to have that at home.
So in the end, to me it's a really specific problem who wouldn't talk to the "oversea" kids.
Also, I would find difficult to make the ponies wears guns out of nothing, specially in equestria. Doesn't fit the show.

[KarentheUnicorn]

Not sure if this is even on topic but am I the only one who sort of thing guns discusions or use are pointless in a world where a pony can point it's horn at you and use magic on you. Heck, Discord can just make you disappear :p.

It's almost like the interesting aspect of Harry Potter,  where in the HP world people point sticks at each other and can murder. It's not a far stretch to replace the wand with the guy.

I think the whole discussion of guns is a debate where even the best of friends will disagree and yell at each other. Considering Hasbro is a company they're in a situation they have to walk the line of not turning off either side because they want to sell toys. Plus as someone pointed out, they sell toylines like transformers and GI Joe, which are obviously filled with guns and gun 'like' things.

[scifipony]

I agree with the other people above who said that MLP is not the right medium for addressing the issue. I don't mind them dealing with more heavy topics (like grief in "Tanks for the Memories") but I think school shootings and gun debates are just not something that belongs in a My Little Pony cartoon. And, as ColdRuru pointed out, it's something that's more specifically relevant to the US, so it wouldn't be a good idea for an international series like this.

I think the whole discussion of guns is a debate where even the best of friends will disagree and yell at each other.

Not just friends, either. My family is evenly split down the middle on that debate. It's a taboo topic at family get-togethers for obvious reasons.

[Mana Minori]

It's funny you want this in MLP and not Hasbro's own gun-loving, stuff exploding Transformers.
I really don't want them to introduce more pony violence. That war crap in the time jumping two-parter with Starlight Glimmer was bad enough.

I don't follow Transformers and have no interest in watching it, hence why I brought up the subject in MLP. Also, DHX has hinted toward it in MLP, but never really followed through on it. Rather, they were just more focused on having Twilight do things "by the EEA rulebook", which is why she shot down Pinkie having party cannons in class. But we've seen them be dangerous in many episodes before. AJ, in "Yakkity Sax" even put her face directly into one as it misfired. It's still a weapon, and needs to be addressed, just as RD mentioned bullets in her "find a pet" song.

Post Merge: August 07, 2018, 05:14:05 PM

I agree with the other people above who said that MLP is not the right medium for addressing the issue. I don't mind them dealing with more heavy topics (like grief in "Tanks for the Memories") but I think school shootings and gun debates are just not something that belongs in a My Little Pony cartoon. And, as ColdRuru pointed out, it's something that's more specifically relevant to the US, so it wouldn't be a good idea for an international series like this.

I think the whole discussion of guns is a debate where even the best of friends will disagree and yell at each other.

Not just friends, either. My family is evenly split down the middle on that debate. It's a taboo topic at family get-togethers for obvious reasons.

I think the two subjects go hand in hand, actually.....and for the studio to address one and not the other is kinda silly.....

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Tailrust, I don't think your giving kids enough credit.

I understand that a lot of kids media handles heavy topics, such as death as you mentioned with the Sesame Street episode, it's simply that this is a very recent and scary thought that would not be best handled by a show such as FiM. FiM's lessons aren't usually more deep than "be nice to each other".
I'm just not giving the show staff enough credit, I can't imagine them handling this topic gracefully.

[Mana Minori]

To add my stone, keep in mind that MLP is not a show exclusively for the US. In the EU and most countries where it's audienced, theyre's no guns allowed in the wild like it's the case in the US. Nor the students or the teachers would have one easily, as it's not a common thing to have that at home.
So in the end, to me it's a really specific problem who wouldn't talk to the "oversea" kids.
Also, I would find difficult to make the ponies wears guns out of nothing, specially in equestria. Doesn't fit the show.

the "party cannon" that Pinkie has is primarily what I'm talking about. That, and Cheese Sandwich's literal tank, but we only saw that in one episode.

and there are instances where overseas countries have outright banned some episodes that they deemed inappropriate for the target demographic in their countries, so, there's always that, if DHX decides to pursue that route and topic.

Post Merge: August 07, 2018, 05:29:13 PM

Tailrust, I don't think your giving kids enough credit.

I understand that a lot of kids media handles heavy topics, such as death as you mentioned with the Sesame Street episode, it's simply that this is a very recent and scary thought that would not be best handled by a show such as FiM. FiM's lessons aren't meant to go more deep than "be nice to each other". There are a few exceptions, but there is a general sloppiness in their execution, so I'd prefer for their messages to be kept to friendship alone.

ok, so what if a student not from Equstria recognized Pinkie's re-purposed party cannon as a weapon of its original intent, and didn't feel safe with having it in the classroom, even with it being under a teacher's control? DHX could easily turn that into a lesson geared toward the subject of gun control, as well as helping and being nice to others. Protecting and ensuring the Safety of others falls under both categories.