Review: Scootaloo Dies a Bunch · 12:57am Feb 22nd, 2014
By now I think that the people who actually enjoy reading these blogs where I tend to bitch about a lot of things have noticed that I like to pick stories in the featured box which are currently popular, and I'm generally not too nice to them. It's not that I hate everything; it's just that nearly everything new is bad.
No, seriously, I don't hate everything.
So, there's really not all too much to say about the fic. It's funny... sort of. The story is a series of disconnected chapters that have nothing to do with one another apart from the fact that Scootaloo dies in them. It doesn't exactly leave all too much room for imagination, but it does what it's supposed to do.
Scootaloo Dies a Bunch could give just about any meta fic a run for its money. The fandom references and middle fingers directed to fanon was jarring, and by jarring, I mean it hit me harder than roller-derby queen who happened to be having a bad day and had most recently acquired herself a set of rocket skates.
Normally, this is the point where I would complain about the characters being flat and terrible and pointless, but that's exactly what this story's meant to do. Scootaloo Dies a Bunch literally does not give a single shit. Scootaloo dies, it's mildly funny, and that's about it. While I say that using 'Scootaloo dies' as a plot device may have its merit, the idea of the story stole that away and replaced it with a bag of grits that had been left in the sun too long and attacked by pantry moths. Everypony in the story is a complete douchebag and Scootaloo is a naive idiot, but that was the author's intention so there's really not too much about that I can chastise.
If anything, the story is too predictable. While some may argue that that is the point, it still gets boring. I go into a chapter knowing that Scootaloo is going to die in a very unbelievable and meta way in which nopony else gives a shit, and then she does.
To put things simply, it's funny at first, but then quickly becomes more tedious than swimming up a river of penis jokes and bricks.
Nonetheless I like it in a sort of 'props to the author' kind of way. The story itself is a steaming pile of mediocrity specifically designed to bait the featured box, but every once in a while we need one of those to entertain ourselves for a short amount of time and clear the palette of all the anthro clopfics and penises.
That is by far the best sentence I've read all week.. Thank you for that.
Aren't most stories here nowadays baiting the featured box? I look from time to time at the lower section of newer stories and they aren't very different from the overused tripe of previous times. It's just people trying to have their ideas heard even if they do seem to be rehashings of stuff that's been here before.
I don't know about that Sorren. You seem to hate a lot of things.
Do you hate me?
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Don't think of it like a river of dicks, rather, consider it as a ball bouillabaisse
Penis penis penis penis penis penis penis.
... I miss Mission Hill.
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The image I got from that.. Wow.
The idea for this story was born in a Seattle's Angels podcast. That should tell you everything you need to know.
Something I could do without reading.
1861622 Heh. Of course. It was fun in an eye-rolling sort of way that had me nodding in exasperated defeat while still finding myself amused.
Kinda reminds me of 1000 Ways to Die... 'cept with a kid, erm, filly. But hell, it had its fans, heck, it lasted 4 seasons...
1862658 somehow.That show was stupid s hell.
1863328 As stupid as it was, it was successful... That said, in the first season and a little into the second season, the whole "It could happen to anyone" idea was what made it rather intriguing.
But by Season 3, every victim was an ass in one way or another, and that made it seem like only an ass would die in these ways.
Also, in terms of "ways to kill someone", see Final Destination, the Saw Franchise, etc. That's why these things get featured: People want to see "Okay, how's it gonna happen NEXT?" As if there's gonna be a massive variety, as opposed to the fact: When the author's tired of it, they just stop. *shrugs*
Hell, first one I'd seen was A hundred horrible deaths for rainbow dash, and it only got up to, like, seven.
1863631 I've seen Final Destination. I loved those movies just because of the craziness in which people died. But at least those ones were clever.
1863723 I kinda liked how Saw did it, not for the creativity, but more for how there was a "lesson to be learned" in most of the movies. Despite the lessons sometimes being ridiculously stupid, they actually held merit on occasion... even if by the end of the day, there's over 7 SAW movies so I'd just look up the death scenes and say "screw the movie".
Final Destination, same thing, especially when they'd put in "Alternate death scenes" for DVD-buyers. Yeah, cool, we get to see other ways they die... whatever...
At least tying it all together was a clever move on the part of the writers: THAT I liked. But again, death just... interests people. When we don't care about the victim, some of us just go "Okay, they'll die, but how, and when?" as we watch to see the outcome. That's why stuff like a deathfic involving Scootaloo can get featured....
You need to look into better content, though. I mean, I expected you to review the RainbowBob story, after that shot on his proofreading abilities in the previous review... Once you hit "random deaths-fic", you've pretty much gone to one of the actual lowest points in terms of fan-made content. FAAAAR below anything Anthro could bring.
1863772 Shit, what's the name of the movie where this guy kills people slowly and broadcasts it to the internet, and the more people watch the faster the person dies? It was a really good movie and I can't remember the name.
1864050 Untraceable, perhaps?
1864151 Yep. That one.